IUB Journal of Social Sciences

Role of Gender Asset Ownership and Poverty in Determining Women Empowerment: A Village-based Study in South Punjab, Pakistan

Asifa Tufail , Muhammad Ramzan Sheikh — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the determinants of women's empowerment in the agriculture sector of South Punjab, Pakistan, using a cross-sectional analysis. Specifically, the study aims to identify the socio-demographic and economic factors that promote or hinder women's empowerment in this sector, to inform policies and programs that can support gender equality in the region. To estimate the results, we are utilizing data from 900 households located in the Multan, Bahawalpur, and DG Khan divisions of South Punjab Province in Pakistan in 2022 while employing the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method for analysis. The study also explored the impact of empowerment on women's socio-demographics, economic status, and well-being. The study found that women's empowerment in South Punjab is influenced by a range of factors, including age, marital status, education, income, poverty, and asset ownership prevalence. The study focuses on improving women's education, income, and access to credit, as these factors are found to positively impact women's empowerment in the agriculture sector of South Punjab, Pakistan. Additionally, policies that promote women's participation in decision-making at the household and community levels can contribute to greater gender equality in the region.

Analysis of Glass Ceiling Factors Thwarting Professional Development of Women: A Case Study of Private and Public Institutions of Multan District

Sumera Yasin, Mahbloos Asad, Tayyaba Batool Tahir — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The research article presents a quantitative study and analysis of the various glass ceiling factors which hinder the personal and professional development of women in the public and private sector organizations of district Multan. The respondents were selected through a purposive sampling technique and the hypothesis was confirmed by the use of tabulation analysis. The hypotheses of the study were positively tested through the tabulation table. The findings of the study suggest that social mobility, nepotism, sexism, male dominance, gender stereotyping, wage gap, marital status, and age of women are major contributing glass ceiling factors keeping women from realizing their professional potential. These glass ceiling factors prevail in both public and private institutions with multifaceted manifestations. The research findings further suggest that with increasing economic pressures on household income in Pakistan these factors affect the professional performances of women despite higher economic engagement rates of women in economic spheres. Reviewing policing making on national and local levels can aid in breaking these glass ceiling factors.

Impact of Parental Involvement on Achievement Score of Students at Elementary Level

Sana Khan, Bazgha Saleem Khan, Qurat-ul-Ain Arjmand , Awais Ahmed Riaz Awan — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of parental involvement on the achievement score of elementary-level students. Parental involvement was the independent variable and the achievement scores of students were the dependent variable. Whereas, demographic variables like school status, SES, and parents’ qualifications were also important. This study was comparative in nature and all elementary-level schools were taken as population. Elementary campuses of boys and girls were conveniently selected from the public sector in Faisalabad and taken as accessible population. From this accessible population, a sample of 376 students (307 male and 69 female) were drawn who have passed the elementary exams. Demographic sheets, copies of elementary result cards, and questionnaires were collected in order to find out the impact of parental involvement on the achievement scores of students at the elementary level. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) was employed along with ANOVA, and t-test for data analysis. Keeping in view the results taken from Punjab Examination Commission, significant differences between the academic performance of the children belonging to the businessmen class and the job holders’ class were noticed. Further, it was also determined from the dished-out results that the difference in academic achievement level is significant when more involvement of parents was there.

Sectoral Investment and Economic Performance of Pakistan: A Time Series Analysis (1990 – 2021)

Furrukh Bashir, Ismat Nasim, Mahnoor Khalid — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact that various types of investments have had on Pakistan's overall economic performance. GDP, GDP per capita, inflation, and trade are the variables that are used to measure economic performance. For the purpose of this investigation, time series data from 1990 to 2021 has been collected, and the ADF unit root test and the ARDL technique have been utilized for analysis. The results of the ADF unit root explicate that GDP, GDP per capita, Trade, Investments in Agriculture, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Energy, and Labor force are stationary at 1st difference and Inflation & Investment in Mining are stationary at the level. So, it is decided to apply the ARDL technique for long-run relationships. The results of ARDL long-run express that Investment in Agriculture sector, Infrastructure, Energy, Manufacturing, and Mining are a source of higher Nominal GDP and GDP per capita. The labor force has been positive for growth but negative with the price level. On the other hand, investments in agriculture and infrastructure may increase the price level of the economy but investment in energy, manufacturing, and mining may reduce the price level. The labor force also turns out to reduce price levels by enhancing output levels. For the trade model, Investments in Agriculture, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, and Energy have turned out to increase the trade of Pakistan while investment in mining and the labor force has been reducing factors for trade.

Infertility-related Stress and Marital Satisfaction among Pakistani Infertile Individuals

Anoosha Tabassum, Rayna Sadia, Sadia Huda, Saira Khan — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Infertility is a reproductive health problem that is widely researched with reference to numerous psychological concerns faced by infertile individuals. Childless couples face numerous personal and social consequences with every passing day. Among them, immediate family members' expectations to carry on the family’s name significantly weigh down marital union in the form of marital dissatisfaction among infertile individuals. Therefore, the relationship between stress related to infertility and its impact on the marital union, individuals (N = 150) of 18-40 years (M = 29.19, SD = 5.59) were taken from Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Attock. The sample was approached at infertility centers, hospitals, offices, and their homes using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale was administered on the sample. The results established satisfactory Cronbach alpha reliabilities (α = .63 to α = .93) for all scales. Hypotheses testing revealed that stress due to infertility negatively affects the marital satisfaction of infertile individuals and accounted for a 7% variance. Lastly, non-significant gender differences were observed across the variables of the study. These findings would be helpful in understanding the dynamics of stress, faced by childless individuals and would be beneficial in the investigation of cultural buffering factors. Non-significant gender differences across infertility-related stress further highlight the significance of devising and providing intervention-based programs and therapies for both men and women to cope with the stress and strengthen the marital union of infertile individuals.

The Cultural Barriers Faced by Women in Acquiring Higher Education in Tribal Areas of Pakistan: A Case of Dera Ghazi Khan

Muhammad Javed Aftab, Hina Hadayat Ali , Rukhsana Bashir — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this research was to explore the Cultural Barriers Faced by Women in Acquiring Higher Education in Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The study is quantitative in nature, and the information was obtained through the use of a questionnaire. Questionnaire validity was confirmed by the judgment of experts in the field. Lack of basic infrastructure, Absence of girls’ schools, Lack of female teachers, Poor quality education, Lack of supervision of school, Early marriage, and Lack of adult literacy programs are major obstacles that hinder female higher education. The reason behind the low literacy rate of females in tribal areas is the lack of facilities, institutes, and most importantly negligence from the state had kept the tribal women apart from her basic right; quality education. The reason behind the low literacy rate of females in tribal areas is the lack of facilities, institutes, and most importantly negligence from the state had kept the tribal women apart from her basic right; quality education. Awareness campaigns should be launched to reduce the Cultural Barriers Faced by Women in Acquiring Higher Education in Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

Mediating Role of Death Anxiety between Supernatural Beliefs and Life Satisfaction among Muslim Adults

Anam Yousaf, Ayesha Fayyaz, Adnan Adil, Sadia Niazi — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The belief in supernatural forces is so pervasive in Pakistani society that it is nearly universal among illiterate and semi-literate people. Few literate individuals also subscribe to the idea of supernatural beings and entities. Such beliefs may invoke anxieties resulting in reduced satisfaction with life. In the current study, a cross-sectional survey of Muslim people was used to examine the potential mediation effect of death anxiety between supernatural beliefs and life satisfaction. A purposive sample (N = 220; with equal representation of both genders) of adults was recruited from different areas of district Sargodha. The supernatural Belief Scale, Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were employed for assessing supernatural belief, death anxiety, and life satisfaction, respectively. Path analysis in Amos revealed the positive direct effect of supernatural belief on death anxiety and the negative direct effect of death anxiety on life satisfaction. Supernatural beliefs also demonstrated a negative indirect effect on life satisfaction through death anxiety. Overall, we found that individuals with supernatural beliefs were more likely to feel death anxiety, which might make them less satisfied with their life. Clinicians and mental health practitioners must envisage such therapeutic strategies as could counter the supernatural beliefs of the clients so that they might enjoy a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

Job Satisfaction and Professional Ethics Practices in Public Sector Universities of Pakistan

Sabtain Iqbal, Muhammad Nafees — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Professional ethics are the guiding principles practiced in any organization. These standards regulate an individual behavior or group working in that institution, which demands a particular set of related values and expects them to act normatively. This research aimed to study and understand the link between job satisfaction and the level of professional ethics practiced in public sector universities of Pakistan. Three public sector universities of Punjab were selected, including PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Barani Institute of Information and Technology, and the University of Okara. The study was designed quantitatively, using the survey questionnaire to be filled out by 150 respondents from these universities. The respondents were the faculty members from these three universities who participated in this research. It was intended to balance the male-female ratio between the respondents. The results indicated that a higher level of professional, ethical practices at the workplace is associated with more job satisfaction. Like other professions, academia needs to formulate some guiding principles for better and transparent functioning of the universities and ensure work-related satisfaction for better faculty performance.