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Research Article
Integrating Community-based Participatory Research Methods to Identify Leisure Preferences Among Newcomer Immigrant Women Aged 30-55 in Ottawa, Canada
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
153-162
Received:
29 May 2026
Accepted:
18 June 2026
Published:
8 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ss.20261504.11
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Abstract: This paper explores the benefits of adopting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach when designing leisure activities for newcomer Farsi-speaking immigrant women aged 30 to 55 in Ottawa, Canada. Immigrant women in this age range frequently navigate complex and overlapping demands related to paid employment, family responsibilities, caregiving, and unpaid labour, yet their leisure interests and access needs remain underrepresented in both the research literature and community programming. Through sustained collaboration with a local resettlement service organization, a bilingual (English/Farsi) leisure interest survey was administered to Farsi-speaking women who had arrived in Canada within the preceding five years and fell within the designated age range. The survey invited respondents to identify preferred leisure activities, accessibility requirements, language learning goals, and scheduling preferences. A total of 40 women submitted responses, and the findings were organized into three thematic leisure categories: (1) outdoor and movement-based activities, including yoga; (2) museum and gallery visits; and (3) social gatherings. This CBPR approach enabled these community members to articulate their leisure interests, assets, and specific needs, which in turn directly informed the development of culturally relevant and responsive leisure programming. Our discussion and conclusion emphasize that a pre-activity survey can serve as a meaningful methodological bridge between community-based participatory research and the design of culturally responsive leisure programs. Implications for researchers, community organizations, and practitioners working with newcomer populations are discussed.
Abstract: This paper explores the benefits of adopting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach when designing leisure activities for newcomer Farsi-speaking immigrant women aged 30 to 55 in Ottawa, Canada. Immigrant women in this age range frequently navigate complex and overlapping demands related to paid employment, family responsibilities...
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Research Article
The Disgrace of the Unburied Dead: A Theological Exegesis of Ecclesiastes 6:3b
Eric Adjei Gyan*
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
163-169
Received:
16 June 2026
Accepted:
25 June 2026
Published:
17 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ss.20261504.12
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Abstract: Ecclesiastes 6:3b contains one of the most arresting evaluative clauses in the Hebrew wisdom corpus: “and also he has no burial.” Qoheleth’s portrait of the wealthy man who begets a hundred children, lives many years, yet dies without burial represents a profound inversion of the conventional wisdom equating material abundance with divine favor. Despite its rhetorical prominence within Ecclesiastes 6:1–6, the burial clause has received comparatively little sustained theological attention in the commentary tradition, typically subordinated to the dramatic nephel (stillborn) comparison that follows in verses 4–5. This gap in the scholarly literature constitutes the background problem this article addresses. This article presents a focused theological exegesis of Ecclesiastes 6:3b, with particular attention to the clause “and also he has no burial” (Hebrew: w’gam-q’vurah lo-haytah lo). The study argues that this clause is not a biographical footnote but the theological climax of Qoheleth’s carefully constructed argument against the sufficiency of outward abundance without inward satisfaction, and that recovering its full theological force holds significant implications for both biblical scholarship and pastoral ministry. The study employs a combination of historical-grammatical analysis of the Hebrew text, canonical-theological reading across the Old and New Testaments, and socio-rhetorical examination of the burial motif within its ancient Near Eastern cultural context. Key lexical terms: nephesh (soul/life-force), qevurah (burial), and nephel (stillborn) are subjected to close exegetical analysis. Comparative analysis draws on Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Israelite burial traditions, Hebrew prophetic judgment oracles, wisdom literature, and New Testament kerygmatic texts, supplemented by current Qoheleth scholarship. The study demonstrates that the denial of burial in Qoheleth’s framework functions simultaneously on three levels: as a marker of covenantal rupture within the Hebrew theological tradition, as an act of social and memorial erasure in the ancient Near Eastern context, and as an eschatological signpost that points beyond Qoheleth’s own literary horizon toward a final divine reckoning. Read canonically, the motif anticipates the New Testament theology of Jesus’ burial as the form of a death that holds resurrection hope. The article further draws pastoral and homiletical implications, arguing that the text constitutes a sustained theological summons to soul-satisfaction, relational legacy, and the disciplined contentment that alone can ensure a life of enduring worth.
Abstract: Ecclesiastes 6:3b contains one of the most arresting evaluative clauses in the Hebrew wisdom corpus: “and also he has no burial.” Qoheleth’s portrait of the wealthy man who begets a hundred children, lives many years, yet dies without burial represents a profound inversion of the conventional wisdom equating material abundance with divine favor. De...
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Research Article
The Evolution and Rationale of Integrated Results-Based Management Within the Zimbabwe Republic Police
Chigariro Tiki*,
Pfukwa Charles,
Makwerere David
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
170-180
Received:
27 May 2026
Accepted:
11 June 2026
Published:
22 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ss.20261504.13
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Abstract: The aim of this study was to trace the evolution of Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), with a particular focus on the Bindura Policing District in Mashonaland Central. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach, and questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data. The study found that the evolution of the IRBM system in Zimbabwe followed national imperatives, and its genesis can be traced back to the year 2005. The study found that the evolution occurred at various levels, particularly the top/strategic level, the middle/tactical level, and the line/operational levels, and that it was well embraced at all levels. A direct implication of the adoption of IRBM was the splitting of the Bindura Policing District into two, with Mazowe emerging as a standalone Policing District. The evolution started with a pilot implementation at Chiwaridzo Police Station in Bindura Town. The study found that IRBM gave the ZRP Bindura District clarity of purpose, and the organization became more goal-oriented and efficient, leading to a significant reduction in crimes of concern in the District. However, the IRBM model in the ZRP can be more effective with greater resource deployment and continuous training on IRBM, whilst paying particular attention to monitoring and evaluation to allow for continuous learning and improvement.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to trace the evolution of Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), with a particular focus on the Bindura Policing District in Mashonaland Central. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach, and questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, and Focus Group Discussions w...
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Research Article
Determinants of HIV Status Disclosure to Adolescents in Western Kenya: Developing an Evidence-based Disclosure Guide
Ooko Obiero*,
Limkile Mpofu,
Lawrence Mwaniki
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
181-195
Received:
6 May 2026
Accepted:
16 May 2026
Published:
27 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ss.20261504.14
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Abstract: HIV status disclosure to adolescents living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (ALHIV) is essential for adherence to ART treatment and psychosocial well‑being yet it remains delayed in high‑burden settings. This study examined the rate and timing of HIV status disclosure and identified individual, familial, and socio-cultural determinants influencing HIV status disclosure to adolescents in Western Kenya. A convergent parallel mixed?methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 310 caregivers of ALHIV aged 10–19 years attending three health facilities in Bondo Sub?County using structured questionnaires. Qualitative data were obtained through eight focus group discussions (64 caregivers) and 10 key informant interviews with healthcare providers. Quantitative data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression with quadratic age terms, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Integration was achieved through joint displays and a weaving approach. The HIV status disclosure rate was 74.5%, yet disclosure was delayed in early adolescence: only 1.8% of adolescents aged 10–12 years had been disclosed to, compared with 60.5% of those aged 13–14 years and 96.3% of those aged 15–19 years (mean disclosure age: 11.8 years). Age demonstrated a strong non?linear association with disclosure (quadratic aOR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59–0.83; p < 0.001). Independent predictors of disclosure included caregiver training the strongest modifiable determinant (aOR = 15.61)—caregiver confidence in discussing HIV (aOR = 2.42), access to adolescent peer support groups (aOR = 3.33), facility of care (aOR = 2.96), and perceived adolescent emotional maturity (aOR = 1.52), while fear of psychological distress emerged as the dominant barrier (aOR = 0.27). Although 34.6% of adolescents experienced initial distress following disclosure, 93.9% demonstrated improved ART adherence and 92.6% improved emotional well-being. Findings showed HIV disclosure decisions depended on caregiver capacity and health system support. In Western Kenya, adolescent disclosure remains delayed beyond guideline recommendations, with age serving as a threshold. Effective disclosure requires alignment between adolescent emotional readiness, caregiver preparedness, and supportive health system structures. An evidence-based disclosure guide was developed comprising three-core components: readiness-based assessment integrated with caregiver capacity building, family-engaged disclosure planning, and health-system enabling with structured post-disclosure support. This framework reconceptualises HIV disclosure from an age-driven expectation to a system-dependent process. There is need to implement structured HIV disclosure approaches that integrate readiness-based assessment, systematic caregiver capacity building, and strengthened adolescent peer support systems. Disclosure should be initiated earlier through individualised, and informed planning. Lastly, trauma-informed post-disclosure follow-up should be embedded within routine care to address initial distress and sustain improvements in adherence and emotional well-being.
Abstract: HIV status disclosure to adolescents living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (ALHIV) is essential for adherence to ART treatment and psychosocial well‑being yet it remains delayed in high‑burden settings. This study examined the rate and timing of HIV status disclosure and identified individual, familial, and socio-cultural determinants influencin...
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