Palimpsest releases its first issue on the theme ‘Liberation’, as a concept of free interventions on different disciplines. Liberation according to Albert Einstein is “the true value of a human being that can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self”. Each and every activities of a human being will have an expectation of making the event free and indigenous. To fulfill this requirement he or she strives to become more independent. Hence liberation is a common need to all the stakeholders who has to place something of their own in the field where they belong to. So we have chosen this theme to express liberated thoughts and concepts in various disciplines like social, cultural, psychological, economic, technological, and educational dimensions. This wide-ranging perspective encourages multidisciplinary submissions that align with the core theme, while also welcoming explorations beyond these areas. This issue aims to foster dynamic and diverse scholarship across disciplines, inviting contributions from fields such as Literature, Media Studies, Commerce, Social Work, Sociology, Education, Philosophy, Science and Technology, and the Arts.

Here are eleven submissions, which have tried to analyze the tensions of existing field and and realize obstacles of acquiring ultimate liberation in the concerned areas. The influence of social media marketing, participatory development, emotional security and emotional catharsis etc., are some of the key points of this issue.

The publication of a research journal is a testament to the most active and debated of  academic activities. There is no doubt that original thoughts and interventions in the academic field can help shape the perspectives of a general public. Therefore, I believe that this journal will be useful for researchers as well as teachers and those involved in academic activities.

This conceptual analysis explores the dynamic relationship between emotional security in the family and emotional catharsis, two constructs central to understanding psychological well-being in relational contexts. Drawing on attachment theory, family systems perspectives, and clinical traditions, the aim of this paper is to examine how security and catharsis function both as distinct processes and as interdependant forces within familes.  Emotional security, rooted in stable caregiving bonds, provides a foundation for regulation, resilience, and trust, while emotional catharsis emphasizes the release of pent-up emotions, facilitating authenticity, transformation, and relational repair.

The analysis highlights key points of divergence—security as containment versus catharsis as release—and convergence, where both processes serve adaptive roles in emotional development. The paper applies these insights to parenting practices, family therapy, educational settings, and cross-cultural contexts, showing that effective emotional environments integrate security and catharsis rather than privileging one over the other. Overemphasis on security risks emotional suppression and rigidity, whereas unchecked catharsis may foster chaos and instability. The healthiest families balance the stabilizing power of security with the liberating potential of catharsis, cultivating environments where vulnerability is both safe and meaningful.

Future research directions are proposed, including longitudinal studies, neuroscientific exploration, cultural comparisons, and intervention models that explicitly integrate both constructs. The paper concludes that emotional well-being in families is best achieved not through the dominance of either security or catharsis, but through their integration, enabling families to provide both safety and authenticity, stability and vitality, love and truth.

Liberation leadership as the intentional cultivation of freedom, participation, and empowerment in the workplace has become a dominant approach in contemporary management literature. In the fast-changing organizational contexts of medium-sized enterprises, such liberator leadership practices are being recognized as having the power to impact the experiences and outcomes of employees. This study investigates the impact of liberation leadership on worker satisfaction and performance, targeted at organizations in North Kerala. As business organizations deal with changing employee needs and competitive pressures, liberation-based leadership can be utilized as a strategic tool to construct employee participation and productivity. Through an empirical investigation of the relationship between liberation leadership and the major employee outcomes, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge that speaks to liberation as not only a theoretical, but also an operational and quantifiable element of successful management. The findings are intended to inform leadership development programs, organizational policymaking, and the general conception of empowerment in regional and cultural contexts.

The paper focuses on songs used in the art form PaliyaNrittam by the Paliya community. Paliya is a tribe residing in udumbanchola and Peerumedutaluks of Idukki district, Kerala. Mainly the PaliyaNritham is performed during the festival of ElathPalichiamma, the clan deity of the Paliya, which is performed in the Tamil month of Chitra. There are mainly five songs that we can see in PaliyaNrittam. Prayer Song, Worship Song, Clown Song, Mullaperiyar Song, NelluKuthu Song. Major theme of the songs used in PaliyaNrittam is the daily life events, agriculture and clan deities. In this study the researcher examines the following areas: (i) Narratives and rituals in PaliyaNrittam (ii) Role of arts in various spheres of Paliya’s life. (ii) The current state of tribal songs of Paliya community. All the information for this study collected through extensive field work. The songs used in PaliyaNrittam is a representation of their culture and traditions. There are very few people who know the songs and art forms of the Paliya people today. The changes in the culture and lifestyle of the Paliya people are also reflected in their art.

The digital consumer has become a powerful and changing force in today’s interconnected world, changing how businesses design, talk about, and deliver their products. The rise of social media sites has changed not only how brands market themselves but also how they interact with customers. This paper, titled “Liberating the Digital Consumer: A Study on Perception and Influence in Social Media Marketing,” explores the changing ways that consumers think about things because of social media and how these thoughts affect their decisions, loyalty, and support for brands. The research utilizes both primary and secondary data to investigate the multifaceted dimensions of consumer empowerment in the digital age.

This research employs a survey-based research design to elucidate the principal factors influencing consumer perception, authenticity of content, influencer credibility, brand transparency, and congruence with social and cultural values. Social media sites are places where people can talk each other, and trust and relatability are more important than traditional persuasive techniques. The study is descriptive in nature. The total population is restricted to the Kozhikode district of Kerala.

This paper contends that the “liberation” of the digital consumer presents both a challenge and an opportunity for makers. This study enhances the comprehension of social media marketing as not only a promotional instrument but also a platform for co-creating value with empowered consumers, facilitating a more democratic and participatory digital economy.

This article examines Dani’s psychological and existential journey in Midsommar as a search for meaning in the aftermath of catastrophic loss. Grounded in existential philosophy and psychological analysis, the study explores how fundamental human questions—identity, purpose, and belonging—emerge with particular intensity during trauma. Dani’s initial sources of meaning, namely family and romantic companionship, collapse following the murder-suicide of her parents and sister and the emotional indifference of her partner Christian. This rupture produces a state comparable to the existential vacuum, marked by anxiety, isolation, and dependence. The article then analyses Dani’s gradual incorporation into the Harga commune as a structured process of symbolic initiation comprising invitation, welcome, traumatic testing, communal training, ritual anointing, emotional assurance, and final union. Through synchronized mourning, ecstatic dance, fertility rites, mythic symbolism, and psychedelic experience, the community transforms private grief into collective expression, thereby offering Dani a framework of belonging that modern secular life had denied her. Particular attention is given to the film’s portrayal of mass empathy, ritualized violence, and the dissolution of individual identity within communal consciousness. While Dani’s coronation as May Queen and her concluding smile suggest existential, psychological, and quasi-religious liberation, the study argues that this resolution remains ethically ambiguous, as it requires submission to a morally troubling order sustained by sacrifice. The article concludes that the film presents both a critique of contemporary emotional alienation and a cautionary meditation on the human vulnerability to totalizing communities that promise unconditional meaning.

Post-cyberpunk emerged in the 1990s as a response to traditional cyberpunk, treating technology as socially integrated rather than purely dystopian. This study analyses technological liberation and ethics in Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon (2002), examining how the cortical stack system enables consciousness transfer between bodies through ‘sleeving’, promising to free humanity from mortality’s constraints. However, Morgan's narrative reveals the paradoxical nature of this liberation; while cortical stacks promise freedom from death and bodily limitations, they simultaneously intensify class stratification, biopolitical control, and commodification of human bodies. By employing posthumanist theory (Braidotti), transhumanist philosophy (Bostrom), and cybernetic systems theory (Hayles), this study demonstrates that technologies promising liberation simultaneously function as mechanisms of control and commodification. Morgan's post-cyberpunk vision moves beyond the genre’s dystopian framework to interrogate whether technological enhancement truly liberates or merely reconfigures domination. By examining  cortical stacks, neural enhancement, and AI agency, this study shows how Altered Carbon questions the meaning of liberation in futures where survival depends on technological access, revealing that promised freedom intensifies existing inequalities rather than eliminating oppression.

In socially, culturally, and educationally advanced societies, child safety remains a paramount ethical priority. Despite development, children remain vulnerable to diverse forms of abuse, negligence, and marginalization. Grounded in the fundamental rights of the child, the government has established specialized agencies and legislative frameworks to ensure welfare and protection. These measures serve as critical tools for child liberation from abusive environments.  Society cannot exist or progress without healthy future generations, and children represent the most valuable foundation of any society. This article examines the specific interventions of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) in Kozhikode regarding child rescue and rehabilitation. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive research design. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five officials working in the District Child Protection Unit, including the District Child Protection Officer, social workers, Child Helpline staff, and the ORC psychologist. Secondary data were obtained through a review of academic literature, government reports, and policy documents related to child protection. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify major patterns related to causes of child vulnerability, institutional responses, and community challenges. The findings reveal that lack of public awareness regarding child rights, dysfunctional family environments, and substance abuse within families are major factors contributing to child vulnerability.  The study also highlights, the crucial role of DCPU in community education, rescue operations, rehabilitation processes, and psychological intervention. This research contributes to the broader discourse on institutional child protection and proactive community engagement.

This study examines how happiness and self-esteem are related in young adults. It highlights the importance of promoting positive self-esteem and happiness for overall well-being. The  scales used in this study where The Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale was developed by Dr. Morris Rosenberg (1965) as a 10 item self-report measure and Oxford Happiness Inventory Questionnaire developed by Michael Argyle and Hills (2002) as a 29- item scale. The study consists of 175 young adults of age 18- 25 both male (85) and female (90) from Calicut district of Kerala state. The participants belong to both urban and rural areas. A t-test and correlation analysis was conducted, revealing a significant positive correlation between happiness and self-esteem, suggesting that higher levels of happiness are associated with higher self-esteem. Notably, no significant differences were found in happiness and self-esteem levels across gender or locality. The findings underscore the importance of fostering positive self-esteem and happiness for overall well-being, highlighting the role of factors like social support, personal achievement, and coping mechanisms in promoting mental health. This study provides insights for developing interventions focused on building resilience, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence among young adults.

Participatory development and bottom-up social change are widely celebrated as transformative alternatives to centralised and technocratic development paradigms. However, claims of empowerment, transparency, and community liberation often remain insufficiently interrogated and unevenly grounded in contemporary scholarship. This article explicitly repositions itself as a conceptual and theoretical review that synthesises classical participation theory with contemporary debates on decentralisation and empowerment, while critically engaging with documented evidence from India—particularly Kerala. Through analysis of the People’s Plan Campaign, Kudumbashree Mission, and tribal development initiatives, the paper examines both emancipatory potentials and structural constraints within participatory governance. Rather than treating participation as inherently liberatory, the review highlights persistent power asymmetries, elite capture, bureaucratic mediation, gendered hierarchies, and political-economic limitations. The analysis argues that community liberation depends not merely on participatory mechanisms but on institutional depth, redistributive commitment, and sustained civic mobilisation. By situating Kerala’s experiences within broader theoretical debates, the article contributes a critical and contemporary perspective to postgraduate-level social work and development discourse.

This research article examines the portrayal of women in patriarchal society in contemporary Malayalam cinema. Malayalam cinema has been stained by the weird Indian tradition of women being beneath men. Strong women characters are only visible in female-centered films.

Two films such as Jaya JayaJayaJaya Hey and The Great Indian Kitchen are under study. The methodology involves a qualitative approach using content analysis and analyses of the portrayal of women in patriarchal society in contemporary Malayalam movies.  Through this, the influence of feminism and the responsibility of personals behind cinema in reshaping the picture of women is also studied. This study integrates Laura Mulvey’s feminist film theory to analyze how the Malayalam industry has changed the portrayal of women in contemporary cinemas over time. These films have a remarkable role in portraying women as more than just a damsel in distress. Strong female characters and the environment which led to their evolution is clearly depicted.

One of the most significant features of Coetzee’s writing is the use of concise sentences that build a narrative in a deliberate manner. He delves into profound meaning with a measured approach. His style is difficult to define. This ambiguity has led some critics to suggest that his novels lack enthusiasm and excitement, despite the contrary being true.