Journal of Research in Social Sciences

Unveiling Smoke Signals: An Empirical Examination of the Escalating Smoking Trend in Pakistan and Its Dual Impact on Health and Economy

Muhammad Ali, Waqar Ameer, Muhammad Hassan Danish — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This empirical study investigates the rising prevalence of smoking in Pakistan and its subsequent effects on health, economy and societal well-being using cross-sectional data. We have used statistical tools such as ANOVA and correlation analysis to analyse the results. Thirteen hundred and seventy-five (1375) participants took part in this survey across eight cities, and the dataset was collected through a study of smokers. Our findings reveal that more than 68% proportion of smokers belong to the lower income group. Moreover, 58.20% of uneducated individuals smoked compared to 39.73% of educated individuals. Results reveal that the smoking trend among emerging adults is increasing, and participants aged 55 and above suffer from more health issues due to smoking. Despite the higher health risk associated with smoking, ominously, the prevalence rate is rising speedily, which can eventually contribute to numerous health diseases. The economic costs, both in terms of wasted money spent on smoking and expenses incurred due to associated health issues, underscore the negative impact on public health and society. Results of this study reveal that more taxes should be levied on tobacco to discourage smoking among low-income groups. Finally, anti-smoking campaigns, health literacy programs, and seminars should be organized in institutions and public places.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article, and that the data presented have not been fabricated or falsified.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant or financial support from public, commercial, or not-for profit funding agencies.

Participant Consent: The authors confirm that Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality was duly maintained.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement: The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Leading by Serving: How Wisconsin K–12 Administrators Navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hassan Elannani — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This mixed-methods study examines how Wisconsin public school administrators enacted servant leadership while navigating the unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. A statewide survey was sent to 1, 909 K-12 administrators, with 135 completed responses. The study utilized the 28-item Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) and open-ended questions to explore how these leaders balanced instructional continuity, student health, and staff well-being. Quantitative analyses revealed that administrators, on average, strongly exhibited servant leadership, particularly in the domains of ‘helping followers grow and succeed’, ‘emotional healing,’ and ‘putting followers first’. However, ‘behaving ethically ‘and ‘creating value for the community’ were only moderately present. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data showed that core values of relational and ethical leadership drove administrators to adopt ‘serving first’ behaviors, such as being present, listening actively, and providing resources. Findings suggest that a servant leadership framework was instrumental for administrators in fostering a sense of shared purpose and emotional healing, which were critical for navigating the crisis. These insights have implications for preparing future educational leaders to manage similar large-scale disruptions.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant or financial support from public, commercial, or not-for profit funding agencies.

Participant Consent: The authors confirm that Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality was duly maintained.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement: The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Security Challenges in Nuclearized IOR: Implications of AUKUS, QUAD and Emerging Alliances

Sh. Imran Nasir — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Indian Ocean region (IOR), stretching from north Arabian sea to Australia, is becoming dangerous for its 42 littoral states due to emerging conflict zones viz, global chaos. More nuclear actors, both declared and undeclared such as Iran, Israel and Pakistan are moving in, hence increasing the complexity of the recognized maritime picture. IOR is home to global trade and essential energy supplies around the world; hence, any conflict here, shall impact global trade and energy security in more than one way. More so, nuclear neighbours with pending disputes, simmering flash points and potential hot spots inter alia, murkiness of undersea activities by regional and extra-regional actors, present a clear danger. This needs to be evaluated in the backdrop of obtaining environment and suggest a collaborative mechanism to pool up resources, modulate mutual expertise, synchronise actions, and synergise efforts to minimize threats, especially to non-nuclear states of IOR due to any “intentional incident or unforeseen accident”. This paper argues that the growing nuclearization of the IOR, driven by alliances such as AUKUS and QUAD, increases the risk of escalation and endangers littoral states. A collaborative regional framework is proposed to mitigate the threats.

The Abraham Accords and the Strategic Reshaping of the Middle Eastern Order: A Postcolonial and Settler-Colonial Analysis from the Palestinian Perspective

Khurram Shahzad Siddiqui — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the 2020 Abraham Accords as a turning point in Arab–Israeli diplomacy and a strategic reshaping of the Middle Eastern order. Through qualitative comparison with Camp David, Oslo, and Wadi Araba, it shows that normalisation has been detached from any commitment to Palestinian statehood and instead anchored in shared threat perceptions (especially Iran), economic diversification, and U.S.-backed realignment. Using postcolonial and settler-colonial theory, the study interprets the Accords as reproducing colonial hierarchies of power and discourse, legitimising Israel's settler project, and further marginalising Palestinian agency. Document analysis and critical discourse analysis of official texts, policy debates, and societal reactions indicate that the Accords weakened Arab collective leverage on Palestine, eroded prospects for a just two-state settlement, and provoked rising popular resistance to normalisation after Gaza. The article concludes that any stability produced by the Accords is fragile unless Palestinian rights and decolonial justice are meaningfully centred.

Conflict of Interest: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article, and that the data presented have not been fabricated or falsified.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant or financial support from public, commercial, or not-for profit funding agencies.

Participant Consent: The author confirms that no participants were involved in this study.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement: The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Metacognitive Practices in Saudi EFL Classrooms: A Glaserian Grounded Theory Approach

Ejaz Ahmed, Zaimuariffudin Shukri Nordin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates Saudi Arabian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' preferences for metacognitive strategy instruction and the factors influencing its classroom implementation. Utilizing a Glaserian grounded theory approach to develop a theoretical model, the research adopted a qualitative methodology. Data collection involved video-recorded observations of three teachers, followed by semi-structured interviews integrating stimulated recall, and subsequent data verification. Findings revealed that the integration of specialized EFL teacher education with strategic pedagogical practices directly nurtures autonomous learning skills in EFL learners. The study identified effective classroom management and an adaptable pedagogical approach as two main factors critically impacting this process.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant or financial support from public, commercial, or not-for profit funding agencies.

Participant Consent: The authors confirm that no participants were involved in this study.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement: The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Strategic Disruption from Space: Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos and the Future of Regional Space Warfare

Maria Naheed — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The process of militarization of the outer space ceased to be a mere speculation and became a subject of acute concern in terms of the modern strategic rivalry. The paper will concentrate on such activities as the Pakistani application of space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), cyber-electronic warfare, and precision-guided systems in the creation of a multidomain deterrence stance. This shift of the reactive to the proactive is reflected as a significant shift of doctrine to the concept of asymmetric space denial and disruption of the real-time decision cycle. The next phase, the Iran-Israel-U.S. tensions proved the real power of such courses of action, where Iran launched the same space-cyber attack on technically advanced adversaries. With space emerging as a significant aspect of the contemporary battleground, it is now time to underline the urgent necessity to guarantee the Pakistani participation in space control in the region as the unmitigated militarization starts to give birth to uncovered conflict.

Health Beliefs, Food Habits, and Appearance Schemas in Individuals with Centripetal Obesity: A Descriptive Study

Sameen Khalid, Fatima Kamran — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Centripetal obesity refers to excessive visceral fat in which the abdomen protrudes, having a pot-like belly. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the distribution of health beliefs, food habits, and appearance schemas across diverse demographic, clinical, and health factors. The participants (N =140) with a mean age of M = 38.60, S.D = 10.79, comprised of individuals with a BMI > 30, visceral fat for women >32, and men >36 inches (IDF, 2007), were recruited from weight loss clinics, bariatric surgery centers, and from the general population of Lahore. Most of the previous studies highlighted that centripetal obese individuals are vulnerable to various chronic diseases, but limited research has addressed health beliefs, eating habits, and appearance schemes in these individuals. So, the descriptive study was carried out, and findings revealed that the majority of the individuals reported moderate importance to functional beliefs (one’s ability to carry out daily tasks), biomedical beliefs (absence of illness), wellbeing beliefs (vitality), had healthy food habits, and were highly concerned about appearance schemas. The study variables differed across age, gender, education, birth order, marital status, duration of obesity, waist circumference, BMI, and screen time. Monthly family income emerged as a negative predictor of appearance schemas, with lower income associated with higher appearance concern. The findings highlighted the significance of demographic, clinical, and health factors in shaping their health beliefs, food habits, and appearance schemas. Furthermore, the study can help in reducing weight-related stigmatization, targeted interventions to promote healthy food choices, providing culturally relevant psychological counselling, and addressing these issues in vulnerable populations, which may reduce body dissatisfaction and improve overall health outcomes.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant or financial support from public, commercial, or not-for profit funding agencies.

Participant Consent: The authors confirm that Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality was duly maintained.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement: The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.