Journal of Development and Social Sciences

Evaluating the Interplay between Inflation and Socioeconomic Variables: Implications for Household Consumption and Economic Stability in Pakistan

2025-01-09T16:41:22+05:00

This study examines the socioeconomic effects of inflation on family spending patterns and community purchasing power in Pakistan from 1990 to 2023. Stationarity tests reveal that key economic variables are integrated of order one (I(1)), while the GDP deflator inflation rate remains stationary at level (I(0)). The Bounds test confirms a long-term equilibrium relationship among these variables. In the short term, increases in final consumption expenditure, access to clean cooking technology, and consumer price inflation negatively influence the GDP deflator inflation rate, with these effects persisting over the long term. Diagnostic tests highlight issues of serial correlation, suggesting that economic shocks can have lasting impacts. These findings emphasize the need for robust policy interventions to stabilize consumption patterns, enhance household purchasing power, and curb inflation. Comprehensive, long-term measures are essential to promote economic stability, improve living standards, and mitigate the adverse social impacts of inflation in Pakistan.

Icons of Faith: Understanding the Connection Between Religious Symbols and Youth Happiness in Pakistan

2025-01-10T17:02:08+05:00

This study is aimed to explore the religious symbols and their connections to the happiness among youth in Pakistan. Qualitative research design was explored the cultural components linked with religious symbols causes wellbeing of the youth. Pakistan people are emotional in terms of religious affiliations and are facing serious problems in terms of religious intolerance and terrorism. So this study focused on the importance of these symbols, which facing the hardships and their connection with resilience and coping strategies through qualitative lense. The in-depth interviews followed by thematic analysis was done to collect the data for research from youth of Pakistan. The findings shows that religious symbols give sense of direction to the youth and community accompanied by the emotional support. All these components showed that there is valuable effect of religious symbols on the happiness and contentment. This also emphasizes the vital role of cultural and religious bases among youth in order to comprehend their psychological well-being, happiness, resilience and coping strategies.

Cyber Warfare between India and Pakistan: Implications for the Region

2025-01-10T19:11:39+05:00

This study is to explore the cyber warfare waging between India and Pakistan has developed into a more important part of their geopolitical rivalry, which severely alters the fate of the region in terms of stability and security. The main aim of this study on the consequences of cyber operations between these countries, which have previously been aggravated due to politics, territorial issues, and military confrontation. Cyber capabilities in both nations are put on their strategic arsenal, for this new type of warfare has many different and novel risks such as disruption of critical infrastructures, economic losses, and the psychological impact on civilian populations. The paper studies scope and scale in that it takes the investigation into the cyber attacks from sides and what tactics, targets, and engineering it has possible. The greater part of these cyber confrontations is brought into a study on greater international importance concerning South Asian security dynamics .The methodolgy used in this article is qualitative method. The result of this study is to constituting not only state systems but also growing militarization of cyberspace, the study calls for increased and more innovative regional cooperation in putting together robust frameworks for cyber security for preventing escalated cyber conflicts into full-scale war. This research recommends the India and Pakistan requires a multifaceted approach that includes diplomatic dialogue, enhanced cyber security cooperation, clear rules of engagement, public awareness, and international support.

Economic Exploitation under British Rule: The Impacts on Indian Society

2025-01-12T09:59:36+05:00

This paper focuses on the process of economic exploitation of India by the British colonial masters and its various effects on the Indian social entity. The aim is to consider the colonial economic policies as institutional frames like the land revenue system, education, and the drain of resources, and the social impacts of these policies. Hence, the methodological approach is a historical analysis that combines historical accounts and critical economic works to analyse primary sources of nationalist movements.‎ As the research findings show, British policies led to devastating disasters, which included the formation of massive poverty, continuous famines, and the eradication of original British industries. Social injustices firmed, indigenous knowledge lost, and imperialism to some extent led to nationalism.‎ According to the study, colonial exploitation requires an equitable development policy agenda and for the ‎colonial economic impact to shape modern applicable socio-economic policies more research into the ‎economic impacts of colonialism is required.‎

Teachers as Change Agents: Professional Development for Integrating SDGs into Pedagogy in Pakistani Context

2025-01-12T10:25:46+05:00

The objective of the study is to investigating the professional learning and knowledge enhancement requirements of Pakistani educators in regard to implementation of SDG in context of their classrooms. The research is both quantitative and qualitative in nature which investigates how teachers, educational administrators and policymakers view the implementation of SDGs in their classrooms. The results show that despite the increasing concern about the SDGs, there are still problems that include a lack of preparation, insufficient funding and weak policy backing. According to these findings, the research provides a framework for the teacher professional development which comprises of trained programmes, curriculum change and the networking of learning. The study also calls for the facilitation of the necessary knowledge, skills and resources that teachers need for the integration of SDG into their teaching practices to support the realization of the quality education SDG 4 as well as the other related goals.

Harmonizing Humanity: Unveiling the Nexus of International and Constitutional Dynamics in Pakistan’s Potential Adoption of the Refugees Convention

2025-01-12T10:28:05+05:00

United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees adopted in 1951 is deemed as a cornerstone of international human rights law. The significant objective of the Convention certifies the protection of refugees’ rights and inherent dignity. The constitution of Pakistan provides fundamental rights to the vulnerable refugee community. Therefore, Foreigners Act, 1946 works as a legal mechanism for regulating the rights of refugees, but it is inadequate to fulfill the objectives of the Refugee Convention till now. Pakistan is not a signatory to the Convention; therefore, it is imperative to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention to ensure the protection of refugees’ rights. This study examine the intersection between Refugee Convention and the fundamental rights provided in Pakistan’s constitution, by employing exploratory and descriptive methodology, highlights the concerns regarding the absence of the Convention in Pakistan’s legal framework and advocates for the ratification of so to address legal gaps.

Comparative Analysis of SDG-Aligned Performance Indicators across Major Cities of Punjab

2025-01-12T15:22:40+05:00

The study aims to evaluate socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and infrastructural disparities across six major cities of Punjab—Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Bahawalpur—through the lens of SDG-aligned performance indicators to inform sustainable development policies. Punjab's cities exhibit significant variations in development trajectories, with urban centers like Lahore experiencing rapid economic growth and resource consumption, while rural cities like Sargodha and Bahawalpur lag behind in infrastructure and economic opportunities. Data was collected from the Bureau of Statistics, open datasets, the Compendium of Environmental Statistics, and utility centers of the respective cities. Descriptive and exploratory data analysis techniques were applied to compare city-level performance across sustainability dimensions. Lahore’s rapid urbanization leads to high GDP and resource consumption but causes significant environmental degradation. Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Multan struggle to balance industrial growth with environmental sustainability, while rural cities face challenges in socio-economic development. Tailored policy measures, including promoting green industrial practices, equitable resource allocation, and infrastructure development, are essential to foster balanced and inclusive growth across Punjab’s cities.

A Critical Analysis of Pakistan’s Relations With Iran In 21st Century

2025-01-16T16:04:08+05:00

This article aims to critically analyze Pakistan's relations with Iran in the 21st century, focusing on political, economic, and security dimensions. The article explores the challenges and opportunities that define their bilateral ties in a rapidly evolving regional and global context. Pakistan and Iran share deep historical, cultural, and religious connections. Despite these ties, their relationship has been strained due to regional power dynamics, sectarian issues, and divergent foreign policy priorities. The 21st century has brought additional complexities, including the war on terror, economic sanctions on Iran, and evolving alliances in the Middle East and South Asia. The research employs a Qualitative approach, utilizing secondary sources, including research articles, official documents, policy analyses, and academic literature. It also examines geopolitical events influencing bilateral relations. The findings reveal fluctuating relations shaped by mutual interests in border security and trade, yet hindered by sectarian tensions and external pressures, particularly from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. To foster stronger ties, Pakistan and Iran should enhance economic cooperation, establish joint border management mechanisms, and prioritize dialogue to mitigate sectarian divides and external interference.

Determining the Effect of Artificial Intelligence on online Buying Behavior of Consumers: A Case study of Retail Buyers in Karachi Sindh

2025-01-16T16:07:24+05:00

The main objective of this research is to analyze the effect of AI Personalization, Chatbots effectiveness and Predictive analysis on buying decision of online buyers. Increasing uses of AI technologies facilitate online retailers to improve personalized buying experiences, innovate selling practices, improve customer service and enhance customer satisfactions. This research includes four hundred online buyers from karachi and survey questionnaire used to collect primary data. Data analysis show T statistics, significant p value and positive beta results are statistically significant which show all three hypotheses are accepted. This research study concluded that AI Personalization, Chatbots effectiveness and Predictive Analysis, significantly influence the purchase decision of online buyers. Future researchers can use many other technologies of Artificial Intelligence as well as online consumers can be selected from other metropolitan cities like Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad.

Using Modern Technology in Enhancing L2 (English) Reading Motivation among Undergraduate Students of Pakistan

2025-01-16T16:43:30+05:00

The study has been conducted to investigate the objectives of technology incorporation influences on students’ L2 (English) reading success, students’ motivation, and teachers’ skill. The study has tried to foster on students’ improvement in reading comprehension because empirical studies have simply addressed reading, L1 and L2 reading motivation. It has been observed that the score in reading comprehension has been declining among the students for numerous reasons such as avoiding and ignoring the incorporation of modern technology. Using the theory of a process model of L2 motivation, the researchers have designed three groups of the undergraduate students of BS English of NCBA&E Lahore. Three research questions were framed. Data have been collected from a sample of 85 students. The findings show that the incorporation of technology in the teaching methodology has improved, reading comprehension, motivation and teacher ability. Study has recommended the incorporation of technology with teaching and reading in English.

Engaging Stakeholders and Public Participation: Connective Leadership Tool for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Public Sector Governance of Pakistan

2025-01-17T17:20:49+05:00

This review paper aim to examine the literature on concepts of stakeholder, civic engagement, social capital and relevance with connective leadership that fortifies the relationship/communication among stakeholders. Using thematic research, and analysis technique, the review selected literature from databases like (Cardiff Met Search, Ebsco, Elsevier, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Springer). This review highlights benefits of these procedures including, increased political legitimacy, citizen empowerment and more inclusive governance, however, still pose challenges, such as confusion or misconceptions about stakeholder engagement and overlap with public participation. Research emphasizes use of clear strategies and definitions to deal with challenges. The review article also explores the evolving role of connective civil leaders of public sector organization, i.e. public administrators in shared governance that facilitates partnerships and leverage social capital to strengthen civic relationships and connections. It also admits the potential of digital platforms to expand the engagement. Thus, recognize obstacles of political dynamics; struggle for power and socio-economic disparity. This review identified and presents number of knowledge gaps in literature.

The Localization of Buddhist Art in China: A Case of "Emperor and Empress Worshiping Buddha" during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

2025-01-17T17:27:07+05:00

In the long history of China, Buddhist culture flourished during the Wei, Jin, and North and South Dynasties, with Buddhist temples and grottoes such as Yungang, Gongyi, and Longmen emerging, and relief murals frequently depicting scenes of Buddhist rituals performed by emperors and queens. This article focuses on the art of Buddhist rituals of the empresses and queens, and shows the fusion of Buddhism and Chinese culture. Through the Wei Shu and other historical materials, the relationship between the empresses and Buddhism is sorted out; combined with anthologies and epitaphs, details of Buddhist rituals by the nobility are explored. Image analyses focus on cave murals, interpreting religious symbolism and aesthetics. This interdisciplinary study integrates historical, artistic, religious, and sociological perspectives, revealing the connotations of the Buddhist rituals of the Empress and the Empress, demonstrating the paths of the localisation of Buddhist art and its influence, deepening the understanding of history and culture, and providing insights into the study of contemporary art.

Disinformation and Political Polarization: A Qualitative Study on the Role of Social Media to Develop Political Biases in Pakistan

2025-01-18T00:55:10+05:00

This study aims to find the outcomes of disinformation being spread through social media and practices leading to youth following and trusting in such information blindly without any authentication. Pakistani society went through a socio-cultural and political change with the introduction of internet technology. Under the western concepts of human rights, the social media provides freedom of speech and freedom of thoughts. This study was qualitative in nature, including online content analysis, participant observation, indepth interviews, and focused group discussions. Through purposive sampling, the youth of Quaid-I-Azam University and PMAS Arid Agriculture University, aged 20 to 30 year, was selected and 24 in-depth interviews were conducted. Social media has a positive impact for the growth of a balanced society, but in the context of Pakistan the use of social media is for developing political biases through disinformation brings forth a political polarization. Consequently, political biasness and intolerance are observed very common among youth. There is need to develop new policies to protect

Integrating Medical Teaching to Address Misuse of Antibiotic

2025-01-18T11:49:06+05:00

In highly vaccinated areas, resistance to antimicrobials has surged rapidly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially within Pakistan, owing to the more extensive misuse and abuse of antibiotics. This study investigates the gap present in antibiotic stewardship and public health policies on AMR within the medical education system of Pakistan for this aim. This work investigates the insight and perspective of medical students, teachers, and professionals towards antibiotic misuse, antimicrobial resistance, and related policies. The findings suggest that there is an inadequate understanding and training concerning the extensive social and moral effects of AMR. Additionally, inadequate extracurricular activities.The findings point out the crucial requirement for adding antibiotic stewardship, bioethics, and public health issues into medical course materials to deal with the misuse of antibiotics and to check the rise of AMR. The results show that merging education, rigorous policy enforcement, and awareness into a single approach provides a practical solution to this challenge.

Race, Culture, and Identities in Second Language Education: A Comprehensive Review of Research and Insights

2025-01-18T14:51:39+05:00

EFL textbooks are more than just grammatical references; they are also a tool that allows students to acquire their first glances of the target culture. Therefore, such information in these materials must be well chosen to avoid putting forward a one-sided picture of the target society, which may revive old stereotypes. This article evaluates the identification of the target culture to address this concern by analyzing EFL textbooks. Hypotheses of the research are: The primary hypothesis is that the content of the analyzed materials is dominated by the image of the target culture about other cultures; the secondary hypothesis is that gender, national, and ethnic prejudices can be traced in the content of the analyzed materials. Thus, the study findings show that the target culture dominates the EFL textbooks. This study brought the following three findings. First of all, EFL materials portray a narrow vision coming from American and British cultural products, thus reducing learners' opportunities to encounter the rather broad representation of the target community. More particularly, the texts underline such features of popular culture as American, while cultural heritage features are closer to the British ones.

The Impact of Institutional Quality on Inclusive Growth in Developing Countries

2025-01-19T12:58:21+05:00

Inclusive growth offers a new perspective on measuring progress of a country. In many developing nations, despite experiencing economic growth, poverty and income inequality remain either on the rise or stagnate. This paper investigates the impact of institutional quality on inclusive growth in 91 developing countries over the period of 2008 to 2021 and employed System Generalized method of moments (GMM). To measure growth inclusiveness, the study construct an inclusive growth index using Social opportunity function. Additionally, six different indicators are used to measure institutional quality. The empirical results of this study shows that there is positive and statistically significant impact of institutional quality on inclusive growth. Moreover, the paper also constructs indifference curves for selected developing countries to check their inclusiveness. Finally, it is suggested that developing economies developing countries should prioritize strengthening their institutions as the foundation for fostering inclusive growth, improving public trust, and ensuring long-term social and economic stability.