Introduction: Sport has increasingly been recognised as a tool to foster social cohesion, especially within marginalised and diverse communities. At the same time, this potential has often been undermined by short-term, under-resourced programmes that shift responsibility for social change onto already vulnerable groups, rather than providing sustainable, structural support. In particular, the realities and needs of communities and community organisations have often been neglected, leading to mismatches between programmes or support offered by municipalities and the actual needs on the ground.

Against this background, this study presents a needs analysis conducted in Dublin, Ireland, investigating how sport can be used to foster social cohesion within two of the city’s disadvantaged areas. It focuses on how stakeholders perceive social cohesion in their communities, what role they believe sport can play in supporting it, and what needs exist to strengthen cohesion through sport.

Method: This study relies on a mix of qualitative methods, including interviews, qualitative survey responses, and fieldwork observations. Reflexive Thematic Analysis is used to develop themes aligned with the research goals.

Results: Social cohesion is often limited by an “us-versus-them” dynamic that pits minorities against the majority white Irish population. In this context, sport is seen as an accessible tool that can bring groups together and promote understanding. However, sport programmes are constrained by a lack of coordination with the municipality and across service providers, particularly regarding facility access and pathways for talented youth.

Conclusions: While the potential of sport and the need for greater coordination and resources are widely recognised, stakeholders emphasise that tensions between groups—and the media narratives that exacerbate them—remain a significant challenge. Importantly, this “us-versus-them” dynamic not only fuels division but also distracts from interrogating deeper systemic issues, including the unequal distribution of wealth and access to services.

The paper presents the results of a qualitative study focused on the continuity of care for children and adolescents with mental health difficulties in the Czech Republic. The research is based on interviews with children (n=33), their legal guardians (n=4), and social workers (n=10), which were analyzed with an emphasis on the experiential perspective of the individual actors. The findings indicate that the system of care is fragmented, with long waiting times for professional help and insufficient availability of specialized services. Children describe repeated experiences of bullying, stigmatization, and misunderstanding within the school environment, which significantly contribute to their feelings of isolation and helplessness. Parents emphasize their sense of helplessness, administrative burden, and the lack of clear information about available forms of support. Social workers highlight, in particular, barriers to interdisciplinary cooperation and a shortage of capacities, especially in the field of child psychiatry and crisis services. Nevertheless, the presence of a key worker—often in the role of a social worker—proves to play a crucial role in ensuring continuity of support, coordinating services, and strengthening the family system. The experiences of children further confirm the importance of trust, a safe relationship, and an individualized approach that enables them to feel heard and respected. The paper underscores the necessity of systematically developing mental health centers for children, strengthening prevention, improving the availability of psychotherapy, and creating effective mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation between education, health care, and the social sphere. The findings may serve as a basis for innovations in social work, aiming at greater accessibility, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of support for children with mental health difficulties and their families.

Introduction. Physical education (PE) plays an important role in the acquisition of physical activity in leisure-time (PA) and sports habits (Kilpatrick et al., 2002). PE classes can improve adolescents' motivation to practice PA or sports outside of school and are an attractive field for analyzing PA related to variables such as behavioral intention (Sun and Chen, 2010). Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan, 1985; Ryan and Deci, 2017) can help understand and explain human motivation and behavior. SDT also establishes that human behavior is motivated by the satisfaction of three primary and universal psychological needs (Ryan and Deci, 2000): relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Within the actual socialization practices relevant to BPN, interpersonal styles or behaviors that support said BPN are crucial. Our objective was to relate PE teacher interpersonal styles (support for autonomy, relatedness, and competence), motivation (autonomous, controlled, and amotivation), and the intention to engage in PA outside of school. Method. The participants were 655 students (317 boys, 335 girls) between the ages of 12 and 15 (M = 12.77; SD = 0.73), from both public and private secondary schools, who answered a set of questionnaires to measure the study variables. Results. Students' perception that their teacher supports each of the BPNs is positively associated with autonomous motivation in PE clases and the intention to engage in physical activity outside of school, as well as negatively with amotivation. Amotivation is negatively associated with the intention to engage in PA. Conclusion. A PE teacher showing support for BPNs is associated with a greater intention to engage in PA outside of school in adolescents immersed in PE.

This study examines the intricate relationship between smartphone usage among Italian university students and their understanding of the environmental consequences associated with smartphone production and consumption.
The research integrates quantitative data from a survey of 230 communication undergraduates from Macerata, Bologna and Florence with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews to explore patterns of usage, social meanings and levels of ecological awareness. The study reveals a pervasive dependence on smartphones coupled with a limited understanding of the extractive and energy-intensive processes behind their manufacture.
The pandemic intensified both usage and the associated psychological effects, revealing ambivalence towards digital technologies. Drawing on theories of digital degrowth and technological colonialism (Couldry & Mejias, 2019), the study highlights the urgent need to promote digital ecological education and encourage collective action in order to transition towards more sustainable and equitable models of technological consumption.
Only through combined efforts in raising awareness, providing education and implementing policies can consumers influence structural changes that would reduce the environmental footprint and address the global inequalities inherent in digital capitalism.The future of smartphone production and consumption is thus at a crucial crossroads.On the one hand, growing global demand and technological innovation are driving continued market expansion, with significant implications for resource extraction, energy production, and e-waste management. On the other, growing awareness of environmental and social impacts is driving an urgent need to rethink more sustainable and circular consumption models, encouraging repair, recycling, and extending the lifespan of devices. In this scenario, digital ecology education plays a strategic role, as it can foster greater individual and collective responsibility, promoting conscious practices of critical use and consumption.

In 2025, Greece continues to serve as both a gateway and a bottleneck for refugees seeking protection in Europe. This paper critically examines the evolving landscape of refugee rights in Greece, focusing on the tension between international legal obligations and national policy responses. The European Union’s shifting asylum framework, border management practices, and increasing reliance on externalization strategies have exacerbated legal and humanitarian concerns. In Greece, these pressures manifest in restrictive asylum procedures, deteriorating reception conditions, and systemic challenges to access justice and social rights for asylum seekers and recognized refugees.
Through a doctrinal analysis of international, European, and Greek legal frameworks—especially the 1951 Refugee Convention, the EU Common European Asylum System (CEAS), and Greece’s Law 4636/2019—the paper assesses whether current policies align with fundamental rights standards. Empirical data from recent reports, court cases, and field assessments are used to contextualize the legal critique. Particular attention is given to vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors and survivors of gender-based violence, who face disproportionate risks under current reception and detention regimes.
The paper argues that while Greece remains legally bound to uphold refugee rights, operational deficiencies, political pressures, and EU policy gaps have created an environment of conditional protection and limited legal remedies. It concludes with policy recommendations aimed at restoring rights-based asylum procedures, improving compliance with international standards, and enhancing solidarity mechanisms within the EU.

Introduction: Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) is one of the most widespread yet institutionally underestimated conditions in contemporary healthcare. Despite its high prevalence and the significant burden it places on patients’ daily lives, it is often perceived as secondary or purely aesthetic. This tension reflects broader dynamics in the social construction of medical legitimacy, where life-threatening conditions attract institutional focus, while chronic but non-fatal illnesses remain culturally and professionally devalued. Methods: This qualitative study draws on semi-structured online interviews with 20 vascular surgeons—each representing a different Italian region—to explore how medical professionals construct and navigate the social meaning of CVD in their practice. Results: Findings illustrate a profound mismatch between the systemic complexity of CVD and its marginal status within clinical and institutional discourse. While all participants recognize the chronicity, socio-economic burden, and psychological impact of advanced CVD (e.g., venous ulcers, bleeding, etc.), they also describe it as a “Cinderella pathology”—routinely overshadowed by more acutely framed arterial diseases. Surgeons report observing different patient behaviors: arterial patients act with urgency and fear, while venous patients often display resignation or delay care. These attitudes are influenced by systemic failures, including poor public health communication, limited primary care integration, and lack of policy support for preventive and long-term care—particularly in underserved areas. Conclusions: By foregrounding the lived experiences and reflections of health professionals, this study contributes to the sociological understanding of how chronicity, medical hierarchy, and institutional inattention coalesce to shape healthcare delivery. It calls for a reconfiguration of health priorities that values everyday suffering, promotes equity, and recognizes the silent yet substantial burden of CVD within broader societal systems.

Introduction:
Social inclusion and participation are core determinants of health and wellbeing, particularly for individuals with disabilities. Occupational therapy (OT), when viewed through a sociological lens, can act as a transformative force that empowers individuals to reclaim meaningful roles in their communities. This study aims to explore the experiences of adults with acquired physical disabilities in relation to occupational identity and reintegration, emphasizing the role of community-based OT interventions.

Methods:
A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adult participants (aged 28–64) who had acquired disabilities (e.g., post-stroke, traumatic injury) and participated in community-based occupational therapy programs in two urban rehabilitation centers in Greece. Interviews focused on perceived changes in occupational identity, social relationships, and participation in daily life. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework.

Results:
Three overarching themes emerged: (1) "Loss and Reclamation of Occupational Self", describing the disruption and gradual reconstruction of identity; (2) "Barriers to Participation", including structural inaccessibility and societal stigma; and (3) "The Empowering Role of Occupational Therapy", highlighting individualized, culturally sensitive interventions that fostered agency, self-efficacy, and community involvement.

Conclusions:
This study underscores the critical importance of contextualized, participatory OT practices that align with sociological principles of equity and inclusion. Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to advocate for structural and attitudinal changes while co-creating inclusive occupational opportunities with service users. The findings support a broader, non-medicalized understanding of disability aligned with the social model and human rights frameworks.

Fostering inclusive design is not easy considering uneven attention in design education to teaching about diversity, disability, design-for-all, and universal design. Inclusive design means to design for/with as many people as possible who embody the widest range of abilities with a myriad of life experiences. Our objectives are the following: (1) identify how design professionals talk spontaneously about inclusive design and (2) trace the sociocultural capital that has the potential to inform designing and teaching practices. Fourteen design professionals, who are practitioners and teachers simultaneously, from nine counties and seven locations, were independently interviewed about design practice, processes, and education. This research differs from more controlled approaches (e.g., protocol analysis, direct inquiries about inclusion, disability, diversity) in that it accepts that data are largely driven by negotiated discussions between researchers and interviewees. This approach is invaluable when investigating more abstract research questions like perceptions of the design profession. Data analyses of verbatim transcriptions of individual 2- to 3.5-hour interviews were coded for direct references and indirect inferences related to inclusive design. These interviews produced stories of designers’ educational backgrounds, experience in practice, and influences (i.e., individuals, other resources). The resulting data are rich narratives about designing and design teaching that reflect the personal values, beliefs and actions of the interviewees. Out of our fourteen interviewees, eleven spontaneously discussed inclusion, diversity, disability, inclusive design, design-for-all, and/or universal design. It also reveals that our interviewees have deep, intimate connections and experiences with disability in some way (e.g., family member, friend, or through school/work), rather than specific education in inclusive design. They also discuss how these experiences are transformed into being a design professional. Our presentation promises to center the voices of our interviewees towards better understanding how people’s sociocultural capital influences attitudes and behaviors connected to inclusion and diversity.

Design continuously evolves in response to societal change, shaping and being shaped by how people live and care for one another. In healthcare, care is a central professional and ethical principle, yet its design dimensions remain underexplored in medical education. While clinicians understand care in daily practice, they are often unaware of how design can extend care beyond individual encounters toward systemic, technological, and societal transformation.

This paper reports on Designing Health Systems, an ongoing online course delivered by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at University of Alberta, Canada, to 60 second-year medical students at the Wenzhou Medical University, China. The course invites students to explore how professional care could be expressed through meaningful innovations at different scales—individual, cultural, and systemic—and pathways such as products, resources, programs, and policy initiatives.

Situated within the emerging AI/Hybrid Design Paradigm, where human and technological forms of care increasingly intertwine and reconfigure clinicians’ roles, instructors wrote and shared letters of care as prompts for dialogue. These were synthesized into a collective letter to the cohort, followed by targeted letters providing feedback to project groups. The letters embodied care as both a relational and epistemic act—modeling rather than merely teaching what caring design entails.

Adopting a pedagogical design research approach grounded in reflective practice (Schön, 1983), we iteratively reflected in and on action by producing and discussing letters, student responses, and innovations. This process revealed that educating through care enacts the values we aim to teach. Analysis shows how students reciprocated this experience by developing a sense of care toward their projects, evident in the authenticity rooted in personal experiences and clinical reflections rather than AI content. Ultimately, this work aims to nurture clinicians who collaboratively create ethical, humane, and sustainable health-system innovations that uphold care as a foundational value in the AI/Hybrid Design Era.

This study aims to develop a practical guideline for adapting track and field events in school physical education programs for students with physical disabilities. The guideline is grounded in international standards set by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Athletics, along with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) on physical activity for persons with disabilities and UNESCO principles on inclusive education. The need for such a resource emerges from the noticeable scarcity of applied frameworks that demonstrate how athletic events can be adapted for students with physical impairments in school settings—an issue that limits their opportunities for participation, engagement, and motor development when compared to their peers.

This study employed the descriptive method by reviewing the relevant literature, previous studies, international regulations, and recognized para-sport adaptation manuals to extract applicable principles for school environments. The proposed guideline outlines procedures for adapting races and field events, modifying equipment and assistive devices, adjusting officiating rules, and restructuring movement pathways to suit students’ functional abilities.

The findings support the feasibility and value of implementing adapted athletics programs in schools, as they contribute to enhancing physical competence, increasing participation levels, promoting motivation toward physical activity, and strengthening social inclusion and self-confidence among students with physical disabilities. Accordingly, this study recommends adopting the proposed guideline within physical education curricula and providing professional development for PE teachers to ensure effective implementation that aligns with students’ physical and developmental characteristics.