Dear Readers

Abstract

Dear Readers,
We are pleased to present Volume 3, Issue 1 of the Journal of Social Perspective Studies. This issue brings together contributions from diverse fields within the social sciences and invites readers to reconsider key contemporary debates through the intersecting lenses of knowledge, space, and power.
A central feature of this issue is the review article that examines the transformation of the concept of space from modernism to postmodernism. By tracing the theoretical evolution of space, the study highlights its shift from a secondary analytical category to a central framework through which identities, social relations, and power structures are produced. In doing so, it provides a conceptual foundation that resonates across the entire issue.
Building on this theoretical grounding, the research articles explore interconnected themes at different analytical levels. The first article analyzes conceptual relationships in the language of the Qur’an using AI-assisted distributional semantic methods. By bridging classical exegesis with computational linguistics, the study demonstrates that meaning production is not merely linguistic but also epistemological, while simultaneously revealing the limitations of supposedly “neutral” technological tools.
Focusing on educational policy, another study investigates physical education teachers’ perspectives on the Ministry of National Education’s “10,000 Schools in Basic Education Project.” The findings indicate that the project has enhanced equality of opportunity, particularly in disadvantaged regions, while also exposing the tensions between infrastructural improvements and pedagogical practices. In this sense, the study highlights the gap between policy discourse and its implementation in practice.
In the field of international relations, the analysis of U.S. policy in the Sahel region, particularly in the case of Niger, critically examines the concept of “smart power.” The findings reveal that the theoretical balance between security and development has shifted toward a militarized and security-oriented framework, underscoring the divergence between discourse and practice in global power strategies.
The issue concludes with a critical book review on the Global IR approach, which questions the extent to which efforts to transcend Western-centric frameworks remain constrained by underlying epistemic hierarchies.
Taken together, the contributions in this issue converge around a shared inquiry: How is knowledge produced, how is it shaped within spatial and institutional contexts, and how are these processes intertwined with relations of power?
Committed to open access publishing, double-blind peer review, and ethical standards, our journal continues to support high-quality and original research in the social sciences. We extend our sincere gratitude to the authors, reviewers, and editorial board members who contributed to this issue, and we remain dedicated to fostering international scholarly engagement.
We look forward to meeting you again in our future issues.
On behalf of the Editorial Team