Suchergebnisse

Background: Interest in astrology has surged recently, possibly due to the uncertain conditions in the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While belief in astrology is common and socially legitimized in many cultures, a few instances of excessive engagement with astrological services or "fortune-telling addiction" are indicating a risk of adverse mental health consequences. Aim: To understand the existing research base on correlates of belief in astrology and fortune-telling. Method: We have carried out a scoping review to synthesize the available literature base on belief in astrology and to review the evidence for "fortune-telling addiction" using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. Databases of PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, and SCOPUS were searched for relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Results: The search findings revealed the association of belief in astrology with cognitive, personality, and psychological factors such as thinking style, self-concept verification, and stress. Case studies on "fortune-telling addiction" have conceptualized it as a possible behavioral addiction and have reported symptoms such as distress, cravings, and salience. Conclusions: However, further research on the condition along with its psychosocial determinants is necessary for the development of preventative and curative intervention efforts.

Purpose– A continuous mixed opinion on the relevance of caste-based reservations and caste as a factor of socioeconomic disparity in the recent period demands update of evidence on socioeconomic inequalities among caste groups for effective policy making. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the caste inequalities in terms of socioeconomic opportunities and poverty are still persisting in rural Uttar Pradesh based on village census surveys?Design/methodology/approach– This study used data primarily collected from four village census surveys under the project rural transformation in Uttar Pradesh, 2013. Bivariate analyses, human opportunity index (HOI), multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and inequality decomposition analyses used as methods of analyses.Findings– The authors findings suggest that in spite of more than six decades of welfare policies and major political mobilization movements among lower castes in the state, the huge inequalities in terms of critical socioeconomic indicators such as landholding, higher education and wealth distribution and multi-dimensional poverty across the castes are still persisting in the state. Decomposition results suggest that between group inequalities contribute more to the total inequality in landholding whereas within group inequalities contribute maximum to total inequality in education and wealth status of different castes in rural Uttar Pradesh. However, within inequalities much less in general castes compared to SCs/OBCs.Originality/value– Based on its latest empirical evidence, this study strengthens the argument that caste still matters in socioeconomic achievements of the population in India even after decades of planning and financing of social welfare schemes to uplift the lower castes in India. Thus, provides critical inputs to current debates on the relevance of caste as a determinant of socioeconomic status in India.