Transformative Action Research Articles

Critical Pedagogy in Addressing Social Inequality and Promoting Social Justice in Education

How can critical pedagogy contribute in addressing social inequality and promoting social justice in education? In what ways McLaren, Giroux and Apple conceptualize the role of teacher and student, and the issue of power and domination in education? How do critical consciousness, critical thinking and critical action address in education along with implications for teaching and learning practices? These questions are the main concerns to be discussed through this paper. Critical pedagogy is the philosophy of education that develops the learners to critique regarding the structures of power and oppression and it also shows the social movement that combines education with critical theory. Similarly, it is a theory of education that focuses on the relationship between power, knowledge and social justice. This review paper attempts to explore the contribution of critical pedagogy in addressing social inequality and promoting social justice in education. It is qualitative in nature. It adopts the analysis of documents from books and journal articles related to the critical pedagogy. This review paper concludes that critical pedagogy as a revolutionary approach to education to combat various diverse types of oppression. Through critical analysis and questioning of social inequalities, the development of a sense of agency, and participation in transformational action for a more just and equitable society are all goals of critical pedagogy.

Dynamics of Organisational Change: Resistance, Readiness, and the Road Ahead

In today's rapidly changing and competitive business landscape, organizations are constantly forced to innovate to maintain success within their industries (Bagrationi, 2022). Resistance to change is often seen as a conscious and active choice of employees against proposed changes based on various prerequisites and motives (Oreg & Vakola and Armenakis, 2011). The purpose of this research is to explore approaches to resistance to change and readiness for change in terms of their differences. The following research questions were raised during the study: 1) What areas of research exist in the scientific discourse regarding attitudes towards change? and 2) What distinguishes understanding resistance from understanding non-readiness for change in these studies? To answer these questions, a bibliometric analysis was conducted of all English-language articles published in the journals of the first quartile (Q1) in the period from 1948 to 2022 in the category «Management, Business and Accounting», with an emphasis on attitudes to organizational change. The co-citation analysis was incorporated to narrow the sample from 21,162 articles to the most significant 258 articles. With the help of thematic analysis four main areas of research related to resistance to change and readiness for change were identified: 1) the «individual psychological» stream, 2) the «group» stream, 3) the «institutional and strategic» stream and 4) the «agency» stream. Our findings indicate that the bases for resistance to change and readiness for change are fundamentally distinct. This research underscores the variance in strategies for addressing resistance to change versus a lack of readiness for change. Tackling resistance to change is a reactive process that necessitates dynamic engagement by leadership, involving transformational actions, support for staff, and conflict resolution. This stands in contrast to the proactive fostering of change readiness, which primarily involves educating and informing employees.

Transition in action: toward a social theory of the governance of transitions.

This article explores how a re-interpretation of the socio-technical, socio-ecological and transition design approaches to transition from the point of view of Niklas Luhmann's general systems theory of society. The need to understand and promote changes that include a technological and ecological dimension has led to different approaches, such as socio-technical or socio-environmental approaches, to incorporate links with society. While these approaches often include sociological insights, they rarely offer a general understanding of how these are embedded into society. We need a new environmental sociology that helps catalyze change processes with a collectively reorganized society, empowering more radically transformative actions to change the current structures and processes that have led us to where we are today. The article offers a cross-sectional look at the socio-ecological and socio-technical systems literature, specifically for what concerns their understanding of the 'systems' in transition and how they can be governed, and re-interpret it from the theoretical lens of the deep sociological knowledge, which refers to the profound understanding of social systems and their dynamics, embedded in Luhmann's theory of social systems. From here, we suggest the second-order coupling for a sociologically grounded understanding of the interactions that comprise socio-ecological and socio-technical systems, heterogeneous and almost self-organizing assemblies of social, technical, and natural elements and processes. At the same time, third-order couplings are analyzed, focused on governance, relationships between operations, and structures mediated by a deliberate attempt to ensure coherence and coordination against the autonomy and heterogeneity of socio-techno-ecological systems. Therefore, this manuscript offers a deeper conceptual and methodological understanding of socio-techno-ecological couplings and systems in the context of sustainability transformation and gives insights into its governance.

Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace

Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace

Charting a new course for nurse education: Adapting to the evolving demands of healthcare

How we educate nurses in modern America is at a crucial juncture as healthcare evolves, demographics shift and technological advancements reshape the landscape. In this paper, we advocate for a fundamental shift in how nurse candidates are enrolled and trained, emphasising collaboration among educators, employers and policymakers. Addressing systemic challenges in nurse education, we examine the impact of ageing demographics, increasing diversity and the rise of nontraditional learners. Proposing alternative pathways for enrolment and leveraging technology for personalised learning experiences, we argue for inclusivity, diversity and adaptability in nurse education. Through effective collaboration between stakeholders, we envision a future where nurse education meets the demands of a changing healthcare industry. Our goal is to inspire transformative action, foster innovation and promote equitable access to quality education for all who want to become a nurse. This paper aims to spark discussions and guide stakeholders towards developing a resilient, adaptable and community-connected nursing workforce.

Accumulation by contamination: Worldwide cost-shifting strategies of capital in waste management

With this article, we propose an analytical and conceptual tool to illuminate connections between capital development and environmental injustices. The research examines how capital-driven industrial policies foster changes in social metabolisms and cause new socio-environmental impacts, leading to ecological distribution conflicts. It also explores why diverse actors mobilise and resist these changes. Building on Kapp’s ecological economics theory of social costs and David Harvey’s concept of accumulation by dispossession, we highlight the role of capital accumulation in environmental injustices through cost-shifting strategies, terming it “Accumulation by Contamination” (AbC). In this context, AbC refers to the process wherein capital socialises the costs of contamination, degrading the means of existence and bodies of human beings who oppose these processes of capital valorisation and engage in environmental conflicts. We make a compelling case for AbC by exploring waste-related conflicts at various industrial developmental stages. Waste, viewed as a ’common bad,’ emerges as a strategic realm for capitalists seeking to expand the scale and scope of accumulation. The intricacies of waste management, its market potential, and guaranteed profitability through subsidies and processes of financialisation attract significant investments globally. Quantitative and qualitative waste management assessments demonstrate that waste policies often favour businesses, leading to cost-shifting of waste management to society (in Naples, Italy; and Delhi, in India) and the dispossession of waste-pickers (in Delhi). More broadly, we emphasise the importance of integrating ecological economics and Marxist critical geography to address environmental challenges. We also analytically study the diverse actors responding to various capital strategies, fostering transformative political actions for a sustainable future. Climate change is arguably the most significant waste disposal conflict due to excessive carbon dioxide production, representing a quintessential example of Accumulation by Contamination (AbC).

How to measure agroecology? A rapid appraisal approach based on focus group discussions

ABSTRACT This study presents an approach to assess agroecology at village level through focus group discussions with village committees and district extension agents. This approach is intended as an alternative to resources-intensive assessment methods, covering larger areas and providing rapid yet empirical evidences for policy and practice. It is based on the translation of the 13 agroecology principles of the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) into 21 contextualized indicators and questions that are relevant for the research area. They are grouped into four entry points for transformative action: land use and governance, farm management, social interactions, and socio-economic situation. This approach was tested in 16 villages and three districts in Xiengkhouang Province in Laos. The results show that villages are at an intermediate agroecological level. Comparable results and conclusions were achieved, regarding potential entry points for transformative action in specific villages, encouraging the reliability of the approach. It also showed to be promising in terms of the capacity to characterize the status of the 13 principles of agroecology, and to capture their changes in time. This approach may be further combined with other assessment methods to complement the aspects that require finer understanding or assessment over large territories.

Unsustainable production patterns and disease emergence: The paradigmatic case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1

Current food production systems are causing severe environmental damage, including the emergence of dangerous pathogens that put humans and wildlife at risk. Several dangerous pathogens (e.g., the 2009 A(H1N1) Influenza Virus, Nipah virus) have emerged associated with the dominant intensive food production systems. In this article, we use the case of the emergence and spillover of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus H5N1 (hereafter, H5N1) to illustrate how intensive food production methods provide a breeding ground for dangerous pathogens. We also discuss how emerging pathogens, such as H5N1, may affect not only ecosystem health but also human well-being and the economy. The current H5N1 panzootic (2020–2024) is producing a catastrophic impact: the millions of domestic birds affected by this virus have led to significant economic losses globally, and wild birds and mammals have suffered alarming mortalities, with the associated loss of their material and non-material ecosystem services. Transformative actions are required to reduce the emergence and impact of pathogens such as H5N1; we particularly need to reconsider the ways we are producing food. Governments should redirect funds to the promotion of alternative production systems that reduce the risk of new emerging pathogens and produce environmentally healthy food. These systems need to have a positive relationship with nature rather than being systems based on business as usual to the detriment of the environment. Sustainable food production systems may save many lives, economies, and biodiversity, together with the ecosystem services species provide.

Climate storylines as a tool for interdisciplinary dialogue on risk decision-making: Analyzing a severe drought in southeastern South America

Recently, we are witnessing a growing interest in the study of climate narratives and storylines. These are seen as critical tools both for improving shared understandings involving different stakeholders (including scientists from different disciplines) and guiding initiatives for transformative adaptation actions and decision making. This paper approaches the storylines about a severe drought event that took place in southeastern South America (SESA) in 2008/2009 from an interdisciplinary dialogue between climatologists and anthropologists. This approach responds to the need for a more robust understanding of the event and the responses adopted locally, i.e: not restricted to physical aspects but considering socio-economic and political aspects, with the aim of contributing to the development of socially relevant climatic information for realistic climate risk decision making contexts. In particular it intends to contribute to the decision-making processes of government agencies focused on climate communication and public climate services, such as national and weather services and regional agencies. Considering disciplinary differences, we account for the interpretative polyphony regarding this event, i.e.: what each actor/sector is talking about (for what and to whom they are talking about) when referring to "the drought", and analyze climate storylines as an agonistic field of meanings. This implies recognizing the disputes and contradictions among them, how different storylines promote certain lines of argumentation and meanings to the detriment of others, knowledge gaps, the role of social power relations, socio-political order factors and their impact in terms of the necessary transformations towards an environmentally sustainable and socially just horizon.

Reflexive monitoring for sustainable transformations: A game-based workshop methodology for participatory learning

In this study, we combined reflexive monitoring—a critical assessment, evaluation, and practice-adjustment process—with participatory learning through educational games to advance transformative sustainable tourism methodologies. The methodology was tested in a workshop with tourism practitioners in Norway. Using a constructivist lens, we analysed the narratives participants shared via game artefacts, observations, and debriefings. The tourism practitioners demonstrated some signs of enhanced reflexivity, trust, innovation, inclusivity, and equity, which contributed to their collective agency for sustainability. Integrating reflexive monitoring can empower practitioners to critically assess their practices, envision alternatives, navigate sustainability complexities, and drive transformative actions. Although further testing is required, the methodology holds promise for promoting sustainable tourism practices and enhancing practitioners' skills.

From Participatory Research to the Co-construction of Actions – Reflections on how to Reinforce Action Research for Social Inclusion

An important part of the action research literature focuses on the participatory dimension of the research process and is much less explicit on the connection of research and action or on how researchers contribute to tangible transformations, in particular outside organizational or education settings. Drawing from seven years of experience as an action researcher within an anti-poverty organization dedicated to improving living conditions in a low-income neighborhood in Montreal (Canada), this article seeks to enhance our comprehension of how action researchers can more effectively contribute to transformational action. Our study identifies four primary functions of research within the examined model and underscores three core characteristics to strengthen the integration of knowledge production and action. These characteristics encompass expanding the role of researchers to actively participate in both the co-development and implementation of action; engaging in long-term commitments and partnerships in a given setting, preferably being even a researcher based in the setting; and fostering collaborations with universities. By elucidating these key elements, this article intends to offer insights into improving the impact of action research, ultimately advancing our ability to contribute to transformative change for more inclusive and sustainable societies.

Communities in ecosystem restoration: The role of inclusive values and local elites' narrative innovations

Abstract Ecosystem restoration practices are gaining prominence in coping with the crisis of ecosystem degradation. To improve the long‐term effectiveness of restoration activities, community engagement in restoration projects needs to be strengthened. In communities where traditional and local values drive adaptation to environmental changes, a community‐engaged restoration approach requires the integration of restoration techniques and local value systems. In two pastoral communities on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, we used the Q method to explore pastoralists' attitudes towards grassland degradation and restoration and to understand different levels of community engagement in grassland restoration activities. Through this study, we aim to promote an understanding of the value‐based approach of local communities to enable better community engagement for the long‐term effectiveness of ecosystem restoration projects and contribute to the achievement and synergy of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study revealed eight types of pastoralists with different attitudes in two communities, with the type of Active Agents leverages transformative restoration action through creating value‐inclusive narratives of grassland restoration in the community with a higher level of engagement in restoration practices. Alongside this, we explored the pastoralists' perspectives of biodiversity in restoration and the importance of local elites in facilitating multiple‐actor cooperation in restoration projects. We recommend that decision‐makers recognize the significance of local worldviews and values in facilitating environmental adaptations, as well as the irreplaceable role played by local people in developing value‐inclusive narratives that align with the local cultural context. Open dialogues and sufficient communication between multiple stakeholders are needed to build mutual trust and accumulate social capital for driving transformative actions in traditional communities. Such approaches are essential to foster community engagement and gain better momentum in ecosystem management initiatives. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Challenging agricultural norms and diversifying actors: Building transformative public policy for equitable food systems

Food systems governance regimes have long been spaces of “thick legitimacy” (Montenegro de Wit & Iles, 2016), where embedded norms benefit pro­duc­tivist agricultural practices. Within governance regimes, the science-policy interface and the scien­tists who occupy this space are integral in today’s public policy processes. Often treated as objective science, technical disciplines have become a power­ful source of legitimatizing in decision making. Without the contextualization of lived experience or diverse ways of knowing, these siloed spaces can lead policymakers towards an action bias (e.g., a rush to short-term solutions) that neglects the underlying causes and concerns of our current crises. Current governance arrangements in the science-policy interface demonstrate the bias toward technical science (e.g. economics) and short-term solutions. However, by challenging productivist agriculture norms reformed public policy processes may shift from a space of repres­sion to one of possibility. This reform can happen through investigatiing dominant actor coalitions and identifying tools to reconfigure these power arrangements. Public policy theory, such as the advocacy coalition framework (ACF), helps organ­ize relations within current agricultural policy arenas. The work of practitioners and other disci­plines offer tools that can support transformative action by food systems advocates in the pursuit of changing the way public policy is made. In part, understanding how power is organized and who may influence policy processes is critical to change. This reflective essay ends with tools and strategies for those wishing to engage governments in this shift. The proposed tools and strategies focus on how people (e.g. policy champions), processes (e.g. policy leverage points), and partnerships (e.g. ally­ship) generate ways in which advocates can, and do, engage governments in transformative change.

Feminist Liberation Psychotherapy: Re-Politicizing Intersectionality Toward Socially Just Clinical Practice

Mainstream psychotherapy was not developed to address the harmful effects of systemic oppression. In addition to being largely rooted in Eurocentric values and knowledge systems, mainstream psychotherapy risks maintaining an unjust status quo rather than resisting and challenging sociopolitical oppression. Consequently, there is an urgent need for feminist intersectional models of healing that address sociopolitical power. We describe a liberation psychotherapy model that was developed to reconcile intersectional forms of power and foster conscientização, critical consciousness. This liberation psychotherapy model is theoretically grounded in liberation and critical-community psychologies and empirically derived out of qualitative data that explored expert therapists’ responsible navigation of intersectional power dynamics in feminist-multicultural and humanistic-existential psychotherapies. Liberation psychotherapists aim to empower clients’ exploration of their lived experiences through decolonial testimonio that supports liberatory transformation and social justice action. We illustrate examples of how a feminist liberation psychotherapy can be applied toward anti-racism and anti-oppression in clinical practice.

The slow pace of reform in a time of criticism, crisis, creativity and opportunity: a call for transformative visions and actions

ABSTRACT The recently revised NAEYC position papers and the fourth edition of NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Guidelines (NAEYC. 2022. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs: ServingChildren from Birth Through Age 8, edited by S. Friedman, 4th ed. Washington: National Association for the Education of Young Children) focus on children’s strengths and diversity, and the need for equitable opportunities in early childhood programmes. We applaud these recent shifts. Yet previous ideas of risk, abnormality and inappropriateness are still embedded in the document, with still hidden, and negative, consequences for children, their families and communities, and for the educators and programmes that serve them. Drawing on critiques of developmentalism, the ideas of postdevelopmentalism and the framework of governmentality, we engage in a dialogue between an early career teacher educator and long-time advocate for DAP change and explore the control DAP has over early childhood education programmes. Despite claims that the fourth edition is too ‘woke’, we challenge educators and organisations in the USA (and elsewhere) to move away from the past and current approaches that still focus on children as innocent and in need of protection, as well as normal (and therefore, abnormal) childhood(s) – and to open up towards an education that is more fluid, one that focuses on children’s diverse strengths, unimagined interests and as-yet-unknown possibilities.

THE G7 SUMMIT 2024: A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW

Leaders of the most developed economies in the world gathered for the 50th G7 Summit in Italy in 2024 to discuss important global concerns. With an emphasis on digital transformation, geopolitical stability, economic recovery, and climate action, this study examines the summit's main agenda items and results. While the world was still getting over the COVID-19 epidemic, the G7 was emphasizing the need for coordinated economic policies to boost development and close the gap between developed and poor nations. A major focus was climate action, with pledges to save 30% of land and ocean by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The establishment of the G7 Digital Partnership to improve data privacy and counter cyber threats brought attention to cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. Underscoring the G7's commitment to preserving international law and democratic ideals, the summit also addressed geopolitical challenges, including Russia's actions in Ukraine. Prioritizing social inclusion and lowering economic disparity meant endorsing sustainable development objectives and collaborating with emerging nations. According to the study's findings, the G7's cooperative tactics and proactive participation are critical for tackling global issues and promoting a more safe, fair, and sustainable world.

Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Global Crop Yields and Farming Practices

Climate change is recognized as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with profound implications for global food security. This review article delves into the multifaceted impacts of climate change on crop yields and farming practices on a global scale. By synthesizing recent research findings, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and exploring adaptation strategies, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the complex interplay between climate change and agriculture. The effects of climate change on agriculture are diverse and far reaching. Alterations in weather patterns, including shifts in temperature, precipitation, and frequency of extreme events, pose significant challenges to agricultural productivity and food security. These changes disrupt traditional farming practices, exacerbate water stress, soil erosion, and crop loss, and threaten the livelihoods of millions of farmers worldwide. Additionally, changes in pest and disease dynamics have further compounded the challenges faced by agricultural systems under pressure from climate variability. These challenges, there are opportunities for innovation and adaptation in the agricultural systems. This review highlights the potential of climate-smart agricultural practices such as crop diversification, conservation agriculture, and precision farming to enhance resilience and mitigate the impacts of climate change on crop yields. investments in climate-resilient crop varieties, improved water management techniques, and sustainable land management practices offer pathways for building adaptive capacities and ensuring food security in a changing climate. addressing the complex challenges of climate change adaptation in agriculture requires concerted action at multiple levels. This review emphasizes the importance of coordinated efforts among policymakers, researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders in developing and implementing effective adaptation strategies. Such strategies should be context-specific, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable, considering the diverse needs and priorities of different regions and communities. This review underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to build resilient and sustainable food systems in the face of a changing climate. By synthesizing the latest research findings, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and exploring adaptation strategies, this review aims to inform policymakers, researchers, and practitioners about the imperative of addressing climate change’s impacts on agriculture. Only through collaborative and transformative action can we ensure food security for the present and future generations in a rapidly changing world.

Freirean Perspectives on Environmental Education amidst the Climate Emergency

Abstract: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that climate-related risks will intensify, necessitating urgent climate actions. Despite the global risk and urgency, responses to the climate emergency, even when acknowledged, often end up reinforcing social discrimination, affirming that the concept of risk is associated with social inequality. It is argued that environmental education can confront these challenges, counter climate denialism, promote awareness, and empower communities to actively engage in sustainable practices through the Freirean approach. This paper presents a theoretical framework for Freirean Environmental Education in the Climate Emergency. Paulo Freire's dialogical-problematizing approach is linked to the concept of vulnerability, ensuring that Freirean environmental education leads to transformative actions. The entire conceptual and methodological structure is described through a flowchart. Vulnerability to the climate emergency and actions to address it should be developed at the local level, allowing limit-situations and the participatory or exclusionary process can be codified for educational purposes. A Canadian and a Brazilian case study are briefly discussed in light of this educational proposal. Key Words: Paulo Freire. Climate justice. Vulnerability. Canada. Brazil.

Recognising, Naming, and Resisting Racialisation and Ethnicisation in Swedish Compulsory Schools

Swedish schools and teachers are responsible for implementing measures that promote social justice. Based on qualitative data from observations, interviews, and student reflections and perspectives on intersectionality, the study critically analyses how students and school staff partake in ethnicised and racialised oppression of Swedish compulsory school students. The interplay between different bodies in school contexts and children’s responsive capacities to resisting oppression is of particular interest. The findings indicate that the oppression and control of body space based on ethnicity and race are often intertwined with various power structures, such as social and economic background, age, religion, and masculinity. Moreover, the majority’s silence plays a crucial role in perpetuating oppression. However, students who experience oppression have the ability to resist the coercive power of their peers and adults. The article proposes that students and school staff should enhance their ability to recognise and identify oppressive power dynamics within their local contexts. By developing these competencies, individuals can reflect on their role in perpetuating oppression, performatively open new possibilities, and learn how to take transformative action and enhance social justice

The Bolivian pluriverse: the Comuna Group, emerging subjects, and transformative political action against neoliberalism

ABSTRACT This article reviews an important experience of pluriversal political activity in Bolivia, through the prism of the theoretical and political contributions of Grupo Comuna, a local organization of scholar activists and public intellectuals. Comuna deployed Marxist categories to examine, and intervene upon, the dilemmas of the pluriverse and the social and political challenges facing Bolivia’s original peoples (pueblos originarios). The article examines publications of the Group and original interviews with its members. Bolivian social movements were partially successful defeating neoliberalism in the country, and Morales’ administrations transformed Bolivia. These successes were achieved in and through an innovative analysis, including the recognition of the pluriversal nature of the Bolivian political process. Almost uniquely among politically engaged academics, Comuna helped to develop a programme adapted to the country’s circumstances and addressing the challenges of intervention in pluriversal activity; in doing this, they supported mass organization and mobilization, and achieved strong political impact.