Studies in Social Science & Humanities

Evaluating the Effectiveness for the Protection of the Environment Towards the Effects of Quarry Exploitation in Cameroon

2025-08-29T09:03:25+00:00

In Cameroon in particular and the world at large, the exploitation and the processing of quarry resources by industries has brought about severe and adverse impacts on the environment and the local population within and around the quarry areas. This adverse impact ranges from environment degradation, pollution, health problems and environmental sustainability. To prevent this deplorable situation, the Cameroon Government has over the years instituted several mechanisms at the level of the ministries in charge of quarry exploitation and environmental protection in Cameroon as well institutions and industries involve in quarry exploitation. In order to attain our objective, qualitative research methodology has been adopted. This piece of work answers a specific research question which is how effective are the mechanisms for the protection of the environment from the effects of quarry exploitation in Cameroon and what are the challenges encountered? It is underpinned by the theory of environmentally responsible behavior. This theory advocates for responsible behavior from the communities as well as other stakeholders such as government, companies to adopt measures that minimize environmental impact. This includes implementing regulations, promoting community awareness about sustainable practices and encouraging the use of eco-friendly technologies. Finding reveals that although Cameroon has employed relevant mechanisms to address quarry activities and environmental protection, much is still required to be done. Based on the findings, the study strongly recommends the Cameroon Government to effectively implement its mining/quarry laws and make sure prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), monitoring and evaluation are effective to make sure quarry industries operate within the legal frameworks while maintaining environmental sustainability.

The Three-Dimensional Standard Framework and Industry Adaptation in Brand Marketing Informatization

2025-08-29T09:05:28+00:00

The rapid development of information technology has made brand marketing informatization an essential driving force for modern enterprise development. By utilizing digital means to achieve precise marketing, brand monitoring, and consumer behavior analysis, enterprises can enhance their brand influence and market competitiveness. However, existing brand marketing informatization tools, mostly designed in a generalized manner, fail to meet the specific needs of different industries. To address this issue, this paper proposes the concepts of the “Three-Dimensional Standard Framework” and the “Industry Characteristic Coefficient.” The Three-Dimensional Standard Framework covers three key dimensions: brand health monitoring, dynamic updating of consumer profiles, and cross-channel content coordination, which comprehensively cover the crucial aspects of brand marketing informatization. The Industry Characteristic Coefficient, by quantifying the special needs of different industries, enhances the targeting and effectiveness of the tools.

Designing an External Recruitment Strategy for Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Craft Businesses in Germany Considering Digital Tools

2025-09-24T10:02:02+00:00

The ongoing shortage of skilled workers poses major challenges, especially for micro, small, and medium-sized craft businesses. The building electrical, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) crafts are particularly affected in Germany, as they are additionally burdened by demographic change, the energy transition, and internal operational factors. The aim of this article is to develop a practical strategy for external recruitment for crafts businesses. Based on existing recommendations for action and expert interviews, a concept was developed that focuses in particular on digital channels, reverse recruiting, and personal contact points such as trade fairs. Empirical validation was carried out using 23 qualitative interviews with employers and employees in the aforementioned crafts sectors in Germany 2024 and 2025, whose expectations and experiences were incorporated into the design of the strategy. The concept is being optimized based on their opinions and experiences. The results show that a combination of clearly defined target groups, targeted communication of the employer brand, and direct contact with potential applicants offers the greatest chance of success. At the same time, it is clear that traditional and proven tools remain effective, but need to be adapted to the needs and expectations of the new target groups and to current trends. The article thus provides concrete recommendations for action to reduce the shortage of skilled workers in craft businesses.

Within the Long Walls: Observations on Pericles’ Defense Strategy

2025-09-25T06:17:03+00:00

This paper examines Pericles’ defensive strategy during the Peloponnesian War, focusing on his strategic vision centered on the “Long Walls” system and naval supremacy, its implementation, and its impact on Athens’ short- and long-term fate. Drawing on primary sources such as Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War and contemporary research, the study evaluates the strategy’s merits and shortcomings from military, economic, political, and social perspectives. The research indicates that Pericles’ strategy effectively repelled Spartan land forces and safeguarded Athens in the short term. However, it also led to problems such as overcrowding triggering epidemics, severe depletion of fiscal resources, and lagging development of the land forces. Long-term consequences included an imbalance in Athens’ military structure and distorted risk assessments, which in turn prompted later leadership to undertake radical and risky ventures (such as the Sicilian Expedition), ultimately exacerbating Athens’ strategic failure. Through a comparative analysis of Athenian and Spartan strategies, the paper highlights differences in resource allocation, warfare methods, and endurance in protracted conflicts. It distills historical lessons with implications for modern strategic planning, focusing on balancing offense and defense, enhancing strategic adaptability, optimizing resource allocation, and expanding threat perception. This paper argues that Pericles’ strategy not only reflects the strategic logic of classical city-state warfare but also provides a crucial case study for understanding the limitations of defensive strategies in protracted conflicts.

The Challenges Bedeviling the Fight for Climate Justice in Cameroon: A Critique

2025-09-25T06:23:37+00:00

Climate justice in Cameroon addresses the urgent need to confront the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, particularly indigenous peoples and local populations dependent on natural resources. It recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental protection, social equity, and sustainable development. In Cameroon, climate justice involves ensuring access to and control over natural resources while combating environmental injustices such as deforestation, pollution, and the adverse effects of climate change on livelihoods. This study explores the multifaceted challenges hindering the effective pursuit of climate justice in Cameroon. The background highlights climate change as a critical threat to Cameroon’s population, economy, and environment, exacerbated by institutional weaknesses and environmental degradation such as deforestation. The research problem centers on the inadequacy of legal frameworks, limited public participation, and poor implementation of climate policies that obstruct the fight for climate justice. The main objective is to identify key obstacles and propose actionable solutions to enhance climate justice efforts in Cameroon. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study analyzes policy documents, institutional reports, and stakeholder consultations. Major findings reveal institutional capacity constraints, lack of coordination, corruption, and the dominance of fossil fuel subsidies as critical barriers. The study concludes that Cameroon’s climate justice agenda remains limited by systemic and governance issues despite existing strategies. It recommends strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing institutional capacities, promoting inclusive public engagement, phasing out fuel subsidies, and encouraging private sector participation to achieve equitable climate outcomes.

Construction of Plastic Roads Can Reduce Plastic Wastes and Increase the Durability of Roads

2025-09-25T06:38:39+00:00

Plastic roads are made of using polymer plastics with the regular mix of bitumen, sand, and stone. These increase strength, flexibility, and durability of the roads and the project becomes cost effective. These are built through the mixing plastic wastes with bitumen that are usually put into landfill and incinerated that usually pollute the environment with high risk. Plastics are the non-biodegradable materials that are threats to environment and human health due to their toxic nature. Plastic roads increase life spans, and make the construction economical and solve the environmental problem at the same time. These roads also reduce bitumen requirements by about 10%, improve road performance, prevent the need for anti-stripping agents, and prevent plastic waste from being disposed of through land filling and incinerator. The use of plastic wastes in road construction is increasing that will reduce environmental impact worldwide. This study tries to explore the use of waste plastics into pavements by considering both infrastructure needs and environmental concerns.

Integrating Area Studies into Undergraduate International Relations Education: Pathways and Strategies

2025-09-25T06:41:25+00:00

The disciplinary construction of Area Studies has long been a focal point in Chinese academia, particularly after its establishment as a first-level interdisciplinary discipline in 2022. While synergies between Area Studies and International Relations have garnered increasing attention, their integration faces challenges. Despite shared goals like serving national strategies and fostering interdisciplinary approaches, differences in research objects and methodologies create tensions. This paper argues that integrating Area Studies into IR undergraduate education is vital for cultivating cross-cultural literacy, empirical research skills, and addressing shortages of compound talents in fields like international law and global governance. However, initial efforts encounter obstacles such as paradigmatic clashes, resource constraints, and institutional silos. To advance this integration, we propose reconstructing multilingual competency frameworks, redefining regional knowledge systems, and innovating compound talent cultivation models. These reforms aim to shift IR education from theory-driven to problem-oriented paradigms, aligning with China’s strategic needs in global governance.

The Enforcement of Human Rights Under the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (The Banjul Charter)

2025-09-25T06:49:04+00:00

The reinforcement of human rights ensures stronger protection mechanisms and accountability for violations. It also enhances compliance with legal frameworks, fostering dignity, justice, and equality for all. The article examines the enforcement of human rights under the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Banjul Charter). The study uses a qualitative research methodology, employing primary data sources principally from the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1981, the 1998 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a plethora of others. Secondary data comes from journal articles, newspapers, textbooks, internet sources, and reports. This study is anchored by the natural law theory, and the triple-pronged theory. The finding in this study reveals that regardless of the marginal success in the enforcement human rights under the Banjul Charter by key enforcement institutions like the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, more effort is needed as most states have been reluctant and lukewarm in complying with the provisions of the Charter. And as a corollary, it is incumbent to strengthen AU-oversight of state compliance, enhance domestication of Charter obligations in national law, protect or restore direct access under Article 34(6) of the Protocol, the need for a replacement of claw-back clauses with non-derogatory clauses, and the need to strengthen the reporting system.

Students’ Leadership Conceptions and Political Engagement: Implications to Teaching Philippine Politics and Governance

2025-09-25T06:51:13+00:00

This study focused on the concept of leadership and political engagement of students. Thus, it determined the respondents’ conceptions of leadership and knew their current political engagement. Further, it determined the gaps between the notions about leadership and current political engagement of the respondents, which served as the basis for identifying the implications of the conceptions of leadership and current political engagement in teaching Philippine Politics and Governance. The study used an open-ended survey questionnaire, and the data gathered was analyzed with topical and thematic analysis. The students have knowledge and conceptions about leadership and the qualities and characteristics attributed to it. It was found that most of the students are engaged in elections, digital platforms, political discussion, and civic matters. Furthermore, gaps show that their political engagement does not reflect their conceptions of leadership and vice versa. What the students view, and think is not the same as what they are doing or actualizing. Their concepts negate what they are engaged in. The existing gaps show that leadership conceptions and political engagement can be further improved by incorporating varying teaching-learning approaches aligned to the Philippine Politics and Governance curriculum.

Empirical Research on the Cultivation of Information Management Talents Under the Industry-University-Research Collaboration Model

2025-09-25T07:34:22+00:00

With the rapid development of information technology, information management has become a core element for modern enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. However, traditional education models fall short in cultivating information management talents with sufficient practical abilities. This study takes the collaboration project between Beijing Qihui Desheng Technology Co., Ltd. and University of Science and Technology Beijing as a case to explore the application effects of the industry-university-research collaboration model in the cultivation of information management talents. Through empirical research, it is verified that the industry-university-research collaboration model can significantly improve students’ practical and innovative abilities, especially in terms of resource integration, practical project internships, and guidance from industrial professors. The findings show that students participating in the project have an average score improvement of 20%, a 30% increase in practical ability scores, and 80% of them received internship recommendation letters from enterprises. Moreover, the application of software tools as teaching carriers further enhances students’ understanding and application abilities of information management knowledge. The conclusions of this study provide empirical evidence for universities and enterprises to optimize talent cultivation plans and improve students’ practical abilities, and also offer references for policymakers to promote the development of the industry-university-research collaboration model.

A Legal Appraisal of the Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Promoting Sustainable Development in Cameroon: A Focus on Food Security

2025-09-25T07:37:13+00:00

Since the promulgation of the Cameroon Investment Charter of 2002 and subsequent liberalization reforms, FDI has been strategically mobilized as an instrument to modernize agriculture through capital inflows, mechanization, technology transfer, and agro-industrial development. However, the outcomes have been ambivalent: while investment has spurred export growth, employment creation, and infrastructural expansion, it has also exacerbated land tenure disputes, environmental degradation, displacement of smallholder farmers, and the prioritization of cash crops over staple foods. Despite Cameroon’s agricultural endowment, food insecurity persists, with nearly one in four citizens experiencing chronic hunger and malnutrition. Against this backdrop, this study examines the nexus between Foreign Direct Investment and food security in Cameroon, situating the discourse within the aspirations of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Findings reveals both opportunities and systemic risks: increased yields, market integration, and nutrition programs on one hand, and monoculture expansion, governance failures, and inequitable distribution on the other. We therefore recommend the need for sound institutional frameworks, transparent land governance, equitable labor practices, and complementary national policies that safeguard domestic food needs while leveraging foreign capital for sustainable transformation. This will go a long way for charting a development trajectory that is economically inclusive, socially just, and environmentally sustainable for Cameroon.