Awareness Of Inequalities Research Articles

Mapping the awareness of inequalities in health programs in Spanish communities: moving forward together

The aim of this study is to map the awareness of gender, socioeconomic, immigrant and ethnic health inequalities in health at schools, maternal health and traffic injury health prevention programs. The study was conducted in the 19 health descentralized areas in Spain, 17 autonomous community (ACs) and the 2 autonomous cities (ACities). The data were collected from May 2008 to January 2009. The unit of analysis was the collection of policy documents setting out the programs mentioned above and the related support material in each AC. A reading guide was used to analyze the awareness of inequalities. With regard to health at schools, 2 of 10 programs show a high awareness of inequalities and include many specific proposals to be implemented at the local level. Regarding maternal health, 13 ACs have prepared support material with high awareness of inequalities to be implemented. A traffic injury program has been created in two ACs. We map the whole situation in Spain regarding the health programs that we have used as examples and their awareness of inequalities. We can conclude that there are differences between the regions studied in Spain and in general, the awareness of inequalities is low.

Who Has the Advantages in My Intended Career?

This article describes and assesses two learning modules designed to make students aware of gender and racial inequalities present in their own intended careers. Students identify their intended occupation in respect to the Standard Occupational Classification system and then use that code to determine the composition and earnings in that occupation with data provided. Analysis of student papers shows that this assignment contributes not only to the awareness of inequalities, but also to the development of quantitative literacy skills. Panel survey methods reveal substantial changes in students’ beliefs about the extent of gender and racial inequality. Conclusions consider directions for the development of additional strategies to advance students’ understandings of inequalities in adulthood and later life.

Pathways to Critical Consciousness: A First-Year Teacher’s Engagement With Issues of Race and Equity

In this article, the author considers the ways in which a White first-year teacher performs critical racial consciousness in the context of her urban fifth-grade classroom. The process of critical racial consciousness engagement is complex as well as understudied outside of preservice courses. The findings of this study fall into three themes—racial identity reflection, awareness of inequity, and challenges to engagement—and demonstrate that most of the ways in which this teacher engages in critical racial consciousness are subtle. The author asserts that “discourses of possibility” related to White racial consciousness can be encouraged in teacher preparation courses and concludes the article with implications for preservice teacher education and in-service teacher development.

The Relationships Between Service-Learning, Social Justice, Multicultural Competence, and Civic Engagement

This study qualitatively examined how participants in a long-term service-learning program described their understanding of and commitment to social justice, multicultural competence, and civic engagement. Interviews with members of a university-sponsored AmeriCorps service-learning program explored participants’ perceptions of the effects of their service. Several participants in this study increased their awareness of inequality, but only some adopted a commitment to social justice. Participants also developed several multicultural skills while interacting with their clients, such as empathy, patience, attachment, reciprocity, trust, and respect. All participants expressed a commitment to continued civic engagement.

Why Are So Many U.S. Families Adopting Internationally?

This paper uses social exchange theory to explain the increase by which U.S. families are adopting internationally, compared to domestically. Benefits of adopting internationally appear associated with a preference for infants, confidential adoptions, race/ethnic similarity and shorter waits. Costs are related to generally higher expenses and a greater likelihood of developmental and other health risks among the children. While international adoptions can be expected to increase on this basis, trends may be slowed as a result of social context factors (for example, recent policies governing international adoptions) and greater awareness of inequity in power relations within the adoptive family triad. Implications for practice related to policy advocacy are discussed.

Court Decisions and School Finance Reform

Lawsuits in approximately half of the states in the United States have challenged the constitutionality of state school finance provisions on equal protection or educational adequacy grounds. Although state supreme courts in nine states have upheld state provisions and not upheld them in six states, an analysis of cases decided by state supreme courts reveals no clear trend toward the acceptance or rejection of state provisions. The volume of case law appears to have served to heighten the awareness of inequity in school finance schemes on the part of members of legislatures and other state education policymakers.