Diverse Society Research Articles

Assessing pressure ulcers in patients with darker skin tones

Standards of education and practice require nurses to respect and value the principles of equality and diversity. However, even though the UK is an ethnically diverse society, nurse education, teaching resources, textbooks and clinical tools do not adequately consider or represent darker skin tones, which is likely to negatively affect the quality of care and compound health inequalities. This article highlights the importance of skin tone diversity in education, literature and resources to ensure optimal education for nurses and optimal pressure ulcer care for patients. The author reflects on the challenges involved and raises awareness of resources that can support nurses in the early detection of skin changes in people with darker skin tones.

COVID-19 and Racism in the Malaysian Media

Since its onset in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected Malaysia. The Malaysian population became acutely aware of the virus, leading to the implementation of a nationwide lockdown known as the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March to May 2020, aimed at mitigating the virus's spread. However, despite these efforts, as of February 2023, Malaysia continues to grapple with COVID-19, with reported cases ranking as the third highest in Southeast Asia. This paper delves into the multifaceted implications of the pandemic on Malaysia's financial and social stability. Specifically, it explores the impact of the crisis on interethnic relationships, examining instances of racism and prejudice that have emerged during this challenging period. Through an analysis of various news reports, this study aims to shed light on the dynamics that have affected the relationships among different ethnic groups within the Malaysian society. By uncovering and examining these instances of racism and prejudice, this research not only provides insights into the social repercussions of the pandemic in Malaysia but also contributes to the broader international scholarship on the social consequences of global crises. The findings of this study can inform policymakers, researchers, and practitioners worldwide in understanding the complexities of interethnic dynamics during times of crisis and in developing strategies to foster inclusivity, harmony, and social resilience within diverse societies. Ultimately, this research underscores the significance of cross-cultural understanding and cooperation in building a more inclusive and resilient global community in the face of future challenges.

Does religion impact corporate innovation in developing countries?

Purpose This study aims to examine how religion affects corporate innovation in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach Firm- and country-level indicators are used to evaluate the relationship. The study's final sample consists of manufacturing firms from 41 developing countries across different world regions from 2014 to 2018. Findings This paper finds that firms operating in more religiously diverse countries with lower religious restrictions are likely to be more innovative. Furthermore, secularization stimulates corporate innovation in contrast to traditional religious societies. Interestingly, results also indicate that religion hinders corporate innovation by restraining its followers’ involvement in innovative activities under risk, which downgrades corporate innovation culture. Research limitations/implications This study used data from nonfinancial firms from developing countries; therefore, the study's findings could be generalized to other developing economies with caution, as economies operating at different stages of development can have different outcomes from the proposed relationship. The study findings are important for innovative firms, as they can take advantage by segmenting the population based on religious and atheist groups. Results also have some implications for developing countries to foster firm-level innovation through constructing effective policies and ensuring the development of diverse and free religious societies because such societal traits increase corporate innovation and are fruitful for national competitiveness and growth. Originality/value This study contributes to institutional economics and corporate innovation by exploring the link between religion and economic development through the innovation channel and analyzing the latest cross-country evidence. It is a pioneering work in empirical comparison of influence on innovations of different religions.

Recommendations for Improvement of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the CaRMs Selection Process.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the medical field is crucial for meeting the healthcare needs of a progressively diverse society. A diverse physician workforce enables culturally sensitive care, promotes health equity, and enhances the comprehension of the various needs and viewpoints of patients, ultimately resulting in more effective treatments and improved patient outcomes. However, despite the recognized benefits of diversity in the medical field, certain specialties, such as Radiology, have struggled to achieve adequate equity, diversity and inclusion, which results in a discrepancy in the demographics of Canadian radiologists and the patients we serve. In this review, we propose strategies from a committee within the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) EDI working group to improve EDI in the CaRMS selection process. By adopting these strategies, residency programs can foster a more diverse and inclusive environment that is better positioned to address the health needs of a progressively diverse patient population, leading to improved patient outcomes, greater patient satisfaction, and advancements in medical innovation.

Problematising Irish student-teachers’ (dis)engagement with sociology of education in initial teacher education programmes

In this paper, we argue that the foundation disciplines have experienced increased marginalisation within initial teacher education (ITE) in Ireland, even though they are acknowledged in policy, curriculum, and programme development. This marginalisation has occurred because of several developments. The reconceptualisation of ITE in Ireland in 2011, foregrounded a more practice-orientated approach which we argue has contributed to a more ‘mono-dimensional conceptualisation’ of teacher education (Winch et al., 2015). The continued division between the foundation studies and school placement has not helped the ‘cause’ of foundation disciplines, particularly as students are not afforded the opportunity to regularly integrate their learning and foundation studies are not assessed as part of the school placement experience. Drawing on a quantitative study of student teachers in one Irish ITE college, this paper explores their engagement with, and attitude toward sociology and most especially their application of sociological theory in practice. The study found that while students understand sociological concepts, and its importance in education, they do not embrace the transformative potential of sociological concepts for their own identity as a teacher or engage in any meaningful way to interrogate systematic inequality in either education or society. Our findings suggest that ITE students do not have the opportunity to engage in the deep conceptual analysis that is required to implement fully inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogies, a necessity in teh face of a diverse society and homogenous teaching population. The data suggest that students have a utilitarian approach to sociology as a non-pedagogical discipline, and this has repercussions for both the teaching of sociology of education and for students own professional development. We need to reassert the value of the foundation disciplines, particularly sociology of education, as an important pillar of ITE students' professional development. It is incumbent upon foundation discipline teacher educators to reclaim their space, by highlighting the disconnect between theory and practice, and by creating authentic space for students to develop and employ a sociological lens in their journey to becoming open-minded, empathetic and culturally competent teachers.

Inclusive values: Foundations of religious education for multicultural harmonious life

Harmonious living in a diverse society presents complex challenges due to the potential for significant conflict. Radicalism, intolerance, and social conflict often occur, especially concerning religious pluralism. Educational institutions, which are expected to build the nation's character, are also prone to religion's education labeling. Hence, Christian religious education had two choices: strengthen dogmatic teaching or embrace inclusive values. This research focuses on the importance of inclusive values as the foundation for Christian Religious Education. Through descriptive analysis of various literature, this study discusses the theological basis for inclusive values in the context of the Church and its implications for Christian religious education. The research results show that the value of inclusion is based on the reflection of the incarnation and the example of encountering dialogue, which forms the foundation for inclusive Christian Religious Education.

In memoriam: Eleanor Jane Sterling (1960–2023)

In memoriam: Eleanor Jane Sterling (1960–2023)

Reservation policy and the Indian constitution

India is a diversified society, with people from various religious sects coexisting. However, they are not all created equal. Many are from upper-class families and some are not so well equipped with resources. The government has given them some benefits in the form of reservation or affirmative action. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar acted as a champion for Dalits and other underprivileged classes. Reservation policy was enacted to live for the weaker and poorer sections of the community and provide them with equal status as other high-status communities. With time and at the request of other communities, more castes were added to this policy from time to time to provide them with benefits. This paper looks at some of the more important chronological, constitutional and lawful moments in the development of a reservations procedure in India.

Abstracts for a wider audience: promoting linguistic diversity in JBI Evidence Synthesis.

Abstracts for a wider audience: promoting linguistic diversity in JBI Evidence Synthesis.

Juridical Analysis of Blasphemists of Religion Based on Criminal Perspective

Indonesia is a heterogeneous and pluralist country, especially regarding religious diversity. Although different, all religions in Indonesia become one in the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. However, the issue of blasphemy is considered taboo and very sensitive because it concerns interfaith and intertribal or ethnic interests. Therefore, the state is present to anticipate this problem with pre-prepared laws and regulations. So the purpose of this study is to find out and analyze related punishments and criminal violations related to blasphemy based on applicable legal regulations and theories in Indonesia. The method used is to study laws and regulations that are the primary references, books and legal journals as secondary material, and websites and social media as tertiary material. Indonesia's diverse society and democratic values demand that the country maintain harmony among different cultures. The state has prepared Article 156a to protect religion and its adherents, like other articles in the law. In blasphemy cases, the state should mediate and resolve disputes, punish violators, and support victims. Extensive discussions and analyses using various sources have been conducted about blasphemy cases.

Do neutral hearts make the world go around? A eudaemonic turn in business curricula

What does it take for business schools to reconnect with new cohorts of students and their societal expectations? One of the myriad barriers that universities face when addressing such a conundrum is widely given by a hidden – in plain sight – part of the educational curriculum: the principle of secularism adopted decades ago as a precondition of Western modernisation. We do not argue in favour of the adoption of religious forms of education or the design of religious-oriented curricula. Our argument is that within religious philosophies lies a rich inventory of knowledge that connects with millions of religious and non-religious people who are members of a diverse range of societies, organisations and businesses. We propose that a better integrated approach to business students’ development could draw from more human-centred methods of pedagogical design to which the concept of eudaemonia – what motivates people’s hearts and minds – is closely connected. This is particularly salient if we consider the enormous influence that business programmes have globally. This article contributes to the extant literature on business education and management learning by establishing clearer links and theoretical reflections between myriad scholarships concerned with addressing business schools’ connections with new cohorts of students in increasingly diverse societies.

Effects of Atlanticists policies and visions: The legacy of colonialism in conservation

The aim of the present manuscript is to lay on the table issues of inequity that affect several aspects of the conservation process, from basic research and media relations, to planning and implementation. The unifying central core is the legacy and impacts of colonialism (across several social orders) embodied in what we address as Atlanticism. We show how some differential standards are detectable through the conservation process. Finally, we propose some lines of reflection that may help level the influence of colonialism (reflected or expressed as whiteness and discrimination) in societies, and truly preserve biodiversity (diverse human societies included).

“You can’t teach your students something that is divorced from reality”: Palestinian citizenship teachers making sense of the relevance of Islam for citizenship education in Israel

Even though religion plays a central role in many people’s lives, it is often omitted from citizenship education in secularized societies. Educational scholars have increasingly demanded that teaching about religion should be included in citizenship curricula to foster effective participation for all citizens. However, this is an enormous challenge, especially in societies like Israel where religion is politicized as an aspect of violent conflict. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with Palestinian Muslim educators in Israel, we explored how citizenship teachers refer to Islam in their citizenship lessons. The teachers in our study drew on Islam as an important resource to either resist predominant conceptions of citizenship education in Israel or to make the subject more meaningful and relevant to their students. We argue that incorporating religious epistemologies alongside critical pedagogies in the citizenship curriculum is a necessary educational task in diverse and conflict-affected societies like Israel.

Mothered/Othered Daughters: Mother Abjection and Diasporic Identity in Ethnic American Short Fiction

Mother-daughter relationships are usually fraught with tension, which is intensified by the cultural and social conditions under which the mother and the daughter live in culturally diverse societies. Immigrant mothers affect their daughters’ identity formation as they simultaneously nourish and hinder their initiation into the societies they reside in. Through adopting Julia Kristeva’s theory of the abject as a psychoanalytic critical framework, the study examines the extent to which the ambivalent feelings the daughter usually shows towards her mother are embodied in the conflicting feelings she experiences towards the two cultures forming her identity as a second generation immigrant. This is done by analysing the connection between the mother-daughter relationship, the diasporic daughter’s identity and the cross-cultural relations she forms in a culturally diverse setting as manifested in four short stories written by four ethnic-American writers: “Everyday Use” by the African American Alice Walker, “Two Kinds” by the Chinese American Amy Tan, “Aunt Moon’s Young Man” by the Native American Linda Hogan and “How I Became My Mother’s Daughter” by the Arab American Laila Lalami.

“These benefits are ours because we were here first”: relating autochthony to welfare chauvinism and welfare ethnocentrism

ABSTRACT A substantial portion of Europeans opposes granting welfare benefits to immigrants (welfare chauvinism) and to longer-established ethnic minorities (welfare ethnocentrism). We aim to explain welfare chauvinism and welfare ethnocentrism by introducing autochthony as a novel determinant. Autochthony is the general belief in entitlements for firstcomers. Using a representative sample of British (N = 3,516) and Dutch (N = 1,241) natives, we find that autochthony indeed predicts higher welfare chauvinism, even after taking into account a great range of existing explanations. Moreover, an experiment among British natives showed that autochthony not only explains welfare chauvinism towards immigrants but also welfare ethnocentrism towards established ethnic minorities and Muslims. However, autochthony did not explain welfare ethnocentrism towards black Britons. Our findings indicate that the argument “we were here first” can help to shed light on welfare attitudes that are of growing importance in diverse Western societies.

Accounting as a sustainable crafted technology for human exchange activities with nature: A defense of accounting continuity

The literature in the field of accounting establishes that accounting actively changes due to its adaptability to new roles and its fulfilling of functions that members of diverse societies have needed. While accounting is a means that has assisted humans in monitoring resources and holding delegated individuals who administer such resources accountable, it is, however, also being tested to account for human activities with nature. In practice, users of corporate reports need to be informed about the sustainability of the firms in which they invest. Inquiring about sustainability is understudied and experiences low voluntary disclosure. Since reporting on sustainability embraces financial and non-financial disclosure, this study brings to attention the enterprise concept that best fits the conceptualization of accounting at this current time, enabling the accounting profession to meet the urgent ecological, environmental, and social needs of society from reporting entities, primarily those entities whose beneficiaries are part of society. Accounting is the only tool that a business possesses to monitor its internal affairs, administer its external relations, and assess its performance. Adopting the enterprise theory enables accounting to maintain its superiority as a device that meets the emerging needs of business and society. In this regard, accounting is a sustainable profession, because it maintains its existence by assisting corporations in meeting the obligations that they owe toward members of their society and reporting the impact of their actions on members of society at large.

Not only a territorial matter: The electoral surge of VOX and the anti-libertarian reaction.

Although previous work has shown the complexity of motives behind the VOX vote, its emergence is often associated mainly with the Catalan conflict. Our analysis shows that VOX's first electoral success was marked importantly by preferences related to territorial conflict, but also by opposition to immigration, authoritarianism or ideology. The main contribution of the paper lies in demonstrating something that until now had not been empirically verified: the relevance of anti-feminist attitudes amongst the VOX electorate. This shows how, since its onset, these voters have not been so different from voters of other European radical right-wing parties, and how VOX has channelled into elections the reaction against different expressions of a more diverse and egalitarian society.

A Study on the Realistic Dilemma and Innovative Paths of Rural Consultative Democracy

Consultative democracy recognizes and accepts the fact of a diversified society, and the trend of diversified social interest subjects cannot avoid conflicts and differences among various subjects. To some extent, consultative democracy can eliminate these problems and promote consensus among multiple parties. This paper focuses on analyzing the problems and influencing factors in the implementation of rural primary-level consultative democracy. The overall implementation level of primary-level consultative democracy in rural areas is relatively low, which to some extent affects the implementation and development of primary-level consultative democracy in the village. It’s necessary to put forward the countermeasures and suggestions on the basis of the current operation situation and difficulties of rural grass-roots consultative democracy in rural areas, including improving the political literacy of farmers, optimizing the rural consultation system, and improving the quality of grass-roots cadres.

A historical review of pain disparities research: Advancing toward health equity and empowerment

Background and PurposeThis theory-guided review draws on 30 years of published data to examine and interrogate the current and future state of pain disparities research. MethodsUsing the Hierarchy of Health Disparity Research framework, we synthesize and present an overview of “three generations” of pain disparities scholarship, while proposing directions for adopting a “fourth generation” that redefines, explains, and theorizes future pain disparities research in a diverse society. DiscussionPrior research has focused on describing the scope of disparities, and throughout the historical context of human existence, racialized groups have been subjected to inadequate pain care. It is imperative that research not only illuminates existing problems but also provides solutions that can be implemented and sustained across varying social milieus. ConclusionWe must invest in new theoretical models that expand on current perspectives and ideals that position all individuals at the forefront of justice and equity in their health.

Supernatural explanations across 114 societies are more common for natural than social phenomena.

Humans across the globe use supernatural beliefs to explain the world around them. This article explores whether cultural groups invoke the supernatural more to explain natural phenomena (for example, storms, disease outbreaks) or social phenomena (for example, murder, warfare). Quantitative analysis of ethnographic text across 114 geographically and culturally diverse societies found that supernatural explanations are more prevalent for natural than for social phenomena, consistent with theories that ground the origin of religious belief in a human tendency to perceive intent and agency in the natural world. Despite the dominance of supernatural explanations of natural phenomena, supernatural explanations of social phenomena were especially prevalent in urbanized societies with more socially complex and anonymous groups. Our results show how people use supernatural beliefs as explanatory tools in non-industrial societies, and how these applications vary across small-scale communities versus large and urbanized groups.