Advances in Sociology Research. Volume 30

Advances in Sociology Research. Volume 30 opens with a review of the social determinants of health, best defined as the “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes”. An essay is included reflecting on interviews conducted with queer activists in Taiwan, along with observations made at the Taiwan LGBT Pride from 2011 to 2015 and the sixth ILGA-Asia Conference in 2015. Continuing, the authors examine the role of student-related matters in relation to teachers’ emotions in teaching by interviewing 21 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The researchers try to combine appraisal theory with symbolic interactionism to study teachers’ emotion. In a subsequent study, the authors use nationally representative longitudinal data to document and attempt to explain the educational success of Asian Americans. The problems in the educational system in Hong Kong are addressed, particularly focusing on how these problems cause academic stress. The results of this assessment suggest that the government should minimize the role of examinations. Next, a social analysis is provided centering on the work that Pamoza International (a Christian Outreach and Community Development non-profit organization in northern Malawi) is doing to address the problem of household food insecurity in the communities the organization serves. Research examining identification with inclusive global categories and their association with activism is reviewed. After a short study of definitions of activism and collective action and relevant theories, the authors discuss the widely used social identity approach to group processes. A focus is provided on a three-month period in 1916, when, with the help and support of the English language Singapore-based newspaper, The Straits Times, significant funds were raised inside the British Empire. It will show that this was achieved by cross-cultural cooperation between the British and a minority group, the Straits Chinese. The concluding analysis examines issues of perceived fairness in a state correctional system using findings gathered from self-reported responses inmates provided to a Prison Culture Questionnaire.