Collegium Civitas

Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and waste disposal practices remain critical yet under-researched public health issues in Nigeria. Despite comprising a significant proportion of the Nigerian population, menstruating individuals, particularly those in low-income, rural, and institutionally bounded settings, continue to face inadequate infrastructure, socio-cultural barriers, and insufficient education for safe and sustainable menstrual waste management. This study provides a multi-regional, cross-demographic empirical account of what Nigerian menstruators do with their waste, the factors shaping their choices, and the informal knowledge systems and institutional frameworks governing those decisions. Methods: A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 120 menstruating individuals aged 15–50 years across urban, semi-urban, and rural locations in Nigeria. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling to ensure inclusion of diverse age groups, occupational categories, and income levels. Data were collected on menstrual product use, disposal practices, influencing factors, hygiene knowledge, and perceptions of local waste management infrastructure. Descriptive statistical analysis and chi-square tests of independence were applied. Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant institutional review board. Results: Disposable sanitary pads were used exclusively by 85.8% of respondents. Wrapping and discarding in the general household bin (50.8%) and burning (38.3%) were the most common disposal methods. Notably, 32.5% of respondents cited fear of ritual use of menstrual waste as a factor influencing disposal choice, a culturally specific Nigerian phenomenon. Only 35.8% of respondents were very familiar with correct disposal methods, and 50% were uncertain whether their current disposal method was the best option. Chi-square analysis revealed no statistically significant associations between socio-demographic variables and disposal behaviours, consistent with the limited demographic heterogeneity of the sample. Noticeably, respondents who described themselves as very familiar with correct disposal had the highest rate of unsafe actual disposal (63.0%), providing strong evidence for the belief-practice gap. Mothers were the primary source of disposal knowledge (55.8%), with school teachers cited by only 10% of respondents. Conclusions: Menstrual waste management in Nigeria is constrained by a narrow definition of menstrual hygiene that excludes waste disposal, socio-cultural anxieties, including ritual fear, and structural infrastructure failures. The contradiction that greater familiarity with correct methods correlates with higher rates of unsafe disposal underscores that knowledge-only interventions are insufficient. Effective solutions require coordinated action across government, education, civil society, and the private sector.

Krótkie wspomnienie o zmarłym 10 lat temu wybitnym polskim, socjologu, profesorze Edmundzie Wnuk-Lipińskim. W artykule przypomniano najważniejsze dokonania naukowe Profesora oraz podano skróconą bibliografię jego dorobku.

This study investigates the complex dynamics of consumer-brand relationships by examining the influence of masstige and social value on attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Drawing on a comprehensive theoretical framework, current study employs a quantitative technique to evaluate the preferences and behaviors of diverse consumer groups, using data collected from a sample of 400 Pakistani Yamaha heavy-bike consumers via an online survey. Using the PLS-SEM technique to analyze the model, this study provides valuable insights into how brand values shape consumer loyalty, offering a deeper understanding of consumer-brand relationships. This study explores the mediating roles of cognitive, affective, and conative attitudes, interpreting how these mechanisms bridge the gap between brand values and consumer loyalty while augmenting our understanding of how brands are positioned in the minds of consumers. This study adds to the literature by aiming to provide a holistic analysis of the relationships between brand values, loyalty, and attitudes and further contributes to the evolving literature of consumer behavior research.

W analizach sytuacji mniejszości narodowych rzadko uwzględnia się relacje między mniejszością narodową a społecznością imigrancką należącą do tego samego co mniejszość ethnosu. W artykule podjęto ten wątek w odniesieniu do mniejszości i imigracji białoruskiej w Polsce. Te dwie społeczności należące do jednej społeczności diasporycznej różnią się od siebie językowo, religijnie, poziomem świadomości narodowej i pamięcią historyczną. Każda tworzy własne organizacje i fundacje skierowane najczęściej do „swoich”. Czy stworzą w przyszłości jedną społeczność, czy przeciwnie, różnice między obiema społecznościami będą się utrzymywać prowadząc do współwystępowania dwóch społeczności białoruskich w Polsce? W artykule podjęto próbę odpowiedzi na to pytanie, odwołując się do wyników pilotażowego badania wśród liderów mniejszości i aktywistów imigranckich zrealizowanego w 2023 i 2024 roku na Podlasiu. In analyses of the situation of national minorities, the relationship between a national minority and an immigrant community belonging to the same ethnos is rarely considered. This article addresses this issue in relation to the Belarusian minority and Belarusian immigration in Poland. These two communities, both part of the same diasporic group, differ in terms of language, religion, level of national consciousness, and historical memory. Each forms its own organizations and foundations, primarily aimed at its own members. Will they form a single community in the future, or will the differences between them persist, leading to the coexistence of two separate Belarusian communities in Poland? The article attempts to answer this question by referring to the results of a pilot study conducted among minority leaders and immigrant activists in 2023 and 2024 in the Podlasie region.

This report presents papers from scenario-building exercises carried out in the context of the Jean Monnet DEBUE module. Beginning with a brief overview of scenario-building methodologies some of the most insightful student papers based on the ‘best’, ‘worst’ and ‘wildcard’ future scenarios for the European Union (EU) in 2030 are presented. Student-written scenario papers represent creative outputs from the DEBUE Jean Monnet Module. Scenario-building is central to DEBUE’s high-impact pedagogy which seeks to move learning away from the classroom towards real-world foresight when it comes to EU studies. Using the Turning Point and Matrix methods described above, students were encouraged to think strategically about how Europe might evolve by 2030, by identifying key variables, shocks, trends and policy choices that could potentially drive and shape Europe and its role in the world over the next decade. The scenarios presented below suggest that students approach the European project with a mixture of critical optimism and realism in that they recognise the Union’s fragility and limitations but also its transformative potential and power of attraction. Across the best-case, worst-case and wild-card scenarios, a coherent picture emerges of what matters most. Democracy, equality, climate security and solidarity are consistently seen as the cornerstones of Europe’s future. Conversely, corruption, inequality, disinformation and gender regression appear as the main sources of decline. Interestingly, students tended to select variables that reflect current EU debates about the rule of law, energy transitions, enlargement, digital transformations, migration and global competitiveness, but tended to reframe them in terms of human impact, justice and moral choices. Equally, many scenarios integrated global dimensions which demonstrates an acute awareness of the interdependencies between Europe’s destiny and the fate of its neighbours. Best-case scenarios tend to depict a Europe that regains strategic confidence through inclusion and systemic reforms. The EU is cast as a moral and ecologically aware superpower, capable of combining growth with equality and climate responsibility. Equally, enlargement and solidarity are seen as drivers of renewal and gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights emerge as a defining measure of progress. These lines of reasoning suggest that students believe in European integration, but only if it remains democratic, open and progressive. Worst-case scenarios reveal anxieties about democratic backsliding, social polarisation and the loss of moral and normative direction in Europe. Europe’s potential failure and collapse stems less from external threats and more from internal complacency and a drift away from the rule of law, tolerance and trust. Students also make a strong link between authoritarianism and gender inequality, showing a very sharp awareness of how identity politics can be very easily weaponised against democracy. Wild-card scenarios are the most inventive and blend geopolitics, technological challenges and environmental shocks. Some scenarios imagine radical transformations resulting from ecological collapse, new forms of digital autocracy or the rebirth of civic movements. Others blended fiction and foresight to ascertain how novel or unexpected events could reshape institutions and where and how people live. Together, these scenarios demonstrated that Europe’s future is likely to depend not only on treaties but also on values, human agency and imagination. Co-funded by the European Union. Jean Monnet Module “DEBUE – Debating Europe: Internal and External Dynamics of European Integration” Grant Agreement No 101085339. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.