Multinational Research Society Publisher

MRS Journal of Arts, Humanities and Literature

Issue-2 (February), Volume-3 2026

1. PROVERBS AND SAYINGS AS AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SOURCE OF FOLK WISDOM IN PRIM...
2

Dr. Teodora Valeva*
Burgas State University ―Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov‖, Republic of Bulgaria
1-4
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18530187

The present study examines proverbs and sayings as culturally and pedagogically significant elements within primary level literature education, focusing on their capacity to transmit folk wisdom and moral orientations in literary form. Rather than approaching these short folkloric genres solely through their historical origin or formal characteristics, the article emphasises their role as carriers of value-laden meanings that remain relevant in contemporary educational contexts. Proverbs and sayings are viewed as expressive linguistic structures through which collective experience, ethical norms, and social attitudes are preserved and communicated across generations. The analysis highlights the distinctive features that differentiate proverbs and sayings while also revealing their shared educational function as instruments for moral reflection and value formation. Attention is given to their thematic diversity, figurative language, and syntactic construction, which contribute to their effectiveness in literary instruction at primary school level. Within this framework, proverbs and sayings are interpreted not only as elements of folklore heritage but as pedagogical resources capable of stimulating interpretation, dialogue, and personal evaluation. From a modern pedagogical perspective, their educational potential is realised when pupils are encouraged to engage actively with the moral situations implied in these texts. As contemporary research suggests, moral meanings embedded in short folkloric forms are most effectively internalised through guided interpretation and reflective discussion rather than through direct moral instruction. In this sense, proverbs and sayings function as situational moral models that support the gradual construction of ethical judgments based on experience, comparison, and contextual understanding

2. SYSTEMIC LEADERSHIP FAILURES, POLICE PROCUREMENT CORRUPTION, AND ACCOU...
1

Dr. John Motsamai Modise*
Tshwane University of Technology
5-24
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18629143

The purpose of this study is to critically examine the impact of systemic leadership failures, corruption in police procurement, and accountability deficits on the effectiveness, legitimacy, and public trust of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The research aims to provide evidence-based, practical recommendations for reforming SAPS leadership and governance, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering safer communities in South Africa. South Africa continues to face high levels of violent crime, with persistent challenges in policing effectiveness largely attributable to weak ethical leadership, allegations of corruption in procurement, and unresolved accountability issues at senior levels of SAPS (Bruce, 2013; Faull, 2017). Leadership misconduct, exemplified by high-profile cases such as the conviction of National Commissioner Jackie Selebi and maladministration by Bheki Cele, undermines organisational integrity, erodes community trust, and compromises operational capacity. Despite existing oversight mechanisms, SAPS remains vulnerable to systemic governance failures, creating a pressing need for comprehensive reform. This study adopts a systematic, qualitative research approach combining. Document and Policy Analysis: Review of SAPS reports, AuditorGeneral findings, Public Protector investigations, and National Development Plan 2030 documents. Literature Synthesis: Integration of seven South African and seven international scholarly sources to contextualise leadership, accountability, and policing legitimacy issues. Case Study Analysis: Examination of practical SAPS incidents, including procurement irregularities, leadership scandals, and community-police engagement outcomes. Systematic Thematic Analysis: Organising findings around key themes ethical leadership, accountability, legitimacy, operational efficiency, and multi-stakeholder engagement ensuring a structured understanding of causes and consequences. This approach allows for a comprehensive, contextually grounded analysis linking theory, empirical evidence, and practical SAPS realities. Ethical Leadership Deficits: Leadership failures at the executive level undermine organisational culture, discipline, and public trust (Bruce, 2013; Brown, Treviño & Harrison, 2005). Procurement Corruption and Resource Mismanagement: Irregular procurement processes hinder frontline policing and operational efficiency (Auditor-General South Africa, 2022; Public Protector, 2019). Weak Accountability Mechanisms: Oversight bodies exist but are limited in enforcing consequences for senior leadership misconduct, contributing to impunity (Faull, 2018; Burger & Newham, 2010). Erosion of Police Legitimacy: Community mistrust in high-crime areas, such as Khayelitsha and Alexandra, reduces crime reporting and cooperation (Tyler, 2006; Newham & Faull, 2011). Multi-Stakeholder Engagement is Essential: Effective reform requires coordinated action across SAPS, political leadership, communities, youth, faith-based organisations, private sector, and civil society. The study concludes that effective policing in South Africa depends on systemic reform at multiple levels, with ethical leadership at the top, accountable governance structures, transparent procurement, and active community engagement forming the cornerstone of sustainable improvement. Implementing integrated reforms across stakeholders can restore public trust, enhance operational capacity, reduce violent crime, and strengthen institutional legitimacy. This research contributes to both academic scholarship and practical policy-making, providing a roadmap for SAPS reform aligned with National Development Plan 2030 objectives and international best practices under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

3. THE ROLE OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP IN BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN THE SOUTH AFR...
4

Dr. John Motsamai Modise*
Tshwane University of Technology
25-34
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18629237

This study explores the critical role of ethical leadership within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its influence on building and sustaining trust between the police and the diverse communities they serve. It aims to identify leadership practices that enhance legitimacy and public confidence while addressing the challenges impeding ethical conduct. Despite policy frameworks emphasizing accountability and ethical policing, SAPS continues to face significant public trust deficits, driven largely by perceived leadership failures, corruption, and misconduct. This eroded trust undermines effective policing and community cooperation, posing risks to social stability and democratic governance. The research reveals that ethical leadership characterized by transparency, accountability, integrity, and community engagements central to restoring trust. However, gaps exist between ethical standards and actual leadership behavior within SAPS. Furthermore, inadequate training, weak disciplinary mechanisms, and limited community involvement hinder ethical leadership’s effectiveness. This study contributes to the discourse on police reform by highlighting ethical leadership as a foundational pillar for improving police-community relations in South Africa. It integrates perspectives from recent literature and empirical insights to offer practical recommendations for leadership development, policy enhancement, and multistakeholder collaboration. Restoring trust in SAPS requires a deliberate and sustained commitment to ethical leadership at all organizational levels. By embedding ethical principles into recruitment, training, accountability systems, and community partnerships, SAPS can transform its image and effectiveness. This study underscores that ethical leadership is indispensable for democratic policing, justice, and societal safety in South Africa.

4. Fractured Modernity and Moral Ambiguity in the Fiction of Aravind Adig...
4

Priyanka Yadav* , Dr. Aiman Re...
Research Scholar Dept. of English, J. P. University, Chapra
35-37
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18642347

The fiction of Aravind Adiga offers a penetrating critique of contemporary Indian society shaped by globalization, capitalism, and rapid urban transformation. Rather than celebrating modernity as progress, Adiga exposes it as fractured, uneven, and ethically destabilizing. This research article examines how Adiga represents modernity as a site of contradiction and moral uncertainty, focusing on the lived experiences of individuals positioned at the margins of India’s economic growth. Through a close analysis of The White Tiger, Last Man in Tower, and Selection Day, the study argues that Adiga constructs modernity as a system that erodes traditional moral frameworks without offering viable ethical alternatives. His protagonists operate within exploitative structures that compel them to adopt morally ambiguous strategies for survival and success. By situating Adiga’s fiction within postcolonial debates on modernity, ethics, and development, this article demonstrates how his narratives challenge dominant discourses of progress and reveal the human cost of India’s transformation into a globalized nation. Ultimately, Adiga’s fiction portrays modern India as a space of fractured realities where moral ambiguity becomes an inevitable consequence of social and economic inequality.

5. Reinterpreting the Functions of Nērcca in the Present Scenario with Sp...
9

Irshad Thottumarathil*
Research Scholar, School of Folklore Studies, University of Calicut
38-42
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18740950

Folk festivals continue to function as vital cultural institutions that sustain collective memory, social cohesion, and symbolic authority in contemporary societies. In the Malabar region of Kerala, Nērcca represents one of the most enduring shrine-centred folk traditions, integrating devotion, ritual performance, economy, and social interaction. This paper examines the contemporary relevance of Nērcca through an in-depth ethnographic analysis of Kondotty Nērcca. Drawing upon fieldwork, oral narratives, and ritual practices documented in the author’s doctoral research, the study argues that Nērcca must be understood not merely as a religious observance but as a dynamic social institution. By reinterpreting its multiple functions in the present social order, the paper demonstrates how folk festivals continue to negotiate identity, authority, cultural continuity, and social integration amid rapid socio-economic transformations.

6. Bipolarity and Beyond: The Evolution of World Politics in the Cold War...
5

Prem Anand*
MA, UGC NET (Political Science) Sahebganj Sonarpatti Chowk, Chapra, Saran, Bihar, 841301
43-46
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18797354

The Cold War era, spanning from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, marked a defining epoch in international relations. The bipolar structure of global politics, constituted by the ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, reshaped diplomatic, economic, military, and cultural landscapes across continents. This research paper explores the evolution of world politics under the influence of bipolarity, tracing how superpower competition permeated regional conflicts, shaped global institutions, and ultimately engendered transitions toward unipolarity and multipolar visions in the post–Cold War phase. By examining key events and ideological frameworks, the paper underscores how bipolarity influenced both international cooperation and confrontation, and how its eventual dissolution reconfigured global power dynamics. The analysis situates the Cold War not merely as a binary confrontation but as a transformative period that laid the foundation for contemporary global politics, highlighting the enduring legacies of its structural patterns and policy paradigms.

7. Elemental Nature and Eco-Spirituality in the Poetry of Pablo Neruda
0

Mrs. Dipti Yuvraj Shiledar*, D...
Research Scholar, Research Centre: KRT Arts, BH Commerce and AM Science (K.T.H.M.) College, Nashik, Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
47-50
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19909046

This research paper explores the representation of elemental nature and eco-spirituality in the poetry of Pablo Neruda, one of the most influential poetic voices of twentieth-century world literature. Neruda’s poetry consistently foregrounds the intimate relationship between humanity and the natural world, presenting earth, water, fire, air, plants, stones, and oceans not merely as aesthetic images but as living presences imbued with spiritual and ethical significance. Through an eco-critical framework, this study examines how Neruda’s poetic imagination transforms material nature into a source of cosmic unity, ecological consciousness, and collective human identity. Drawing upon selected works including Residence on Earth, Canto General, and Elemental Odes, the paper analyzes Neruda’s evolving ecological vision—from surreal alienation to planetary solidarity and environmental reverence. The study argues that Neruda’s poetry articulates an eco-spiritual worldview grounded in interconnectedness, humility toward natural forces, and recognition of humanity’s dependence upon elemental processes. His poetic engagement with landscapes of Latin America, especially Chile’s mountains, forests, deserts, and oceans, reveals nature as historical witness and spiritual teacher. By elevating ordinary natural objects into sacred experiences, Neruda anticipates contemporary environmental ethics and ecological philosophy. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that Neruda’s poetry constructs a form of eco-spiritual humanism where nature becomes a medium for social justice, cultural memory, and universal belonging.





Submit Manuscript