New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 4

Cultural Significance of Ecosystem Services in Traditional Festivals Performance in Rural Northern Ghana

2025-07-14T10:35:55+00:00

Cultural ecosystem services, such as spiritual, religious, or heritage values, are often intangible and cannot easily be quantified or assigned a monetary value. These values are subjective, deeply personal, and vary across individuals and communities. In simple words, Cultural ecosystem services are the non-material benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. Recreational experiences, religious values, educational opportunities, cultural heritage, and traditional practices and knowledge associated with natural environments, such as indigenous ways of managing land and resources. These services enhance the quality of life of rural people and contribute to their well-being and rural livelihood. In Northern Ghana, communities along the White Volta River basin celebrate traditional festivals and the rich cultural heritage with ecosystem services of the rich and luxuriant vegetation. There is little documentation linking the livelihoods of the people, the role that ecosystem services play in their livelihood practices, and their festival celebrations. Understanding the links is important for a comprehensive appreciation of people's conservation-related behaviours. The objective of the study, therefore, was to document how the rural people rely on the ecosystem services found in the White Volta River basin for their livelihoods and in the celebration of their festival. Customary laws, traditional social structures, and authorities regulate ecosystem services at the rural local level with chiefs and sub-chiefs, community members ensuring sustainable use of resources in the ecosystem under their jurisdiction. Focus Group Discussions were undertaken with a checklist on the thematic areas. Key informant interviews were conducted, and qualitative data were collected. The type of provisioning ecosystem services was noted. The data, mainly qualitative data, were analysed using Thematic and Content analysis. Common activities found across all the festivals were identified as prayers to the gods and ancestors for good harvests and blessings. Ritual performances at sacred sites, and the maintenance of social cohesion and the transmission of cultural values. Cultural ecosystem services are often underrepresented in policy and governance frameworks, which tend to prioritise provisioning or regulating services that are easier to quantify. Cultural practices tied to ecosystems may not be adequately considered in land use planning, resource management, or conservation efforts. Ecosystem services not only sustain traditional festivals in Ghana but also preserve the culture and spiritual values, and improve the economic status of the people, highlighting the interdependence of people and nature.

Impact of Delivery Services on Consumer Behaviour in Restaurant Mobile Applications

2025-07-14T10:40:03+00:00

Generation Z has been profoundly shaped by the advancement of technology, making them highly reliant on digital platforms for fulfilling both their needs and wants, including food purchases. This study seeks to identify the factors that influence the target respondents' purchasing decisions and their reactions to using Mobile Delivery Applications. This study aims to identify the influence of the three determinants, such as Attitude Towards Behaviour, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioural Control, on the consumer's behavioural intention when using Mobile Delivery Applications. A Descriptive quantitative research method was used to determine the level of agreement of every determinant, behavioural intention, and the overall result towards consumer buying behaviour upon using Mobile Delivery Applications. A survey questionnaire was constructed and answered by 140 university students in different year levels.

The findings revealed that all three determinants had a positive, albeit negligible influence on the behavioural intention of the consumer. This study provides useful insights for restaurant managers, mobile app developers, and marketers. This study can be a guide for them as a reference to infer the results to the mobile application developers, and that would help them in generating more revenue, following the consumer's preferences based on this study.

Thiruvalluvar's Conception of Education and Wisdom: A Tamil Philosophical Perspective with Contemporary Implications

2025-07-14T10:45:39+00:00

This paper explores Thiruvalluvar’s conception of education and wisdom as articulated in the Thirukkural, positioning it within a global philosophical dialogue alongside Socrates, Confucius, Immanuel Kant, and John Dewey. Thiruvalluvar views education not as the mere acquisition of formal knowledge but as a transformative ethical journey grounded in wisdom, integrity, self-awareness, and social responsibility. To critically evaluate this vision, the study introduces the MESS framework—Moral Philosophy, Ethical Wisdom, Secular Education, and Social Responsibility—offering a novel lens for philosophical and educational analysis. By applying this model, the research highlights the universal and inclusive relevance of Thiruvalluvar’s ideals across cultures, transcending barriers of religion, race, or caste. Anchored in classical Tamil thought, the paper conducts a cross-cultural comparative analysis that reveals a shared human aspiration for morally grounded education. In challenging the dominance of technocratic, outcome-driven pedagogies, the study advocates for a holistic educational paradigm that integrates ethical and social development. As the first to apply the MESS method to both classical and modern philosophies, this research makes a timely contribution to contemporary discourse on value-based education, moral leadership, and inclusive curriculum design in pluralistic societies.

Bullying in Learning Institutions in Kenya: Knowledge and Interventional Measures

2025-07-14T10:49:33+00:00

Bullying in most learning institutions is a ‘silent epidemic’ since the victims are usually threatened not to reveal it to authorities, or they can suffer the consequences. In most cases, learners who are seen as weak in personality and from a humble background can be bullied by others in school. Previous research has shown a lack of effective interventions; hence, this Chapter fills that gap by highlighting possible interventions that can restore dignity to victims and prevent bullying in the future. This chapter, therefore, highlights possible interventions that can be provided to the victims of bullying to restore their dignity and prevent future forms of bullying in schools. This Chapter is anchored on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory, which emphasises the risks and factors associated with bullying within the school environment during childhood and adolescence stages of learners. This Chapter has significant importance to the scientific community as it addresses the issue of bullying, which is a “silent epidemic” in global educational institutions, including Kenya. The Chapter also emphasises a multifaceted approach to interventions, which are important for school administrators and policymakers to prioritise for equity and psychological satisfaction of all students.

Predictive Analytics and the Presidential Election: Key Candidate Attributes that Predict Voter Behaviour in the 2020 Presidential Election

2025-07-14T10:53:55+00:00

Marketing is a key component in elections with voters. Political marketing is an important component and factor influencing how voters choose political candidates. The purpose of this study was to examine key candidate attributes and predictive analytics that influenced voter behaviour in the 2020 Presidential Election. The Political Marketing Candidate Attribute Scale (PMCAS) was developed specifically for this research on political marketing and voter behaviour. This study is the result of a four-year research project on how political candidates win or lose elections based on predictive analytics, which included local and state elections and the 2020 Presidential Election. The results of the study reveal the key predictor variables that influenced voter behaviour for candidates for local and state elections, as well as the presidential election. The researchers had four national samples (n = 146), (n = 758), (n = 1,016), and (n = 1,324) in the U.S. that were used for this research on political marketing and candidate attributes.

For this study, the researchers examined 30 candidate attributes that are key indicators in predicting election wins. Here, three statistical tests were used to measure a candidate’s attributes that influence voter behaviour. The results of this four-year study revealed three key factors that influence voter behaviour based on candidate attributes. First, the top ten candidate attributes that predict voter behaviour and predict candidate wins in an election were identified. Second, five key demographic variables are found to be a significant predictive influence on voter behaviour and election wins. Lastly, it was found that voters are highly influenced by the visual attributes of candidates compared to other attributes. The implication for marketers is that political marketing efforts can be predicted using statistical models and marketing model frameworks.

The Implications of Culture on Primary and Secondary Control

2025-08-06T10:29:44+00:00

Perceived control is conceptualised as individual judgments of the extent that which desired outcomes can be achieved, and potential misfortunes can be guarded against. Perceived control can be divided into two processes of primary and secondary control. While primary control involves actively changing the environment to fit the needs and desires of the self, secondary control involves changing one’s own thoughts and feelings to fit with the world. This study investigated whether the relative use of primary and secondary control varies as a function of cultural difference. Through convenience sampling, two groups of samples were drawn. A six-item scale was used as a measure of primary and secondary control. In this study, an alpha of .83 was obtained. It is posited that people who are under the influence of Asian, collectivist culture will be oriented toward secondary control rather than primary control, but vice versa for those in the Western, individualist society. This proposition was tested in this study by using the Chinese respondents from both Australia and Hong Kong. Hence, it is hypothesised that the Australian Chinese (AC) will have higher level of primary control but a lower level of secondary control than the Hong Kong Chinese (HKC). The results revealed that, though AC was significantly higher than HKC on primary control, they did not differ on secondary control. The result was discussed in terms of the integration process in the context of intercultural contact. AC’s enhanced primary control is the result of cultural learning which, in turn, increases their orientation to self. But on the other hand, the AC may retain the use of secondary control acquired in the home country and hence maintain the same level of secondary control to that of the HKC. It is concluded that, to have a more comprehensive understanding of whether people in collectivist societies are more inclined to use secondary control than primary control, but vice versa for people in individualist societies, more empirical studies should be conducted by using a variety of samples from these societies. The limitation of this study was also discussed.

Nostalgia for Progress: Chronicles of the First Ever Railway Song

2025-08-06T10:35:36+00:00

The paper takes a fresh look at the history of the world’s earliest art song, the musical solution of which, along with the lyrics, is directly related to the Train—Travelling Song by the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka (1804–1857). Background information, including the terminological and methodological basis of this study, technological details of the development of the railway in the early decades of its inception, as well as several striking examples of works in various genres of art, music, and fiction that show how the railway has inspired creative individuals over the decades, precedes and follows composer’s story, a study of which reveals that Travelling Song is not only the earliest response to the novelty of the railway in music, but also has roots in a personal romantic and emotional context. The research is carried out using methods generally accepted in cultural studies, i.e. working with print and online sources, as well as features of a creative writing style associated with the practice of art-based research, which offers a presentation of scientific material about art using artistic means.

A Comparative Philosophical Study into Stately Ethics and Good Governance: Lessons from Statecraft in Thirukkural

2025-08-06T10:39:08+00:00

The objective of this study is to critically examine the political philosophy of the Thirukkural, a text of global significance, focusing on seventy chapters that explore royalty, ministers, and the state. While the Thirukkural is globally revered for its ethical insights, its sophisticated vision of governance remains underrepresented in political discourse. To critically analyse this vision, the study introduces the GEAR framework—Governance, Ethics, Authority, and Rightness—as an original model for interpreting statecraft through a moral lens. Adopting a cross-cultural comparative approach, the research situates Thiruvalluvar’s principles alongside Saiva Siddhanta, Gandhian ideals, Confucian ethics, and Western classical thought, particularly Plato. This interdisciplinary approach, central to the analysis, is captured in the GLIA model—Governance (public control), Leadership (upright authority), Integrity (ethical foundation), and Accountability (public responsibility). This model not only underscores the enduring relevance of Thiruvalluvar’s ideals but also demonstrates the breadth and depth of the study's research, appealing to a wide range of scholars. The Thirukkural emerges not only as a timeless ethical text but also as a visionary treatise on inclusive, virtuous governance, seamlessly integrating Aram (virtue), Porul (material order), and just authority. As the first study to apply the GEAR framework, this study offers fresh insights into classical Tamil political thought and its profound relevance to contemporary democratic values, transcending the boundaries of religion, race, and caste in today’s pluralistic societies.

Mentorship as a Transformative Leadership Model: Enhancing Organisational Sustainability through Authentic Mentor-mentee Relationships

2025-08-06T10:42:16+00:00

This chapter explores mentorship as a transformative leadership model that plays a critical role in ensuring organisational sustainability and leadership continuity. Through a descriptive research design and an extensive literature review, the study investigates two key dimensions of mentorship: professional coaching and psychological support. Findings reveal that effective mentorship not only develops the leadership capacities of mentees but also fosters organisational resilience, ethical behaviour, and a culture of continuous learning. By strategically embedding mentorship within organisational frameworks, institutions can navigate change, enhance leadership pipelines, and safeguard their long-term success. The chapter calls upon policymakers, organisational leaders, and researchers to embrace and further explore mentorship as a core leadership practice.