Discriminatory Beliefs Research Articles

"Fit for Entry": Researching and Remembering the 1917 Gasoline Bath Riots at the U.S.-Mexico Border through Theatre

This research focuses on and serves as the foundation for the creation of a theatrical world, supporting the play’s structural narrative to raise awareness of a historical event and to spotlight historically silenced and suppressed voices of color. The gasoline baths occurred at the El Paso, Texas border in 1917 when Mexicans were inhumanely disinfected with toxic chemicals as they sought entrance into the U.S. as a result of discriminatory beliefs and practices. Primary research will include published articles and books, focusing on the event that will serve as source material for the play developmental process. Secondary research efforts will include U.S. immigration policies of the time as well as identifying key historical figures. Carmelita Torres, a central figure in the event, will serve as the main protagonist and voice of the play. The narrative will showcase her advocacy for her community as well as demonstrate the gender bias role of women. Ultimately, this play intends to serve as a catalyst for change, creating a space for conversation, empathy, and transformation to awaken an audience towards moral and social action.

A note on motivated cognition and discriminatory beliefs

In this note, we provide evidence that motivated reasoning can be a source of discriminatory beliefs. We employ a representative survey experiment in which we exogenously manipulate the presence of a need for justification of anti-social behavior towards an out-group. We find that survey participants devalue members of an out-group to justify taking away money from that group. Our results speak to a long-standing debate on the causes of racism and discrimination and suggest an important role of motivated cognition.

Overcoming Challenges of Education: Effects of Structural Violence and Advances in Quality Education in Colombia and Pakistan

Far from solely direct, structural violence moves stealthily within the very frameworks of society, injuring in ways not seen. Its harms manifest not in physical blows but through the architecture of injustice, through inequities etched into policies, laws, norms. Having this in mind, the main goal of this paper is to present how structural violence takes place in the sustainable development goal of Quality Education (SDG4) in Colombia and Pakistan. To make it possible, structural violence will be defined, as well as the sustainable development goals, and in particular its goal 4 about quality of education. Likewise, it will be analyzed how SDG-4 correlates with other sustainable development goals. This study adopts a cyclical and exploratory approach to theory development as its scaffolding, specifically Grounded Theory methodology. data collection and analysis techniques follow the mixed method with a transformative theoretical design prioritizing qualitative interviews findings. Results highlight the current status of SDG 4 in Colombia and Pakistan, illuminating how ingrained systemic biases and discrimination undermine equitable quality education. Experts outline interlinked recommendations such as sustained investment in education systems, building societal recognition of education as a human right, engaging communities to shift discriminatory beliefs and norms, and centering marginalized groups' agency in political and social reform efforts. A multifaceted approach combining top-down resource provision and bottom-up consciousness-raising is advocated among other recommendations. Overcoming structural violence requires transforming systemic structures while simultaneously shifting societal mindsets perpetuating discrimination in education.

Overcoming Challenges of Education: Effects of Structural Violence and Advances in Quality Education in Colombia and Pakistan

Far from solely direct, structural violence moves stealthily within the very frameworks of society, injuring in ways not seen. Its harms manifest not in physical blows but through the architecture of injustice, through inequities etched into policies, laws, norms. Having this in mind, the main goal of this paper is to present how structural violence takes place in the sustainable development goal of Quality Education (SDG4) in Colombia and Pakistan. To make it possible, structural violence will be defined, as well as the sustainable development goals, and in particular its goal 4 about quality of education. Likewise, it will be analyzed how SDG-4 correlates with other sustainable development goals. This study adopts a cyclical and exploratory approach to theory development as its scaffolding, specifically Grounded Theory methodology. data collection and analysis techniques follow the mixed method with a transformative theoretical design prioritizing qualitative interviews findings. Results highlight the current status of SDG 4 in Colombia and Pakistan, illuminating how ingrained systemic biases and discrimination undermine equitable quality education. Experts outline interlinked recommendations such as sustained investment in education systems, building societal recognition of education as a human right, engaging communities to shift discriminatory beliefs and norms, and centering marginalized groups' agency in political and social reform efforts. A multifaceted approach combining top-down resource provision and bottom-up consciousness-raising is advocated among other recommendations. Overcoming structural violence requires transforming systemic structures while simultaneously shifting societal mindsets perpetuating discrimination in education.

Beyond single-identity spaces of Black mattering: Homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 schools

ABSTRACT Many scholars have documented the critical importance of youth having access to spaces of joy and homeplaces in which they learn to matter. Research has shown that Black LGBTQ+ youth often struggle to locate homeplaces and spaces of joy in K-12 schooling contexts due to societal beliefs flowing from anti-blackness, (hetero)sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism. These discriminatory beliefs coupled with the lack of understanding many educational stakeholders have about the (dis)connections between interlocking systems of oppression complicates their capacity to construct spaces of affirmation and inclusion for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools. In this article, I draw on previous scholarship within Black LGBTQ+ communities in which I worked within a queer of color critique framework to explore how Black LGBTQ+ youth and their communities practice love, agency, and world-making. I reflect on this previous work and offer three practical invitations for education stakeholders committed to creating spaces of joy and homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schooling spaces.

Exploring The Relationship Between Gender Discrimination and Job Satisfaction: A Perceived Discrimination Perspective

The impact of perceived discrimination is the main topic of this study, which examines the connection between gender discrimination and job satisfaction. In addition to addressing the widespread gender prejudice in the workplace, the study looks at how job happiness is affected by discriminatory beliefs. Employers from a variety of industries provide data using quantitative methodologies, which evaluate gender, perceived discrimination, and job happiness. The detrimental impacts of gender discrimination on job satisfaction are revealed by statistical analyses, which are mediated by discrimination perceptions. Finding moderating factors in this relationship is the goal of the study. In order to address gender bias, implications direct inclusive strategies for businesses and policymakers. The research reveals complex relationships between gender discrimination, perceived discrimination, and job happiness, adding to our understanding of psychology. The study, which included 54 Government Girls High Schools with 270 teachers apiece, demonstrates that female teachers have a favorable attitude about their jobs, which affects their motivation, commitment, and student outcomes. This study adds to our understanding of the job satisfaction of Pakistani female teachers working in public schools in Lahore.

‘Only for the white’. A qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic midwifery students

BackgroundAn ethnically diverse workforce has been identified as a key component of safe, compassionate maternity care, and yet midwifery remains a predominantly White profession across the Global North. Understanding the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic midwifery students is key to addressing this disparity. ObjectiveTo capture the university and placement experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic midwifery students in a culturally White environment. MethodsA qualitative approach underpinned by a feminist, inductive, interpretivist paradigm informed a study undertaken with student midwives studying at three separate universities in South East England. Five virtual focus groups and two semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen current student midwives and one preceptee (recently graduated) midwife self-identifying as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic. Analysis was inductive, data-driven and thematic. Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research recommendations have been used to formulate this report. FindingsAlthough some participants reported positive experiences and felt well-supported, an overarching narrative emerged of midwifery as an exclusive and White profession. Institutionalised Whiteness was experienced in university, in placement and within individual student cohorts. Four themes were identified: ‘being an outsider’, ‘prejudice, discrimination and racism’, ‘nowhere to turn’ and ‘positive forces’. ConclusionsRacist and discriminatory beliefs and practices in some midwifery education and placement settings negatively impact student experience and are likely to result in poorer care being provided to Global Ethnic Majority women and families. An unwillingness among some White educators and students to recognise the presence and impact of inequitable and racist environments, and a lack of clear, acceptable, and effective pathways for students to use to raise and discuss concerns, makes it difficult to challenge and change this injustice.

Discrimination reduces work effort of those who are disadvantaged and those who are advantaged by it.

Research shows that discrimination is widespread in work organizations, yet we know little about the causal effects of discrimination on employees' work effort. Here we argue that, by decoupling effort from rewards, discrimination reduces the work effort of those who are disadvantaged by discrimination and those advantaged by it. We test these arguments against the results of five experiments designed to model promotion situations in organizations (total N = 1,184). Together, these studies show that when supervised by a manager with a discriminatory preference, both disadvantaged and advantaged workers reduce their work effort relative to a control condition where the manager is not discriminatory. The negative effect of discrimination is larger for those disadvantaged by it. These effects are mediated by employees' beliefs about how strongly work will impact their chances of reward. We then demonstrate that the relatively greater effort of advantaged-versus disadvantaged-workers in discriminatory organizations leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy: when faced with this effort differential, managers (N = 119) who did not have a priori discriminatory attitudes judged the advantaged category as more competent and deserving of workplace advancement than the disadvantaged category. Our results show that even though discrimination reduces all workers' effort, it can ultimately produce outcomes that reify and entrench discriminatory beliefs.

Political orientation, trust and discriminatory beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal evidence from the United Kingdom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in many ways; for example, evidence from the United Kingdom indicates that higher rates of discriminatory behaviours against immigrants have been recorded during this period. Prior research suggests that political orientation and trust are instrumental in discriminatory beliefs against immigrants. A longitudinal study (six waves and a follow-up) was conducted in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020-August 2021) using convenience sampling (N = 383). The hypotheses enquired about whether political orientation predicts trust in government, trust in science and discriminatory beliefs. Multilevel regression and mediation analyses were conducted, using repeated measures nested within individuals. It was found that conservative views are associated with higher discriminatory beliefs, lower trust in science and higher trust in government. Furthermore, trust in science promotes reduction of discrimination, whereas trust in government, increases discriminatory beliefs. However, a nuance revealed by an interaction effect, shows that a positive alignment between political and scientific authorities may be required to reduce prejudice against immigrants. Exploratory multilevel mediation showed that trust is a mediator between political orientation and discriminatory beliefs.

A global systematic scoping review of literature on the sexual exploitation of boys

BackgroundSexual exploitation of children (SEC) is a widespread crime which impacts the child victim across developmental, health and well-being domains. As victims, boys have received much less clinical and research attention. While context-specific factors likely shape the SEC risk, under-recognized gender norms can deny boys' vulnerability. Professional failures to recognize and respond adequately to boys' sexual exploitation may prevent access to support. ObjectiveThis systematic scoping review updates and broadens a previous review of literature addressing prevalence, victim/offender/facilitator characteristics, control mechanisms, as well as the health correlates and outcomes regarding sexual exploitation of boys. This review included international peer-reviewed and gray literature from 38 countries in 14 languages. Participants and settingStudies from the years 2000 to 2022 that included samples of boys under age 18, or sex-disaggregated data for children under 18, were included. Case studies, systematic reviews, and those reporting on retrospective experiences by adults over 18 were excluded. A total of 254,744 boys were represented across 81 studies. MethodsA systematic scoping review considered qualitative and quantitative peer-reviewed publications from eight, English-language databases. English and non-English non-peer reviewed publications (‘gray literature’) was identified by both ECPAT International's global network of member organizations and citation chaining. ResultsOverall, 81 peer-reviewed (n = 51) and gray literature (n = 30) documents from 38 countries were included. In total, 254,744 youth participated in peer-reviewed studies (N = 217,726) and gray literature (N = 37,018). General prevalence of sexual exploitation of boys was reported at up to 5 %, with higher rates noted in specifically vulnerable sub-populations (e.g., 10 %, trans youth; 26 %, street-connected youth). The literature indicates that sexual exploitation of boys is reported as occurring primarily between 12 and 18 years old. Multi-level factors are linked to SEC, including individual (e.g., disability status), relationship (e.g., child maltreatment, dating violence), community (e.g., community violence), and societal domains (e.g., discriminatory beliefs). SEC victimization is linked with youth mental and physical health concerns, particularly sexual health. Post-traumatic stress symptomatology or disorder was rarely evaluated. Evidence-based treatments were not available, which may be related to a lack of gender-based theoretical models for understanding SEC specifically. ConclusionThe sexual exploitation of boys is a prevalent public health, child rights, and clinical issue. All young people experiencing sexual exploitation face sex- and gender-specific challenges, and this remains the case for boys with indications including family rejection, implicit community tolerance for abuse to service accessibility barriers. Actioning our duty to care for all children requires gender- and trauma-informed lenses. Ongoing surveillance of all forms of violence against children, with gender disaggregation, is essential for practice and policy advancement.

Do sleep disruptions promote social fragmentation?

Sleep changes predate shifts in mood/affect, thought processing, mental and physical health, civic engagement, and contextual circumstances, among other things. Theory predicts that these changes may lead to shifts in political and social beliefs. Do sleep disruptions shape how individuals see the world, the people around them, and themselves in relation to others? In this article, we use daily survey data from the 77 waves (N ≈ 460,000) of the University of California, Los Angeles's 2019-2021 Nationscape Survey-a nationally representative political survey-to examine the effect of an exogenous short-term sleep disruption on measures of political views, polarization, and discriminatory beliefs. Using this data set, we leverage the modest sleep disruption that occurs at the start (and end) of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and employ a regression discontinuity in time design around the precise DST cutoff (which we supplement with event study models). Despite strong theoretical expectations and correlational connection between measures of sleep and many outcomes related to social fragmentation, we find that the DST change has little to no causal effect on citizens' levels of polarization or their discriminatory attitudes. These effects are precise enough to rule out small effects, robust to a host of specification checks, and consistent across potential subgroups of interest. Our work adds to a small but growing body of research on the social and political effects of sleep disruptions.

Writing knowledge, practices, efficacy, interests, attitudes, and beliefs of deaf education teachers: a randomized controlled trial.

Writing teachers play an extraordinarily important role in their students' writing development. Teachers' motivational beliefs, such as attitudes toward writing, perceptions of their efficacy to teach writing, or preparation to use evidence-based instructional practices, impact their writing instruction, which directly affects the advancement of students' writing skills. Deaf writers are a subpopulation of writers who may face discriminatory beliefs toward their writing development stemming from ableism, audism, or linguicism. Deaf education teachers may doubt their abilities to teach bilingual/multilingual students or teach deaf students experiencing language deprivation. The current study investigates whether deaf education teachers' beliefs can be fostered through an intensive one-year professional development (PD) program designed specifically for deaf education teachers. In this randomized controlled trial, we examine the extent to which the participation of deaf education teachers in specialized PD and subsequent writing instruction implementation (n = 26) impacts their pedagogical content knowledge, use of evidence-based practices for teaching writing, interest, attitudes, efficacy in teaching writing, and epistemological beliefs about writing compared to teachers in a business as usual condition (n = 24). Pre-post regression analyses indicate statistically significant group differences (with the treatment group scoring higher) on all variables except attitude and some epistemological beliefs. We speculate that specialized, sustained PD paired with supported implementation of writing instruction and ongoing teacher reflection are contributing factors to changes in teachers' motivational beliefs.

Perceptions and attitudes regarding HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among dermatology clinicians and trainees.

In 2020, over 1.2 million people were at risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), though only 25% were prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Given the multitude of dermatologic manifestations of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, dermatologic care can serve as the entry point to the HIV care continuum. Currently, there is limited data on specialists' perspectives on HIV PrEP prescribing. We aimed to survey clinicians and trainees in an academic dermatology department about HIV PrEP-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Survey questions were adapted from existing literature on HIV stigma and PrEP-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Composite scores for each domain were averaged and compared between clinicians and trainees using Wilcoxon's signed rank test or Fisher's exact test. Of 135 providers invited, 31 (23%) completed the survey (11 clinicians and 20 trainees). Of the 31 participants, 16 (52%) had specialized HIV experience and training. When asked about discriminatory beliefs, nine participants (29%) agreed that HIV infection is a "consequence of irresponsible behavior." PrEP knowledge was low, with 13 (42%) participants answering zero out of 3 PrEP knowledge questions correctly. Additionally, 10 (91%) clinicians reported poor knowledge of PrEP side effects, and eight clinicians (73%) indicated they were "not comfortable at all" in prescribing PrEP. No participant had prescribed PrEP, and 22 (70%) participants had never discussed PrEP with patients. Dermatology clinicians and trainees reported some levels of HIV stigma. Substantial gaps in PrEP knowledge and discussion were reported despite prior HIV discrimination training and HIV-related practice experience. Study limitations include a small sample size and a modest response rate. Addressing stigma among dermatologists and improving HIV PrEP education is vital to enhancing the healthcare outcomes of people living with HIV.

The Association Between Perceived Discriminatory Climate in School and Student Performance in Math and Reading: A Cross-National Analysis Using PISA 2018

The negative consequences of perceived ethnic discrimination on adolescent adjustment are well documented. Less is known, however, about the consequences of discriminatory climates in school, beyond the individual experiences of discrimination. This study investigated whether a perceived discriminatory climate in school is associated with lower academic performance across adolescents from ethnic minority and majority groups, and which psychological mechanisms may account for this link. Using the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data, the participants were 445,534 adolescents (aged 15–16, 50% girls) in 16,002 schools across 60 countries. In almost all countries, a discriminatory climate—i.e., student perceptions of teachers’ discriminatory beliefs and behaviors in school—was associated with lower math and reading scores across all pupils, although minorities perceived a more discriminatory climate. Lower school belonging and lower values attributed to learning partially mediated these associations. The findings demonstrate that schools’ ethnic and racial climates predict standardized academic performance across schools and countries among pupils from both ethnic majority and minority groups.

Reporting of Discrimination by Health Care Consumers Through Online Consumer Reviews

Little is known about how discrimination in health care relates to inequities in hospital-based care because of limitations in the ability to measure discrimination. Consumer reviews offer a novel source of data to capture experiences of discrimination in health care settings. To examine how health care consumers perceive and report discrimination through public consumer reviews. This qualitative study assessed Yelp online reviews from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020, of 100 randomly selected acute care hospitals in the US. Word filtering was used to identify reviews potentially related to discrimination by using keywords abstracted from the Everyday Discrimination Scale, a commonly used questionnaire to measure discrimination. A codebook was developed through a modified grounded theory and qualitative content analysis approach to categorize recurrent themes of discrimination, which was then applied to the hospital reviews. Reported experiences of discrimination within a health care setting. Perceptions of how discrimination in health care is experienced and reported by consumers. A total of 10 535 reviews were collected. Reviews were filtered by words commonly associated with discriminatory experiences, which identified 2986 reviews potentially related to discrimination. Using the codebook, the team manually identified 182 reviews that described at least 1 instance of discrimination. Acts of discrimination were categorized by actors of discrimination (individual vs institution), setting (clinical vs nonclinical), and directionality (whether consumers expressed discriminatory beliefs toward health care staff). A total of 53 reviews (29.1%) were coded as examples of institutional racism; 89 reviews (48.9%) mentioned acts of discrimination that occurred in clinical spaces as consumers were waiting for or actively receiving care; 25 reviews (13.7%) mentioned acts of discrimination that occurred in nonclinical spaces, such as lobbies; and 66 reviews (36.3%) documented discrimination by the consumer directed at the health care workforce. Acts of discrimination are described through 6 recurrent themes, including acts of commission, omission, unprofessionalism, disrespect, stereotyping, and dehumanizing. In this qualitative study, consumer reviews were found to highlight recurrent patterns of discrimination within health care settings. Applying quality improvement tools, such as the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, to this source of data and this study's findings may help inform assessments and initiatives directed at reducing discrimination within the health care setting.

A Note on Motivated Cognition and Discriminatory Beliefs

A Note on Motivated Cognition and Discriminatory Beliefs

Safe and optimistic: Experiences of military members after the first repatriation of South Africans during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic presented a period of unprecedented uncertainty. The repatriation of South African citizens from Wuhan was a first for the South African government. These special circumstances of risk presented a unique opportunity to explore experiences of military members who were at the frontline. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members involved in the first South African repatriation of its citizens due to the Covid-19 crisis. This included aspects such as possible stigma, perceptions and emotions towards Covid-19, repatriation, and quarantine experienced by the SANDF members. A quantitative research approach was adopted for this study. The exploratory study used purposive sampling to include only military members involved in the first South African repatriation and quarantine procedure for the Covid-19 pandemic. The research sample comprised 13 SANDF regular force members of whom 85% had tertiary qualifications. These military members were asked to complete informed consent forms and a newly created questionnaire, the Stigma and Related Matters Questionnaire. A reliability, correlation and frequency analysis was performed through SPSS. Cronbach’s alpha indicated high reliability and several strong relationships among the statements. The findings indicated that the military members involved in the return and quarantine of repatriated South Africans, were mostly positive and supportive of virus containment measures and lockdown practices. Military members did not report holding any stigmatising or discriminatory beliefs around Covid-19. These responses are in contrast with literature from other countries where people reported experiencing severe discrimination. The current responses however also support literature that reports positive perceptions on virus containment measures. More research is recommended as the Covid-19 pandemic persists in South Africa.

Marriage, Sexual Privacy, and Sodomy Statutes in the World: A Case Analysis

According to the traditional Judeo-Christian moral and ethical standards, which conceive of sex in purely functional terms, i.e., for the purpose of procreation only. Now days the legislation criminalizing consensual oral and anal sex is outdated and has no place in modern society. By criminalizing private, consensual same-sex conduct, some countries in the world’s penal laws serves as the weapon for police abuse; detaining and questioning, extortion, harassment, forced sex, payment of hush money; and perpetuates negative and discriminatory beliefs towards same-sex relations and sexuality minorities. This sodomy laws thus creates a class of vulnerable people that is continually victimized and directly affected by the provision as well as sexuality minorities. The inalienable component of right to life, the pursuit of happiness encompassed within the concepts of privacy, human dignity, individual autonomy and the human need for an intimate personal sphere require that privacy dignity claim concerning private, consensual, sexual relations are also afforded protection within the ambit of the said fundamental right to life and liberty. There is almost unanimous medical and psychiatric opinion that homosexuality is not a disease or a disorder and is just another expression of human sexuality.

Factors Involved in Praxis in Nursing Practice: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Praxis is a process of applying knowledge in nursing practice to advance emancipatory goals in society and in the world and to eliminate any injustice and discrimination in care. Praxis requires the coherent application of patterns of knowing in nursing practice; however, understanding nursing knowledge is complex and using experiential knowledge alone cannot help us achieve it. The aim of this study was to determine the factors involved in praxis in nursing practice.Methods: The method adopted was qualitative. The researcher interviewed 19 nurses and attended eight observation sessions in different hospital departments. The findings were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Findings from analyzing interviews and observations indicated that desirable and humanistic attributes and effective nurse-patient communication are facilitators of praxis. In contrast, prejudice, occupational barriers, negative thoughts, and discriminatory beliefs are barriers of praxis in nursing practice. Conclusion: If we consider praxis as the simultaneous application of all patterns of knowing alongside efforts to create social justice, factors that drive nurse performance toward social justice, facilitate praxis, and factors that contribute to varied degrees of discrimination and injustice, inhibit praxis. By identifying these factors, nurses may identify and eliminate social justice barriers to care.

Words matter: Labelling, bias and stigma in nursing

Words matter: Labelling, bias and stigma in nursing