Social Policy

A new study argues that Meta and Google have gutted professional newsrooms by capturing advertising revenue while producing no journalism themselves. The authors propose a targeted tax on Big Tech to fund traditional news outlets and restore public access to reliable information in an era of unvetted social media content.EN

A new paper examines critical gaps in how social workers are equipped to support older adults—a population set to grow dramatically in coming decades. For governments and healthcare systems facing mounting demand, the research highlights where professional development and policy changes could improve outcomes and reduce costs.EN

A new analysis warns that digital media's profit-driven algorithms are accelerating polarization and undermining informed citizenship in democracies worldwide. Policymakers face a mounting pressure to regulate—balancing media freedom, economic productivity, and security—but inaction risks deepening public distrust in democratic institutions.EN

A new study identifies two forces eroding shared decision-making in universities—colonization by external pressures and internal degradation of academic values—that threaten institutional autonomy and research quality. For institutional leaders and policymakers, this signals a structural crisis in how universities can self-regulate and maintain academic standards.EN

A Danish study analyzing 2,600 online sex work advertisements found migrant workers advertise nearly double the hours of Danish nationals—and are far more likely to claim 24/7 availability. The finding reveals how immigration status creates economic desperation that exploits vulnerable workers, with implications for labor enforcement and trafficking prevention across Europe.EN

A new study of Uganda Pride 2022 reveals that international donor funding is fragmenting the local LGBT+ movement, with money flowing only to certain elite groups while community members are left behind. For development agencies and foundations, the finding signals that well-intentioned aid may be undermining the grassroots movements it aims to support.EN

Researchers have developed a chemical mapping method to identify where steatite household objects originated in medieval Sweden and Norway. The technique could revolutionize archaeological supply-chain analysis and inform heritage preservation policies by clarifying trade networks that shaped early Scandinavian economies.EN

An international panel of 35 physiotherapists has identified 137 core competencies needed to deliver quality care to dementia patients and their caregivers. The framework addresses a critical gap in clinical training as aging populations drive demand for specialized neurological rehabilitation services globally.EN

A study of nine human rights scholars across five Swedish universities reveals a critical disconnect: educators teach progressive, transformative approaches to human rights while defaulting to traditional lecture-based delivery. The gap between curriculum and pedagogy suggests universities may be producing graduates unprepared for the activist engagement human rights work demands.EN

A 30-year Canadian study traces how economic hardship and poor parent-child relationships in early adolescence lead directly to youth unemployment in adulthood. The finding suggests interventions targeting family dynamics during the teenage years could reduce long-term workforce dropout and associated social costs.EN

A Swedish study reveals that young people experience significant moral distress about their own smartphone habits—yet judge others' digital reliance far less harshly than older generations do. The gap between self-criticism and social judgment suggests that smartphone use has become normalized among youth, creating a new class of 'acceptable' but privately troubling behavior.EN

A new study reveals that child welfare workers in Sweden rarely ask children what they actually need, instead planning interventions based solely on parental input. Despite legal obligations and evidence that child participation improves outcomes, researchers found this exclusion is systemic—a gap with significant implications for service effectiveness and compliance with children's rights law.EN

Researchers have created a practical tool to assess a country's defenses against false information across five critical areas: law, education, politics, psychology, and technology. The framework could help governments and organizations identify weak spots in their disinformation strategies before misinformation causes real damage.EN

A major new handbook reveals that gender studies has become significantly more institutionalized over 40 years, yet faces mounting pressure from political opponents and unequal resources across the globe. For policymakers and institutional leaders, the findings signal both the field's maturation and its vulnerability to ongoing challenges around academic freedom and equity.EN

Swedish researchers found that police officers maintain faith in collaborative policing models through psychological coping mechanisms, not results. The finding matters because public agencies often sustain institutional myths—approved strategies that may not deliver outcomes—revealing how organizations manage pressure and justify resource commitments independent of actual effectiveness.EN

Researchers have created a practical reflection matrix to help doctoral supervisors improve their performance and support student completion. The framework addresses a persistent problem: poor supervision is a leading cause of doctoral attrition, affecting institutional reputation and workforce pipeline development.EN

A new study of female sex workers in Dhaka found that nearly 80% possessed good oral health knowledge and 77% held positive attitudes toward their children's dental care—challenging assumptions about marginalized populations. The findings suggest that education level, not circumstance, drives health practices, offering insights for public health programs targeting vulnerable communities.EN

A study of three European islands shows that residents' initial skepticism about renewable energy technologies drops dramatically once they actively use them. The finding suggests that direct engagement—not just information campaigns—is key to winning public support for energy transitions that governments and utilities need to achieve climate goals.EN

A new cross-cultural study reveals that while bullying affects nurses similarly in Turkey and Sweden, the sources and bystander responses differ markedly by country. The finding suggests that one-size-fits-all anti-bullying interventions may fail—and that healthcare leaders need culturally tailored strategies to protect staff and reduce turnover.EN

A transnational PhD course on aging societies achieved unusually high student motivation by blending diverse scientific traditions, nationalities, and non-traditional learning methods. The finding suggests universities can improve retention and satisfaction by deliberately designing programs around emotional connection and collaborative learning rather than traditional lecture formats.EN

A Swedish study reveals that how universities teach outdoor education directly affects what teachers do in classrooms years later. Using dialogue and reflection, researchers identified specific institutional conditions that help trainee teachers better prepare students for outdoor learning—findings with implications for curriculum design and teacher preparation programs across sectors.EN

A study of Swedish language teachers found that despite forced shifts to remote and hybrid learning during COVID-19, their fundamental beliefs about what students need—social interaction, varied exercises, frequent feedback—remained unchanged. For education policymakers and administrators, the finding suggests that teacher conviction about pedagogical essentials is remarkably resilient even under systemic disruption.EN

Lifestyle entrepreneurs moving to Portugal to launch rural tourism businesses face overwhelming bureaucratic obstacles that threaten their ventures and the regions' development potential. The finding suggests policymakers may be inadvertently blocking the very economic revival these areas desperately need.EN

A comprehensive review of pronouns research identifies politicization as the primary barrier to gender-inclusive language adoption—not linguistic complexity. The findings signal a growing gap between what research supports and what societies actually implement, raising questions for HR policies, education systems, and public communications strategies worldwide.EN

Norway and Sweden, often viewed as educational twins, are charting different courses on school privatization and teacher autonomy. A new analysis of policy documents reveals how market-driven reforms reshape 'public' education differently in each country—a gap with implications for how governments balance competition, equity, and professional standards.EN