Arts and Social Sciences Journal

The present paper is a conceptual paper focusing on the need and ways of adopting constructivism in the teaching and learning process. Our present education system emphasizes on preparing students for highly competitive standardized tests and overlooks the importance of fostering critical thinking skills in our students. The conventional teacher centric teaching learning process emphasizing on memorization is usually adopted across length and breadth of Indian schools. This paper sketches the need to redefine education to include more critical thinking by adopting constructivist pedagogy. The paper also proposes the important aspects such as integration of social and emotional learning in learning process for adoption of constructivism in classrooms, besides this it also outlines the learning strategies and learning design required for successful implementation of constructivism in teaching learning process.

This article aims to show the integration of Lesbians in a western context through all types of mainstream media such as film, prime-time television shows and Internet based web series. These aims were followed by means of a research conducted on exploring Lesbians' evolution from niche margins and stereotypes into modern mainstream media, by shattering the “Butch & Femme” distribution patterns, negative and prejudice stigmas while showing the advancement of modern society with regard to this issue. Most researchers found in this area focus on the gay male media influences and not on female. Researches that do focus on the female issue focus on traditional culture in women’s genre, such as: soap operas, novels, women’s journals and female studies. Thus, a gap in knowledge exists regarding the evolution of lesbian character’s evolution representation in the various media. The study used a mixed research methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Additionally, theoretical and media analysis were conducted, as well as anonymous questionnaires, convenience sample focus group and structured interviews. The data was collected concurrently or sequentially and later given a priority and involve the integration of the data at one or more stages in the process of the research. The findings show the shattering of stereotypes and patterns throughout the years and the evolution of the Lesbian characters within the various types of media, leaving prejudice behind and evolving into mainstream, by shattering stereotypes over time. Thus mainstreamism is all around us and will continue to grow and perhaps expose other marginalized groups into the mainstream awareness in the future. This research contributed to theory by closing the gap in knowledge regarding lesbian representation evolution in the media. Additionally, the research added to knowledge by creating a change in the perception of Queer theory, while portraying this theory as irrelevant when it comes to describe lesbians’ representation in the media as approaching the mainstream. Thus, a change in the perception of Queer as a social phenomenon will occur, by understanding that ‘queer’ is no longer a sexual oriented definition. Within modern society adopting a culture that advocates for individuality and uniqueness, being queer can no longer be considered as being whatever is at odds with the normal. Since this topic has never been researched before, this is an original and an innovative research, as it developed a model of Lesbian Mainstream Representation Evolution in the Media.

The present study entitled “Impact of Integrated Watershed Development Program in Rajasthan” was undertaken to study the extent to assess the effect of watershed on the level of employment, income and consumption of the farmers. Jaipur district was selected on the basis of maximum number of watershed in the zone. For this study Jaipur region was selected purposely. It has highest number of watersheds. Two watersheds from Bassi and two watersheds from Jamwaramgarh panchayat samities were selected randomly and thus a total number of 4 watersheds were selected from the Jaipur district. Multi stage random sampling was used for the selection of beneficiary and non- beneficiary farmers for the present study. 40 farmers (beneficiaries) were selected randomly from identified watersheds. The integrated watershed development project helped increase the consumption expenditure which was Minimum for large farmers (Rs. 2187 per annum) and maximum on medium farm (Rs. 6506 per annum). In case of marginal, small, medium and large farmer families the incremental consumption expenditure had Rs. 5817, 4420, 6506 and 21.87 per annum, respectively. The findings of the study shows that the impact of IWDP on pattern on consumption expenditure was not been the same. The relative increase in consumption expenditure for different categories of beneficiary families was at varying rates. The same was true of expenditure on various components like food, clothing, education, fuel, buildings and others. The absolute and per cent increase in annual employment was observed for all the categories of beneficiary farmers. The maximum per cent increase in employment was observed for marginal farmers (36.25%) followed by small (25.82%), medium (2.69%) and large (2.64%) farmers.

Development is a theme that encapsulates the totality of the outlook of every country in the world. Global concerns to eradicate poverty and many other indicators of the downside of development have been described as the basic need for foreign aid intervention. This study essentially seeks to understand the role foreign aid intervention has played in development, challenges confronting the success of foreign aid intervention and more effective approaches that can make foreign aid intervention a success. The study engaged both modernization and dependency theories in advancing understanding on the subject matter. The study which was conducted in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria employed qualitative method of data collection using keyinformant interview and in-depth interview as instruments. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Findings from this study revealed that foreign aid has contributed to the development of the communities studied and among other recommendations, strongly recommended that foreign aid intervention should be carried out more in rural communities especially in the area of critical infrastructures.

As a flagship of China’s One Belt One Road initiative, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is pivotal to China’s energy security owing to the growing row in the region of South China Sea among China and other regional and global players. The CPEC could bring economic avenues to Pakistan and can foster regional and cross regional economic and trade integration between South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia and West Asia. However, it is also surrounded by some serious challenges ranging from regional security environment, internal instability to political discontent among various political actors in the Pakistani polity.

The issue of peace and security is one of the most important concerns in the politics of the African continent. Particularly in the period of immediate post-independence there had been experiences of grave political unrests that are manifested by ethnic conflict, civil war, border disputes, military coups etc. which had something to do with the colonial experiences and were to be handled by the then continental organization known by the name Organization of African Unity (OAU). In the final decade of the 20th century, the mounting need for greater continental integration resulted in the transformation of OAU in to AU (African Union) in 2002. Among the priority agendas of the new organization became issues of peace and security. Despite the commitment and efforts to build institutional capacity to confront problems, objective realities on the ground reflects the fact that situations of political instabilities in the continent were far from significantly resolved. Therefore in this study the researcher tried to portray the challenges AU facing in the maintenance of continental Peace and Security in light of the Malian political crisis. The Malian case was preferred in consideration of the fact that it is one of the incidents where AU's involvement for crisis management was significantly curtailed by the outsiders). Besides it is a complex event thought to be identified with separatism, religious radicalism and organized regional "terrorist" groups that struck the researcher's curiosity and prompted him to conduct this study.

The kindergarten is the most important and most fertile stages of education and represent an educational place in the educational levels because it is considered a strong foundation and the base for all levels of education, especially the early years of basic education, it is a preliminary stage of the stages of primary education, a strong bridge to transport the child from the limited his world to the school environment including where the topics of study and educational programs of different social relations, from this point we study this subject for the population.

The early economists, long in the past, saw land as the chief source of the wealth of a nation, but with time it was discovered that countries with rich gifts of nature like fertile land and abundant mineral deposits were not doing better in development. Emphasis then shifted to manpower development, level of technology and capacity utilization. Nigeria today, among other third world countries, is facing serious developmental problem of capacity underutilization as a result of serious unemployment, despite the fact that a reasonable proportion of the national income is spent to expand educational institutions in Nigeria – a striking economic paradox. This paper therefore examined the manpower need and capacity building in Nigeria, the role of education in manpower development, the curricular problem of the Nigerian education system and how to adjust the curriculum to boost capacity building in Nigeria. It however recommended the measures that can improve the situation in Nigeria.

The purpose of this study is to produce products such as digital applications of math games on mobile phones and digital applications of math games on the computer at the high school math courses that is valid used in mathematics education program at the University of PGRI Semarang and Semarang Sultan Agung Islamic University. This research method used development model of Borg and Gall which includes 10 steps, namely (1) Research and information collecting, (2) Planning, (3) Develop a preliminary form of the product, (4) Preliminary field testing, (5) Main product revision, (6) Main field testing, (7) Operational product revision, (8) Operational field testing, (9) Final product revision, (10) Dissemination and implementation. From the results of over two years, the data showed that digital media of math game has been valid that is validated by experts at an average of 85%, then gets the user response in University PGRI of Semarang and Semarang Sultan Agung Islamic University, namely 76.5%, and the mean average results of student learning at the University PGRI of Semarang and Semarang Sultan Agung Islamic University are 84.5 and 83.33. From percentage of expert validation results, the user response and the results of student learning, the digital product of math game is declared valid, practical and effective used in the process of mathematics learning in college.

This paper talks about the situation of religious minority with special focus on Muslim community and the process of their ghettoization in Indian context. It will explain role of the state, neighborhood and other social impediments in pushing minority to the periphery of the society and leading it to ghettoization. It will also include the perception of being a minority community, its coping mechanism and everyday struggle with some world overview. It will also look into the role of media in stigmatization process of Muslim community.

The main body of this paper comprises experience of territorial alienation and issues related to self-identityexclusion from the mainstream which is an all too often phenomenon which Muslim face in their everyday life which has led to the ghettoization of the community.

The paper will be highlighting key issues relating to the continuing tensions and marginalization felt by minority communities in urban areas focusing specifically on the unique Muslim experience. The paper concludes by asking how we can work to reduce the alarming rate of exclusion and disenfranchisement felt in Muslim such community. Connections are made from the past to the present in terms of both forms of exclusion and the seemingly intractable problems that even migration and generational change have been unable to transform.

Rapid technological developments of this decade requires lecturers to pack an interesting learning for students with ICT based, one concrete manifestation of creativity by lecturer is made the form of online math assessment. From the results of the survey in the Kopert is VI Central Java region, there are still some colleges still use conventional ratings in high school math courses. The main reason is the high school math courses is a subject which is very important for students to be understood in theory and practice in preparation to become teachers in secondary schools. The purpose of this study is to produce products such as online math assessment for high school math courses that is valid or feasible to be used in all of mathematics education program in Central Java, which can produce human resources that is intelligent, creative, innovative and able to compete in the 21st century. Research method used in this study is Borg and Gall development model that is in practice only to the stage of Develop preliminary form of product Phase to produce valid product by experts. This stage is expert validation by four lecturers namely two lecturers of subject matter experts and two media expert lecturers from University PGRI of Semarang and Semarang State University. From the research results, it can be concluded that the online math authentic assessment with wondershare- Based has been valid or feasible, validated by experts, namely: (1) validation of the first subject matter expert with the percentage of the general aspects of 87.5%, the aspect of the material substance of 91.7%, and feasibility aspects of language by 94.4% (2) validation of the second subject matter experts at 88%, the aspect of the material substance of 92%, and feasibility aspects of the language of 88.9% (3) validation of media with the percentage of the general aspects of 88%, presenting aspects of learning as much as 85%, the feasibility aspects of language by 75%, and feasibility aspects of the graph 82.14% (4) validation of media with the percentage of the general aspects of 81.25%, presenting aspects of learning as much as 75%, the feasibility aspects of language by 81.25%, and feasibility aspects of the graph 75%. Of the results percentage of the expert validation, the resulting product is feasible or valid. The validity of these products are expected to facilitate lecturers and students in learning in implementing the learning and assessment process, then conducted a limited test on the assessment authentic product and it is obtained an average of student learning outcomes is more than 85. This shows that the website media makes the assessment and mastery of the material process easier.