Equal Access Research Articles

Can We Succeed with Inclusive Education for Sámi Pupils?

Since Norwegian compulsory education increasingly recognises Sámi rights and the Sámi as an Indigenous people, the question of how we can provide inclusive education for Sámi pupils by recognising Sámi culture in teaching remains. I argue in this literary research, that inclusive education, both as a concept and as a practice in school, stems from a pathological field, targeting individual needs, and therefore misses the target when educating pupils with an Indigenous cultural belonging. Inclusion as a concept centres on practices such as fellowship, participation, equal access, quality, equity and justice, but its legacy is anchored in individual needs, influencing how we think about inclusion and implementing inclusive measures. This way of thinking still guides the national strategy for inclusive education but will not be sufficient for Sámi pupils, since they, as a group, are not disabled. So-called inclusive measures will rather enhance the integration of Sámi pupils into the Norwegian framework of schooling defined by the majority’s expectations for fellowship, participation and so forth. While Indigenous inclusion takes integrative measures which uphold the status quo, thus dependent on a majority perspective, indigenising has an Indigenous baseline. I argue that non-Sámi society needs to re-contextualise itself towards the Sámi society if we want an education for all.

The Impact of Financial Inclusion as a tool for Inclusive Development

The pursuit of financial inclusion in India has a long and storied history. Financial inclusiondescribes the policy of providing low-income people with easy and affordable access to credit and otherfinancial services. The goal of Financial Inclusion is to promote economic growth by making it such thatpeople from all socioeconomic backgrounds have equal access to, use of, and profit from the formalfinancial system. The promotion of economic parity has recently emerged as one of the most pressingissues facing modern society. In India, the concept of financial inclusion presents a challenge since thegreat majority of the population is still denied access to inclusive economic growth. Credit access isincreasingly seen as a tool for economic growth. Consider the effects of financial inclusion on inclusivedevelopment in this paper.

Pengaruh Infrastruktur Terhadap Pertumbuhan Ekonomi di Kawasan Timur Indonesia (KTI) Periode Tahun 2018-2022

This study aims to determine the impact of infrastructure such as roads, sanitation, electricity, education, and information technology on economic growth in Eastern Indonesia. Using quantitative methods and panel data analysis, this study found that these infrastructure factors have a significant influence on economic growth. While road and sanitation infrastructure show a positive and significant effect, electricity has a negative and significant impact. Education infrastructure shows no significant effect, and information technology has a positive but insignificant impact on economic growth. This study suggests recommendations for the government to focus on improving electricity infrastructure and ensuring equal access to education and information technology facilities.

Impact of recent criteria changes for the deferral criteria specific to men who have sex with men in France.

In 2016, France allowed men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood if they had not had sex with men in the previous 12 months. In April 2020, this restriction was relaxed to 4 months due to the lack of negative impact observed on blood safety. This study assesses the impact of reducing this deferral period on epidemiological surveillance indicators. This study compares infection surveillance indicators between two 30-month periods before (P1) and after (P2) this second deferral change. Overall, 79 donations tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (49 in P1 and 30 in P2), 322 for hepatitis C virus (HCV) (185 and 137), 622 for hepatitis B virus (HBV) (355 and 267) and 1684 for syphilis (799 and 885). Positive donation rates decreased between P1 and P2, except for syphilis: HIV (0.07/10,000 donations vs. 0.04; p > 0.5), HCV (0.25 vs. 0.20; p < 0.05), HBV (0.49 vs. 0.39; p < 0.01) and syphilis (1.10 vs. 1.29; p < 0.001). For all three viruses, residual risks of transmission by transfusion did not increase: HIV (1/7,800,000 donations vs. 1/10,500,000), HCV (1/25,200,000 vs. 1/47,300,000) and HBV (1/6,400,000 vs. 1/6,000,000). Reducing the deferral period for MSM in April 2020 did not negatively impact residual risks, which remained very low, or the rate of positive donations, except for syphilis, which requires careful monitoring. To ensure equal access to blood donation, MSM have been allowed to donate blood under the same conditions as other donors since March 2022 (i.e., no more than one sexual partner in the last 4 months).

Gender equality and development in Uganda

The purpose of this article is to review the concept of gender equality in all aspects. Despite all the platforms that have been signed by nations, Uganda in particular, that can give men and women equal opportunities in education, employment, political leadership at all levels, financial empowerment, and equal access to assets, getting training skills for all have not been a reality and this has retarded development in Nations. There are still gaps and challenges that need to be investigated. The study used qualitative methods. The findings showed that women have not been given enough opportunities in building the nation in core development aspects and that has not elevated them to the same level with men ie getting equal opportunities, remuneration and human rights was that the government of Uganda should put training of women on computer, business, entrepreneurship, saving and involvement in most activities for more exposure.

Racial Comparisons in Treatment of Rectal Adenocarcinoma and Survival in the Military Health System.

Racial disparities in treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer have been attributed to patients' differential access to care. We aimed to study treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer in the equal access Military Health System (MHS) to better understand potential racial disparities. We accessed the MilCanEpi database to study a cohort of patients aged 18 and older who were diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma between 1998 and 2014. Receipt of guideline recommended treatment per tumor stage, cancer recurrence, and all-cause death were compared between Non-Hispanic White and Black patients using multivariable regression models with associations expressed as odds (AORs) or hazard ratios (AHRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The study included 171 Black and 845 White patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. Overall, there were no differences in receipt of guideline concordant treatment (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.45, 1.29), recurrence (AHR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.85, 2.12), or survival (AHR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.77, 1.54) for Black patients compared to White patients. However, Black patients aged <50 years at diagnosis (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.13, 0.90) or with stage III or IV tumors (AOR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.12, 0.64) were less likely to receive guideline recommended treatment than White patients in stratified analysis. In the equal access MHS, while there were no overall racial disparities in rectal cancer treatment or clinical outcomes between Black and White patients, disparities among those with early-onset or late-stage rectal cancers were noted. This suggests factors other than access to care may play a role in the observed disparities and warrants further research.

Inequality in the Distribution of Wealth and Income as a Natural Consequence of the Equal Opportunity of All Members in the Economic System Represented by a Scale-Free Network

The purpose of this work is to examine the nature of the historically observed and empirically described by the Pareto law inequality in the distribution of wealth and income in an economic system. This inequality is presumed to be the result of unequal opportunity by its members. An analytical model of the economic system consisting of a large number of actors, all having equal access to its total wealth (or income) has been developed that is formally represented by a scale-free network comprised of nodes (actors) and links (states of wealth or income). The dynamic evolution of the complex network can be mapped in turn, as is known, into a system of quantum particles (links) distributed among various energy levels (nodes) in thermodynamic equilibrium. The distribution of quantum particles (photons) at different energy levels in the physical system is then derived based on statistical thermodynamics with the attainment of maximal entropy for the system to be in a dynamic equilibrium. The resulting Planck-type distribution of the physical system mapped into a scale-free network leads naturally into the Pareto law distribution of the economic system. The conclusions of the scale-free complex network model leading to the analytical derivation of the empirical Pareto law are multifold. First, any complex economic system behaves akin to a scale-free complex network. Second, equal access or opportunity leads to unequal outcomes. Third, the optimal value for the Pareto index is obtained that ensures the optimal, albeit unequal, outcome of wealth and income distribution. Fourth, the optimal value for the Gini coefficient can then be calculated and be compared to the empirical values of that coefficient for wealth and income to ascertain how close an economic system is to its optimal distribution of income and wealth among its members. Fifth, in an economic system with equal opportunity for all its members there should be no difference between the resulting income and wealth distributions. Examination of the wealth and income distributions described by the Gini coefficient of national economies suggests that income and particularly wealth are far off from their optimal value. We conclude that the equality of opportunity should be the fundamental guiding principle of any economic system for the optimal distribution of wealth and income. The practical application of this conclusion is that societies ought to shift focus from policies such as taxation and payment transfers purporting to produce equal outcomes for all, a goal which is unattainable and wasteful, to policies advancing among others education, health care, and affordable housing for all as well as the re-evaluation of rules and institutions such that all members in the economic system have equal opportunity for the optimal utilization of resources and the distribution of wealth and income. Future research efforts should develop the scale-free complex network model of the economy as a complement to the current standard models.

Determinants of sustainable customary land secretariats in Ghana: An economic modelling approach

Land reforms in sub-Saharan Africa are transiting customary land tenure into a neo-customary land tenure regime. Accordingly, the Government of Ghana, together with its development partners, initiated the establishment of customary land secretariats (CLSs) to enhance the governance of customary land administration at the local level. Though this initiative is implemented with advances, events on the ground suggest a growing trend of inactive or dysfunctional CLSs. Synergizing an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and descriptive statistics, we used monthly secondary data from the Berekum CLS to investigate the determinants of sustainable CLSs in Ghana. The analysis revealed that the most critical factors enhancing the sustainable performances of CLSs in the long and short term are the cost of documentation, the timely preparation and delivery of documents, and gender-related matters. Moreover, there was strong evidence of a long-run relationship between the studied variables. Despite the strives for equal land access, women are still less privileged in the acquisition of land. The study portends that should authorities aimed at bringing CLSs closer to the corridors of sustainability, the mandate of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) and the Lands Commission (LC) should not just be the establishment of the CLSs but also ensuring their sustainability. A prioritization of the study’s findings by the OASL and the LC can enhance the patronage of CLSs in their established communities.

Examining the spatial and social heterogeneities of accessing hierarchical healthcare services through the lens of equity: A case study of the central urban area in Shanghai, China

Achieving equal access to healthcare is an essential goal of the Sustainable Development Goals and a key criterion for building healthy communities. In this study, we examine the spatial and social heterogeneities of accessing hierarchical healthcare services through the lens of equity in the central urban area of Shanghai. The BFCA method is applied to analyze the accessibility to healthcare with various levels of services and via travel modes from communities and identify communities with a spatial mismatch. The relationship between factors, including socio-economic factors, health status, medical choice, and accessing healthcare services are examined using a multi-nominal logistic model. The results show that 1) Accessing healthcare performs a spatial mismatch and core-periphery disparity in the central urban area. 2) The lacking the accessibility to high-tier healthcare and a walkable environment are two main spatial equity issues, especially the latter one. 3) The inequities of access to healthcare facilities are systematic differences in factors including age, family income, family expenditure, medical choice, and health status. The results highlight the geographic and demographic disparities in healthcare services through the lens of equity and provide suggestions to improve the healthcare coverage and develop a sustainable and healthy-oriented city.

The leader among us: Identifying career progression barriers between librarians and archivists

For many reasons, not every organizational member will have equal access to career progression or senior leadership positions. Barriers to advancement have been widely studied with demographic differences (e.g., gender, race) but little research has focused on deep-level, cognitive differences. Reasons for disproportionate advancement may be related to individual differences between groups, perceptual biases, or contextual factors. The present study investigated differences between two groups of information science professionals, one that readily advances to senior positions, and the other that does not. In a sample of 460 librarians and archivists, it was found that the two groups were largely similar on individual differences yet varied in their experiences at their organization. Both groups had overlapping personal values and similar levels of worry/concern about leading. However, archivists were significantly lower in engagement at work, leadership support/development, and affective motivation to lead. Recommendations for future research are discussed and it is suggested that organizations pay attention to imbalances in engagement and opportunities across units/specialties.

Տնտեսական աճի ներառականությանը միտված հարկաբյուջետային քաղաքականության միջազգային փորձ / International experience with fiscal policies for inclusive economic growth

The challenge for macroeconomic policy is to integrate policies that support economic growth and create and expand equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from the economy. This includes policies to improve the functioning of labour markets, reduce discrimination, support equal access to education and skills, and increase economic and financial inclusion in all parts of society. The idea of inclusive economic development has been introduced into academic discourse in recent decades and has become one of the main guidelines for economic policy makers and implementers in many countries around the world. The policy of formation and redistribution of public revenues through the state budget is important from the point of view of overcoming the existing inequalities in society and solving the problems of inclusiveness. Therefore, it is important to activate public policy with fiscal policy instruments, to increase its effectiveness in the context of ensuring inclusiveness of economic growth, mitigating inequality in the distribution of income and national wealth. This article studies and interprets the international experience and specific features of the application of fiscal policy oriented to the inclusiveness of economic growth, which is especially important from the point of view of identifying opportunities for its localisation in the Republic of Armenia. The conclusions drawn can be useful in the development of solutions aimed at increasing the inclusiveness of fiscal policy in the Republic of Armenia.

Girls, education and climate crisis in Pakistan: From ‘what-connects’ to a sense of ‘self’ and education after the 2022 floods

Girls’ education has been understood as an issue pendulating between the girls as a subject and their socio-economic conditions. Countries such as Pakistan have historically struggled to ensure equal access and quality of education to girls, who have been made even more vulnerable in the wake of recent crises like the 2022 floods. In the absence of adequate state support, the potentialities of community as social support need to be considered. In this paper, we seek to centre girls’ experiences of constructing the meaning of their desire for education rooted in the networks of social relations and connections, without losing sight of the structural constraints that were exacerbated after the floods. This paper asks the question: how are girls in Pakistan experiencing intersectional issues of education after the devastating 2023 floods?This paper, focused on three flood affected villages in Pakistan, explores educational access and exclusion as a collective experience of girls and their communities. A qualitative multi-method design was utilised, including interviews and informal group-discussions with girls, male and female community members as well as experts (in education, health, and politics). The findings follow a temporal sequence, i.e., looking at the legacies of girls’ exclusion from educational opportunities pre-dating the floods, the post-flood devastation and then, the experiences and emerging potential of relationality. It is argued that such crises require appropriate support from the state and community levels, whilst also urging a deeper engagement with how girls’ aspirations for education contribute to a process of self-enrichment amidst a crisis.

Reflections on the production of space and justice: A study of everyday life of the SuoJincun's guerrilla gardeners

As a country that legally guarantees equal access to public space for all residents, China still faces the challenge of abstract public power impeding socio-spatial production and the realization of spatial justice. The article focuses on two case studies of community guerrilla gardening in Nanjing. It employs ethnographic research methods to analyze the green grassroots actions carried out by residents in the community and to demonstrate the differentiated representational spatial production of the residents. The results show that: gardening has an irreplaceable social acquisition value as the production of real matter, is a material carrier and bond of place attachment, and a means of shaping cultural identity. It contains the potential for creative gardening methods and is an important node of access to nature and culture for groups with limited mobility. Guerrilla gardening recycling of collective space by residents in the form of private appropriation. The discussion session analyzes the positive side of the phenomenon of resident's privatization of common public space from the perspectives of social change, the value of use of public space, and spatial justice. The concludes by moving away from the discussion of public and private space toward an everyday, use-value-driven, locally creative initiative for a new aesthetics of collective space.

Psychotherapy use among migrants: a register-based longitudinal study

BackgroundMigrants use less mental health services compared with non-migrant populations, but there is very little information on the use of long-term psychotherapy among migrants. Finnish register data allow for studying...

“I just want to annoy him now and say, look, I can do STEM too!”: a qualitative investigation into the attitudes and engagement of female students in STEM education in Ireland

ABSTRACT Women are underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths); with further stratification existing for those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Understanding the reasons for this is essential to progress towards equality in STEM fields. This paper takes the perspective of such marginalized groups and explores their beliefs about STEM within a school-based system, for the purposes of this study a focus has been placed on gender and socio-economic status. Focus groups were conducted with 18 female participants attending Irish secondary schools. The results provide insight into the challenges faced when pursuing STEM; additionally, the motivating and inhibiting factors are reported. Results reveal how social and academic barriers prevent young women from progressing in STEM, highlighting how intersectional layers of disadvantage limit equal access in STEM education. Such findings can inform the development of policies to help students access STEM-education, especially those attending schools characterized by higher concentrations of students from low-socio-economic backgrounds.

Politics in the Name of Women’s Reservation

The discussion highlights concerns regarding gender-based reservations in India, particularly the potential for these policies to disproportionately benefit wealthier and upper-class women, sidelining women from lower socio-economic strata and disadvantaged castes. It proposes solutions such as ‘reservation within reservation’ for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and advocates for a shift towards economic-based reservations, considering financial need rather than gender alone. The importance of education, awareness campaigns and transparent criteria for reservation is emphasized, promoting equal access to opportunities. An intersectional approach that addresses both gender and caste factors is deemed essential to bridge existing disparities. The discussion concludes by emphasizing the need for regular reviews and data-driven policy adjustments to create an inclusive reservation system that empowers individuals from all backgrounds, aligning with the broader goal of fostering a just and balanced society.

Sufferings, Resilience, and Triumph over Despair in Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water

This research paper explores the plights of the refugees and their experiences in the place of origin, during the journey and in the host country, which are similar and caused by the same entity of state sovereignty and the use of state of exception in the text A Long Walk to Water. The civil war in Sudan compels Salva and many Sudanese people to leave their home country and live the very painful lives. Their plight is generally universal plight of every asylum seeker. In A Long Walk to Water, Salva starts facing a new set of obstacles after leaving his home country, Sudan and continues even in the host country. Despite the daunting obstacles, Salva's extraordinary resilience, determination, and willingness to adapt enables him to overcome his sufferings. This research paper finally argues that the problems of the right less/stateless people will have to be addressed by creating an unshakable framework by combining ideas of universal right to the political space with ethics of unconditional hospitality. Towards a creating an equal space for every individual, Hannah Ardent’s rights to have right, Kant’s universal hospitality and Derrida’s unconditional hospitality can be instrumental to minimize the sufferings of the refugees in this world. To improve and alleviate the sufferings of refugees, their rights will have to come from their equal access to the political space and legalization of their rights will have to be guided by humanitarian perspectives.

Predicting students’ performance at higher education institutions using a machine learning approach

PurposeMany studies have examined pre-diploma students' backgrounds and academic performance with results showing that some did not achieve the expected level of competence. This study aims to examine the relationship between students’ demographic characteristics and their academic achievement at the pre-diploma level using machine learning.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data analysis was used in this study, which involved collecting information about 1,052 pre-diploma students enrolled at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Pahang Branch between 2017 and 2021. The research procedure was divided into two parts: data collecting and pre-processing, and building the machine learning algorithm, pre-training and testing.FindingsGender, family income, region and achievement in the national secondary school examination (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia [SPM]) predict academic performance. Female students were 1.2 times more likely to succeed academically. Central region students performed better with a value of 1.26. M40-income students were more likely to excel with an odds ratio of 2.809. Students who excelled in SPM English and Mathematics had a better likelihood of succeeding in higher education.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to pre-diploma students from UiTM Pahang Branch. For better generalizability of the results, future research should include pre-diploma students from other UiTM branches that offer this programme.Practical implicationsThis study is expected to offer insights for policymakers, particularly, the Ministry of Higher Education, in developing a comprehensive policy to improve the tertiary education system by focusing on the fourth Sustainable Development Goal.Social implicationsThese pre-diploma students were found to originate mainly from low- or middle-income families; hence, the programme may help them acquire better jobs and improve their standard of living. Most students enrolling on the pre-diploma performed below excellent at the secondary school level and were therefore given the opportunity to continue studying at a higher level.Originality/valueThis predictive model contributes to guidelines on the minimum requirements for pre-diploma students to gain admission into higher education institutions by ensuring the efficient distribution of resources and equal access to higher education among all communities.

Feasibility of online psychosocial interventions to promote mental health recovery and well-being.

Amid the increasing trend and huge impact of mental illness, psychosocial support (PSS) has been asserted to support individuals' recovery. Unfortunately, about 80% of affected people cannot access care as needed. Meanwhile, digital technology has a considerable role in closing service gaps. This convergent parallel mixed methods study examines existing mental health service utilization, users' needs for PSS, and feasibility of online PSS development. A cross-sectional interview survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire at a super tertiary psychiatric hospital in Thailand from March to May 2023, with three groups of service users, having self-perceived conditions/diagnosis of schizophrenia (n = 100), mood disorders (n = 84), and others including alcohol and substance use, anxiety and personality disorders (n = 52). Four focus group discussions with three user groups (n = 16) and one multidisciplinary provider group (n = 7) were parallelly executed. Quantitative and qualitative data were convergently analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and thematic and content analysis. Critical shortcomings of PSS were indicated by 75.8% of user participants. Six common types of self-determined PSS were psychoeducational program, support group, skills training, counseling, supported employment, and complimentary therapy. While psychoeducational program was feasible, support group, and counseling were possibly featured within the 'all-at-once' online intervention development. PSS development based on users' needs can promote clinical and personal recovery outcomes, and close the service gaps. Users with mood disorders have the potential for online interventions. Peer-provider formalization, co-production approach, community engagement, digital literacy, infrastructures, and equal access factors are crucial for sustainable development.

CHALLENGES IN HEALTH ACCESS FOR STREET VENDORS ON THE RAILWAY PATHS OF RIO DE JANEIRO

This article investigates the challenges faced by street vendors in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (RMRJ) in accessing health care. The research, part of a doctoral thesis in Public Health, adopts a qualitative approach to understand the experiences and perceptions of these workers. The study utilized semi-structured interviews with twelve vendors to identify the main barriers to health care access and assess perceptions of the quality and effectiveness of the services received. Street vendors, essential to the urban economy, face job precarity and significant difficulties accessing health services due to the informality of their employment and limitations of the Unified Health System (SUS), such as long waiting lines, lack of doctors, and structural deficiencies. Thematic analysis revealed widespread criticism of the SUS's inefficiency, exacerbated by poor management and underfunding. Additionally, a lack of knowledge about the National Network for Comprehensive Worker Health Care (RENAST) and its services was identified, which limits vendors' access to specialized worker health care. The article proposes that improvements in health education and awareness campaigns about resources like RENAST are essential to enhance access and quality of health care for this vulnerable population. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for integrated public policies that address the health and social conditions of street vendors, promoting investments in health infrastructure, improvements in working conditions, and regularization of informal employment. Lastly, it suggests a profound reform of the SUS to increase its efficiency and equity, ensuring equal access to quality health care for all, especially informal workers.