Critical Studies Research Articles

Exploring the Journey of STEM Faculty into Justice-centered Pedagogy.

In higher education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), interlocking oppressions can lead to inequitable environments for those who hold marginalized identities. Instructors can play key roles in either exacerbating or mitigating these inequities through their pedagogical approaches and choice of curricular material. However, it remains unclear how instructors who self-identify as committed to justice achieve higher levels of consciousness around areas of injustice and develop the self-efficacy to dismantle barriers for students over time. Here, we draw upon critical race theory and critical white studies to investigate what events or life experiences influence STEM instructors to understand the importance of social justice and examine how STEM instructors use this understanding to drive pedagogical shifts. We find variations in the ways that instructors' experiences and identities shape their understanding of justice. In addition, we uncover factors that influence the switch moment; curriculum and pedagogical shifts; their relationship to justice work broadly; and barriers and supports for justice work. These stories hold powerful lessons for STEM education, but also for education more broadly, both in terms of pedagogical practice and the questions that shape research agendas on equity in education.

Mode of action Criteria for selection of the critical effect and safe dose range for PFOA by the Alliance for risk assessment.

In response to the current disparity in risk assessment values for PFOA from different agencies and countries, an international effort facilitated by the Alliance for Risk Assessment (ARA) was recently undertaken to characterize the range of scientifically supportable safe dose estimates. In this assessment (Burgoon et al., 2023), an evaluation of the evidence regarding the potential modes of action (MOA) for PFOA toxicity was performed first, so that it could be used to inform subsequent decisions regarding potential critical effects and studies. This review describes the evidence considered in the MOA evaluations that were performed as part of the ARA effort. The overall conclusions of this evaluation are that the available mechanistic data do not support any conclusion that reported epidemiological associations of blood concentrations of PFOA as low as 10ng/mL with various health effects should be considered causal. It is more likely that the reported associations may instead reflect reverse causality/pharmacokinetic confounding. These conclusions are consistent with the opinions of the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022).

Intergenerational accountability in the times of just transitions

PurposeThis study explores the concept of intergenerational accountability to address the grand challenge of a just transition. Intergenerational accountability extends the notion of accountability for the other to include future generations in ways that avoid the trap of long-termism and delayed action.Design/methodology/approachWe follow a critical qualitative case study approach with an Indigenous community in a settler colony. Sources of empirical materials include semi-structured interviews and documentary reviews, analysed abductively through thematic analysis.FindingsIntergenerational accountability extends the notion of accountability for the other temporally by including future generations. Indigenous temporalities offer a way to address concerns that accountability to distant future generations could delay the urgency to act now. Findings suggest that the “eternal present”, where aspirations of ancestors and obligations to descendants coalesce into a contemporary obligation, has the potential to help confront the climate crisis. However, the ability to actively practice these understandings is constrained by commercial “best practice” and the colonial state. These constraints necessitate struggles for Indigenous self-determination that also exist in the eternal present.Originality/valueWe extend the concept of accountability for the other to include future generations, but avoid the trap of long-termism delaying action through the eternal present of Indigenous temporalities. However, these temporalities are constrained, so struggles for Indigenous self-determination become closely intertwined with struggles for a just transition.

Examining Axiological and Ethical Assumptions in Physical Activity Intervention Research involving Individuals With Intellectual Impairments: A Review.

Adapted physical activity has been critiqued for its lack of attention to assumptions underlying both research and practice. In response to these critiques, the purpose of this paper was to perform a secondary analysis of a recent systematic literature review to examine the axiological and ethical assumptions of physical activity intervention research involving adults with Down syndrome since 1990 in light of the possibilities of critical disability studies. Findings revealed the dominance of normative movement ideologies and a focus on physical activity performance. Participants were not afforded research roles beyond that of subjects, and there was no evidence of results being communicated to them. In future, we hope scholars will consider the use of emancipatory frameworks where power is situated within the community involved and more inquiry that expands our understanding of the benefits of physical activity for individuals with intellectual impairment that decenters the focus on normative ways of being.

Export bill financing in Islamic banking: a critical appraisal of Sharìah adaptations

Purpose This study aims to critically investigate various Sharìah adaptations for export bill financing in Islamic banking. This study examines corresponding Sharìah issues and provides recommended Sharìah contracts for export bills financing by Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the qualitative approach. The focus group discussions method is used to collect the primary data. A content analysis method is applied to delve into the related scholarly works, journal articles and books available in Arabic and English. Besides, with a thematic analysis technique, this study developed a few themes to analyse the qualitative data. Findings This study finds that export bill financing through discounting is impermissible for Islamic banking because the discounted amount will be interest (riba). This study posits that a musharakah partnership is the most preferred mode for financing through export bills in Islamic banking, provided the partnership starts from the beginning of the export works and not just at the post-shipment stage. Musharakah is suitable for factoring, invoice financing and bill purchase, as the bank can precisely identify the amount in the bill, profit margin, duration, parties involved and potential risk mitigation techniques. Qard is also applied in export bill financing, provided the service charge received by the bank should be up to the actual cost incurred in collecting the bills. The service charge in qard cannot vary depending on the amount and duration of bill maturity; otherwise, it will be riba. Wakalah is another suitable contract for export bill financing. The bank can charge a wakalah fee, which is flexible and can vary based on the bill amount and its maturity. Nonetheless, if the client needs to buy goods instead of cash, then the bill can be exchanged for the goods, and using a murabahah (mark-up) contract, the bank can facilitate the client’s purchase of the goods. Practical implications Across the globe, Islamic banks provide a significant amount of financing for export and import business, while, as a brand image, ensuring Sharìah compliance is crucial for Islamic banking. This study contributes to ensuring Sharìah compliance in export bill financing operations, which eventually supports maintaining the credibility and reputation of Islamic banking. Ensuring Sharìah complaint income also accelerates Islamic banks’ profitability. In the event of Sharìah non-compliance, whatever revenue is earned shall be disposed of in charity. Originality/value The scarcity of a critical study on Sharìah adaptations of export bill financing in Islamic banking is evident. A few theoretical studies have been found, mainly in Arabic. This study is an unprecedented effort in English to empirically investigate various Sharìah adaptations for export bill financing in Islamic banking and to provide recommended Sharìah contracts. This study will guide all respective stakeholders of Islamic banking to ensure Sharìah compliance in conducting export bill financing operations. As this study is conducted with a small sample size, future studies may be undertaken with diverse contexts to enhance a comprehensive understanding of the issue and investigate further aspects of providing export bill financing through Sharìah-compliant modes.

Examining How Structural Conditions, Cultural Norms, and Institutional Practices Shape Diagnostic Delays for Women in Ontario: A Critical Qualitative Study

Examining How Structural Conditions, Cultural Norms, and Institutional Practices Shape Diagnostic Delays for Women in Ontario: A Critical Qualitative Study

Challenging charitable oppression: Social working in supportive housing

Abstract This article provides an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences of administrating and supporting transitional housing programs in Canada. Using anti-colonial, critical race feminist, critical disability studies, and mad studies framings, the article aims to highlight the sharp contrast between social work values and social care practice in housing work. I direct my gaze as a researcher toward myself as a social worker, exploring my experience social working in practice. A creative non-fiction approach to storytelling is used based directly on my experiences social working in supportive housing. These creative non-fiction pieces were analysed to draw out relevant themes. Themes include the discourse of dangerousness, challenging charitable oppression, and reproducing colonial carceral structures. The narratives are followed by analyses which demonstrate harms perpetuated in the neoliberalist social care landscape in Canada. My analysis is based on anti-colonial, critical race feminist, critical disability studies, and mad studies framings. Challenges discussed include interdisciplinary social care practice with those experiencing significant barriers to housing and the ethical implications of working under a charitable organization, along with suggestions for countering dominant ableist, sanist, and Eurocentric practice.

Other Intelligences: Investigating the Plant-Human Relationship in Domestic Spaces

In recent years, numerous artistic experiments have emerged that engage Critical Plant Studies in dialogue with various forms of artistic creation. The role of plants in these processes, their capacity to influence them, and their impact on human imaginaries are currently subjects of debate. This text aims to analyze these questions within the context of a specific artistic project. The piece Other Intelligences by the artist duo Maria Castellanos and Alberto Valverde introduces novel features regarding the role of plants and the space of encounter between humans and plants. We will analyze this artistic device by applying concepts such as plant agency and performance, opacity, and some considerations related to ethics and care. Additionally, we will present observations of certain plant behaviors and the results of six interviews conducted with project participants.

(Re)membering Home(lands): Generative Analysis of Human Displacement in Children's Literature

AbstractChildren's literature is a powerful pedagogical tool within culturally sustaining literacy classrooms. Drawing from generative metanarrative theory of human displacement, culturally sustaining pedagogies, and critical refugee studies, this research investigates how representations of home(lands) in 30 acclaimed picturebooks about children who experienced displacement could affirm critically informed history and cultivate cultural sustenance. We analyze the narrative structures of time space (chronotope) within and across these stories, as well as the substance therein, identifying troubling generic patterns. We propose strategies for remembering home(lands) through acts of collective imagining.

How Social Philosophy is Possible: the Transition from Postmodern to Metamodern

Introduction. The establishment of the dominance of postmodernism as a key paradigm of philosophical knowledge raised the question of the subject of social philosophy as a philosophical discipline that studies the problems of sociality in relation to a person. On the one hand, this led to a crisis in the social sciences, since social philosophy lost its status as a metascience in the structure of social knowledge. On the other hand, it expanded the subject field of social philosophy, including in it objects to which the interest of social philosophers had never been directed (inanimate objects, animals). Methodology and sources. The basis of the methodology of the work is the methods of critical analysis and comparative studies, which allows us to describe the logic of the development of the problem of the loss of the unity of its subject by social philosophy within the framework of events of both real and intellectual history. Results and discussion. The article makes an attempt to describe possible transformations of the thematic field of social philosophy in the process of transition from postmodernity to metamodernity. The author, analyzing the recognized problem of modern social philosophy (its fragmentation, the absence of an object of study), demonstrates the possibility of its defragmentation during the metamodern period when research interest is turned to such issues as the study of man as a social being, the influence of new technologies on the transformation of man and the social, the rethinking of the social in the explosive development of technology, and finally, the study of the dialectics of social emotions on society and man. Conclusion. The author comes to the conclusion that in its current state, fragmented social philosophy is not ready for subject reorientation, which means the need for qualitative changes in the subject of social philosophy.

Child-Sacrificing Drag Queens: Historical Antecedents in Disinformative Narratives Supporting the Drag Queen Story Hour Moral Panic

This paper uses critical disinformation studies to analyze claims that LGBTQ+ communities “groom” children at “Drag Queen Story Hour” (DQSH). We identify anti-homosexual narratives in previous moral panics: the 1950s sexual psychopathy laws, Anita Bryant’s 1977 Save Our Children campaign, and the 1980s Satanic ritual abuse panic. Using critical discourse analysis, we find all disinformative narratives from previous moral panics present in the DQSH discourse, while new themes center transgender people and parental rights. We consider concerns over DQSH a moral panic responding to the gradual mainstreaming of gender nonconformity and increase in LGBTQ+ civil rights and social acceptance.

A critical review on the removal of lead (heavy metal) by using various adsorbents from aqueous solution.

One of the biggest problems globally is the presence of lead in water resources. Due to increased Industrialization, the presence of the heavy metal lead in the environment is a severe worry. Excessive lead poisoning harms all the aquatic systems, which poses a concern for human health and damages this ecosystem through eutrophication. Various techniques are used to collect and remove lead from wastewater to protect aquatic bodies. Adsorption is among the finest methods for eliminating lead from wastewater since it is easy to use, effective, universal, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. Adsorption is one of the most efficient and effective techniques employed even at low temperatures, as we will explore in this paper. The removal of lead (heavy metal) by adsorption utilizing various adsorbents, including cellulose, industrial by-products, forest wastes, and biotechnology wastes, was evaluated in this paper at various levels from the numerous research and literature. Then, various adsorbent types were assessed in terms of removal efficiency, adsorption capacity, temperature, optimal pH, sorbent dose, and contact time. The paper also examines or researches adsorbent concentration, critical studies, and lead removal percentage. The growth of low-cost adsorbents offers challenges for lead recovery and removal in the near and far future.

Reflecting on the practice of citizen science projects for cities – the case of ‘Colouring Dresden’ in Germany

ABSTRACT Citizen Science Projects (CSP) are emerging as innovative approaches to urban research and practice. This paper reports on the data-driven CSP ‘Colouring Dresden’ in Germany through the lens of Critical Data Studies (CDS). CDS-scholars urge CSP-partners to be aware of the ‘political nature’ of their projects. However, this claim requires some conceptual specification. In case of ‘Colouring Dresden’, the paper adopts a micro-oriented approach that emphasizes two key areas of reflection: 1) situating the CSP in institutionalized politics in Dresden and 2) paying more attention to the selectivity of the project agenda (‘framing selectively’). The paper ends with a suggestion for future research and practice.

Perceptions of Pharmacy Faculty Regarding Factors Contributing to Declining First-Time NAPLEX Pass Rates.

Identify perceptions from pharmacy faculty across the Academy concerning factors that may be influencing NAPLEX first-time pass rates to highlight potential focused areas of further research based on common experiences. An anonymous 43-item Qualtrics™ questionnaire was distributed to faculty members from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Questions were predominantly 5-point Likert scale items (5=very large impact) and encompassed six domains: pharmacy school factors, COVID-19 educational modifications, testing factors, standardized testing, applicant preparedness, and student factors. Demographic data as well as perceptions were reported with means and standard deviations. In total 600 responses were analyzed. Respondents were predominantly female (66%) and white (78%). Most had a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, residency training, and were practicing as a licensed pharmacist within the Southern and Midwestern US. Respondents indicated that the decline in NAPLEX first-time pass rates is a moderate to large problem (mean 3.64, standard deviation [SD] 0.891), and the top potential influencing factors include student quality (mean 3.99, SD 0.876), student's critical thinking (mean 3.90, SD 0.947), study habits (mean 3.74, SD 0.920), and admission standards (mean 3.67, SD 1.082). The top 4 factors indicated by respondents as impacting NAPLEX first-time pass rates were related to the student quality. This result highlights the importance of exploring issues related to pharmacy admissions and the need to implement effective strategies to support an increasing number of potentially less prepared pharmacy students.

The modality of historical thinking in the latest Greek primary school curriculum and the new challenges in history education

AbstractThis paper refers to the concept of ‘historical thinking’ as it appears in the three versions of the recent Greek History Curriculum for primary school. It is a comparative study of the discourse of the three versions of the recent history curriculum for primary school. The methodological approach of this study was founded on Critical Discourse Analysis. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning and context of this term as presented in the three versions of the history curriculum and to compare the findings of the study with corresponding references in the international literature regarding the terms of ‘historical thinking’. This study demonstrated that this term is not the same in all three versions of the curriculum. In the first version of the curriculum the term ‘historical thinking’ is mentioned autonomously and we also separately identify the term ‘critical thinking’, while in the second and third versions a synthesis of the term is observed, which eventually becomes ‘critical historical thinking’. As a result of this observation, the use of the terms is critically and comparatively studied. The main conclusion is that the term ‘critical historical study’ refers much more to the development of general skills and competences with cognitive characteristics and much less to the critical understanding of the historical past. Furthermore, the conclusions of this study suggest a perspective for historical thinking in contemporary curricula with new challenges such as the relationship of historical education with artificial intelligence and children's representations.

Diversity, inclusion, and equity in Qatar’s K-12 schools: exploring strategic approaches for recruitment, development, and retention

This critical review study aimed to thoroughly evaluate methods for fostering principles of diversity, inclusion, and equity in the hiring, training, and retention processes of educators in Qatar’s schools. It incorporated the analysis of existing policies and practices, and the identification of gaps to propose evidence-based methods that likely enhance the three principles among educators. It also sought to provide additional knowledge and potential solutions that may significantly improve them. Further, I studied effective methods for enlisting educators from varied backgrounds, considering cultural, linguistic, and other relevant considerations, to satisfy the urgent demand for diversity among educators. Examining the importance of professional development programs in this context was crucial in encouraging inclusion and equity. Many institutional, cultural, and systemic impediments to progress have been revealed. The findings underline the significance of having a diverse educational workforce to foster inclusive and equitable educational experiences for students in schools in Qatar. They also emphasize the necessity for ongoing collaboration among stakeholders to achieve this goal. In response, legislative amendments, specialized recruitment strategies, professional development initiatives, and support systems are proposed to effectively address these challenges. Therefore, this research contributes to the scholarly discourse on diversity, inclusivity, and equity in education.

Representasi Loyalitas dalam Dialog dan Interaksi Karakter Roronoa Zoro di Serial One Piece: Kajian Humaniora

In the One Piece series, Roronoa Zoro's loyalty to Monkey D. Luffy is not just a comradeship, but a strong bond of brotherhood. This research explores the importance of fostering individual trust and commitment in facing common challenges. Through the analysis of dialogue and interaction between Zoro and Luffy, this research reveals that the representation of loyalty serves as a social construct that is reflected in the actions and communication of characters. Using a critical discourse analysis and narrative study approach, the study examined five episodes in the Thriller Bark Arc and several other episodes, highlighting key moments that demonstrate Zoro's dedication. The technique used is qualitative descriptive, through four stages, namely data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results of the analysis show that Zoro's loyalty is influenced by the personal code of honor, the promise to Kuina, the respect for Luffy, as well as the shared experience that strengthens the emotional bond. This loyalty inspires readers about the true meaning of commitment and friendship in the context of popular culture, making it a vivid example of values that are widely accepted among a global audience

Abstract Su904: The association between base excess on arrival at the hospital and neurological outcome of adult out-hospital cardiac arrest: observational study

Background: The relationship between base-excess (BE) values, which take into account the time interval from cardiac arrest to blood test, and neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between BE on arrival at the hospital and neurological outcomes in OHCA patients. Methods: The CRITICAL study, a prospective, multicenter observational study in Osaka, Japan, registered consecutive OHCA patients who were transported to 16 participating critical care centers from 2012 to 2021. We included adult patients aged 18 years with witnessed OHCA whose BE values on hospital arrival was available, and divided patients into quartiles based on BE values of initial blood test on arrival at the hospital: Q1 (BE ≤ −21.1 mmol/L), Q2 (−21.1 < BE ≤ −15.7 mmol/L), Q3 (−15.7 < BE ≤ −10.4 mmol/L), and Q4 (BE > −10.4 mmol/L). The primary outcome was one-month survival with favorable neurological outcome, defined as cerebral performance category scale 1 or 2. Results: A total of 23,854 patients were registered, and 6,066 of them were eligible for analyses. Neurologically favorable outcome was the lowest in the Q1 group (3.2% [49/1,528]), followed by the Q2 (4.7% [70/1,493]), Q3 (9.8% [148/1,515]), and Q4 (23.5% [359/1,530]) group. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds ratio of Q1 compared with Q4 for one-month favorable neurological outcome was 0.13 (95% CI 0.090–0.18). The proportion of one-month favorable neurological outcome decreased progressively across decreasing quartiles (p for trend < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, there was an interaction between presence of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before blood test and neurological outcome (p for interaction < 0.001). The neurological outcome worsened as the BE values decreased among those who achieved ROSC before the blood test (p for trend < 0.001), but not in those without ROSC (p for trend = 0.078). There was not a significant interaction between BE values without ROSC before blood test and time from witness to blood test (p for interaction = 0.501). Conclusions: We demonstrated that lower BE values at hospital arrival were associated with worse neurological outcome. The BE values may be one of the effective prognostic indications for neurological outcome, especially in OHCA patients with ROSC before hospital arrival.

From Flowers to Plants: Plant-Thinking in Nineteenth-Century Danish Flower Painting

Abstract In the nineteenth century, flower painters in Denmark shifted from depicting arranged, cut flowers to showing plants within their ecosystems. This article explores this shift by examining four paintings by the artists Christine Løvmand and Anthonore Christensen. According to Michael Marder and Emanuele Coccia, important philosophers in critical plant studies, plants have been overlooked as world creators. Coccia highlights the nineteenth century as a particularly low point, in this regard, but seeks exceptions and points to significant nineteenth-century articulations of how plants move in, sense, and create their environment. An investigation of Danish art and botany reveals similar articulations, as several significant artists made growing rather than cut plants the theme of some of their paintings and botanists explored the wild flora and the agency of plants. This nineteenth-century shift in focus from flowers to plants disseminates notions of plants that can inspire and help us reorient our relationship with the natural world.

Metaphorical framing of political events through ENTERTAINMENT scenarios

Abstract The article sets out to examine the entertainment source domain and its scenarios as realised in the media discourse surrounding political events in Belarus in 2021. Metaphorical scenarios are investigated considering different viewpoints, such as those presented in Lithuanian, German, and Russian media. The methodological framework is a blend of Cognitive Linguistics and Critical Discourse Studies, embracing the viewpoint (Sweetser, 2012), Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black, 2005), metaphorical scenarios (Musolff, 2016), and framing (Hart, 2014). The results demonstrate that the entertainment domain acquires multiple scenarios depending on the viewpoint. The evaluation attached to the scenarios is mostly negative; however, the viewpoint adopted in Lithuanian and German discourses is very different from Russian discourse. The former is based on Western values and targets the authoritarian regime, whereas the latter is Russian-centric, with the Western world posited as a major threat to the Belarusian and Russian societies.