Critical Theory Research Articles

Virtual Photovoice and Social Work: Unveiling CRT and LatCrit Insights into Latinx Communities in the Southwest During COVID-19

ABSTRACT The paper explores the intersection of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) within Latinx communities, focusing on Photovoice as a method to understand systemic inequalities and power dynamics. Drawing on Freire’s concept of critical consciousness, CRT and LatCrit frameworks delve into institutional racism and intersecting forms of oppression experienced by Latinx communities. The study adapted the use of Photovoice to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to authentically capture community narratives. Through the Your Family, Your Neighborhood (YFYN) intervention, Photovoice sessions engage Latinx families in documenting neighborhood strengths and challenges. Virtual adaptation enabled inclusivity and participation despite geographical barriers. Thematic analysis of participant-generated photos and narratives reveals community strengths in resilience, faith, and recreational spaces in response to challenges such as environmental hazards and inadequate infrastructure. This paper also highlights the role of social work in integrating culturally relevant methodologies to better understand and address Latinx experiences. By leveraging digital technologies, remote Photovoice projects uphold principles of participation and empowerment, contributing to nuanced understandings of Latinx realities within the U.S. socio-cultural landscape and offering valuable insights for social work practice and advocacy.

Dismantling amatonormative biases and expanding queer-affirmative psychotherapy: The role of trainers.

The present article aims to provide a pathway for trainers to expand and transform queer-affirmative psychotherapy practice to be more inclusive of queer groups that are underdiscussed in research and misunderstood in therapy settings, namely, people who are asexual, aromantic, and polyamorist. The article begins by outlining findings from a small but growing body of literature focusing on people who identify as asexual, aromantic, and polyamorist, which suggests that these populations face unique challenges and forms of discrimination when navigating their relationships, identity, and community. At the same time, these groups also report negative experiences of psychotherapy, including ignorance, minimization, and lack of understanding empathy on part of therapists. Such gaps may be bridged through cultural and structural changes in the way in which queer-affirmative psychotherapy models are disseminated in training contexts. Building upon models of queer-affirmative psychotherapy, critical theory, and queer theory, the article proposes steps that trainers may take to encourage students to expand their queer-affirmative practice so that it is more inclusive of and responsive to the experiences of asexual, aromantic, and polyamorist populations. The steps involve (a) cultivating criticality among trainees, (b) holding space for "not knowing," (c) providing diverse case examples, and (d) underlining advocacy as central and necessary to queer-affirmative practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Women in the Boardroom: A Catalyst for Tax Avoidance?

Tax is pivotal in a country’s economy because it is a nation’s largest source of income, However, taxpayers and the government have contrasting viewpoints regarding taxation. Taxpayers perceive taxation as a financial “burden” whereas the government considers tax as their source of revenue “revenue.” Due to the differing perspectives on taxation, taxpayers, especially firms, tend to resort to tax avoidance strategies to reduce their tax expenses. Therefore, the intent of this empirical study is to examine the effect of board gender diversity on corporate tax avoidance practices in the financial sector from 2021 to 2023 using the panel data regression approach. The results of this research study show that board gender diversity is associated with increased corporate tax avoidance practices. The controlled variables, firm size and leverage, do not significantly affect tax avoidance practices, whereas profitability has a significant positive effect. This result aligns with the critical mass theory in which a small proportion of female directors on the board cannot influence the decision-making process of a firm since they will just be ignored.

Evaluating a National Biomedical Training Program Using QuantCrit: Revealing Disparities in Research Self-efficacy for Women of Color Undergraduates.

Program evaluation for interventions aimed at enhancing diversity can fall short when the evaluation unintentionally reifies the exclusion of multiple marginalized student experiences. The present study presents a Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) approach to program evaluation to understand outcomes for Women of Color undergraduates involved in a national biomedical training program called the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative. Using longitudinal data, we examined the impact of participation in the BUILD Scholars programs and BUILD-developed novel biomedical curriculum on undergraduate's research self-efficacy. Employing propensity score matching and multiple regression models, we found that Black women who participated in the BUILD scholars program reported higher research self-efficacy, whereas Latine and White undergraduate BUILD scholars had lower research self-efficacy. Additionally, Latine women who participated in novel biomedical curricula reported significantly lower research self-efficacy. We contend that disaggregated and intersectional analyses of subpopulations are necessary for improvingunderstanding of program interventions and identifying areas where systems of exclusion may continue to harm students from minoritized backgrounds. We provide recommendations for future quantitative program evaluation practices and research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) equity efforts.

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.

Estimation of undrained shear strength of soft clay during surcharge or vacuum preloading

Preloading using either vacuum or fill surcharge is an effective method for the treatment of very soft saturated clay. The preloading will reduce the water content and increase the shear strength of soil. However, when the soil to be treated is very soft, it is difficult to take soil samples for laboratory tests or carry out in situ tests to determine the soil properties including shear strength. Therefore, there is a need to develop an analytical method to estimate the shear strength during preloading. In this paper, a simple correlation among settlement, water content and undrained shear strength using critical state theory is proposed for saturated soil under one-dimensional loading condition to allow the undrained shear strength variation of the soil to be estimated during preloading without testing. Laboratory model test and field monitoring data are used to verify the validity of this method and the proposed correlation is effective to be used as rough estimations on the undrained shear strength of soft clay.

Using a QuantCrit Approach to Develop and Collect Evidence of Validity for a Measure of Community Cultural Wealth.

Students who hold minoritized identities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Educational institutions often apply a deficit lens to understanding disproportionate outcomes between minoritized students and those from the cultural majority. Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) is an asset-based framework that focuses on the cultural strengths that diverse students develop in response to oppressive social structures, and which students use to be successful. Using a QuantCrit approach, we developed and collected evidence of validity for a measure of CCW. QuantCrit is a methodological framework that challenges researchers to critically evaluate theirown biases to produce more equitable analyses. Each author reflected upon our experiences and the ways in which CCW manifested within our lived experiences. Through iterative reflection and discussion, we elected to design items that capture intersecting forms of CCW capital. We conducted cognitive interviews with minoritized students identifying with both seen and unseen forms of diversity to collect evidence of validity based on response process and to avoid construct underrepresentation. The resulting measure consists of 100 items on a 6-point response scale of agreement. Our methodological approach integrates teachings from critical theories to challenge deficit narratives and to capture the experiences of those frequently unheard by the majority culture.

“It seems to be a complicated question”

This article examines how a selection of Scandinavian children’s books, spanning the 1970s until today, have addressed questions about how babies are made. Previous research has shown that various forms of humour have been used in the dissemination of information on intercourse and conception. In our article, we examine how and why humour is used when presenting adult sexuality in books for children. We consider humour a strategy for taking the edge off this challenging topic. However, this strategy comes with a cost. With reference to critical theory and humour theory, we problematise the strategic use of humour, as it may contribute to the perpetuation of heteronormative notions and patterns. In the article, we assess several recurring tactics, which we have categorised into five forms of humour: transgression of taboos, humorous recognition, absurd humour, naive humour and anthropomorphic humour.

The Critical Montessori Model

Despite an increase in race-related Montessori research over the past decade, the Montessori community lacks a unified framework to examine the Montessori Method and its philosophy through a critical racial lens. Without explicit discussions or universal training about race and whiteness, the Montessori Method can be interpreted through a color-blind lens unless scholars and practitioners explicitly use a critical racial perspective. This paper proposes the Critical Montessori Model (CMM), which centers high-fidelity Montessori practice—including the Montessori materials, child development, respect for and relationships with children, and observation as a learning tool—encompassed by critical race theory, as a way for researchers and practitioners to interpret the Montessori Method. This theoretical model critiques systems of whiteness and instead proposes centering the lived experiences and knowledge of the BIPOC community, drawing from theories such as culturally relevant/sustaining pedagogy and community cultural wealth (CCW). The hope is that this model will be the start of calibration among critical Montessori research to unify Montessori practitioners in their interpretations of Montessori education and the possibilities it provides for anti-racist education that centers Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). The paper ends with recommendations for future research using the CMM as a framework and calls for more BIPOC voices to be highlighted in the Montessori research community.

Financial Literacy and Tax Compliance by Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has on numerous occasions failed to meet its revenue collection targets. Discord in tax compliance between Kenya taxpayers and collectors has been highly witnessed. Most SMEs engage in rampant tax evasion hence this study sought to establish effect of financial literacy on SMEs tax compliance level with a nucleus on the effect of budgeting, financial forecasting, credit management and investment diversification. Four critical theories of knowledge-based view, theory of planned behaviour, dynamic capabilities theory and contingencies theory fastened the research. A correlational research design was employed. 190 SMEs was sampled from the population of 846 manufacturing SMEs registered with KAM. Employing a semi-structured questionnaire, primary data was gathered. It was established that budgeting, financial forecasting, credit management and investment diversification had a positive notable effect on tax compliance. A budget was concluded to curtail SMEs expenditures and ensure tax compliance is on track for the future, accurate financial forecasts enable businesses to identify potential market risks and opportunities, there by facilitating better decision-making, effective credit management plays a crucial role in sustaining a healthy cash flow, minimizing financial risks, and building strong customer relationships. Additionally, investment diversification enables SMEs to attract new clients without requiring significant investments in additional personnel or resources. The study recommends that the SMEs should keep their budgeting flexible for better business results and veracity. The SMEs should project future sales by analysing market trends, historical performance, and other influencing factors. SMEs should properly define their credit management process and head for overseeing credit management and enforcing payment terms including handling late payments. SMEs could also benefit from establishing their own virtual mutual fund by investing in a selection of trusted companies that they regularly engage with in their daily operations.

Изкуство, технологии, власт след „епохата на техническата възпроизводимост“

The study problematizes whether and to what extent digital technologies significantly change the principles of power-arts-society interaction from the analog “age”. In the context of Critical Theory, French poststructuralism and contemporary studies of power-culture-technology relations, receptions of the concept of Аura from Walter Benjamin‘s philosophical essay „The work of art in the age of its technical reproducibility“ are analyzed. In this way, key themes such as the construction of history, the autonomy of art and the construction of social space are brought out.

Comparing prediction efficiency in the BTW and Manna sandpiles

The state-of-the-art in the theory of self-organized criticality reveals that a certain inactivity precedes extreme events, which are located on the tail of the event probability distribution with respect to their sizes. The existence of the inactivity allows for the prediction of these events in advance. In this work, we explore the predictability of the Bak–Tang–Wiesenfeld (BTW) and Manna models on the square lattice as a function of the lattice length. For both models, we use an algorithm that forecasts the occurrence of large events after a fall in activity. The efficiency of the prediction can be universally described in terms of the event size divided by an appropriate power-law function of the lattice length. The power-law exponents are projected to be 2.75 and 3 for the Manna and BTW models respectively. The scaling with the exponent 2.75 is known for collapsing of the entire size-frequency relationship in the Manna model. However, the correspondence between events on different lattices in the BTW model requires a variety of exponents where 3 is the largest. This indicates that in thermodynamic limit, prediction does exist in the Manna but not in the BTW model, at least based on inactivity. The difference in the universality classes may underline the difference in the prediction.

Social Vulnerability and Illegal Occupation in Urban APP Areas: Legal and Environmental Perspectives in Brazil

Objective: This study aims to critically investigate the conflicts generated by the illegal occupation of urban Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) to analyze the tensions between environmental preservation and the social rights of vulnerable populations. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical foundation is based on critical urbanization theories, as proposed by Lefebvre, Harvey, and Rolnik, which question socio-spatial segregation and the commodification of urban space, providing a solid basis for understanding the conflicts between environmental and social interests in urban areas. Method: The methodology adopted for this research is qualitative, including case studies and analysis of secondary data, such as public policies on land regularization and relevant legal documents. These methods enable an in-depth analysis of the socio-spatial conditions in occupied APPs. Results and Discussion: The results revealed the socio-spatial exclusion that drives marginalized groups to occupy environmentally sensitive areas. The discussion highlights the need for public policies that do not criminalize vulnerable populations but instead integrate housing and environmental preservation fairly. The limitations of the current legal framework and its implications are also discussed. Research Implications: The implications of this research suggest a systemic change in urban public policies, directly influencing urban planning and environmental justice sectors. This study provides insights for the formulation of more inclusive and sustainable policies aligned with the principles of the right to the city and environmental justice. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by offering a critical analysis of conflicts in urban APPs, proposing alternatives that reconcile social justice and environmental preservation. The relevance of this work lies in its contribution to developing more equitable and effective public policies for environmentally sensitive areas in urban contexts.

Institutional Shareholders, Board Gender Diversity, and Firm Performance

ABSTRACTMy research examines the relationship between two important methods of governance, specifically, institutional ownership and the presence of women on the board of directors. I examine two hypotheses, namely, the stealth‐trading and political attention hypotheses, by employing fractional logit models and zero‐inflated Poisson models. The analysis is conducted on a dataset consisting of 480,780 observations from 2000 to 2018. I find a negative relation between the shares held by institutions and the number of female directors on the board. This supports the stealth‐trading hypothesis. Moreover, I find that public pension funds have a beneficial influence on the presence of female directors, which aligns with the political attention hypothesis. Public pension funds may promote their political agenda by endorsing board gender diversity. Institutional investors with long‐term investment strategies, such as dedicated institutions and quasi‐indexed funds, play a beneficial role in increasing the representation of women on corporate boards. These institutions are expected to appeal to investors that prioritise social responsibility. Female directorships favourably influence the return on assets and Tobin's Q, but an unfavourable influence on market‐adjusted stock return and excess asset return. I find a positive relation between institutional ownership and firm performance when there are few female directors, but a negative relation when there are more female directors, consistent with the critical mass theory in that having more female directors in the firm leads to a greater amount of information being shared, in line with the stealth‐trading hypothesis.

Police talk in the jury room: the production of race-conscious reasonable doubt among racially diverse jury groups

Abstract A central goal of Critical Race Theory (CRT) is to deconstruct the “jurisprudence of color-blindness” that is infused with the language of equality while operating to maintain racial hierarchies. Color-blind ideology extends to the procedures governing criminal juries, ensuring they are disproportionately white while constraining diversity of perspectives, especially regarding policing issues. In this paper, we merge CRT insights about color-blindness and race-consciousness in the criminal jury context and in the Fourth Amendment law governing policing, to advance empirical socio-legal scholarship on race and jury decision-making. We analyze deliberations data from mock jury groups that decided on verdict in a federal drug conspiracy trial, focusing on how groups talked about law enforcement testimony. We find that negative discussions of the law enforcement testimony is associated with shifts toward acquittal, there are more skeptical discussions about this testimony when the defendant is Black, and that the presence of at least one Black juror in any given group is associated with more skeptical discussions of law enforcement testimony. Our qualitative analysis illustrates how Black jurors, in particular, raised concerns about policing, including unjust treatment of Black citizens, then successfully tied those concerns to the specific legal considerations at issue in the case.

Parental expectations and perceptions of augmentative and alternative communication: A Sri Lankan perspective.

Everybody has a right to communicate in any way they can, which includes augmentative and alternative communication. The uptake of augmentative and alternative communication in everyday life may be influenced by awareness, perceptions and acceptance of augmentative and alternative communication by caregivers, family members and the wider society. This study aimed to uncover what parents thought about augmentative and alternative communication in a Global South context. Eleven mothers and five fathers (16 participants) of children with complex communication needs were included. Data were collected using an interview guide from a focus-group discussion and semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using Framework Analysis and from a gender and critical disability theory viewpoint. The key theme found was fear of augmentative and alternative communication stopping the child from learning to speak. The parents wondered if siblings might also use the alternative communication method and stop talking. They worried whether the communication device will negatively highlight their child in society. As parents' views on augmentative and alternative communication influence whether they use it with their child, informing and preparing parents before introducing augmentative and alternative communication to a child and on-going parent training should be considered.

“The World Isn't Black and White”: Adolescent Youth of Color Reflect on School Ethnic‐Racial Climate, Context, and Identity in Middle School

ABSTRACTContemporary scholars of race contend that the long‐heralded “American Dream” rhetoric continues to thrive within the ideology of colorblindness, whereby race is deemed insignificant. Public schools are not insulated from this, and recent political assaults the teaching of “divisive” concepts have already had a chilling effect on classroom content, posing a threat to the affirmation of racially marginalized students. Using qualitative interviews, we examined the salience of ethnicity‐race and ethnic‐racial identity for students of varied ethnic‐racial groups (n = 22) in a middle school community that was ethno‐racially diverse, but where White students constituted a large segment of the population. Guided by critical race theory (CRT) and phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST), our analyses generated five thematic categories upon which ethnicity‐race were relevant to students: learning and appreciation for diversity, ethnic‐racial identity, teacher behaviors, student treatment, and same‐race peer connections and support. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for teachers and counselors to stand in solidarity with youth in challenging hegemonic whiteness in schools.

Qullasuyu Rising: Indianista-Katarista Politics, Paradoxes of the Plurinational State, and the Fall of Evo Morales

This work centers activist critiques of Evo Morales’s government in order to understand how growing alienation of Indigenous social movements from the state-party apparatus contributed to his controversial fall in November 2019’s right wing coup. To that end, I engage the work of Indigenous activists pertaining to the Indianista and Katarista movements as an evolving body of critical theory produced from the vantage point of racialized subjects engaged in a multivalent, anti-colonial struggle. Rather than considering the introduction of neoliberal reforms from 1985 as the inflection point for Indigenous political participation, a more organic understanding of the scope of these movements and their evolving conceptions of their own struggle requires a longer view, beginning with the fallout from the 1952 National Revolution. Such a perspective calls for closer attention to the various militant Indian organizations active throughout the twentieth century and positions them as key protagonists in Bolivia’s numerous social, political, and economic conflicts. Borrowing from political ontology and activists’ criticisms of the traditional Left, this essay argues that Indianismo and Katarismo are anti-colonial political ideologies whose practices mobilize an ontological politics that goes beyond the nation-state but not necessarily the nation, diverging from the state-led Process of Change. Indeed, the proliferation of the wiphala as a symbol of popular revolt across South America in the ongoing protest cycle since 2019 points to both the importance of Plurinational Bolivia in the contemporary progressive imaginary and the centrality of decolonization to autonomous political projects and horizons of possibility.

Critical Religious Literacies and Opportunities for Alterity across YA Literature

This critical content analysis draws on a dataset of contemporary young adult texts receiving awards between 2012 and 2023 to examine opportunities for religiously informed alterity for readers, which we argue can be a productive experience for building critical religious literacy in young adult readers. We argue that young adult literature can serve as models of critical religious literacies when authors, characters, and historical figures engage in conflicted meaning-making as they experience slippages between their lived experiences and their religious and secular beliefs. The study aims to develop a framework for developing religious literacy that draws specifically on identity-laden and critical theories of literacy common within the English language arts. Furthermore, this study provides literacy scholars and practitioners with a robust set of textual resources that can be employed to support critical religious literacies.

Financial Aid as Whiteness as Property: Implications for Research and Practice

ABSTRACT In this article, I demonstrate how financial aid is a valued property of whiteness. Utilizing critical race theory, critical race policy analysis, and whiteness as property, I examine how financial aid has historically and continues to be valued and protected as a benefit for white people. I apply characteristics of property expectations and the function of exclusion to the history of financial aid and contemporary federal student aid processes to demonstrate how federal policy laid the groundwork for a financial aid process that continues to impede People of Color. I rely upon the examples of the GI Bill, aid applications, income verification, and satisfactory academic progress policies to illustrate where and how racist inequities exist within the financial aid process. I conclude the article with implications for applying a critical race perspective to research, policy, and practice with the goal of recognizing how racism influences financial aid administration.