Gleaning Insights From the Opportunities and Challenges Female Broadcasters’ Work Present in Southwestern Nigeria

This study explores aspects of broadcasting and how they impact female broadcasters and their families in Southwestern Nigeria. The investigation not only focused on the opportunities that broadcasting presents for female broadcasters and their families but also highlighted the issues and challenges female broadcasters encounter within their work and familial contexts and those their families faced concerning the women’s workday. The study also gleaned insight from participants’ experiences, meaning-making and learning from the opportunities and challenges associated with the female broadcasters’ workday. Using the narrative research design that employed the phenomenological approach, 18 participants were purposively sampled in Oyo and Ogun States. From the Television Section of The Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) and Ogun State Television (OGTV), three female broadcasters were selected each using a purposive sampling technique while the husband and a child of each woman were selected using snowballing sampling. Data collection was done using interview guides while data collected were analysed using phenomenological analysis. The results showed that personal, professional and/or collective benefits were accrued from the women’s work. There were also the challenges participants had with each other in relation to the women’s workday including spousal and cultural demands, occupational and safety issues. Furthermore, some of the participants’ experiences resulted in learning. Thus, it was concluded that in acknowledging the benefits derived from female broadcasters’ work and despite the challenges it posed to participants, significant learning experiences were fostered to navigate through the peculiarities of the women’s work and their family dynamics

Socioeconomic Characteristics and Housing Development in the Peri-Urban Areas of Akure, Nigeria

The rapidly growing population of Akure and the accompanying economic activities have led to the city's expansion to the adjoining peri-urban areas. Many households who could not afford decent accommodation in the town have been moving to the peri-urban regions for rental or personal housing. Recognizing this development, a study exploring the connection between the socioeconomic characteristics of households and housing development was carried out in Oba-Ile, Oda, and Ibule-Soro peri-urban areas of Akure. In this study, households represent the unit of analysis, and one household head per building was selected for questionnaire administration. Using the average household size of five people per family (5ppf) and five households per building (5hpb) in Ondo State, the number of households in the three locations was forty-seven thousand one hundred and ten (47110), out of which eight hundred (800) representing 1.7% of the households were randomly selected for questionnaire administration. The data obtained from the field survey was subjected to statistical analysis and the results among others revealed that most of the housing units were headed by males, who were between 45 and 54 years old, and within Nigeria's economically active population; 67.2%, 65.1%, and 46.4% of the respondents in Ibule-Soro, Oda, and Oba-Ile, respectively, lived below the poverty line; and most of the housing development were traced to the last ten years. Based on the findings, credible proposals were made to improve socioeconomic characteristics, which will drive adequate housing development

The Policy Thrust of the National Directorate of Employment in Combating Mass Unemployment in Southwestern Nigeria: Rural Employment Creation

The study examined the policy thrust of the National Directorate of Employment in combating mass unemployment in Southwestern Nigeria with a view to providing information on the extent to which National Directorate of Employment has contributed to rural employment in Southwestern Nigeria. Nigeria’s labour market is characterized by a high percentage of underemployment, a large public sector, and unfavorable working conditions. Both underemployment and unemployment persist in the informal market, leading to underutilization of the Country resources. (Mitchell, 2023).The Directorate uses training as a vehicle for stimulating youth interest in taking agriculture as a vocation and discovering agricultural value-chain business possibilities that may lead to the development of jobs and wealth so alsothe settlement of the beneficiaries who are already trained to start small-scale agro-allied and agro-based ventures yet the challenge of unemployment seem not to be abated

Nature at the Edge of the Machine: Eco-Poetics and Technological Modernity in the Works of Alice Oswald and Adonis

This study looks at how nature and technology intersect in modern poetry, focusing on the works of Alice Oswald and Adonis. By exploring how these poets address the challenges and opportunities of today’s technological world, the research emphasizes the connection between ecological awareness and poetic creativity. Oswald’s nature-focused poetry highlights the life and vulnerability of the natural world. In contrast, Adonis weaves in elements of cultural memory and modernity, showing the clash between tradition and technological change. Through detailed textual analysis, this study examines whether technology is seen as a threat, a neutral element, or a potential partner for nature, revealing the poets’ thoughtful engagement with ecological and technological issues. The research uses an eco-poetic lens, combining literary analysis with environmental philosophy to explore the moral and artistic implications of modern life. Ultimately, the study shows that both poets express a vision where ecological awareness and technological understanding inform each other, providing important insights into how poetry engages with today’s environmental and technological conversations

Understanding Literacy Constructions of Kindergarten Children: A Chinese Perspective

Literacy is a growing field within applied linguistics, education and media studies. According to UNESCO (1957), “literacy is something which enabled you to follow our career path and do what society requires of you.” Literacy development cannot be separated with the societal and economic background and this paper is focused on the early childhood literacy construction of Chinese urban children from the angle of functional literacy, which helps to understand how a child’s early literacy can be constructed in order to help him/her to be functionally literate forward into adult life in the suited social context

Enseignement du français langue étrangère dans le contexte éducatif chinois : une analyse comparatiste des modèles institutionnels

Cette étude analyse les deux principales approches d'enseignement du FLE en Chine. D'une part, les universités privilégient une méthode traditionnelle axée sur la grammaire à travers des manuels comme "Le français", adaptée aux examens écrits mais limitant les compétences orales. D'autre part, les Alliances françaises appliquent des méthodes communicatives favorisant la pratique langagière. Nos recherches démontrent que si les étudiants universitaires excellent en théorie grammaticale (seulement 25,3% d'erreurs), ils rencontrent des difficultés en situation réelle (57,4% d'erreurs), contrairement aux apprenants des Alliances. Face à ce constat, nous préconisons une approche intégrée combinant les forces des deux méthodes : maintien des acquis grammaticaux tout en développant les compétences orales, adaptation des évaluations et formation des enseignants aux techniques interactives. Cette synthèse permettrait de répondre simultanément aux exigences académiques chinoises et aux besoins réels de communication, optimisant ainsi l'efficacité de l'apprentissage du français dans ce contexte spécifique

Crypto Funding Social Projects and Redistribution in a Costa Rican Rural Town

The present article explores the interconnections between North-South relationships, transnational gentrification and crypto funding for community projects in the newly glocal, rural community of San Salvador del Barú in Tinamaste, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. Through in-situ observations and semi-structured in-depth interviews, this research seeks to understand the limitations in the use of cryptocurrency donations as well as the possible misuse of them to further reproduce neocolonial global disparities. In doing so, it sheds light on current Costa Rican tourist-migrant-expat phenomenon of land appropriation as well as new socio-cultural relations between locals and foreigners. From a critical Latin American perspective, it offers possible pathways to transforming globalized relationships by tapping into the branch of cryptocurrencies that promises decentralized and accessible funds

Endangered Communities: Managing Human Rights Exigencies in Climate Change Impacted Regions: A Case Study of People of the Sahel, Nigeria

Climate change poses a severe threat to human rights in Nigeria’s Sahel region. Droughts, floods, and erratic weather patterns disrupt livelihoods; reduce food security, and cause displacement, disproportionately impacting women, children, and people with disabilities. Against this backdrop, this study investigates how climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities of the Sahel region and explores opportunities for strengthening community resilience. In the method section, analytical literature review was utilized to extract qualitative data from extant literature. Anchored on Political economic theory, the appraisal reveals that climate shocks worsen pre-existing inequalities exacerbating community vulnerabilities. Girls with limited education due to societal barriers face even greater challenges when climate disrupts schooling, hindering future opportunities. People with disabilities encounter difficulties accessing essential services due to climate-induced disruptions, further marginalizing them. The study identifies key opportunities to empower Sahelian communities. Raising awareness about climate risks and adaptation strategies in local languages is crucial. Supporting climate-smart agriculture and livelihood diversification can improve food security and economic resilience. Investing in infrastructure that withstands extreme weather events with accessibility for people with disabilities is essential. Social safety nets, fostering local participation in decision-making, and strengthening local governance can further bolster community resilience. It is recommended that legislative representatives of these communities or their nearest constituencies device a legal framework for pursuing the maintenance of the rights of those living in those communities.

Cloud Imagery in Baudelaire: From Toxicity to Ecological Imagination

This ecocritical analysis of Baudelaire’s The Spleen of Paris examines cloud imagery through three lenses: its symbolic meaning in the urban environment, its role in conveying toxic discourses, and its representation of an idealized natural state. Clouds, as natural symbols, reflect the tension between nature and the industrialized city, evoke complex emotions, and reveal the erosion of human-nature connections. Moreover, they symbolize pollution, social alienation, and the yearning for a harmonious natural world. This analysis enriches our understanding of Baudelaire’s ecological philosophy and offers new perspectives for ecocritical research.

Liberal Ideology and Its Claim of Final Form of Human Government: Explaining the Challenges Facing the Liberal Ideology

This article interrogates liberal ideology and its claim of final form of human government. The political corollary of liberal ideology is hinged on the premise of democratic ethos and notably multiparty, constitutionalism, transparency and accountability, free, fair and periodic elections and above all upholding the rule of law. Using the qualitative method approach, liberal ideology can satisfy humanity's deepest desires and has no fundamental contradictions. Its triumph has signaled the end of the protracted historical conflict that had previously prevented its growth. Because it fit the current way of thinking, liberalism received extensive prominence in the western press and academic community. Liberal ideas have been internally split and sidetracked by both important and trivial concerns for the past few years. This study explained that while liberalism and democracy usually go together, they can be separated in theory. A country can be liberal without being democratic. Britain experienced it in the eighteenth – century. A country can also be democratic without being liberal, that is without protecting the rights of individual citizens and minority citizens of the country. The study notes that the economic strand of liberalism focuses on trade. The argument of the liberal is that, trade is important, not because it prevents states from going to war, but because it may lead states to define their interests in a way that makes war less important to them. This paper, however, argues that despite the challenges of liberal ideology,    Liberalism recognizes the right of free economic activity and economic exchange based on private property and markets. Since the term capitalism has acquired so many pejorative connotations over the years, it has recently become a fashion to speak of “free market economies” instead; both are acceptable alternative terms for economic liberalism.