Rapid urbanization has led to increased concern about the psychological effects of living in dense urban environments with limited access to nature. This study investigated the relationship between exposure to urban green spaces (parks, gardens) and residents’ psychological well-being. A cross-sectional design was employed, recruiting 200 adult participants from a major metropolitan area. Participants completed the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and reported their average weekly time spent in green spaces. Residential proximity to the nearest major park was also measured using GIS mapping. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between time spent in green spaces and mental well-being scores (r = .45, p < .001). Furthermore, ANOVA revealed that participants living within 500 meters of a major park reported significantly higher well-being (M = 52.1, SD = 6.3) than those living between 500-1000 meters (M = 48.7, SD = 5.9) or over 1000 meters away (M = 45.2, SD = 7.1), F(2, 197) = 15.89, p < .001. These findings support the theory that access to and use of urban green spaces are key contributors to psychological health, with implications for urban planning and public health policy.

The persistence of authoritarianism in the modern era, despite the global spread of democratic norms, presents a critical puzzle for comparative political science. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the internal structures and strategies that underpin authoritarian resilience. Moving beyond simplistic ‘black box’ models of dictatorship, it employs a comparative framework to dissect the varied institutional architectures of authoritarian rule, including single-party, military, personalist, and hybrid regimes. The paper argues that regime durability is not merely a function of brute coercion but is engineered through a sophisticated combination of co-optation, institutionalization, legitimation, and selective repression. Through a systematic review of scholarly literature and case studies, the paper examines how different regime types manage elite politics to prevent fissures and distribute rents, and how they manipulate the citizenry through performance legitimacy, nationalism, and controlled political participation. A key finding is that institutionalized single-party regimes exhibit greater longevity than more fluid personalist or military juntas due to their capacity to manage leadership succession and incorporate broader societal interests. However, all authoritarian regimes face inherent vulnerabilities, including economic crises, elite fragmentation, and mass mobilization. The study concludes that authoritarianism is a dynamic, adaptive form of governance rather than a histori.

Migration is a defining feature of the contemporary globalized era, presenting profound challenges and transformations for individual and collective cultural identities. This paper explores the complex, multifaceted relationship between migration and the (re)formation of cultural identity. Moving beyond simplistic notions of assimilation, it examines how migrants navigate between their heritage culture and the new host society, often forging hybrid and transnational identities. The paper employs a systematic review of interdisciplinary literature from sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies, analyzing theoretical frameworks such as Berry’s acculturation model and theories of hybridity. Key findings indicate that the process of identity negotiation is influenced by a multitude of factors, including pre-migration personality, reasons for migration (voluntary vs. forced), reception within the host country, and the resilience of ethnic communities. A significant finding is that a secure ethnic identity acts as a foundation for successful adaptation, rather than an obstacle. The paper also addresses the role of second-generation migrants, who often face unique challenges in reconciling their parents’ culture with their own national belonging. The study concludes that cultural identity in the context of migration is not a static endpoint but a continuous, dynamic process of negotiation. It argues for the recognition of hybrid identities as valid and productive and emphasizes the need for host societies to adopt integrationis.

The pervasive integration of digital technology into daily life has precipitated growing concerns regarding its potential for addictive use and subsequent detrimental effects on mental health. This comprehensive review synthesizes current empirical research to explore the multifaceted relationship between digital addiction—encompassing social media, gaming, and smartphone addiction—and various mental health outcomes. A systematic analysis of literature from databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar was conducted, focusing on studies from 2010 to 2023. Findings consistently indicate a significant positive correlation between digital addiction and increased levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and psychological distress. Neurobiological studies suggest that digital addiction shares mechanisms with substance-based addictions, including dysregulation of the brain’s reward system, primarily the dopamine pathways. Furthermore, this paper examines mediating factors such as the fear of missing out (FoMO), sleep disruption, and social comparison, which exacerbate negative mental health consequences. Despite the evident correlations, the review acknowledges the challenge of establishing causality due to the cross-sectional nature of most studies. The paper concludes by emphasizing the urgent need for public health initiatives, digital literacy education, evidence-based interventions, and future longitudinal research.