ISPEC International Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

Evaluation of Secondary School Students’ Sense of Belonging and Feelings of Rejection in Terms of Socio-Demographic Variables

Gökhan ARIKAN, Salih TÜRK, Mesut ÇAYIR, Osman AKILLIOĞLU — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study is to examine the sense of belonging and feelings of rejection among high school students in terms of socio-demographic variables. The research was conducted using the survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of a total of 634 secondary school students from different grade levels. Data were collected using the “Sense of Belonging Scale,” and the obtained data were analyzed using t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to the research findings, no significant difference was found in the belonging dimension based on gender (p > .05). However, a significant difference in favor of female students was found in the rejection dimension (p < .05). Analysis by grade level revealed that 11th-grade students had significantly higher levels of belonging compared to other grades (p < .05). Results based on place of residence showed that students living with their families had higher belonging scores (p < .05). However, no significant differences were found in either belonging or rejection dimensions based on parents’ education levels (p > .05). In conclusion, the findings revealed that secondary school students’ sense of belonging and feelings of rejection differed according to certain socio-demographic variables such as gender, grade level, and living situation. These results highlight the importance of psychosocial support programs aimed at strengthening students’ sense of belonging and reducing feelings of rejection in school settings.

Social Media Habits of University Students: An Evaluation in Terms of Gender and Departmental Differences

Gönül ŞENER — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study aims to examine the social media usage habits of university students in terms of gender and academic discipline. With the widespread adoption of digital technologies, social media has become central in students’ daily lives and is extensively used for interpersonal communication as well as academic engagement. The research was designed within the framework of the quantitative method, employing a survey model. The sample of the study consists of 401 students, randomly selected from a public university. The findings indicate that the majority of students spend 2 to 4 hours daily on social media. Female students tend to use social media more frequently than their male counterparts, particularly in departments such as Child Development, English Language and Literature, and Turkish Language and Literature. Male students, on the other hand, are observed to use social media for shorter durations and with more functional purposes. The results demonstrate differences in social media usage patterns based on both gender and academic field. Based on the results obtained, it is recommended that digital media literacy and awareness training programs be implemented.

Examination of Metropolitan Municipalities' Public Services for Persons with Disabilities within the Framework of the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Eda MERT, Muhammed Enes KAN — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Disability, which is the loss or restriction of individuals' physical, mental, cognitive or emotional abilities to various degrees, is a phenomenon that is not only congenital, but can also occur later due to various reasons and affects all segments of society. With regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, which has taken its place globally as a human rights issue today, the Law on Persons with Disabilities was accepted in 2005 and it was adopted as a basic policy that persons with disabilities should have equal rights and freedoms with other individuals, ensure their effective participation in social life and take measures to prevent disability. This plan includes activities to ensure that public services to meet the needs of persons with disabilities are provided by all public institutions and organizations and non-governmental organizations with strong coordination. In this study, the public services provided by municipalities, which are one of the nearest public administrations providing services to citizens, for disabled people are analyzed. The aim of the study is to examine the services of local governments for disabled people within the framework of the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is the implementation tool of the 2030 Disability-Free Vision Document. For this purpose, the 8 policy areas identified in the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as “Inclusive and Accessible Society”, “Protection of Rights and Justice”, “Health and Well-being”, “Inclusive Education”, “Economic Security”, “Independent Living”, “Disasters and Humanitarian Emergencies” and “Implementation and Monitoring” are analyzed through the annual reports of municipalities. While the study was limited to 30 metropolitan municipalities, since the National Action Plan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities covers the years 2023-2025, the activity reports of the municipalities for 2023 and 2024 were based on. In the study, document analysis method was used through the activity reports of metropolitan municipalities. As a result of the study, while evaluating the public services provided by metropolitan municipalities for persons with disabilities within the framework of the National Action Plan, the extent to which the municipalities are ready forhis action plan and the readiness of public services for persons with disabilities according to the determined policy areas were evaluated. In this context, recommendations have been made for the realization of future public services and policies, taking into account the current situation.

New Orientalism and Cultural Representation: An Imagiological Analysis of the Grand Egyptian Museum Opening Ceremony and the “Pharaohs’ Golden Parade”

Pelin EKŞİ — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study examines the transformation of Orientalism in the postcolonial era through the case of Egypt. As formulated by Edward Said, Orientalism institutionalized the relationship between knowledge and power within Western representations of the East. In the postcolonial context, however, this discourse has become an active representational tool in the processes of nation-state identity formation and legitimation. The study analyzes the aesthetic, architectural, and discursive forms of the new Orientalism through Pharaohs’ Golden Parade (2021) and the Grand Egyptian Museum (2025). Pharaohs’ Golden Parade is interpreted, through Walter Benjamin’s concept of “politicized aesthetics” and Homi Bhabha’s notion of “mimicry,” as a self-orientalist performance in which national identity is visually reconstructed. The spectacle merges the legacy of ancient Egypt with the image of the modern state, staging national identity for both domestic and international audiences. The Grand Egyptian Museum is examined through Michel Foucault’s idea of the “regime of visibility” and Timothy Mitchell’s concept of the “visual order,” and is read as a discursive space where the colonial museum aesthetic is rearticulated in a postcolonial context. Its spatial configuration creates an ideological continuity between ancient heritage and the modern nation-state. The study shows that Orientalism today operates not merely as a form of domination but as an aesthetic and discursive resource in the production of national identity. In this sense, the “new Orientalism” highlights how the East reinterprets and represents its own history within a global framework.

Analysis of Unethical Behaviors in Work Life Using AHP Method: The Example of Ready-Wear Business

Abdullah ÖZEL, Ömer DULKADİR — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study is to determine the unethical behaviors seen in ready-wear businesses, to rank them by weighting according to the level of harassment to employees, to determine the priority unethical behaviors that businesses should take precautions against, to offer solution suggestions to managers, and to guide other sectors for solutions. Although unethical behavior is a problem for all businesses, it has a special importance for ready-wear businesses because it puts human labor at the forefront and has a direct impact on business performance. Within the scope of the study, firstly, unethical behaviors were determined by applying a survey to the ready-wear operators and with a preliminary scoring, the top 10 most frequently encountered unethical behaviors were determined. In the next stage, a pairwise comparison was made with a new survey to create a data pool for the AHP method, which provides more reliable data due to its consistency analysis. As a result of the application of the AHP method, which ranks the criteria such as location, person, feature, and behavior by determining their weights, it was determined that the top 5 unethical behaviors that are most disturbing in clothing businesses, with a total weight of 80.01%, are unfairness, unpaid overtime with the excuse of burden of responsibility, request to go beyond the job description, unrealistic performance expectations, and appropriation of the employee's labor. As a result of the study, suggestions were made for both the solution of priority problems and the creation of an ethical climate in businesses.

Constructing Prototypes Through Figurative Language in Albania’s 2025 Elections: Europe and “European Albania” as New Identity Frames

Ardita DYLGJERI, Irgen XHYRA — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The 2025 Albanian general elections illustrated the strategic importance of figurative language in shaping political identity, mobilising public sentiment, and guiding voter cognition. Political leaders, especially Prime Minister Edi Rama, placed European Union membership at the centre of the campaign through metaphors, deictic positioning, and expanded temporal horizons that framed EU integration as both destiny and direction. Rama’s discourse persistently aligned the Socialist Party’s programme with the prototype of a “European Albania,” constructing an image of progress, modernisation, and inevitable alignment with European norms. In contrast, opposition figures advanced figurative narratives grounded in restoration, sovereignty, and national self-protection, promoting an alternative prototype of the vigilant, corrective political actor. These competing figurative frames activated different cognitive models—the reformist, outward-looking Europeaniser versus the nationalist-restorative guardian—shaping how voters assessed legitimacy, competence, and collective identity. By converting abstract political goals into emotionally charged and morally resonant stories, figurative language functioned simultaneously as a cognitive mechanism and a persuasive rhetorical instrument. Drawing on prototype theory, cognitive metaphor theory, and paratopic discourse analysis, this study demonstrates how figurative framing structured the ideological meaning of the 2025 election and illuminated deeper tensions surrounding Albania’s European integration trajectory.

The Role of Religious Education in Ensuring Social Peace

Mehmet ŞANVER, Merve KESİMOĞLU — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study conceptually examines the role of religious education in promoting social peace by integrating Islamic principles with contemporary educational approaches. Adopting a qualitative and literature-based methodology, the research explores how religious education contributes to individuals’ moral development, empathy, coexistence consciousness, and social responsibility. The study discusses key dimensions through which religious education strengthens social harmony, including the nurturing of innate belief (fitrah), personality and character development, the enhancement of moral awareness, and the cultivation of respect for diversity. In addition, the research highlights historical and contemporary Islamic perspectives—such as the Qur’anic emphasis on mutual acquaintance (ta‘āruf), freedom of belief, and solidarity—as foundational elements supporting social peace. Classical examples from Islamic civilization and the Ottoman millet system are revisited to illustrate how religious education historically fostered coexistence among diverse communities. Contemporary educational frameworks, particularly insights from the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli (TYMM), are briefly considered to demonstrate how values-based and empathy-centered approaches can enhance the social function of religious education without making TYMM the central focus. The findings suggest that effective religious education cultivates individuals who are morally sensitive, socially responsible, and capable of engaging peacefully in diverse societies. Overall, religious education emerges as a transformative domain that supports national unity, global understanding, and sustainable social peace.

Digital Self-Construction and Generation Z: Theoretical Perspective on Short-Video Platforms

Emrah ARĞIN — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study aims to analyze the process of digital self-construction by Generation Z on short-form video platforms from a theoretical perspective. The primary objective is to examine the phenomenon of the digital self within the frameworks of Goffman's self-presentation theory, Mead's symbolic interactionism, Festinger's social comparison theory, and Higgins' self-discrepancy theory, and to reveal how these theories are transformed within the context of short-form video platforms. The research theoretically analyzes how the technological affordances offered by short-form video platforms (visibility, editability, persistence, and associativity) and algorithmic systems shape the construction of the digital self. The findings indicate that Generation Z both employs traditional self-presentation strategies and develops new forms of selfhood shaped by algorithmic guidance on these platforms. The theoretical framework of the study is constructed upon four central axes: (1) the performative nature of the self and digital exhibition practices, (2) the transformative impact of algorithmic systems on self-construction, (3) the psychological consequences of social comparison mechanisms, and (4) the influence of global and local cultural dynamics on hybrid self-presentations. Key findings include that digital self-construction is evolving into a new form of self that can be termed the "algorithmic self," that platform affordances both enable and constrain self-presentation strategies, and that within the Turkish context, hybrid identity performances emerge between the global and the local. The study proposes ethical regulations and digital literacy programs to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of digital self-construction and suggests future research directions, including experimental studies measuring the impact of algorithmic systems, cross-cultural comparative research, and longitudinal studies.

The Dance of Energy with the Media: The Sociological Reflection of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Hürriyet, Yeni Akit, and Birgün Newspapers

Yonca ALTINDAL — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Since 1968, the movement of the new social movements has become dominant all over the world and the environmental movement has become visible. In particular Turkey and the world in general along political rather than economic development in the sense of containing per 1970, together with the principles of sustainable development in the social and cultural dimensions of coverage has become effective. In the following process, environmental policies started to gain importance among the development policies prepared with great speed especially in developed and underdeveloped countries. This study of hydroelectric power generation, which are considered as an important on so frequently spoken of hydroelectric plants and environmental awareness in recent years to examine how it shaped in particular Turkey. In order to be able to do this, the mainstream media organization Hürriyet will be dealt with a sociological perspective with the different viewpoints of Yeni Akit newspapers defending the socialist ideology and the one-day advocacy of the conservative Islamist line. From the point of view of the media's ideological apparatus (DIA), Louis Althusser and Antonio Gramsci, who are at the same time considered as a contemporary problem of urbanization, in order to transfer the latest developments, and their approach to the subject with political contexts.

The Effects of Peer Bullying in Preschool and Primary School Periods: A Comparative Review

Songül ÇİLESİZ, Selma ÇİLESİZ EYİ , Ahmet Selim KESKİN — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Peer bullying is a significant educational and public health issue that negatively affects children’s social, emotional, and academic development. Bullying behaviors that emerge in early childhood may lead to more complex and persistent consequences in later educational stages. The aim of this review is to comparatively examine the effects of peer bullying during preschool and primary school periods and to evaluate these effects based on developmental differences. The study addresses the definition and types of bullying, its psychological, social, behavioral, and academic consequences in both educational stages, as well as risk and protective factors and prevention and intervention strategies, based on existing literature. Findings indicate that bullying in the preschool period is generally characterized by more impulsive and overt behaviors, whereas verbal, psychological, and social exclusion–based bullying becomes more prevalent during primary school. Moreover, bullying experiences in primary school are more strongly associated with long-term mental health problems and academic difficulties. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of early identification, developmentally appropriate intervention programs, and comprehensive approaches based on school–family collaboration in preventing and addressing peer bullying.

The Harmony of Reason and Revelation in Islamic Thought

Kadri ÖNEMLİ — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The core of Islamic thought emphasizes the non-contradiction of Reason (Aql) and Revelation (Wahy), viewing reason as a vital tool illuminated by divine light, and revelation as the crucial communication bridge established between the Absolute Existence of the Creator and the contingent existence of humanity. Revelation, which occurs through an envoy, behind a veil, or directly (as mentioned in Surah Ash-Shura), is essentially divided into Takwini (Creative) and Taklifi (Prescriptive)—the latter being the Qur'an itself, inviolable in both wording and meaning. The centuries-long epistemological debate within Islam centers on balancing these two sources: The Mu‘tazila prioritized reason, interpreting (te'wil) tradition when conflicts arose; the Ash‘arism school asserted the absolute priority of tradition (Nakil); and the Māturīdism sought a balance, viewing both as equally necessary foundations. Conversely, the Salafiyyah adopted a strict literalist approach, rejecting interpretation. Adding another layer, the Shia tradition links the persistence of divine guidance to the Imamate, asserting that infallible (masum) Imams receive binding knowledge through direct divine inspiration, ensuring continuous spiritual authority. While this rich diversity forms a valuable heritage, these theological differences have regrettably been historically politically exploited, serving as a pretext for social divisions and conflicts.