International Journal of Asian Social Science

Beyond biological changes: Psychological experiences of Lebanese women during menopause

2025-11-27T08:04:14-06:00

Menopause is a complex biopsychosocial transition influenced by cultural factors. However, research on the psychological experiences of menopausal women in the Arab world remains limited. This study investigates how Lebanese women experience menopause, with a focus on the impact of marital status, motherhood, education, employment, and religious affiliation on self-esteem, anxiety, and body image. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 260 Lebanese women aged 48 to 65 from three major regions. Participants completed standardized instruments: the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Body Image Questionnaire. Results showed that most participants reported high self-esteem (83.8%) and positive body image (75.4%), yet a significant proportion experienced elevated anxiety (68.5%). Married women exhibited significantly lower anxiety than single women. Parenthood was the most influential factor across psychological dimensions, with childless women reporting higher self-esteem, lower anxiety, and better body image than mothers. Christian women reported significantly higher self-esteem than Muslim women. Employment was associated with anxiety and body image outcomes, while educational attainment showed no significant effects. These findings reveal a paradoxical psychological profile marked by strength in self-perception but vulnerability to anxiety. They challenge assumptions about motherhood’s protective role and underscore the need for culturally adapted interventions.

The role of AI in reshaping productivity: A skill-based analysis from China

2025-11-27T08:07:01-06:00

This study explores recent trends in artificial intelligence (AI) and labour economics by analysing how various AI applications affect labour productivity across different skill levels in China. Using data from 23 provinces between 2000 and 2020, the research employs three AI proxies: AI patent applications, investment in information transmission, computer services and software industries, and the intensity of scientific research funding. The study applies Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation to assess the impact of these indicators on high-, medium-, and low-skilled occupations. Results show that all three AI proxies significantly and positively influence labour productivity across all skill groups. This challenges earlier research that largely focused on benefits to high-skilled workers, suggesting instead that AI-related investments also enhance productivity in medium- and low-skilled roles. These outcomes are likely driven by regional policy support and strategic investments in technology and innovation. The findings have important policy implications, particularly for designing targeted reskilling and upskilling programmes based on occupational skill levels. By identifying the specific AI investments that improve labour productivity, the study contributes valuable insights for fostering inclusive growth in an AI-driven economy, ensuring that technological benefits are distributed more equitably across the labour force.

Department of Public Administration and Humanities, Dalian Maritime University, China.

2025-11-27T21:07:25-06:00

With the accelerating development of urbanization, frequent and complex public safety events continually test the coping capacity of urban systems. Enhancing the immediacy, adaptability, and resilience of cities facing crises has become a core imperative for sustainable development. This study investigates the intrinsic mechanisms enabling resilient towns to effectively manage public crises. It addresses critical governance challenges, including inadequate multi-stakeholder information sharing mechanisms, ineffective inter-departmental coordination protocols, and inefficient resource allocation systems prevalent in conventional urban governance. To tackle these systemic issues, the study meticulously develops an SFICS (Synthesis Framework for Integrated Collaborative Systems) collaborative governance analysis framework. This framework is then applied comprehensively to examine Dalian City's transformative journey toward becoming a Smart City. The research rigorously analyzes the public crisis response challenges encountered by resilient cities across five critical dimensions: initial conditions, catalytic leadership, institutional system design, collaborative processes, and continuous learning reflection. It systematically demonstrates how strategic data utilization, integrated across technology, organizational, and social resilience pillars, significantly bolsters the effectiveness and robustness of public crisis response mechanisms. The findings provide substantial theoretical insights and actionable practical strategies for refining urban emergency management systems, which contribute to fostering an advanced, integrated multi-agent collaborative governance paradigm within smart cities. This research holds significant relevance for enhancing the modernization trajectory of urban public security governance globally.