There is a growing trend among elderly people to live alone and this trend is expected to increase in the future. Social isolation and limited support can have a negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of older adults. The increasing life expectancy and expanding geriatric population necessitate the development of innovative solutions to support their health, independence, and autonomy. This article addresses the key challenges and issues confronting the elderly and analyzes various IoT technologies and solutions proposed to enhance their lives. Smart home technologies improve the quality of life and enable older adults to live independently in their own homes while their adult children are at work. This article presents a smart home model for the elderly in Kazakhstan, based on their needs, concerns, and financial capabilities. The proposed prototype will be developed using an accessible, open-source intelligent system that includes health monitoring, medication adherence monitoring, alerting family members in case of falls or deteriorating health indicators, and video surveillance. Another advantage of this system is the automation of processes such as automatic lighting control, voice command functionality, home security, and climate control. Preliminary testing of the hardware model shows promising results, with plans for continuous improvement and evaluation as it is deployed. Key criteria for its implementation include affordability, accessibility, and feasibility. Based on Kazakhstan’s unique socio-cultural and economic context, this paper proposes a sophisticated smart home model tailored to the specific needs and financial capabilities of elderly Kazakhs.

Weather and climate services are essential tools that help farmers make informed choices, such as choosing appropriate crop varieties. These services depend considerably on the availability of adequate investments in infrastructure related to weather forecasting, which are often provided by the State in most countries. Zimbabwean farmers generally have limited access to modern weather and climate services. While extensive attempts have been made to investigate farmers’ socioeconomic factors that influence access to and use of weather and climate services, comparative political economy analysis of weather and climate service production and use is limited. To address this knowledge gap, this study examines the production, dissemination, and usage of modern seasonal weather services through a political economy analysis perspective. The findings of this study highlight considerable discrepancies in access and use of seasonal weather forecasts between male and female farmers, those who practise African Traditional Religions versus Christians, and the minority group (Ndau tribe) and the majority group (Manyika tribe). This result suggested the presence of social marginalization. For example, minority Ndau members living in remote areas with limited radio signals and a weak mobile network have limited access to modern seasonal weather forecasts, forcing them to rely much more on indigenous weather forecasts. Further, due to unequal power relations, a greater proportion of male farmers participated in agricultural policy formation processes than their female counterparts. To promote inclusive development and implementation, deliberate efforts need to be made by State authorities to incorporate adherents of African traditional religions, members of minority tribes and female farmers in agricultural policymaking processes, including seasonal weather forecast delivery policies. Further, the study suggests the relaxation or elimination of international sanctions on Zimbabwe by the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States of America, given that they are considerably affecting marginalized groups of farmers in their climate change adaptation practices, including the use of modern weather and climate services. The vast majority of these marginalized farmers never benefitted from the land reform programme and were also not responsible for the design and implementation of this programme which triggered these sanctions.

In the new era, an important component of China’s social governance system construction is to strengthen and innovate social governance to improve the ability and level of social governance in China. To ensure the long-term stability of the country and the well-being of the vast majority of the people, it is necessary to be adept at strengthening social governance, continuously improve and improve the governance system that is suitable for the development of modern society with scientific thinking methods, and enhance the level and capacity of governance in China. Based on this, this paper discusses how to promote the innovation of social governance in the digital age, and proposes innovative ideas on the model of social organization governance under the guidance of <Economic Diversification Plan for Macao SAR (2024–2028)>.

The 2019 Social Enterprise Promotion Act in Thailand represents a pivotal step towards promoting social enterprises by fostering self-reliance and a fair and sustainable future for the country. Despite their significance, there is a noticeable research gap focusing on the factors that motivate Thai entrepreneurs to venture into social entrepreneurship. This study seeks to fill that gap by analyzing data from 2000 respondents in Thailand, utilizing linear regression to explore whether the awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the adoption of digital technologies, extrinsic motivations, such as the overall societal view of entrepreneurs, social awareness, and perceptions of entrepreneurial capabilities influence the decision to start a social enterprise. In a gender comparison, our findings reveal that the societal context plays a crucial role for both genders, although in distinct ways: Male entrepreneurs are more influenced by individualistic extrinsic values, with motivations linked to power, respect, and societal recognition. In contrast, female entrepreneurs display a collectivistic orientation, being more likely to be inspired by intrinsic motivations, such as the success and visibility of other successful startups within their society. These findings underline the need for a gender-sensitive approach by government bodies, educational institutions, and other relevant organizations aiming to boost start-up rates of enterprises who “make a difference in the world”. Tailored support and educational programs to address the unique motivations and perspectives of male and female entrepreneurs could play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness of strategies designed to promote social entrepreneurship in Thailand and beyond.

The rise of digital communication technologies has significantly changed how people participate in social protests. Digital platforms—such as social media—have enabled individuals to organize and mobilize protests on a global scale. As a result, there has been a growing interest in understanding the role of digital communication in social protests. This manuscript provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the evolution of research on digital communication and social protests from 2008 to 2022. The study employs bibliometric methodology to analyze a sample of 260 research articles extracted from the SCOPUS core collection. The findings indicate a significant increase in scholarly investigations about digital communication and its role in social protest movements during the past decade. The number of publications on this topic has increased significantly since 2012—peaking in 2022—indicating a heightened interest following COVID-19. The United States, United Kingdom, and Spain are the leading countries in publication output on this topic. The analysis underlines scholars employing a range of theoretical perspectives—including social movement theory, network theory, and media studies—to identify the relationship between digital communication and social protests. Social media platforms—X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube—are the most frequently studied and utilized digital communication tools engaged in social protests. The study concludes by identifying emerging topics relating to social movements, political communication, and protest, thereby suggesting gaps and opportunities for future research.