This study explores how Leila Aboulela's Bird Summons (2019) and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise (1994) depict the loss of religious and cultural identities. By using Deconstruction theory, this study exposes the conflicts between essentialised religious and cultural identities and the fluid, hybrid realities of the characters' lives, shattering the binary oppositions that support the stories (Derrida 42). This study reveals the power dynamics that influence identity building and draws attention to the instabilities and contradictions present in the narratives by examining how the texts depict the loss of conventional identities (Spivak 66). Additionally, this study shows how the writers reclaim marginalised identities and challenge prevailing discourses through the use of narrative strategies (Bhabha 209). Finally, this study shows how these works' depictions of loss act as a trigger for reassessing and rebuilding religious and cultural identities.

This study assessed the level of student satisfaction with the current manual borrowing system of the library in contrast to automation. It employed the quantitative type of research with a descriptive-comparative design. The study aimed to describe the respondents using frequency and percentage distribution. Moreover, the level of satisfaction towards both systems using mean and standard deviation. Moreover, the significant difference of the resulting overall mean used paired t- test. It involved the calculation of the frequency, mean and standard deviation and paired t-test. 235 respondents participated in this study which were identified through the use of stratified random sampling. The study having able to assess the overall satisfaction difference between the two services concluded high significant difference between the two system, with automation having higher satisfaction than the manual system. With the results in hand, the researchers would like to recommend to the school administrator to implement the library’s automated system services and to further improve the organization of books wherein they can be more accessible to the library users.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has emerged as a major catalyst for accelerating the economic growth of developing nations over the years. This is because it is believed to be an important source of capital inflows and a major source of technology transfers to the host countries, especially developing ones like Nigeria. FDI has emerged as an integral part of an open and effective international economic system and a major catalyst for development. This research attempts to study the effects of FDI on the political economy of Nigeria in all ramifications, because FDI impacts not only economic indices alone; but affects the entire political economic fabric of the nation. The study used content analysis, contextual analysis and descriptive research, backed up with empirical secondary data of FDI inflows and value added to the Nigerian economy. The study discovered that while there are positive effects of FDI inflows into the Nigerian political economic system; like enhanced GDP contribution, improved infrastructure and public sector development, reduced unemployment and governance improvements; there are some negative impacts like undue foreign influence on domestic policy, corruption, political manipulation and unfair exploitation of natural resources. The study concluded that while FDI contributes to Nigeria’s economic and political development, it also raises challenges related to foreign influence, corruption, and resource exploitation and recommended that to maximise the benefits of FDI, Nigeria must implement strong governance and transparency policies that balance foreign interests with national priorities.

The impact of oil price shocks on the economy during emergency of Coronavirus has occupied the attention of researchers for almost four years. Though, most Nigeria-based studies are not like this, this paper explores alternative measures of oil price shocks that have been developed in the literature with a view to ascertaining the extent to which conclusions about oil price-growth depends on the definition of shocks adopted during pandemic. The relatively recent regime dependent logic regression threshold autoregressive model, together with impulse response functions and forecast error variance decomposition adopted in this study. One third data spanning from 2020 to 2024 was used, a non-linear model of oil price shocks and economic growth during the event of Coronavirus is estimated. The study findings indicate that oil price shocks are unaccounted for significant proportion of observed movements in macroeconomic aggregates during the Coronavirus pandemic. This pattern persists despite introduction of threshold effects by government. This implied the enclave nature of Nigeria’s oil sector with strong linkages to other sector. Therefore, the need to spend oil revenue productively is imperative if favourable effect on real output growth is envisaged in post COVID-19 period.

Background: Poverty remains a serious challenge in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, with complex socioeconomic and institutional causes. A thorough understanding of poverty from multiple perspectives is crucial for developing effective solutions and enhancing social welfare programs. Objective: This study examines poverty in Narayanganj by analyzing both income levels and broader poverty indicators (MPI) to identify key factors that can guide policy decisions. Methods: The study was conducted from January to June 2025 with 205 carefully selected households. Researchers collected information about family characteristics, earnings, jobs, education, housing conditions, sanitation, healthcare availability, and participation in social welfare programs. Poverty was measured both by income levels and through a multidimensional poverty index. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 29.0, including statistical methods to identify prevalence, patterns, determinants and relationships. Results: This analysis revealed a multifaceted poverty profile within the sample. While 26% households in monetary poverty (below $2.15/day), a larger segment (39.1%) were multidimensionally poor (MPI >0.333), experiencing concurrent deprivations. For this group, the intensity of deprivation was severe at 58%, meaning the poor are, on average, deprived in over half of the indicators. Nearly half of households (47.8 percent) earned less than 15,000 BDT per month, while about one-third (34.1 percent) earned more than 20,000 BDT. The study found that poverty involved multiple challenges, including education gaps (32.5%), healthcare access problems (23.7%), and poor living conditions (41.8%). Important contributing factors included limited education, joblessness, poor housing quality, and lack of access to social welfare programs. Rural families and female-led households faced particularly severe challenges. Conclusion: Poverty in Narayanganj results from interconnected problems in education, employment, and living conditions. Effective solutions should combine job creation, expanded social services, and better housing. These findings can help guide efforts to reduce poverty in line with national development goals.

This qualitative study aimed to explore how students’ academic backgrounds affect their understanding of qualitative research in the context of a master's program in art therapy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students from diverse academic disciplines—ranging from art and education to social sciences and language studies—to investigate their perceptions and learning experiences during a qualitative research course. Findings revealed that a student's academic background significantly influences their pace of understanding and engagement with qualitative concepts. Those with educational or social science backgrounds appeared to have a relative advantage in grasping key ideas. At the same time, students across the board reported common challenges such as unfamiliar terminology, the academic language of the course, and limited prior research experience. Despite these challenges, participants expressed a growing appreciation for the value of qualitative research in their future professional practice. They also proposed several pedagogical improvements, including an introductory course, more hands-on learning opportunities, and stronger integration between research content and therapeutic practice. The study recommends revisiting the design of research methodology courses in multidisciplinary graduate programs.

The materiality of ceramics has emerged as a new frontier in the academic discourse because of its versatility in both traditional and modern use. Clay has been known for its resistance to corrosion and environmental conditions, and their ability to withstand high temperatures accounts for reasons why it became a point of reference for archeological research and in the study of the history of human evolution and civilization across time. The subject of the research is to determine the complex relationship existing amongst ceramics, art, and culture. It further discusses the means through which ceramics can be used via history to reflect cultural values and traditions. Additionally, the paper explores the emergence of contemporary artists and how they have used ceramics to interrogate established cultural norms by pushing boundaries with fresh perspectives and practices while simultaneously creating new meanings and interpretations. It also investigates the complex relationship amongst the three elements mentioned earlier and how these elements have contributed to the evolution of the world's art. Historical analysis and case study research was used in unfolding the intricacy of ceramics as a discipline and how it has facilitated modern art practice and its relationship with historical studies. Secondary data was effectively used for the research. The research findings show that the method and techniques of ceramics production cut across all world civilizations, and its significance in materiality cannot be over-emphasized.