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Crossing Worlds and Resisting Power: Fantasy and Metaphorical Borders in Srivatsa and Karunatilaka
The act of crossing and navigating physical, cultural, and symbolic borders has a profound impact on the shaping of identities, with a focus on the dynamics of resistance and power. By analyzing, through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the experiences of characters portrayed in select Fantasy Fiction [The Spice Gate by Prashanth Srivatsa (2024); and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (2022)] in navigating borders-whether literal or metaphorical-the chapter studies how these crossings challenge fixed notions of identity and belonging. The protagonists of the chosen Fantasy works stem from both highly marginalized communities: the lower castes in India, and the more universally discriminated LGBTQIA+ people. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives pertaining to gender, sexuality, caste, oppression, and resistance, the chapter examines the act of border-crossing to illuminate the interplay between Self and Other, belonging and alienation, while confronting structures of power and oppression. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Human Resource Development and Economic Growth: Leveraging India's Youthful Population
This empirical investigation employs a multivariate time series framework utilizing the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to unravel the intricate long- run equilibrium and short- run dynamics among GDP, youth population, and youth literacy in India for the time- period 1990 to 2024, revealing through Johansen cointegration test the existence of two statistically significant cointegrating vectors, with normalized equations underscoring the pivotal elasticity- driven relationships between economic growth and demographic- literacy indicators, while adjustment coefficients demonstrate the system's endogenous correction mechanism toward long- run equilibrium, and the impulse response and variance decomposition analyses substantiate the dominance of literacy shocks in driving GDP variability over extended horizons, thereby yielding profound macroeconomic implications for policy formulation directed at enhancing human capital and ensuring sustainable. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Aging Populations, Economic Growth, and Sustainable Development: A Policy Perspective
Over the last century (from 1925 to 2025), there has been a 311% growth in global population (from 2 billion to 8.22 billion). Scientific and technological advancements, increased educational and healthcare facilities, and active involvement of women in the labor market have contributed to this significant change. However, the globe faces an imbalance between the percentages of youth, working, and oldage populations. The decline in the fertility rate and an increase in longevity have contributed to the disproportionate growth of the old- age population. Although the increased life expectancy can be credited as a substantial achievement of society, there are complex discussions on the contributions of older people to economic growth. From this perspective, this chapter critically examines the role of the old- age population in enhancing economic growth and sustainable development of society. It also proposes specific policy suggestions for achieving the UN Decade of Healthy Aging objectives (2021- 2030) that align with the SDGs. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Bridging Travel and Learning: Can Ecotourism Be a Resource for Learning Sustainability?
This study explores the role of ecotourism as an educational tool for catering to experiential learning and sustainability awareness. Using a qualitative imaginary narrative method, two ecotourism scenarios are constructed based on insights from two expert environmentalists and existing research. The constructed scenarios were exclusive to undergraduate students from the life sciences and humanities. Using framework analysis, the obtained data were mapped to the SDG framework to understand students' engagement with nature- based learning and sustainability- focused activities, highlighting their emotional connections to nature and behavioural shifts toward sustainability. The framework analysis mapped the scenarios to relevant SDGs, analysing how they cater to ESD. The findings align with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), emphasising ecotourism's potential in education. This research contributes to discussions on integrating sustainability learning into educational frameworks. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Protecting Cultural Knowledge in the Digital Era: Legal Dimensions of Intellectual Property in AI- Powered Immersive Learning and the Metaverse
The rapid expansion of AI- driven metaverse environments has challenged traditional intellectual property frameworks, leaving indigenous and cultural heritage vulnerable to unauthorized use and misrepresentation. This study analyzes legal gaps in the protection of cultural knowledge in immersive digital platforms, highlighting risks posed by generative AI and decentralized governance. We evaluate emerging solutions such as blockchain- based ownership verification and NFT licensing-against ethical concerns of profit- sharing and moral rights. Drawing on comparative legal research, we propose an international framework integrating digital rights management and sui generis protections for cultural assets. Our recommendations stress collaboration among governments, international organizations, and technology developers, alongside the inclusion of digital heritage law in academic curricula, to empower indigenous communities to safeguard their cultural rights. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Enhancing Cultural Learning Through Spatial Audio in a Virtual Reality-Based Chettinad Experience
This chapter examines how immersive cultural learning using spatial audio and Virtual Reality (VR) can be used for enhanced learning. The study has taken a heritage building in Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, known for its palatial mansions with unique architectural properties and sustainable measures for preservation of various resources. On the basis of an experiment to understand user engagement, the chapter focuses on proposing an Immersive Cultural Learning Framework (ICLF), which can be implemented for immersive cultural learning. The study uses a customdesigned VR- based immersive learning environment, to demonstrates how the ICLF can be utilized to deepen cultural understanding and enhance learner engagement. This framework is suitable for representing intangible heritage, particularly through audio cues. The authors hope that this multi- use case study is relevant to various stakeholders, such as educators, cultural practitioners, and immersive media designers, by providing a structured model for facilitating meaningful and inclusive cultural learning in the digital age. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Learning From Global Cultures for a Sustainable Tomorrow With the Help of Immersive Tech in Education
With rising global and domestic environmental and social challenges, integrating traditional cultural knowledge with immersive education technologies offers a path to sustainability. This chapter explores how Indigenous and local knowledge systems can merge with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to foster deeper understanding and promote sustainable behaviors. It highlights traditional ecological practices in agriculture, water use, marine management, and architecture as models of sustainable living, emphasizing the ethical role of Indigenous education. The chapter also examines how immersive technologies enhance experiential learning, gamification, and cultural knowledge sharing, while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It envisions a future where educational systems use immersive tools to cultivate environmentally responsible, empathetic, and globally conscious citizens. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Farmers' Rights at the Intersection of Intellectual Property and Human Rights: Balancing Innovation and Economic Sustainability
Farmers' rights are at the intersection of intellectual property (IP) law, human rights, and sustainable agricultural practices. As global food systems evolve, the increasing commercialization of seeds, genetic resources, and agricultural knowledge has raised concerns over farmers' autonomy, economic sustainability, and cultural heritage. This chapter explores the intersection of farmers' rights, IP law, and human rights, analyzing how legal frameworks impact their access to seeds, traditional knowledge, and economic sustainability. It highlights the tension between seed sovereignty and corporate patenting, where restrictive IP protections often limit farmers' ability to save, exchange, and breed seeds-practices that have been fundamental to sustainable agriculture for generations. Finally, it advocates for harmonized approach that upholds farmers' rights while fostering sustainable agricultural practices. By bridging legal protections and cultural heritage, the chapter underscores the importance of inclusive policies that ensure both economic viability and environmental resilience. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Immersion in Social Work Education: A Pathway to Global Citizenship and Cross- Cultural Community Development
With the increasing globalization of the world, social work education must change itself to build students with intercultural competence and global citizenship skills. Cultural immersion programs are a valuable resource for preparing social work professionals to navigate different socio- cultural settings using an inclusive, participatory social development approach. The present chapter will provide an overview of literature reviews, case studies, and theoretical reflections on cultural immersion in social work education. The discussion will consider theories on how such experiences might shape students' conceptualization of social inequalities, community- based interventions, and ethical issues in cross- cultural situations. The chapter will conclude by exploring potential directions for utilizing cultural immersion to design academic and professional development paradigms in pursuit of broader global citizenship and cross- cultural community development agendas. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Exploring the Role of Cultural Immersion in Enhancing Social Sustainability Through Community Engagement and Cross- Cultural Understanding
In an increasingly globalized world, cultural immersion has emerged as a powerful tool for fostering social sustainability through community engagement and crosscultural understanding. Cultural immersion refers to the process of deeply engaging with a foreign culture, whether through travel, education, work, or community- based initiatives. This study explores how cultural immersion enhances social sustainability by encouraging mutual respect, empathy, and intercultural dialogue. Social sustainability, as a core pillar of sustainable development, emphasizes the creation of inclusive, resilient, and cohesive societies. This research argues that cultural immersion, when combined with meaningful community engagement, facilitates long- term social cohesion by breaking down stereotypes, fostering intercultural cooperation, and promoting equity in social interactions. The primary objective of this study is to examine how cultural immersion contributes to social sustainability and to identify the mechanisms through which community engagement enhances cross- cultural understanding. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Immersion and Experiential Learning in Sustainability Education
The present chapter explores the role of immersive learning in strengthening sustainability education in different contexts, spanning cultural, neurocognitive, and technological dimensions. It draws from experiential and transformative learning theories and also from frameworks such as ESD and SEFT. It examines the relationship between cognition, empathy, and intercultural competence, and how focused immersive methods can reshape them. Relevant global case studies have been included to highlight diverse forms of engagement like micro- immersion, reverse immersion, and sonic- sensory approaches. By engaging with interdisciplinary insights, it has been argued that immersive learning indeed promotes glocal thinking and environmental stewardship. Technologies like VR and AI- driven storytelling have also been examined not only for their potential but also for the need to balance innovation with inclusivity. Finally, the chapter calls for culturally grounded, critically reflective education models as essential pathways toward building sustainable and empathetic futures. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Educational Foundations on Cultural Immersion and Sustainable Development
Cultural immersion is experiential learning that fosters deep understanding of cultural exchange. Its power lies in driving sustainable development across global communities. This chapter analyzes cultural immersion through SDG 4's Quality Education framework, focusing on inclusive learning, vocational training, and sustainability education. These elements build intercultural competence and nurture responsible global citizenship. The study explores how cultural immersion supports sustainable development through quality education. Its theoretical framework reveals how experiential learning transforms perspectives and practices. Ultimately, this approach demonstrates cultural immersion's capacity to shape societies by connecting knowledge, empathy and concrete action, creating a more interconnected world from a holistic perspective. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
AI-Driven Consumer Behavior and Decision Making
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed consumer behavior and decision-m aking, impacting purchasing habits, brand relationships, and marketing efforts. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on AI- influenced consumer behavior, analyzing its effects on attitudes, likes, and decision- making. Major areas of study encompass AI- facilitated recommendation systems, personalized engagement marketing, AI in online advertising, and AI- facilitated automation in retail and service sectors. The research presents both the benefits and pitfalls of AI integration, such as better customer experiences, data privacy fears, and information cocoons. AI has revolutionized conventional marketing practices by facilitating hyper-personalization and predictive analyses, engaging customers while incurring ethical issues. Research also highlights the importance of AI in sectors like fashion, entertainment, and business- to- business (B2B) marketing, offering insights into consumer trust and perceptions of privacy. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
The Impact of AI on Digital Marketing Across Various Industries: Unveiling New Possibilities Across Industries
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing digital marketing by enhancing the effectiveness of strategies through automation, data- driven insights, and personalized customer engagement. This paper presents a cross- industry analysis to understand the impact of AI on digital marketing effectiveness across various sectors. The primary objective of this research is to examine how AI-powered tools and techniques are reshaping marketing practices and optimizing consumer interactions. Industries such as retail, healthcare, finance, and entertainment are leveraging AI for customer segmentation, personalized recommendations, chatbots, predictive analytics, and automated content creation. By evaluating case studies and industry reports, this study aims to identify key trends and best practices adopted by successful organizations. This research also investigates the challenges faced by companies when implementing AI in digital marketing, such as data privacy concerns, ethical implications, and the integration of AI with existing marketing strategies. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Application of Sensory and Neuromarketing to Sustain in Emerging Economies
Neuromarketing involves the application of neuroscience in developing suitable marketing campaigns or messages (Morin, 2011). Neuromarketing involves understanding the schema of associations in the consumer's mind, through which a brand can subconsciously stimulate brand recall and drive purchase behavior (Briesemeister & Selmer, 2022). Use of neuromarketing tools can help build associations based on existing knowledge/ semantic memory or through past experiences/episodic memory (Tulving, 1972). Furthermore, sensory marketing can also create subconscious cues to episodic memory (Krishna, 2012) as sensory cues such as touch, taste, and smell are already encoded in a consumer's long- term memory. In the customer journey driven by traditional marketing messages, decision making is driven by reasoning of known facts, but sensory marketing messages can drive implicit decision making based on impulses (Friese et al., 2006). 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Building Digital Relationships: Social Relationship Marketing Strategies to Generative AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining business process optimization to make business efficient, cheaper, and innovative. AI streamlines operations, automates processes, and enhances decision- making to enable business to serve customers better and remain competitive. AI solutions vary from customer services, supply chain management, finance, and human resource. AI chatbots provide 24/7 customer support, and predictive analytics enable optimized sales forecasting and inventory management. AI allows savings and creation of innovations by means of customized services. Challenges that do arise include the necessity of having quality data. AI has to be trained on huge volumes of data for it to be able to make sound predictions, and poor data quality will bring about the destruction of decision- making. Last but not least, investing in AI technology and experienced personnel can be exorbitant. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Economic Growth, Human Resource Development, and Climate Resilience in BRICS A Panel Data Analysis
Present study employs panel data analysis on BRICS economies data spanning from 2000 to 2023, to examine the impact of human resource development, renewable energy consumption, and carbon emissions on GDP per capita of BRICS economies,finding that while human capital strongly drives growth, renewable energy has a positive but weaker effect, and carbon emissions remain tightly linked to GDP, underscoring the persistent reliance on carbon-intensive industries, ultimately highlighting the need for policy shifts toward sustainable growth through education, clean energy transitions, and regulatory frameworks that balance industrialization with climate resilience. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Embedded Finance in Action: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth
This chapter examines how embedded finance reshapes sustainable investment through AI, machine learning, and DeFi integration with ESG practices. These technologies can address behavioral biases such as loss aversion, yet major challenges remain. ESG data is fragmented, with rating providers often showing correlations below 0.6, weakening automated screening. Greenwashing risks rise as automation favors convenience over impact checks, while regulation lags behind and leaves fiduciary duties unclear. The discussion links these issues to finance theory, applying CAPM to test whether ESG factors improve risk- adjusted returns and using behavioral insights to assess how embedded systems may correct cognitive limits. Case studies show that while embedded finance reduces transaction friction, turning convenience into measurable sustainability outcomes is still uncertain. The chapter contributes by connecting finance theory with emerging technologies to evaluate real versus promised effects on sustainable investment. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. -
The Role of Embedded Finance in Business Innovation: Technology Enablers and Industry Applications
This study explores the role of embedded finance (EF) in driving business model innovation and consumer engagement in India's digital economy, focusing on ecommerce and transportation/food delivery. EF, which integrates services like payments, lending, and insurance into non- financial platforms, is analyzed for its impact on revenue, satisfaction, and inclusion. Using case studies of Flipkart, Amazon, Ola, and Swiggy, and a survey of 250 respondents, the research shows how EF boosts convenience, conversion, and access for underserved users. However, data reveals EF alone doesn't ensure satisfaction without seamless UX and personalization. The study highlights the role of APIs and AI in delivering EF benefits while noting regulatory and privacy concerns. Findings show EF's potential to reshape business and consumer behavior in India. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. -
Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Education: Insights From a Teacher Training Workshop
This chapter explores the impact of an in-person AI training workshop on Chilean in-service teachers across a network of four schools. Through a mixed-methods approach-including pre-and post-surveys with qualitative and quantitative data-the study examines shifts in teacher attitudes, knowledge, and intentions to use AI in educational practice. Results show increased confidence, pedagogical alignment, and ethical awareness, particularly regarding inclusion and differentiated instruction. The chapter also highlights the importance of contextualized training, gender representation, and long-term support to ensure equitable and meaningful AI integration in Latin American classrooms. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.