Central Asian Journal of Social Sciences and History

From Unemployment to Yahoo Yahoo: A Sociological Analysis of the Drivers and Consequences of Internet Fraud Among Nigerian Youths

2026-09-04T05:30:24+00:00

Internet fraud, popularly known in Nigeria as Yahoo Yahoo, has become one of the most pressing social challenges confronting the nation, particularly among unemployed and economically vulnerable youths. In recent years, the phenomenon has evolved beyond conventional online scams into the more dangerous practice known as Yahoo Plus, in which internet fraud is allegedly combined with ritualistic beliefs and other criminal activities in pursuit of wealth. This study investigates the sociological drivers and consequences of Yahoo Yahoo and Yahoo Plus among Nigerian youths, with particular emphasis on the role of unemployment, poverty, peer influence, materialism, and weak social institutions. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to selected respondents. In contrast, qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with key informants, including community leaders, security personnel, youth representatives, and academics. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data were subjected to thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that persistent unemployment, economic hardship, the glorification of wealth on social media, peer pressure, and declining moral values significantly contribute to youths' involvement in Yahoo Yahoo and its emerging variant, Yahoo Plus. The study further found that the increasing shift toward Yahoo Plus reflects a dangerous escalation in criminal behaviour with profound implications for public safety, social cohesion, and Nigeria's international image. The paper recommends sustained youth employment programmes, entrepreneurship development, ethical reorientation, strengthened cybercrime enforcement, community engagement, and improved collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, religious organizations, and families to address both the structural and cultural factors driving internet fraud.

Reimagining Science Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

2026-09-03T14:33:38+00:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming the nature of knowledge production, scientific inquiry and educational practice. Science education, traditionally characterised by teacher-centred instruction, textbook-based learning, memorisation, practical experiments and conventional assessment, now requires significant rethinking in response to the capabilities of AI. The emergence of generative AI and other intelligent technologies provides opportunities to personalise science learning, enhance scientific experimentation, support data analysis, improve assessment and develop students' scientific and digital competencies. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2025) argues that the development of powerful AI requires education systems to reconsider the competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes that learners need, including the goals and experiences embedded in existing curricula. UNESCO (2024) similarly emphasises that AI is changing the traditional teacher–student relationship into a teacher–AI–student relationship and calls for teachers to develop competencies in AI ethics, AI foundations, AI pedagogy and professional learning. This paper examines the need to reimagine science education by integrating AI with scientific inquiry, experimentation, curriculum development, assessment and teacher professional development. It argues that AI should complement rather than replace science teachers, laboratory experiences and students' cognitive engagement. The paper concludes that responsible integration of AI can make science education more personalised, innovative, inquiry-oriented and relevant to contemporary society when supported by adequate infrastructure, teacher competence, ethical safeguards and appropriate curriculum reform.

Main Models of Mediation and Their Distinctive Characteristics

2026-09-02T12:12:09+00:00

This article analyzes major mediation models and their distinctive characteristics, with particular attention to their applicability to family disputes. The study uses a qualitative doctrinal and comparative review of mediation scholarship, professional guidance, empirical family-dispute research, and selected international and national legal instruments. The analysis compares facilitative, evaluative, transformative, narrative, ecosystemic, provocative, intervention, shuttle, court-integrated, and co-mediation approaches according to the mediator’s role, degree of intervention, communication structure, principal objective, and suitability for family disputes. The results indicate that no single model is universally optimal. Facilitative and transformative approaches are especially relevant where party autonomy, communication, and post-separation relationships are central; evaluative techniques are useful where legal and financial uncertainty is substantial; narrative and ecosystemic approaches are valuable where conflict is strongly relational and contextual; while shuttle, co-mediation, and court-integrated procedures can address particular safety, complexity, or institutional needs. The discussion further shows that family mediation requires case screening, attention to power asymmetry and domestic abuse, child-focused safeguards, and flexible combination of techniques. The study concludes that a context-sensitive, mixed-model approach provides a stronger conceptual basis for developing effective family mediation practice, including in Uzbekistan.

Formation and Development Stages of Parasport in Uzbekistan

2026-09-02T11:36:17+00:00

This article examines the formation and development of parasport in Uzbekistan from independence to the present, with particular attention to institutional transformation, state policy, legal and organizational reforms, expansion of participation, development of parasport disciplines, and international sporting achievements. The study reconstructs the development of Uzbek parasport through a three-stage historical framework: 1991–2007, 2007–2021, and the period from 2021 onward. Particular attention is given to the establishment and transformation of national parasport institutions, the development of regional Paralympic centers, mass participation initiatives such as the Five Initiatives Paralympiad, preparation for international competitions, and the growing role of classification, anti-doping, sports medicine, psychology, and specialist training. The analysis shows that the post-2021 period represents an important stage of institutional consolidation and mass inclusion, reflected in the expansion of sports schools, increased participation of persons with disabilities, and stronger support for elite athletes. At the same time, the development remains uneven across disciplines and regions. Major challenges include insufficient scientific and methodological resources, shortages of specialized coaches, limited infrastructure outside Tashkent, weak international pathways for certain disciplines, and inadequate sign-language expertise for athletes with hearing impairments. The article argues that the future development of Uzbek parasport requires a transition from primarily organizational expansion toward evidence-based athlete development, regional specialization, international cooperation, professional training, and sustainable inclusion. These findings contribute to understanding parasport as both a sports-policy field and an important component of social inclusion in contemporary Uzbekistan.

Prospects for Improving Research in the Field of Military History in Uzbekistan

2026-08-29T13:27:24+00:00

This article is devoted to reforms and their significance in the development of military history, modern approaches to the in-depth study of the national military heritage and international experience. The article develops proposals and recommendations for the development of research in the direction of military history. The significance of this article lies in the systematization of scientific research in the field of military history in Uzbekistan, the objective study of historical and military heritage, and the determination of prospects for improving the scientific and methodological framework of this field based on modern approaches.