Awareness Of Inequalities Research Articles

157 ’Finding Our Tribe’: Parental Experiences Navigating Sport and Physical Activity Opportunities for Neurodivergent Children and Young People

Abstract Purpose Neurodivergent children and young people (CYP) experience higher risk of poor physical and mental health. Many community programmes have been designed to provide young people with a physical activity (PA) outlet to improve health and wellness, however, neurodivergent CYP and their families continue to face stigmatising attitudes and exclusion when trying to access these opportunities. This study aimed to explore the experience of parents and caregivers of neurodivergent CYP, in the United Kingdom (UK), in finding, accessing, and engaging with inclusive community sport and physical activity opportunities and resources for their children. Methods An online qualitative survey explored the experience of parents and caregivers of neurodivergent CYP in the UK in finding and accessing community sport and PA opportunities. One-hundred and twelve parents and caregivers completed the survey from across all 4 devolved nations in the UK. Recruitment of participants occurred through collaboration with parent and advocacy groups for neurodivergent populations, charities providing services to these populations across the UK, as well as through social media platforms. Data collected was interpreted using inductive-thematic analysis, allowing for emergent themes to be identified using a constructivist framework. Results Qualitative data revealed an overarching theme: the ‘Constant Struggle’ parents of neurodivergent CYP face in trying to find, access, and support their children to participate in sport and physical activities. Four main themes emerged under this overarching theme including: 1) An awareness of inequity in the sport and physical opportunities available, 2) A need for flexibility and adaptability, 3) The importance of the coach, and 4) Empowering the parent through inclusion and support. Conclusion Parents and caregivers of neurodivergent CYP express the desire for more equitable provision and delivery of community sport and PA opportunities. It is recognised that there are currently challenges in identifying and accessing appropriate opportunities, however, solutions are offered that will support parents to feel more empowered to engage with sport and PA opportunities. Support/Funding Source Supported by Ulster University and the University of Birmingham.

Does raising awareness about inequality decrease support for school closures? An information treatment survey experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic

The increase in inequalities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been the topic of intense scholarly and public debate. School closures are one of the containment measures that have been debated most critically in this regard. What drives support for closures of schools and pre-school services (daycare/kindergarten) during a public health crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic? More specifically, does inequality awareness affect this support? Theoretically, we assume that providing information on current levels of inequality can change policy preferences, as it increases awareness of their consequences for inequality. Moreover, we assume that the strength of the association between information provision and policy support varies across individuals—depending on their exposure to these policies, and the political attitudes that they hold. To identify causal linkages between awareness of inequalities and support for school and daycare/kindergarten closures, we use a survey experiment with information treatment, in which we randomly assign information designed to prime the respondents to think about either education inequality, gender inequality, or both. The experiment, involving more than 3,000 respondents, was conducted in the spring of 2021 at the end of a prolonged lockdown in Germany when a new piece of legislation was enacted, enabling or restricting school reopenings based on local infection rates. Using Probit Regression models for dichotomous dependent variables, we show that raising awareness of education inequality and gender inequality via an information treatment is associated with decreasing support for preschool and primary school closures. We also find that past exposure to school-closure policies strengthens the effects of information treatments, whereas previous political attitudes do not moderate the association between information treatments and support for preschool and school closures.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned from Implementing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program at UCAR/NCAR

Abstract Atmospheric science is male dominated and few students of color matriculate into the field, a trend dating back at least 50 years. UCAR/NCAR Equity and Inclusion (referred to as UNEION), which has trained nearly 200 employees, is the institution’s flagship diversity program. UNEION is central to efforts to create a welcoming workplace, engaging participants with peer-led learning to gain knowledge on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics, and encouraging participants to implement these learnings through bystander intervention. Evaluation results show that UNEION 1) increases participants’ awareness of inequities, 2) encourages participants to feel responsible for DEI, and 3) teaches participants how to intervene in inappropriate situations.

Essential Nursing Actions to Reduce Inequities for Black Women in the Perinatal Period

Perinatal nurses play a critical role in the care of, advocacy for, and research with Black women in the perinatal period. Despite awareness of inequities in the perinatal health care system that stem from racism in the United States, many nurses report feeling detached from the crisis. In this critical commentary, we provide a five-step nursing action guide to address this health disparity that is aligned with the Future of Nursing report and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. We recommend nursing activities in each step: understand drivers of health inequities among Black women, reflect on implicit bias, use respectful care frameworks with Black women, conduct ethical research, and advocate for change. The article includes a sharable and printable action sheet that can be used in the work environment to remind nurses of their roles in enacting change.

Similarities between friends on service, activism, and awareness of inequities in an adolescent social network.

This brief report characterizes the tendency of adolescent friends to be similar on civic behaviors and critical consciousness. Using two waves of network data from a high school that serves primarily low-income Latiné youth (2019, N = 519; 2020, N = 521), the present study examined homophily on service, activism, and awareness of inequities. The results of Exponential Random Graph Models indicated that adolescents tended to be friends with peers who had similar service behavior and awareness of inequities, but not activism. The findings suggest that schools could foster civic engagement by providing infrastructure that encourages civic interactions between peers. The current study highlights the potential that social network analysis holds for generating novel insights into the relational underpinnings of youth civic engagement.

Enhancing social inclusion in sport: Dynamics of action research in super-diverse contexts

There are systemic and longstanding inequalities in sport participation for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants. Drawing on theoretical foundations of critical pedagogy and social justice education, as well as a public sociology perspective, this paper examines the development of an action research (AR) project to support the co-creation of inclusive climates in sports clubs in CALD communities in Melbourne, Australia. We use artefacts from collaborative sessions, interviews, and surveys to analyse the AR's impact on participating community sport leaders’ awareness and practice. The findings indicate how the collaborative process of assessing clubs’ diversity and inclusion climates affected participants’ awareness of inequities and exclusionary practices, and how the co-creation of strategies for change brought together diverse perspectives. We reflect on the implications and limitations of the AR for research practice aimed at promoting equitable social inclusion for CALD migrants in community sport.

Measuring inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake and intent: results from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2021

BackgroundBy July 2021, Canada had received enough COVID-19 vaccines to fully vaccinate every eligible Canadian. However, despite the availability of vaccines, some eligible individuals remain unvaccinated. Differences in vaccination uptake can be driven by health inequalities which have been exacerbated and amplified by the pandemic. This study aims to assess inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake and intent in adults 18 years or older across Canada by identifying sociodemographic factors associated with non-vaccination and low vaccination intent using data drawn from the June to August 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).MethodsThe CCHS is an annual cross-sectional and nationally representative survey conducted by Statistics Canada, which collects health-related information. Since September 2020, questions about the COVID-19 pandemic are asked. Adjusted logistic regression models were fitted to examine associations between vaccination uptake or intent and sociodemographic and health related variables. Region, age, gender, level of education, Indigenous status, visible minority status, perceived health status, and having a regular healthcare provider were considered as predictors, among other factors.ResultsThe analysis included 9,509 respondents. The proportion of unvaccinated was 11%. Non-vaccination was associated with less than university education (aOR up to 3.5, 95% CI 2.1–6.1), living with children under 12 years old (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.4), not having a regular healthcare provider (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.2), and poor self-perceived health (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.4).Only 5% of the population had low intention to get vaccinated. Being unlikely to get vaccinated was associated with the Prairies region (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–4.1), younger age groups (aOR up to 4.0, 95% CI 1.3–12.3), less than university education (aOR up to 3.8, 95% CI 1.9–7.6), not being part of a visible minority group (aOR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4–6.4), living with children under 12 years old (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.9), unattached individuals (aOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1–6.1), and poor self-perceived health (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–2.9).ConclusionsDisparities were observed in vaccination uptake and intent among various sociodemographic groups. Awareness of inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake and intent is needed to determine the vaccination barriers to address in vaccination promotion strategies.

Awareness, social cognition, and commitment: Developing a social justice orientation in psychology training programs.

This study investigates how the awareness of social inequities and racism may serve as a foundation for psychology trainees' social justice self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, interests, and commitment. Using the social-cognitive justice developmental framework proposed by Miller et al. (2009), a total of 222 participants were recruited from accredited applied psychology programs across the United States. Participants completed measures assessing their levels of two dimensions of critical consciousness: Egalitarianism and awareness of inequality (Diemer et al., 2017), their colorblind racial attitudes (Neville et al., 2000), and their social justice self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and commitment (Miller et al., 2009). A hypothesized path model was fit to the data. Alternative models were also considered. Results indicated that participants who endorsed egalitarianism and were more aware of social inequities showed greater awareness of racism and, in turn, were more likely to endorse a higher orientation and commitment to social justice. Limitations and implications for future research and training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Youth are watching: Adolescents’ sociopolitical development in the Trump era

This study examined whether appraisals of 45th U.S. President Donald J. Trump by 1433 adolescents (Mage =16.1, SDage =1.16, Female=56.9%, Latinx=43.6%, White=35.7%, Black=12.6%, Asian=5.8%) predicted change from 2017 to 2018 across four dimensions of sociopolitical development (SPD): marginalization, critical analysis, civic efficacy, and political action. Trump supporters declined in awareness of inequality and race consciousness but increased in voting intentions. Trump detractors increased in awareness of inequality, race consciousness, and experiences of discrimination. Trump supporters and detractors increased in civic efficacy compared to youth with no opinion. Additional findings were moderated by race and ethnicity. Findings suggest adolescents' SPD has been shaped in distinct ways by the Trump era.

Assessing the experience of person-centred coordinated care of people with chronic conditions in the Netherlands: Validation of the Dutch P3CEQ.

Countries are adapting their health and social care systems to better meet the needs of growing populations with (multiple) chronic conditions. To guide this process, assessment of the 'patient experience' is becoming increasingly important. For this purpose, the Person-Centred Coordinated Care Experience Questionnaire (P3CEQ) was developed in the United Kingdom, and translated into several languages. This study aimed to assess the internal and construct validity of the Dutch P3CEQ to capture the experience of person-centred coordinated care of people with chronic conditions in the Netherlands. Adults with chronic conditions (N = 1098) completed the Dutch P3CEQ, measures of health literacy and patient activation, and reported the use and perceived quality of care services. Data analysis included Principal Component and reliability analysis (internal validity), analysis of variance and Student's T-tests (construct validity). The two-component structure found was pretty much the same as in the UK validation study. Sociodemographic correlates also resembled those found in the United Kingdom. Women, persons who were less educated, less health-literate or less activated experienced less person-centred coordinated care. P3CEQ scores correlated positively with general practitioner performance scores and quality ratings of the total care received. The Dutch P3CEQ is a valid instrument to assess the experience of person-centred coordinated care among people with chronic conditions in the Netherlands. Awareness of inequity and more attention to communication skills in professional training are needed to ensure that care professionals better recognize the needs of women, lower educated or less health-literate persons, and improve their experiences of care. The P3CEQ has been developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders. Eighteen persons with (multiple) chronic conditions participated as patient representatives and codesign experts in (four) codesign workshops. Other patient representatives participated in cognitive testing of the English-language instrument. The usability of the P3CEQ to capture the experience of person-centred coordinated care of older persons has been examined by interviewing 228 older European service users, including 13 living in the Netherlands, as part of the SUSTAIN project. More than a thousand persons with chronic conditions participated in the validation study of the Dutch P3CEQ.

Leading for Equity with Critical Consciousness: How School Leaders Can Cultivate Awareness, Efficacy, and Critical Action

This article shares strategies for how principals can lead for equity using a critical consciousness framework. We outline the three components of critical consciousness (critical awareness of inequality, political efficacy, and critical action for social change) and provide specific guidance on how principals can support each of these components among their students and staff. We also discuss the urgency of leading for equity in the context of multiple national crises and ongoing opportunity gaps affecting low-income students and students of color. Through critical consciousness, principals can be more empowered as change agents for justice and empower their school communities to work together for greater equity in schools and society.

“To Me, It’s Not about Immigration Status”: Divergent Perceptions of Legal Status among Undocumented College Students

ABSTRACT Prior research about undocumented college students detailed structural barriers and derailed academic trajectories. However, education access policies in states like California have lowered barriers and increased enrollment. Research has presumed that undocumented students all view their legal status as a barrier which may now be more complex given changes in the policy landscape. I draw upon interviews with 30 students enrolled in a University of California campus to analyze how undocumented students perceived the extent to which legal status shaped their academic experiences. I argue that divergent perceptions were shaped by immigration policies, exposure to prevalent narratives, and the extent to which immigration status seemed consequential in students’ experiences and identified three types: 1) students with disassociated perceptions ascribed to meritocratic views about academic success and did not consider their legal status a salient barrier; 2) students with dynamic perceptions demonstrated how perceptions can shift through an increased awareness of inequality following experiences with barriers and immigration policy changes; and 3) students with perceptions informed by an awareness of power understood that inequities are produced alongside multiple marginalized social locations. Importantly, perceptions informed by an awareness of power translated to navigational strategies with increased access to academic and socioemotional support.

The perception of economic inequality in everyday life: My friends with the most and least money

The study of perceived economic differences in everyday life is relevant to deepening knowledge of how inequality shapes psychological processes. In the current research, Spanish undergraduates (N = 547) were asked what their friends with the most and least money could do with their resources. Using a qualitative and quantitative approach, we performed a content analysis of the 1,085 open‐ended responses given, ran latent class analyses with the coded material to identify groups of participants, and explored whether class membership was associated with their awareness of inequality and support for redistribution. Participants perceived inequality among their friends through daily indicators such as consumption, opportunities, leisure, and mental health; some participants used compensatory strategies to mitigate perceived inequality. Latent class analyses suggested that participants differed mostly in the attention paid to consumption and in the use of compensatory strategies. Exploratory analyses suggested that perceiving inequality in everyday life in terms of consumption, negative attributes towards the wealthy, or positive attributes towards low socioeconomic groups was related to acknowledging economic differences among individuals and support for redistribution. The study of perceived economic inequality in everyday life continues a new line of research with the potential to obtain results more consistent with people's experiences.

Americans' View of the Impact of COVID-19: Perspectives on Racial Impacts and Equity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disparate effect on African Americans and Latinos. But it is unknown how aware the public is of these differences and how the pandemic has changed perceptions of equity and access to health care. We use panel data from nationally representative surveys fielded to the same respondents in 2018 and 2020 to assess views and changes in views over time. We found that awareness of inequity is highest among Non-Hispanic Black respondents and higher-income and higher-educated groups, and there have been only small changes in perceptions of inequity over time. However, there have been significant changes in views of the government's obligation to ensure access to health care. Even in the face of a deadly pandemic, one that has killed disproportionately more African Americans and Latinos, many in the United States continue not to recognize that there are inequities in access to health care and the impact of COVID-19 on certain groups. But policies to address inequity may be shifting. We will continue to follow these respondents to see whether changes in attitudes endure over time or dissipate.

The need to provide students and educators with the tools to cross the digital divide

2020 will be remembered as an unprecedented ‘global’ socio-economic and educational crisis. As a lecturer in a tertiary institution in Aotearoa New Zealand, this pandemic has heightened my awareness of inequalities in education and the impacts these have had on students and educators. Educational institutions around the world decided to continue teaching and learning online to ensure physical distancing among students, as if institutions, lecturers/teachers, and students, among others, were prepared for this shift. As a result of this shift, digital poverty and illiteracy are considered for some to have ‘emerged’ from the pandemic (Baker, 2020) failing to recognise the pre-existing digital divide (Ayre, 2020; Holmes & Burgess, 2020; Ouahidi, 2019; Wolstencroft & Zhou, 2020). However, these are problems that governmental and educational institutions have neglected to address until the pandemic rendered these issues unavoidable. Both students and lecturers were affected. For example, many lecturers were unfamiliar with online learning tools and/or strategies for online teaching and/or lacked appropriate devices and/or access to stable internet connections. Similarly, many students struggled with online platforms, such as Blackboard, or did not have access to devices or internet connections. The high demand from both students and lecturers for support from their educational institutions overwhelmed tech support infrastructures, revealing the neglectful assumption that these issues did not already exist (Ayre, 2020; Madianou, 2020; Montacute, 2020; Norris, 2001). As an educator, this year was particularly challenging because it made me reflect on how accessible my teaching practice was, how I could respond to digital poverty and illiteracy, and what gaps remained. Nonetheless, I also learnt many lessons about the amazing possibilities that technology-enhanced education can offer. This conference addresses many of these innovations, which will inspire educators. Learning can undoubtedly be enhanced by technology but this presentation endeavours to start a conversation about what changes are necessary to ensure that all students have access to what they need for their learning to be technologically supported and for lecturers to be able to utilise technological enhancements in their practices. I provide a range of instances from my practice where I tried to address the aforementioned issues and some examples of the limitations I encountered.

Examining Care and Opposition in the Narratives of U.S. Local Women of Color Activists

Despite a long history of critical engagement in local justice movements, the efforts of U.S. Women of Color activists remain understudied. In the present study we examine the manifestations of opposition and care that Women of Color utilize in exercising and sustaining their activism as they work to build justice-oriented change in their communities. We specifically explore how oppositional consciousness and ethics of care shape the perspectives and actions of local Women of Color activists. Qualitative data were collected via oral history interviews with eight local Women of Color activists in Cincinnati, Ohio. Using thematic narrative analysis, we identified three overarching thematic phases: building awareness of inequity, conscious interdependence, and putting awareness into action. These three phases aid in understanding how the women developed their commitment to social justice activism both as individuals and in consideration of their relationships with others in the community. Furthermore, we consider theories of oppositional consciousness and ethics of care and how they manifest in each phase. We then discuss how these findings contribute to understanding the experiences and efforts of local Women of Color activists. Findings from our research suggest timely incentives for broader inclusion of underrepresented voices to better inform decision-making bodies.

Critical consciousness in late adolescence: Understanding if, how, and why youth act

Through critical consciousness, adolescents can alter oppressive social and political systems and experience liberation (Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). More research is needed to understand how adolescents experience this process so that programming can better support them. We analyzed semi-structured interviews (N = 50; Mage = 16.85; 56% female) and quantitative questionnaire data (N = 1578; Mage = 16.87; 51% female) to explore how adolescents engage in critical consciousness in their daily lives. Qualitatively, we identified what instigated adolescents' awareness of inequalities, how they responded to inequalities, and what informed their responses. Quantitative results indicated that discrimination was positively associated with action, but higher critical reflection did not mediate this association. Research and programming could better support adolescents' critical consciousness development by attending to the diverse ways that they conceptualize and respond to inequalities and by targeting personal and contextual factors that inform this process.

Social Justice Education in a Diverse Classroom: Examining High School Discussions about Race, Power, and Privilege

High school students who participate in social justice education have a greater awareness of inequities that impact their school, community, and society, and learn tools for taking action to address these inequities. Also, a classroom that consist of students with a diverse set of identities creates an ideal circumstance in which a teacher can build upon student differences in order to facilitate meaningful discussions about social justice, especially issues of race. Therefore, in this article we use qualitative case study approaches to examine a high school course on social justice education, paying specific attention to the classroom pedagogy and dialogue on issues of race, power, and privilege. The course was purposefully diverse in enrollment, which brought students together who might not have had interactions with each other prior to the class. We employ Hackman's (2005) five components of social justice education (SJE) as a framework for the analysis of the pedagogy and discussions constructed in the classroom, as well as a common language for what constitutes as social justice education in our research inquiry. Students in the course developed a facility for defining and identifying various forms of oppression and injustice. However, we questioned to what extent these very same issues played out in the class dialogue. Due to the level of student diversity, the course was a unique space to learn about racism and intersecting issues of social justice. However, there was still some student resistance to acknowledging certain aspects of racism. In conclusion, we discuss how social justice education is not absolved from, but rife with complex racial politics.

Identity Politics in Australian Context

Identity mobilises feminist politics in Australia and shapes discursive and theatrical practices. Energised by the affirmative politics of hope, celebration and unity, Australian feminism is also motivated by injustice, prejudice and loss, particularly among Indigenous women and minorities. During the 1970s, when feminist theatre opened up creative spaces on the margins of Australian theatre, women identified with each other on the basis of an unproblematized gender identity, a commitment to socialist collectivism and theatre as a mode of self-representation. The emphasis on shared experience, collectivism and gender unity gave way in the 1980s to a more nuanced critical awareness of inequalities and divisions among women based on sexuality, class, race and ethnicity. My discussion spans broadly the period from the 1970s to the present and concludes with some commentary on recent twists and turns in identity politics.

Writing the Divide: High School Students Crossing Urban-Suburban Contexts

Given persisting patterns of racial, ethnic, and class re-segregation, this study considers opportunities that high school-aged youth have to cross these divides. What critical learning might occur? What can educators learn from student reflections toward providing opportunities, experiences, or structures to challenge the status quo? In considering these important questions, we review research literature on youth experience, learning, and reflection through structured opportunities to engage in education and critical thinking across social locations. Program examples, pedagogy, accompanying research, and evaluation are summarized to frame a sustained university-high school collaboration. This collaborative project extends dialogic pedagogy practiced in higher education contexts to engagement with and across urban and suburban schools. We describe a partnership between an Intergroup Dialogue Program at a Northeastern university and two local high schools; one school located in a city school district serving a majority student of color population and the other school located within an outlying suburban district serving a predominantly white student population. This article describes pedagogy and student work from the institute with evaluation focused on students’ written responses to open-ended surveys. Three important themes emerged: students’ growing awareness of inequalities, reflections on agency, and interest in further engagement. These themes connected with reflections from the high school teachers and university dialogue facilitators who worked with and learned from these youth through the institute. The discussion calls for further research on youth voices and higher education-high school collaboration.