Foreign Backgrounds Research Articles

The challenges of diversity in nursing faculty recruitment: the case of Finland

Diversity considerations in hiring faculty in higher education have garnered significant attention globally in recent years. However, analyses of faculty recruitment dynamics outside the United States, particularly in schools and colleges of nursing, have been limited. This paper explores how concepts related to racism apply to recruitment in nursing education, focusing on the specific context of Finland. Despite the increased admission of foreign students to English-language nursing programs, potential biases against the recruitment of nurse educators from foreign backgrounds persist in Finland. Local data, anecdotes, and an analysis of the broader literature suggest that robust diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and guidelines are necessary to enhance the experiences of both instructors and students. Additionally, training and support mechanisms may be needed to enable nursing faculty members from foreign backgrounds to thrive and fully participate in shared governance within academic institutions. By examining the challenges and proposing strategies for increasing diversity in Finnish nursing education, this paper aims to contribute to the broader discourse on diversity in nursing as a profession.

Examining cultural background and the protective effect of marriage on alcohol use disorder in Sweden.

Little is known about whether the protective effect of marriage on alcohol use disorder (AUD) varies by cultural background. Using Swedish national data, we examined whether marriage is associated with a stronger reduction in AUD risk among Swedes of a Swedish background (i.e. those with two Swedish-born parents) compared to Swedes with a foreign background (i.e. one or two foreign-born parents) and whether the protective effect of marriage depends on whether the spouse has a Swedish or foreign background. Among those born in Sweden 1960 to 1990 (3,093,439; 49% female), associations between cultural background and AUD registration during marriage were estimated with Cox models. Analyses of intra- and intermarriage on AUD registration were examined with Cox models and limited to groups of focal individuals for which there was sufficient statistical power, which included Swedes with two Swedish-born parents, two Finnish-born parents, or bicultural background (one Swedish and one foreign-born parent). Models were sex stratified. Marriage was associated with reductions in AUD risk among those with Swedish and with foreign backgrounds, though less protective for males of Finnish versus Swedish background as indicated by a significant interaction between marital status and parental region of birth, HR = 0.80, 95% CI [0.71, 0.90]. Marriage was also less protective for those with a bicultural versus Swedish background, HRmales = 0.87, 95% CI [0.81, 0.92] and HRfemales = 0.88, 95% CI [0.81, 0.97]. Among those of Swedish background, marriage to a spouse with a foreign versus Swedish background was associated with increased risk of AUD, HRmales = 1.26, 95% CI [1.19, 1.34] and HRfemales = 1.20, 95% CI [1.10, 1.31]. This risk was diminished when family-level confounders (genes, rearing environment) were controlled for. The protective effect of marriage depends on cultural background, with some evidence that increased risks associated with a spouse's foreign background are confounded by family-level factors.

Advancing a tourist perspective in inclusive place branding: anticipated constraints of domestic tourists with foreign backgrounds

ABSTRACT Research on inclusive place branding has primarily focused on residents, while tourists are yet to be addressed, except in representation studies. Inclusion is, however, more than a matter of representation. It must also consider the needs of the tourists. This study explores people with foreign backgrounds’ anticipated constraints to domestic tourism. This article advances knowledge of inclusive place branding in multicultural societies by introducing the constraint-negotiation model to analyse the anticipated constraints. The data includes online focus groups with 30 participants living in Sweden. The findings identify constraints on individual, interpersonal, and system levels. These include language skills, knowledge of the domestic destination and personal habits, lack of domestic network, strong network in another country, and beliefs about place brand communication. The study creates new knowledge of inclusive place branding by enhancing an understanding of constraints to inclusive tourism from a tourist perspective, and the anticipations of people with a foreign background. The findings suggest that understanding and addressing people’s experiences and needs are significant, and inclusion in a multicultural society is a multifaceted and ongoing process. Furthermore, the findings suggest that it is crucial to incorporate non-included groups in the process of producing place brand communication.

Support for Y-compensation of mother's curse affecting lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

Mother's curse refers to male-biased deleterious mutations that may accumulate on mitochondria due to its strict maternal inheritance. If these mutations persist, males should ideally compensate through mutations on Y-chromosomes given its strict paternal inheritance. Previous work addressed this hypothesis by comparing coevolved and non-coevolved Y-mitochondria pairs placed alongside completely foreign autosomal backgrounds, expecting males with coevolved pairs to exhibit greater fitness due to Y-compensation. To date, no evidence for Y-compensation has been found. That experimental design assumes Y-chromosomes compensate via direct interaction with mitochondria and/or coevolved autosomes are unimportant in its function or elucidation. If Y-chromosomes instead compensate by modifying autosomal targets (or its elucidation requires coevolved autosomes), then this design could fail to detect Y-compensation. Here we address if Y-chromosomes ameliorate mitochondrial mutations affecting male lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. Using three disparate populations we compared lifespan among males with coevolved and non-coevolved Y-mitochondria pairs placed alongside autosomal backgrounds coevolved with mitochondria. We found coevolved pairs exhibited lower mortality risk relative to non-coevolved pairs. In contrast, no such pattern was observed when coevolved and non-coevolved pairs were placed alongside non-coevolved autosomes, as with previous studies. These data are consistent with Y-compensation and highlight the importance of autosomes in this capacity. However, we cannot fully exclude the possibility that Y-autosomal coevolution independent of mitochondrial mutations contributed to our results. Regardless, modern practices in medicine, conservation, and agriculture that introduce foreign Y-chromosomes into non-coevolved backgrounds should be used with caution, as they may disrupt Y-autosome coadaptation and/or inadvertently unbridle mother's curse.

Current State and Issues for Children with Foreign Backgrounds in Disasters

Current State and Issues for Children with Foreign Backgrounds in Disasters

Educators’ perspectives on parental belonging in preschool communities

ABSTRACT While academic interest in belonging in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings has increased in recent years, the interplay between parental and educators’ notions of belonging is under-researched. This article explores preschool educators’ experiences of working with families of young children and their perspectives of parental belonging in the preschool community. Nineteen educators from five preschools in different neighborhoods in Reykjavík, Iceland, participated in focus group interviews in the spring of 2023. The findings suggest that preschool educators frame parental belonging in performative terms and base it on communication and interaction in the preschool community. A lack of parental interaction and ‘disinterest’ was identified as the main challenge with indications of it having negative effects on the educators’ own performativity of belonging. However, the educators reported reaching far beyond their job descriptions to provide cultural brokerage to parents of foreign backgrounds, to assist them in navigating the welfare system, and to facilitate wider social engagement. The findings have implications for preschool educators’ expectations towards their engagement with parents of young children.

撤回：災害時の外国につながる子どもたちの現状と課題

撤回：災害時の外国につながる子どもたちの現状と課題

Association between executives’ foreign background and audit fees

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the association between executives with foreign backgrounds and the audit fees paid by the Chinese-listed firms over the period from 2010 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the association between executives’ foreign experience and audit fees, this study constructs the following empirical model: Lnfeei,t = β0 + β1Foreign backgroundi,t + ∑βj Controli,t + YearFE + IndFE + εi,t (1).FindingsThis study finds that auditors charge higher fees for firms hiring more executives with foreign backgrounds. The results are robust to a battery of robustness checks, including fixed effects, alternative measures of independent variable, controlling for other characteristics of executives and auditors and entropy balancing method.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on how executives’ foreign backgrounds affect audit fees, enriching the literature on executive heterogeneity and audit fees and providing important implications for audit practitioners.

Talent has no race, has no face - but it has a skin colour: The 'appropriate femininity' with the case of Kurdish-Swedish Actress Evin Ahmad.

Sexist and misogynist attitudes towards actresses in the mainstream film industry and other media have been the target of feminists for decades. Stigmatized and stereotyped images of immigrants on the screen have also been scrutinized. However, very little attention has been given to the ways in which actresses with foreign background, not necessarily from Black communities, are portrayed and narrated. Addressing this issue would reveal how non-Western body images on screen are racialized according to certain Western beauty standards. Sweden is often described as the most gender-equal film industry in the world; however, this does not mean that marginalization and subordination of non-white actresses with foreign backgrounds, does not occur. Accordingly, using the framework of feminist film critique and drawing on the works of Homi Bhabba, Sara Ahmed and Patricia Hill-Collins, this article offers a reading of Swedish-Kurdish actress Evin Ahmad's experiences to demonstrate how 'beauty' and 'body' culture involve a complicated terrain around race, skin colour and body image. This article argues that a generalized ideology of beauty and stereotypical images of a Middle Eastern woman imposed on Ahmad demonstrate that values and attributes such as beauty, appearance and sexual attractiveness should be understood in the context of social and cultural relations, rather than as universally valued or devalued individual characteristics.

ESG Performance of Chinese Manufacturing Firms: Does State Ownership Matter?

Purpose - This research aimed to delve into the intricate relationship between government ownership and the corporate sustainability of firms operating within emerging economies, with a particular focus on several key firm-level characteristics such as international experience, the foreign backgrounds of top management teams, and capacity in research and development (R&D). By examining these attributes, the research sought to provide insights into the pivotal role that ownership type plays in shaping the sustainable performance of firms in emerging markets.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - This study empirically investigated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance and firm-level characteristics of Chinese listed manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2018.
 Findings - The empirical results showed that government ownership had a significant positive impact on the ESG performance of emerging-market firms, and that the international experience of the firms as well as top manager overseas experience further strengthened this relationship, whereas their inputs in R&D showed no significant influence.
 Research Implications - This paper examined the impact of government ownership identity on firm sustainability outcomes. Our findings reveal significant distinctions in ESG performance between state-owned and privately-owned firms. This study contributes to corporate sustainability literature by investigating the influence of organizational ownership identity and firm-specific heterogeneity on ESG outcome within the emerging economy context.

When do leader backgrounds matter? Evidence from the President’s Daily Brief

A wave of recent scholarship shows that the backgrounds of political leaders shape their behavior once in office. This paper shifts the literature in a new direction by investigating the conditions under which foreign observers think a leader's background is relevant. We argue that pre-tenure biographical attributes are most informative to outsiders during leadership transitions—unique periods where the new ruler does not yet have a track record—because a leader's background provides clues about how that leader might govern. But as time passes, foreign observers quickly discount the leader's biography and instead evaluate the leader's observable behavior. We test our theory by creating a systematic daily measure of attention to foreign leader backgrounds derived from the President's Daily Brief, a novel data source of 4991 recently declassified reports from the Central Intelligence Agency to the American president.

The selective child welfare funnel. Children's exposure to violence and CWS investigations in Sweden

BackgroundResearch indicates that child welfare services reach out to children exposed to violence unequally depending on the child's social background, living conditions and violence type. ObjectiveBased on the notion of selective recognition of vulnerability and risk, this study explores which children CWS pursue to a complete child welfare investigation. Participants and settingA register was set up including all children (n = 1764) between 7 and 12 years that were investigated for suspected exposure to violence by CWS in the municipality of the City of Stockholm, Sweden, in 2019. MethodsThis cohort was systematically compared to demographic data and national self-report prevalence studies to explore possible biases regarding which children CWS investigates. Descriptive analysis, cluster analysis and logistic regressions were used. ResultsThe results confirm previous research that children exposed to violence have reduced access to material resources and inferior living conditions compared to non-exposed children. Physical abuse is more prevalent among boys of foreign backgrounds in stable, two-parent families residing in higher-status suburbs. Conversely, neglect is more common among children of Swedish backgrounds in low-income, single-parent households living in low-status suburbs. In comparison with self-reported prevalence studies, sexual and psychological abuse seem underrepresented in the study group, while neglect and violence in the family are relatively more frequently investigated compared to self-reported prevalence studies. ConclusionsThe results indicate that CWS should develop its methods to reach certain vulnerable groups that are underrepresented for safeguarding and support, for example, girls exposed to sexual abuse.

Perceived group discrimination and the integration paradox in stigmatized neighborhoods

ABSTRACT Residents of “European Banlieues,” or stigmatized neighborhoods in urban peripheries across Europe, are frequent targets of discrimination. Scholars have previously found evidence of an “integration paradox,” where the most integrated people with foreign backgrounds perceive the most discrimination. In this research note, we evaluate whether the integration paradox extends to migrant-origin residents of “Banlieues.” Using an original two-wave panel survey of those with foreign backgrounds from two of Sweden's most deprived neighborhoods, we evaluate which subsets are most likely to perceive the most group discrimination and whether perceived group discrimination matters for their political incorporation. Our findings indicate the presence of an integration paradox in these communities, where greater acculturation is associated with less integration and more perceived marginalization: native-born residents are consistently more likely than foreign-born ones to report group discrimination. Moreover, perceptions of group discrimination are not without political consequence: discrimination reduces trust in national institutions and in ordinary Swedes, and is associated with a weaker Swedish national identity. These findings highlight evidence of pockets of discrimination in diverse and disadvantaged neighborhoods in European welfare states, and point to the detrimental consequences of perceived systematic exclusion.

Marriage‐immigrant Filipinas' acculturation and learning experiences in South Korea

AbstractThis interview‐based qualitative study aimed to understand the acculturative experiences of marriage‐immigrant women in South Korea. Filipinas, who are married to Korean husbands, migrated to South Korea to live with their husbands, and could speak English, were recruited for the research. Interviews with 15 Filipinas were analyzed. As a result, the stories of each of the research participants were reconstructed based on their interviews, and three common themes and 11 subthemes emerged from the constant comparison method are presented. First, marriage‐immigrant Filipinas learned about the role and position of a daughter‐in‐law in South Korea. Second, as mothers with foreign backgrounds, marriage‐immigrant Filipinas' motherhood had to be negotiated. Finally, marriage‐immigrant Filipinas actively engaged in developing extrafamilial support in South Korea by expanding their horizons.

Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Performance in China: Does the Background of Foreign Women Directors Matter?

In the context of economic advancement, developing economy firms are witnessing a growing influx of directors with foreign backgrounds who are joining their corporate boards. Giving the significance of this emerging labor market trend for board members and the particular value of women directors in corporate governance, this study delves into the impact of women directors’ foreign backgrounds on a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and performance. Using a dataset of listed firms on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2010 to 2019, we find that the foreign education and the work experience of women directors improve firm CSR disclosure and performance. Corporate boards with a higher proportion of women directors with foreign education experience tend to disclose more CSR information. And women directors with foreign work experience have a more pronounced impact on enhanced CSR performance. This study provides new insights into integrating stakeholder, social role, and neo-institutional theories to advance the understanding of CSR engagement in emerging economies.

Concerning the different pronunciations of “our,” how does the pronunciation affect people of generational and foreign language background differences?

The younger generation’s dialect has changed rapidly due to the increased consumption of media from different backgrounds. Changing dialect affects the way we communicate with each other. The research question I curated concerned the different pronunciations of “our,” and how the difference in pronunciation affects people of generational and foreign language backgrounds. The methods of the study included a short sequence of questionnaires to provide interest, statistical information, as well as availability information for myself (the interviewer) to find a time at which I may interview the participant. The takeaway from the research was originally to research more on the topic of the generational differences of dialects. However, upon further inspection of my participant pool, another observation of the variables was needed to encompass the entire population. Thus, it can be concluded that dialect changes among people with the competing dialects of the older and younger generations affect the non-native population. The hypothesis suggests there is a relationship between dialect used by both younger and older generations, which impacts L2 English speakers and their pronunciation of “our.” The results were calculated by hand from data collected on Google Sheets. It can be assumed that the [‘aʊɚ] to [‘ar] pronunciation dialect change affected most of the older and younger populations. 42.86% of the total participants used the pronunciation of “our” as [‘aʊɚ], meaning that less than half of the population used the “proper” pronunciation of “our.” The following results are deemed inconclusive due to the number of variables that were present.

Microevolution, speciation and macroevolution in rhizobia: Genomic mechanisms and selective patterns.

Nodule bacteria (rhizobia), N2-fixing symbionts of leguminous plants, represent an excellent model to study the fundamental issues of evolutionary biology, including the tradeoff between microevolution, speciation, and macroevolution, which remains poorly understood for free-living organisms. Taxonomically, rhizobia are extremely diverse: they are represented by nearly a dozen families of α-proteobacteria (Rhizobiales) and by some β-proteobacteria. Their genomes are composed of core parts, including house-keeping genes (hkg), and of accessory parts, including symbiotically specialized (sym) genes. In multipartite genomes of evolutionary advanced fast-growing species (Rhizobiaceae), sym genes are clustered on extra-chromosomal replicons (megaplasmids, chromids), facilitating gene transfer in plant-associated microbial communities. In this review, we demonstrate that in rhizobia, microevolution and speciation involve different genomic and ecological mechanisms: the first one is based on the diversification of sym genes occurring under the impacts of host-induced natural selection (including its disruptive, frequency-dependent and group forms); the second one-on the diversification of hkgs under the impacts of unknown factors. By contrast, macroevolution represents the polyphyletic origin of super-species taxa, which are dependent on the transfer of sym genes from rhizobia to various soil-borne bacteria. Since the expression of newly acquired sym genes on foreign genomic backgrounds is usually restricted, conversion of resulted recombinants into the novel rhizobia species involves post-transfer genetic changes. They are presumably supported by host-induced selective processes resulting in the sequential derepression of nod genes responsible for nodulation and of nif/fix genes responsible for symbiotic N2 fixation.

Health Service Experiences of Transgender Individuals from Foreign Backgrounds in Finland

Abstract Background Internationally, an increasing body of scholarship has focused on the experiences of transgender individuals when accessing gender-affirming healthcare. However, the experiences of transgender individuals who belong to the foreign background population in Finland have rarely been studied. This study aims to fill the gap in research and contribute to the understanding of the experiences of acquiring gender-affirming healthcare among those, who fall into the intersections of transness and also identify of foreign origin in Finland. Methods Fourteen semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), through the framework of intersectionality. The interviews were part of a broader sample of qualitative data, collected about the experiences of sexual and gender minorities among the foreign origin populations in Finland. Results The analysis showed two main interconnected themes. Firstly, perceived barriers when accessing gender-affirming care. In this theme, the intersections of transgender identity, foreign background, class, and age affected the experiences of the individuals. Secondly, the necessity of “performing identities:” the intersections of class, transgender identity, and race affected those. Conclusions The findings of the current study suggest that the intersectional aspects of individual identities create structural inequalities in the Finnish gender-affirmation healthcare system. To tackle these inequalities, further research is needed on the healthcare experiences of gender minorities in Finland both within and outside the scope of transgender-specific healthcare. Key messages • Intersectional aspects of individual identities create structural inequalities in accessing gender-affirming healthcare. • Further research is needed on the healthcare experiences of gender minorities that examines health and wellbeing using an intersectional lens.

Come and Get Yours: Culturally Responsive Library Services and Current LIS Education Response

With the continued internationalization of the U.S. population in recent decades, much of the focus of contemporary public library work has been on helping patrons with foreign backgrounds overcome numerous barriers to acculturation ranging from limited command of English, resulting difficulties securing employment, accessibility of education and healthcare opportunities, racial or ethnic discrimination, and the pressure to immerse into culturally different environment of the host country. This poster details the progress of a two-stage research project that positions the historical development of culturally responsive library services as a key factor in facilitating the integration of foreign-born library users into the mainstream of American society. Stage I presents the results of a thematic review of professional literature to elucidate the crucial role that the funds of knowledge/funds of identity paradigm plays in the experiences these patrons tend to have with library resources and personnel. The poster then uses an adapted library-community convergence framework (Mehra & Srinivasan, 2007) to categorize selected library community-strengthening efforts aimed to change the disempowered status of Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Italian Americans, and other multicultural populations. The author brings to the foreground their compelling tales of perseverance and courage, a successful rise to the challenge of adjusting to a new country and a new culture--ultimately making it their own. Stage II, document analysis, will use the terminology developed for the literature review, to explore to what extent LIS curricular offerings are reflective of the current societal push for more diversity and cultural competence in library education.

In Search of Talent: Startup Policy in South Korea

Countries have long considered immigrant entrepreneurship and high-skilled immigration as crucial sources of economic growth and innovation. Still, little is known about what governments do to attract, support, and retain tech entrepreneurs with foreign backgrounds. This article examines startup programs in South Korea. It demonstrates how the demand for tech entrepreneurship is approached through a new set of policies, conceptualized in this study as (im)migrant startup programs. Through these policies, the South Korean government simultaneously supports immigrant residents with opportunities for entrepreneurship while facilitating the additional immigration of high-skilled entrepreneurs. (Im)migrant startup programs are characterized by intersecting elements of innovation, entrepreneurship, and immigration policies. This combination distinguishes the approach from previously observed skills-based visas, investment programs, and economic integration strategies. The findings are discussed with implications for the global competition for talent and the mobility of high-skilled entrepreneurs.