Journal de Ciencias Sociales

General Overview of the Issue

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Recognition of the participating reviewers

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The work of Professor Takashi Inoguchi: a pioneer in studies of quality of life and international relations in Asia

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This article compiles the main works of Prof. Takashi Inoguchi, especially those focused on cultural, politics and human dimensions of Asian societies. It seeks to review and value the theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions of his scientific work to approach and understand the Asian world. Inoguchi’s books develop the nature of Asian societies in comparison to the rest of the world, under the focus of quality of life. Likewise, he explores new approaches to the international relations based on the enormous empirical evidence of the signing of multilateral treaties and the result of what he calls a global quasi-legislative policy. In addition, these books include his knowledge on quality of life for the different nuances of Asian society. In most of these books, authors use Asian Barometer Survey, a powerful and versatile source of data on Asian societies.

Logics of power and domination:

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This article seeks to contribute to the theoretical development of studies on the processes of domination by trying to understand some of the key elements involved, presenting some authors who contribute in this respect, as well as introducing specifications of power from modernity around the rational social pact. A study of the devices of domination makes it necessary to clarify questions that become decisive: What are the reasons why the figure of authority and the instituted inequalities are accepted? What are the reasons why power is organized discursively or coactively? What are the configurations of a subordinate and to what extent does the dominated become ominously complicit in his domination? This work, without being able to answer these questions emphatically, seeks to bring analytical elements to the subject. Correlatively, it is asked whether the hierarchical and privileged society, that is, a social structure where a minority retains goods, opportunities and decision-making capacity, is the one that designs the devices of domination, or whether these are inherent to the very structure of the social. Finally, a reflection on some current strategies of control is introduced, together with a worrying increase of the instituted in favor of the instituting.

Dilemmas of writing at the university

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Students, both undergraduate and graduate, must navigate complex situations while developing their academic work, ranging from a simple presentation to the outcomes of a research project (even a doctoral dissertation), under the pressure of being both rigorous and creative. The inherent rigor of academic writing demands adherence to specific steps, and it is evident that the act of putting a theoretical reflection or research findings into text is often the most challenging stage, especially for novice students in Social Sciences. The aim of this essay is to explore this issue (which has received little attention, to be sure) to provide basic tools so that each author can find the most effective path to producing their own text. The discussion will highlight the importance of writing in the construction of knowledge, the use of rhetoric, proper argumentation, and clear writing. Additionally, emphasis will be placed on the organization of the academic text and its absolutely crucial value. Beyond the pursuit of objectivity, the essay will underscore the personal aspects of the researcher and the process of writing itself.

Essay on collective memory as a social motivation for dark tourism in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine

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Dark tourism is a branch of tourism that isdedicated to visiting places associated with death and tragedy. Collective memory acquires meaning in specific areas, marking identities in specific environments, thus becoming anintegral part of cultural heritage. Its relevance is especiallymanifested in the transformation of areas previously markedby catastrophes into tourist destinations. To this end, thisessay aims to investigate the dark tourism that takes place in the exclusion zone, located in Ukraine. A point that managedto attract more than 100,000 tourists during 2019, exceedingfive times the number of tourists who visited this point in previous years. Through this project, we will seek to understand this growth from the perspective of the collectivememory and motivation of the people who choose thatdestination as a demand for planned tourism.At the same time, the objective is to establish how dark tourism promotes thedevelopment of collective memory and the conservation and dissemination of cultural heritage. Analyzing its touristsystem, its infrastructure, structure and superstructure as wellas its attractions, equipment and facilities. The expectedresults of this work will contribute to a comprehensive visionof dark tourism and it is expected to achieve a general understanding of the phenomenon of dark tourism and itsdevelopment in the last decade from 2013 to 2023.

Effect of Child Maltreatment Polyvictimization on Human Capabilities While Controlling for Sociodemographic Risk Factors

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Studies locate the adverse impact of child maltreatment using a biopsychosocial perspective of childhood development. However, little is known about the effects of maltreatment on human development when conceptualized within the Capability Approach, a formative and evaluative framework that captures quality of life. This study examines the impact of child maltreatment polyvictimization on 10 human capabilities as a measurement of human development while controlling for sociodemographic risk factors. Data was derived from the Children's Human Capabilities and Maltreatment National School Survey conducted in Aruba, with 895 children aged 12 – 17 from 73 randomly selected classes of 11 secondary schools in 2019. Chi-square test of independence reveals that high poly-victims were more likely to be girls living with single mothers and those who perceive their economic status as average. ANOVA results indicated that high poly-victims were consistently less likely to enjoy 9 out of the 10 capabilities when compared with children who were single and low poly-victims. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, polyvictimization was a significant positive predictor of human capabilities. The study concludes that poly-victims of child maltreatment suffer significant harm to their wellbeing and the ability to live flourishing lives. Recommendations are made for intervention and development of capabilities-based child protection assessment and policy checklist to safeguard children’s human development.

UNESCO Story Circles for developing intercultural competences in higher education students within a heterogeneous society context

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Story Circles were designed by Dr. Darla Deardorf (2020) together with UNESCO as a practical intercultural tool for developing and practicing intercultural competences that can be used with different groups of people in many settings around the world. Story Circles help participants develop intercultural competences such as listening for understanding, cultural curiosity, empathy and reflection about differences. They can be utilized in a variety of settings in order to improve human interactions across difference, whether within a society (differences due to age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, political affiliation, ethnicity, and so on) or across borders. Although some articles have been published on Story Circles with participants of different nationalities, in this study we use Story Circles to reflect on the differences between people within the same society and with the supposed “same culture”. In this research we used the Story Circles within students of an official Higher Education Institution dedicated to Spanish Letters. We organized three small groups of mostly Argentinean participants who completed a feedback questionnaire at the end of the experience. Seeing that Argentine society is profoundly heterogeneous in its beliefs, practices, rituals, and identifications, we tried to verify if the emotional connections that Story Circles usually produce among people involved in them are expressed in our participants’ feedback. The findings corroborate positive reviews by all participants, and the proposal of Story Circle methodology as a complementary training activity for intercultural competences was highly appreciated by all the participants.

Representación de la moda china en los medios occidentales: influencia de las diferencias culturales y perspectivas en la era digital

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This article analyzes the representation of Chinese fashion in Western media, focusing on how cultural differences, stereotypes, and digitalization have influenced its global perception. It explores media narratives that, in many cases, have reduced Chinese fashion to an exotic aesthetic or appropriated it without considering its genuine cultural context. In this regard, the concept of soft power is addressed, examining how fashion has been used as a strategy by both the Chinese government and Western brands to project a global image. The article also examines the tensions between aesthetic admiration and cultural simplification, as evidenced by the Chinese market’s resistance to certain representations. Furthermore, it highlights the role of digitalization, which has enabled the emergence of alternative voices, promoting a more authentic view of Chinese fashion. Chinese designers and Asian communities have begun to challenge dominant narratives, establishing their own discourse that merges tradition with contemporary elements. Finally, the article reflects on the tensions between nationalism and modernization, as well as on the importance of more inclusive and equitable fashion journalism—one that acknowledges non-Western cultures and fosters a more diverse dialogue within the global industry.

Approaches to Community Urban Agroecology: Opportunities to Sow Debates and Cultivate Sustainability Agendas

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The industrial model of food production has led to various environmental issues, which have deepened in recent years and are currently the subject of debate. In this context, activities aimed at discussing this production hegemony are being developed in cities, proposing, through action, an alternative for producing food sustainably by adopting the agroecology approach. These urban experiences are often organized communally in agroecological gardens with the aim of initiating debates that set environmental sustainability agendas.

Analysis of the diplomatic conflict between Ecuador and Mexico: the inviolability of Embassies and diplomatic asylum

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The raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito by the Armed Forces and National Police of Ecuador presents an important discussion regarding the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic missions. This is especially relevant when examining the limits of this inviolability, which is protected by both conventional and customary diplomatic law—particularly in a case involving an individual such as former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who has been convicted by the courts of the sending State (Ecuador in this case). For this reason, we will aim to uphold and argue the existence of a hierarchy among norms within international law, acknowledging that for the international community as a whole, certain norms carry greater political and legal weight than others. To this end, we will begin by briefly reviewing the main facts of the conflict between the two nations; then, we will examine jus cogens peremptory norms as fundamental rules of public international law; next, we will conceptualize the legal and political characteristics of both the inviolability of diplomatic missions and the right to diplomatic asylum; and finally, we will analyze the possible legal, economic, and political consequences of the incursion into the Mexican Embassy in Quito, carried out by the Republic of Ecuador itself.