Journal Social Humanity Perspective

The Impact of Urbanization on Women’s Roles and Family Dynamics

Achieng Wanjiku — 2026-02-19

Urbanization has profoundly influenced social, economic, and familial structures in sub-Saharan Africa, yet its impact on women’s roles within households remains underexplored. This qualitative study investigates how urbanization has reshaped the role of women in families in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on economic participation, decision-making authority, and the persistence of traditional domestic responsibilities. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observations with 18 women across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Thematic analysis revealed that urbanization has expanded women’s economic roles, enabling them to contribute significantly to household income and assert greater influence in family decision-making. Simultaneously, traditional expectations regarding domestic labor persist, resulting in a dual burden that challenges women’s capacity to balance professional and domestic responsibilities. Male partners exhibit varying responses to these shifts, ranging from support and adaptation to resistance and negotiation, highlighting the contested nature of gender power dynamics within urban households. The study underscores that families operate as micro-organizational systems, wherein role allocation, resource management, and decision-making processes mirror principles of organizational management. These findings carry significant implications for policymakers, organizational leaders, and urban planners, emphasizing the need for holistic interventions that integrate economic empowerment, domestic workload redistribution, and socio-cultural transformation to achieve genuine gender equity. By situating household dynamics within the broader urban economic and social context, this study provides critical insights into the interplay between urbanization and the evolving roles of women, offering a framework for understanding and supporting equitable family structures in rapidly urbanizing cities.

Study of The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Behavior in Medan City in 2025

Mian Ivany Banjar Nahor — 2026-02-23

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media on adolescent behavior in Medan City in 2025. Using a quantitative method with a descriptive correlational approach, the research involved 100 adolescent respondents aged 13–20 years. The results show that the majority of adolescents use social media for more than 4 hours per day, with Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube as the main platforms. Social media provides positive impacts such as increased creativity, expanded social networks, and educational benefits. However, negative impacts were also found, including decreased study concentration, consumptive behavior, cyberbullying, and reduced direct social interaction. Parental supervision and digital literacy programs in schools have proven effective in mitigating these negative effects. This study recommends strengthening digital literacy, enhancing the role of parents, and developing responsible social media usage policies among adolescents.

Transformation of Traditional Rituals in Toraja in the Era of Modernization

Siti Khadijah — 2026-03-03

This paper examines how traditional rituals in Toraja have been transformed by modernization and how cultural practices have been maintained, negotiated, and changed in response to new social, economic, and political environments. Using a qualitative methodology of in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis, the study examines how rituals, especially the elaborate Rambu Solo funeral rituals have changed in the face of economic rationalization, tourism, religious influences and generational change. Results also indicate that although some elements of ritual practice are now simplified or commodified, their symbolic nature in strengthening kinship relationships and community cohesion has continued with strong force. In this case the continuity of cultural systems and their ability to respond to changes strategically and without losing their identity is demonstrated. The paper also emphasizes how management can be involved in transforming rituals, practices that are then negotiated, organized and rearranged to create a balance between authenticity and sustainability. The increasing cost of rituals and the demands of modern life push societies to create an equilibrium between the allocation of resources and tourism and globalization provide an opportunity and a threat to cultures. The generation attitudes also contribute to transformation as the young family members are more practical, yet the family is still in touch with the culture of their ancestors. Generally, the research suggests that Toraja rituals are not traditional practices but dynamic cultural resources which can be handled in such a way that can permit their further social applicability. Placing ritual transformation in wider scope of cultural management, this study helps us in comprehending how traditions may survive in times of modernization by striving to adapt to changes through adaptive governance to preserve identity and continuity.

Women’s Entrepreneurial and Social Agency in Driving Community-Based Economic Development

Kelechi Tunde — 2026-03-03

This study explores The Role of Women in Social and Economic Development in Nigeria through a qualitative lens, focusing on how women contribute as agents of transformation within communities, institutions, and the broader economy. Drawing on in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentary analysis, the research reveals that Nigerian women play pivotal roles in entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, and social leadership areas that collectively underpin national development. The findings demonstrate that women’s engagement extends beyond domestic and informal sectors, functioning instead as a critical strategic force that drives innovation, economic diversification, and social stability. However, systemic barriers such as limited access to credit, restrictive property rights, and institutional gender bias continue to undermine their potential. The study argues that management systems and development policies must reconceptualize women’s participation not as a welfare or equality issue but as a strategic component of national economic planning. It calls for gender-sensitive management frameworks that integrate women’s contributions into organizational strategy, human capital development, and governance reform. By repositioning women as central to economic and social policy, the study advances the theoretical discourse on inclusive management and provides practical recommendations for policymakers, private sector leaders, and development practitioners. Ultimately, it asserts that achieving sustainable development in Nigeria requires systemic institutional transformation that recognizes and amplifies women’s agency as a cornerstone of national progress.