Global South Research Articles

G20 and the global south: opportunities for global health

G20 and the global south: opportunities for global health

Concentrations of potentially toxic metals and trace elements in pregnant women and association with birth outcomes: A cross-sectional study in Malawi.

Potentially toxic metals and trace elements have been used in Malawi for a long time. However, data on exposure to these elements by susceptible groups like pregnant women and its associations with reproductive health outcomes in Malawi and southern hemisphere is limited. We investigated the concentrations of potentially toxic metals as well as trace elements in pregnant women and assessed the relationship between the levels these elements in maternal blood and sociodemographic factors, dietary habits and birth outcomes. Maternal data was collected from 605 pregnant women. Provider administered questionnaire was used to collect data on maternal sociodemographic factors, life style and immediate birth outcomes. Maternal venous blood samples were collected from 506 pregnant women in southern Malawi between August 2020 and July 2021. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique was used to analyse maternal blood samples for concentrations of arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn). Maternal age emerged as the primary predictor for Cu (p = 0.023), As (p = 0.034) and Hg (p = 0.013) blood concentrations, followed by area of residence, which had significant impact on Ni (p = 0.024) and As (p < 0.001) concentrations. High maternal blood concentrations of Ni were associated with increased birth weight (p = 0.047), birth length (p = 0.026), head circumference (p = 0.029) and gestational age (p = 0.035). Negative associations were observed between maternal whole blood total arsenic (combining organic and inorganic As) concentration and neonatal birth length (p = 0.048) and head circumferences (p < 0.001). Similarly, higher maternal blood Pb concentrations were associated with smaller head circumference (p = 0.002) and birth weight (p = 0.016). This study demonstrates the need to introduce biomonitoring studies in Malawi and countries with similar settings in the global south.

Continuing colonialities through epistemic silences: law schools, law studies and avenues for transformation in Germany

ABSTRACT This contribution critiques the silences, omissions and slow reactions of German discourses regarding the deeper nuances of student-led global movements that seek to confront academic institutions’ complicity in colonial pasts and their role in perpetuating contemporary inequalities and the reinforcement of institutional and structural racism. The critique on the lack of epistemic disobedience in Germany then leads to an assessment of legal education, particularly international law studies, in order to demonstrate the complicity of this specific field as a vehicle of continuing colonialities of knowledge and power (even if unintended). Finally, the article puts forward recommendations for filling in the epistemic and pedagogical blank spaces to aid the transformation of international law studies in Germany and more generally, the global north. By so doing, it contends that the burden to decolonise legal studies, particularly international law studies, should be carried not solely by global south academic institutions but also by those in the global north, for a more united and thus effective fight against the rise of racism in Europe and beyond.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Climate Justice: A Comparison Between the Global North and South

This study analyzes the characteristics of publications on climate justice on a global scale and between countries in the North and South, using the guidelines of the PRISMA model. A total of 826 relevant papers were identified in five databases, with 717 from the Global North and 109 from the South. There is a concentration of work in the countries of the Global North. The social and economic disparities between countries in the North and South are reflected in the distribution of publications. The focus of climate justice research in the countries that make up the Global South is mainly on the socio-environmental context and the social vulnerability of the population; in this group, it is the first time that this theme has been expressed in the analysis.

Rosettes in a matrix: Predicting spatial variation in density of a large felid in a forest‐production mosaic

AbstractLarge carnivores are keystone for ecosystems and flagships for conservation efforts but face severe threats globally. Protected areas are vital for the conservation of these charismatic species along with a host of ecological processes. However, the extent and scope of protected areas for conservation of all threatened species is limited, especially in the global south. Considering larger landscapes that can be compatible with large carnivore conservation goals is an alternative approach to ensure their persistence. This study explores the potential of multi‐use landscapes for the persistence of a globally threatened large felid, the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca). This study investigated the spatial variability of leopard densities across a land‐use gradient using spatially explicit capture‐recapture framework in a tea‐plantation‐dominated forest‐production landscape mosaic in the Duars region of northeastern India. While the density of leopards in this landscape was estimated to be 7.96 ± 1.56 (SE) per 100 km2, significant (p = .048, t = 2.02, df=61) differences in estimates were observed between tea‐plantations (11.53 ± 2.72 (SE) leopards per 100 km2) and the forested habitats (4.67 ± 2.07 (SE) per 100 km2). Densities between tea plantations and protected areas (a subset of the forested habitat) were found to be comparable (9.19 ± 4.55 (SE) per 100 km2). The study posits that conservation‐compatible land use in landscapes shared with people can host a higher density of adaptable large felids like leopard than forested areas and that conservation planning needs to move beyond the dominant PA‐centric paradigm. The study also reinforces the importance of multi‐use landscapes for wildlife conservation, especially for an adaptable large felid.

Blockchain-Enabled Supply Chain Finance: A Bibliometric Review and Research Agenda

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed weaknesses in traditional supply chain finance systems, highlighting the need for digital change. Blockchain technology, with its ability to create secure and transparent records of transactions, offers a potential solution. This study uses bibliometric analysis and a literature review to examine research on blockchain-enabled supply chain finance, drawing on a database of 446 articles from ScienceDirect and Scopus. The findings show a growing interest in how blockchain can improve transparency, efficiency, and security in supply chain finance, addressing challenges like information asymmetry. This study suggests future research should focus on real-world applications of blockchain, how it can be used with other technologies, regulations and governance, and the social and environmental impacts of blockchain-based supply chain finance. This research also highlights the different priorities of the Global North and South in blockchain-enabled supply chain finance. The North focuses on efficiency and traceability, while the South emphasizes adding value and transparency. A lack of research on fair pricing, especially in the Global South, points to a critical gap that future research needs to address to ensure fairness in global trade.

Education for sustainable development in China: experiences from school teachers’ perspectives and enactments

AbstractGiven the rapid development of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the global north and south, the status of ESD in Chinese primary education remains underexplored. Teachers, who play a critical role as education stakeholders in enacting and spreading the influences of ESD, have been largely overlooked in ESD research focusing on China. This paper therefore aimed to narrow this research gap and provide an empirical snapshot illustrating the progress of ESD through the eyes of Chinese primary school teachers. Drawing on an analysis of 151 questionnaires and 25 semi-structured interviews, the study finds that ESD is primarily interpreted as environmental education and often linked through the literal connections of 'sustainability', 'education', and 'development'. ESD is enacted mainly through school activities, policies, curricula, and extracurricular opportunities, though inconsistencies in implementation are evident. The findings provides empirical evidence of ESD in Chinese primary education and build foundations for further investigation into how ESD can be more effectively integrated and practiced within China’s educational system.

Social enterprise as political work: perspectives from the global south

ABSTRACT The political work of social enterprises (SEs) is often neglected in the ‘West; and is almost completely ignored in the ‘Global South’. Stimulated by calls for more studies on the political work of SEs and our initial exhibiting this aspect of SEs, we conducted an inductive study of nine SEs from the Global South. We found the SEs, similar to those in the west, engage in different forms of paradoxical political work––simultaneously working outside of and with governments, while also critiquing policy. Notably, the tactics they employ tend to be more subtle and less visible to the western eye.

An evidence-based review of the pre-requisite interventions for women's inclusion in the blue economy in the global south: A case study of India

The blue economy (BE) is a new frontier that could promote ocean sustainability and equity in the access and utilization of ocean resources. This is more relevant amongst ocean-dependent communities in the global south, such as in India. However, despite increasing evidence of the potential of the BE in promoting women’s inclusion, systemic barriers are still prevalent. Current interventions to bridge gaps concerning gender equity and women's inclusion in the BE are largely fragmented and less comprehensive. This undermines avenues geared towards reactivating gender inclusion and women’s empowerment (WE). Further negative ramifications might emerge, including a limited understanding of evidence-based and context-specific solutions for WE in the BE, ocean sustainability challenges, and the effectiveness of current solutions for coastal women's inclusion. Here, we draw together diverse perspectives systematically extracted from the literature on WE in the BE and develop a ‘strategic sustainable transformational pathway.’ The proposed pathway is grounded on transformative WE perspectives, experiences, and knowledge from India and the global south. The pathway highlights that addressing gender inequality and the core needs of women in the BE requires phased assessments. This can help inform transformative actions for WE. Phased assessments should be based on inclusive stakeholder participation in co-designing, co-monitoring, and continuous evaluation of the efficacy of specific BE interventions. Such actions can contribute to marine social science research that is largely less explored. Future studies can explore the applicability of the pathway by using myriad transdisciplinary approaches centered on participatory co-design and co-inclusion. In India, this can begin with the re-defining of BE in the context of WE. This can help generate micro-level narratives of coastal women on how to promote equity, and WE in the BE, across geographies.

Inequality through digitalization: investigation of mediating and moderating mechanisms

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how digitalization contributes to inclusive development by analyzing global panel data using fixed-effect models. The main finding is the reverse U-shaped relationship between digitalization and inequality reduction. By testing the moderation and mediation effects, we further illustrate the intricate dynamics of digitalization on inequality. The findings suggest that while digitalization fosters inclusive institutions, it may also foster polarized relationships. Furthermore, we demonstrate that reverse U-shaped effects are particularly pronounced in countries in the global south, indicating a diffusion of relational norms.

Revisiting North-South Disparities in Naming Practices: An Extension and Update

This research note presents evidence of persistent disparities in naming practices in social science research between the global North and South from 1960 to the present. The analysis relied on bibliometric records of 11.9 million articles sourced from the OpenAlex collection. By covering the 1960–2024 period and including six social science and humanities subdisciplines—Economic, Geography, History, Political Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology—this study replicates and expands an existing study that used Scopus data (0.5 million articles). Results show that scientific articles about global North countries and populations are systematically less likely to mention the country name in their titles compared to global South. For example, compared to the US, articles about China are between 1.8 and 2.7 times more likely to include the country name in the title. Significant variations across subdisciplines are observed, with Psychology displaying the lowest localization rates and greatest geographical gaps, and History showing seemingly converging trends over time across geographies. Continued research is needed to warrant diversity and inclusivity in social science research. A country-year dataset with country-mention counts in titles and abstracts is made available.

Bridging the AI Divide: Human and Responsible AI in News and Media Industries

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing media and journalism, reshaping processes, content, and audience relationship. This editorial report discusses the opportunities and challenges AI brings to these industries raised by this collection of studies, emphasizing the importance of integrating ethical principles and human-centric approaches to its development. These articles examine how AI reshapes content creation, distribution, and audience interaction while addressing the ethical, political, and economic implications of its integration. Key contributions include discussions on the ethical challenges posed by AI—such as bias, transparency, and accountability—and the need for robust governance structures to foster trust and fairness in AI-driven media systems. A recurring theme in this issue is the AI divide, highlighting the disparity in access to AI technologies between the Global North and South. The special issue offers insights into how this divide exacerbates existing inequalities in media production and consumption. It also advocates for interdisciplinary approaches and collaborative efforts to ensure AI's benefits are equitably distributed across geographical and socio-economic contexts. By exploring both the opportunities and perils of AI adoption in media and news industries, this special issue serves as a comprehensive examination of the evolving relationship between AI, media, and society, offering pathways for responsible innovation and inclusive AI adoption worldwide.

Molecular investigation of harmful cyanobacteria reveals hidden risks and niche partitioning in Kenyan Lakes

Despite the global expansion of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs), research is biased to temperate systems within the global north, such as the Laurentian Great Lakes. This lack of diversity represents a significant gap in the field and jeopardizes the health of those who reside along at-risk watersheds in the global south. The African Great Lake, Lake Victoria, is understudied despite serving as the second largest lake by surface area and demonstrating year-round cHABs. Here, we address this knowledge gap by performing a molecular survey of cHAB communities in three anthropogenically and ecologically important freshwater systems of Victoria's Kenyan watershed: Winam Gulf (Lake Victoria), Lake Simbi and Lake Naivasha. We identified a bloom of non-toxic Dolichospermum and toxic Microcystis in the Winam Gulf, with data suggesting sulfur limitation shapes competition dynamics between these two bloom-formers. Though we did not detect a bloom in Naivasha, it contained the largest diversity of cHAB genera amongst the three lakes. In turn, our results indicated methane metabolism may allow non-toxic picoplankton to outcompete cHAB genera, while suggesting Synechococcus spp. serves as a methane source and sink in this system. Lake Simbi exhibited a non-toxic Limnospira bloom at the time of sampling with very low abundances of cHAB genera present. Subsequently, these results were employed to design a cHAB screening and risk assessment framework for local stakeholders. Cumulatively, this work serves to increase cHAB research efforts on the international scale while serving as an impetus for cHAB monitoring on the local scale.

The relationship between social order and crime in Nottingham, England

AbstractStudies of organized crime in cities have traditionally concentrated on the global south or ethnic enclaves and traditional mafia territories within the global north. Here this study turns its attention to governance-type organized crime in the English city of Nottingham, where the main protagonists are white and British born. It investigates whether such a gang can govern communities by reducing ordinary crimes. We conduct in-depth interviews with local officials and analyze a novel dataset of the public’s phone calls to the Nottingham police from 2012 to 2019, encompassing spatio-temporal information and police-labeled crime types. We identify Nottingham’s ward of Bestwood as the site of an entrenched, governance-type organized crime group, whereas its most similar ward, Bulwell, is not. Further comparative analyses indicate that certain ordinary crime rates are significantly lower in Bestwood than in Bulwell. We conclude that governance-type organized crime can emerge in a country with a high capacity to police and in a nonimmigrant, less affluent community. Our findings suggest that traditional explanations of the emergence of criminal governance in cities need to be revisited.

The Impact of Virtual Exchanges Using English as a Lingua Franca on Students’ Linguistic and Intercultural Competence

We created an eight-week virtual exchange (VE) programme called the Virtual Culture Trip which enabled 68 students from seven countries to engage in online intercultural interaction under the guidance of educators. This study investigated participants’ perceived language skill improvement and intercultural competence (IC) after the programme, the change in their interest in the VE discussion topics, and the relationship between their self-perceived improvement and background factors. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on data obtained from the pre- and post-surveys of 48 students. Results showed that participants believed that their language skills and the four IC constructs (i.e., knowledge, attitudes, awareness and skills) significantly improved. They also seemed to become more interested in the discussion topics. Some statistically significant differences were observed in the abilities to use the language between males and females and these differences might also be associated with the interaction between gender and prior VE experience. Moreover, the interaction between age and English level led to statistically significant differences in their perceived development of intercultural skills. The study shed light on how VE conducted through English as a Lingua Franca can be an enabling means to facilitate interactions across Global North and Global South countries despite challenges posed by geographical immobility due to resource limitations or a global pandemic.

Anthropocenic Futures and Precarious Bodies. A Reading of "Mugre rosa" (2020) by Fernanda Trías

Mugre rosa (2020), by Uruguayan author Fernanda Trías, depicts a near-future Montevideo, where the population is confronted with climatic disaster and the propagation of a devastating disease. In this article, I explore the representation of bodily precarity in the context of environmental catastrophe, arguing that this vulnerability constitutes a point of resistance from which to rethink human identity. On the one hand, exposure to an anthropogenic environment is interpreted as instrumental to late capitalist biopolitics. This is revealed through the cartographies of precarity emerging from the novel, which reflect not only the chasm between Global North and Global South but also local inequalities. On the other hand, this corporeal exposure constitutes a challenge to traditional representations of the human. Through the analysis of the depiction of the illness, I discuss how this deconstruction of the body favours the emergence of a new, interconnected identity. Ultimately, I suggest that a destabilising age such as the Anthropocene constitutes not only a profound moment of crisis but also a privileged space to rethink human subjectivity and its modes of representation.

Currency power as a medium: Revisiting international cost transfer mechanisms in the U.S. subprime crisis

This paper endeavors to meticulously examine the disparities in developmental trajectories between industrialized and emerging economies, employing the nuanced concept of cost transfer within the theoretical framework of the "core-periphery" paradigm. We propose an intricate conceptual model to delve into the mechanisms through which economic crises are systematically shifted from the developed core to the peripheral developing regions, with particular emphasis on the pivotal roles of monetary hegemony and geopolitical dominance. Utilizing the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis as a seminal case study, we scrutinize the intricate dynamics of cost transfer, elucidating how the developed nations leverage their monetary supremacy and geopolitical prowess, often bolstered by military might and neo-liberal ideologies, to facilitate the offloading of inflationary pressures and commodity price hikes onto developing nations, notably China. Our findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on the entrenched inequalities between the Global North and South, emphasizing the asymmetrical power relations that underpin the process of cost transfer. Furthermore, this study enhances the research framework of cost-transfer theory and offers insights into the development of inequalities between developed and developing countries, aiding in the formulation of response strategies for developing countries facing cost transfer and mitigating the adverse impacts of cost transfers, thereby fostering more equitable and sustainable development trajectories.

Enhancing brain health in the global south through a sex and gender lens

Enhancing brain health in the global south through a sex and gender lens

Routes of importation and spatial dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants during localized interventions in Chile.

Human mobility is strongly associated with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 via air travel on an international scale and with population mixing and the number of people moving between locations on a local scale. However, these conclusions are drawn mostly from observations in the context of the global north where international and domestic connectivity is heavily influenced by the air travel network; scenarios where land-based mobility can also dominate viral spread remain understudied. Furthermore, research on the effects of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) has mostly focused on national- or regional-scale implementations, leaving gaps in our understanding of the potential benefits of implementing NPIs at higher granularity. Here, we use Chile as a model to explore the role of human mobility on disease spread within the global south; the country implemented a systematic genomic surveillance program and NPIs at a very high spatial granularity. We combine viral genomic data, anonymized human mobility data from mobile phones and official records of international travelers entering the country to characterize the routes of importation of different variants, the relative contributions of airport and land border importations, and the real-time impact of the country's mobility network on the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2. The introduction of variants which are dominant in neighboring countries (and not detected through airport genomic surveillance) is predicted by land border crossings and not by air travelers, and the strength of connectivity between comunas (Chile's lowest administrative divisions) predicts the time of arrival of imported lineages to new locations. A higher stringency of local NPIs was also associated with fewer domestic viral importations. Our analysis sheds light on the drivers of emerging respiratory infectious disease spread outside of air travel and on the consequences of disrupting regular movement patterns at lower spatial scales.

Algorithmic governance or extortion? Everyday experiences of fintech for loans in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This paper aims to understand the everyday experiences of financialised inclusion amongst fintech users in Nigeria. Concerns about the use of fintech to drive financial inclusion in the global south have led social scientific scholars to argue that it extends processes of financialisation by employing opaque algorithms to extract the behavioural data of users in order to inundate them with unsecured credit and monetise their data through resale. The consequences of these practices are not fully understood across various contexts. Using a variety of ethnographic methods, this paper examines patterns of fintech adoption and usage in Jimeta, Nigeria. It demonstrates that while fintech allows people to sort out their personal issues amidst precarity, it is also entangled in algorithmic governance issues that facilitate algorithmic extortion to the detriment of user populations. Ultimately, the paper argues that fintech, contrary to claims about its potential to unlock prosperity, is one that opens up novel possibilities for profit making and accumulation, albeit with severe consequences on user populations.