Research in Social Sciences

Study on Influencing Factors of Rural Human Settlements from the Perspective of Neurourbanism

Lei Wen — 2025-02-14

A stressful external environment may cause various mental diseases. It is become a hot subject to figure out how to handle the tense link between the environment and health. The mechanism of human-environment interaction may be studied, and a conceptual model of the connection between rural human settlements and health can be developed by referencing relevant ideas and approaches in neuroscience. For rural human settlement health research, a framework is given based on this model, which begins with a conceptual model. The theoretical support system, the substance of research, and the techniques used to convey it are sorted out in a normative way. It has the potential to fill in the gaps in rural-related research and provide a new research approach and theoretical framework for the study of the link between a rural environment's impact on health.

Closing the Financial Literacy Gap: The State of Financial Education in the U.S. and a Path Forward

Stephen Molchan — 2025-02-24

The United States faces a financial literacy crisis with widespread individual and societal impacts. Despite its importance for informed decision-making and economic well-being, financial literacy levels remain alarmingly low, with disparities across demographic groups such as women, minorities, and lower-income individuals. Current K-12 financial education efforts are inconsistent, with only a fraction of states mandating personal finance courses. Challenges such as inadequate teacher training, outdated curricula, and limited funding further hinder progress. This paper advocates for comprehensive financial education nationwide, starting in early grades and continuing through adulthood. Key recommendations include improved teacher training, culturally relevant curricula, and lifelong learning opportunities to address evolving financial complexities. Collaboration among schools, governments, businesses, and non-profits is critical to creating a robust financial literacy ecosystem. Addressing these gaps is essential to empower individuals, reduce economic disparities, and promote a more equitable and resilient financial future for all Americans.

Competencies of Special Education Teachers in the use of Information and Communication Technology Tools in Mainstream Setting

Joanerose Page Ballon — 2025-02-28

This study investigates the association between the demographic profile and perceived ICT competency levels of special education instructors in mainstream environments as well as evaluate their ICT competencies. Data were gathered from fifty special education instructors using a quantitative research approach by means of an established survey form. In four areas technology operation and concept, social and ethical, pedagogical, and professional the study assessed ICT capability. Results showed that while instructors had intermediate proficiency in pedagogical and technical ICT skills, they displayed great competency in ethical and social ICT use. Lower levels of competency in technology operation and professional ICT engagement point to a need for further instruction in fields such digital assessment tools, online collaboration, and troubleshooting. Age, gender, educational background, duration of service, and ICT ability were not significantly associated with ICT competency, according statistical research. But teaching style choice showed a strong correlation with ICT competency, implying that teachers who include ICT into their lessons show more skill. The study emphasizes the need of institutional support to improve ICT integration in special education, more access to professional development chances, and ongoing ICT training programs. Modern and blended teaching strategies help to raise teachers' digital competencies for inclusive education even further.

Difficulties in Making Claims to Knowledge in Social Science

Stephen Gorard — 2025-03-07

This paper looks at the difficulties faced in making a knowledge claim, especially in social science. A knowledge claim is defined here as a justified belief, that would be open to change in the light of new evidence. The discussion is based on claims defined by two distinct types of knowledge. Claims can be envisaged as “fully descriptive” or more “generally descriptive”, and they can be causal or not. Each type is commonly used in social science. But each requires different philosophical assumptions. Fully descriptive claims merely summarise any data observed. This is the easiest and safest kind of claim, but even these might suffer from non-random errors and inaccuracies. However, their biggest limitation is sometimes their lack of any wider purpose. Generally descriptive claims are often more useful, and involve statements about as yet unobserved data hypothesised on the basis of a fully descriptive claim. Here we meet Hume’s problem of induction. These claims have two parts – fully descriptive and inductive - and the inductive part cannot seemingly be justified by logic, inferential statistics, Carnap’s inductive probabilities, or even necessarily by Popper’s falsification process. The third type, causal claims, are also usually general claims. This paper summarises a model, based on the work of Mill, Bradford-Hill, and others, of what a plausible causal claim entails. But it still has all of the problems emerging from the first two types of claim, and adds a further problem created by our inability to assess causes directly. The paper concludes by suggesting how social science can proceed most safely in practice, and in terms of theoretical explanations, by avoiding being misled by false claims to knowledge, and reporting research findings with tentative care and judgement.

The Study of U.S. Think Tanks’ Cognition of Sino-US Track II Diplomacy

Xiaoning LI — 2025-03-24

Against the backdrop of heightened risks between China and the United States, coupled with intensifying U.S. strategic pressure toward China, this study examines American think tanks’ perceptions of Sino-U.S. Track II diplomacy to identify key concerns and potential misperceptions within U.S. policy circles. The research conducts textual analysis of 18 research reports published by 13 leading U.S. think tanks addressing bilateral Track II diplomatic engagements. Findings reveal that U.S. think tanks generally hold a predominantly positive attitude toward Track II diplomacy, explicitly acknowledging its unique role in facilitating intergovernmental communication. However, persistent challenges including linguistic barriers and trust deficit significantly constrain the effectiveness of U.S.-China Track II interactions. The study particularly highlights the emerging phenomenon of “pan-securitization” in academic exchanges, urging scholarly communities to address this concerning trend and proactively promote the restoration of bilateral academic cooperation.