Importance Of Social Justice Research Articles

Science of Unitary Human Beings: Toward Anti-racist Actions for Human Environment Wellbecoming.

Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) and several theories that emanate from Rogers' work contain foundational concepts that may lend themselves toward nursing actions to address important social justice mandates, to advocate and to act for equity, and to uproot systems of oppression and racism in nursing. However, at the same time, theoretical concepts such as power arising from ascendant theories of SUHB are often used with little to no critical reflection for past and present-day histories of racism and power inequities in nursing and in society writ large. Using concepts related to SUHB such as integrality, turbulence, power, and patterning, we critically explore the potential of developing anti-racism reflections and actions through 3 theories: Barrett's Knowing Participation in Change; Butcher's Kaleidoscoping in Life's Turbulence; and Smith's Turbulence-Ease in the Rhythmic Flow of Patterning. We acknowledge that SUHB was/is largely developed within a framework of whiteness by scholars who were/are working from academic positions and social identities of societal safety and privilege. This requires nurses to reflect on how that history shapes SUHB. We also acknowledge the urgent need for ongoing anti-racism and justice work by nurses. As a call to action, we suggest a start by critically building upon existing theoretical foundations in SUHB to develop a more explicit anti-racist theorizing-praxis in nursing for the wellbecoming of humans and nonhumans alike.

Beyond the “Human Dimension”: Expanding Fink’s taxonomy of significant learning to include the more-than-human world

We are in a particular moment in human history when climate change and environmental degradation, and the accompanying “eco-anxiety” many of us feel, are challenging predominant ways of living and educating. Just as educational developers have started turning a critical lens inward around other important social justice issues, we all have the opportunity, and indeed a responsibility, to examine the ways that our field may be contributing—albeit inadvertently—to much broader environmental injustices. In this article, we take as our starting point an influential taxonomy of learning, offered by L. Dee Fink, which is frequently utilized in U.S. centers for teaching and learning to guide faculty in the design of their courses. Our purpose is to explore the implications and potential growth areas of one particular area of Fink’s learning taxonomy, what he has called the “Human Dimension,” and then to propose an expanded understanding and application of this dimension to include attention to and relationships with the more-than-human world, which Indigenous peoples have long practiced. We hope, ultimately, for this piece to provoke critical reflection of an anthropocentric approach to education, inspire a broader ecological perspective-taking, and perhaps even result in concrete environmental actions.

Youth-Centered Qualitative Research: Strategies and Recommendations

ABSTRACT Qualitative research methodologies offer many benefits to the counseling field: a thick, vibrant description of a construct or experiences pertinent to a specific group; a critical lens to qualitative research can also propel social justice, advocacy, and systemic change. Despite qualitative research being regularly used in the counseling profession, the majority of this research has been utilized on/with adults, leading to the need for greater guidance specific to youth: children and adolescents. This article is the first in a special issue from The Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, on youth-centered qualitative research. In this lead article, we outline concrete, practical strategies for conducting youth-centered qualitative research; this paper is organized according to a qualitative guide by Goodman-Scott, but applied to youth specifically. Given the importance of social justice and advocacy, this article is also grounded in a critical research paradigm.

Inadequate Social Housing and Health: The Case of Oliver Bond House, The Liberties, Dublin

Background Inadequate housing is an important social justice issue that adversely affects health. Methods Drawing on an extended ethnography case study, this paper presents the results of a resident-led survey to highlight the health consequences of inadequate social housing, as residents wait for a ‘fair regeneration’ of their social housing ‘flats’ estate within a gentrifying inner-city Dublin neighbourhood. Results Four key concerns were identified by residents as part of this analysis: (1) substandard housing conditions which are physically harmful to health; (2) the emotional toll of an unsafe social environment; (3) lack of child friendly and community green spaces; and (4) constrained mobility due to inaccessible housing design. Conclusions The results highlight the urgent need to place greater priority on the maintenance of the existing social housing stock and demonstrate the need for public housing policies that recognize the quality and quantity of adequate housing provision, where care is at the heart of housing policies. The paper also presents a novel ‘City of Care’ framework, following the need to develop an ethics of care within cities where public health, community wellbeing, solidarity, residents’ empowerment, and social justice principles are at the forefront. Given that housing is an essential contributor to good health, it is now time for a joint public housing and public health agenda to create healthier homes by confronting the everyday impact of inadequate housing to tackle social inequalities more broadly.

Inadequate Social Housing and Health: The Case of Oliver Bond House,The Liberties, Dublin.

Inadequate housing is an important social justice issue that adversely affects health. Drawing on an extended ethnography case study, this paper presents the results of a resident-led survey to highlight the health consequences of inadequate social housing, as residents wait for a 'fair regeneration' of their social housing 'flats' estate within a gentrifying inner-city Dublin neighbourhood. Four key concerns were identified by residents as part of this analysis: (1) substandard housing conditions which are physically harmful to health; (2) the emotional toll of an unsafe social environment; (3) lack of child friendly and community green spaces; and (4) constrained mobility due to inaccessible housing design. The results highlight the urgent need to place greater priority on the maintenance of the existing social housing stock and demonstrate the need for public housing policies that recognize the quality and quantity of adequate housing provision, where care is at the heart of housing policies. The paper also presents a novel 'City of Care' framework, following the need to develop an ethics of care within cities where public health, community wellbeing, solidarity, residents' empowerment, and social justice principles are at the forefront. Given that housing is an essential contributor to good health, it is now time for a joint public housing and public health agenda to create healthier homes by confronting the everyday impact of inadequate housing to tackle social inequalities more broadly.

Navigating a Colonial Legacy and Issues of Race and Racism as a South African Social Work Academic

A colonial legacy, the nature of which subliminally instils ingrained reproductions of racial inferiority and superiority, makes it necessary to highlight the need to focus in more depth on the race and racism discourse of social work academics. As social work educators within the current South African higher education, the importance of social justice cannot be overemphasised. Considering the colonial undertones of South African social work education and the multicultural nature of South African society, in this article, I focus on the ethical implications of a colonial legacy and lingering race and racism issues for social work education. The article is derived from part of a qualitative study on discourses about race and racism with 16 academics within the higher education arena. In the article, I employed a non-probability sampling method, face-to-face interviews and a discursive data analysis approach. An excerpt of the interview with one academic Claire (white) is analysed by the researcher (black) with specific focus on Claire’s race and racism discourse. The focus is on critically and reflexively engaging with the ethical implications this has for social work education in the current era. It also contains my reflections as a social work academic navigating issues of race and racism. The findings evidenced seeming obliviousness to coloniality for Claire, which I inadvertently channel. This reflects the challenges of the South African commitment to moving beyond colonialism and the challenge this poses for social work values and ethics.

Environmental Sustainability and Internationalization in Higher Education: A New Frontier in Research, Policy and Practice

Ensuring environmental sustainability has gained global attention in recent years due to the effects of climate change and growing concerns about environmental degradation. A wide range of stakeholders have contributed to the urgent call for action, with recent analyses indicating both progress and alarming shortcomings in implementing needed changes. The field of international education has also begun focusing on environmental sustainability, with research exploring the intersections between internationalization and environmental impact. This special issue of the Journal of Studies in International Education presents timely perspectives on this complex topic, highlighting research on carbon footprints, air travel, sustainability rankings, and the role of professional associations. The issue also addresses the need for individual and collective action, and the importance of social justice and equity in achieving environmental sustainability. While the coverage is extensive, there is a notable absence of voices from certain regions and a lack of focus on student perspectives.

Community resilience in city emergency: Exploring the roles of environmental perception, social justice and community attachment in subjective well-being of vulnerable residents

Despite the importance of social justice and community attachment for subjective well-being (SWB), the existing research fails to adequately examine these factors in urban emergencies. This study develops a theoretical framework to elucidate the roles of environment perception, social justice, and community attachment in SWB during urban emergencies, with a focus on vulnerable populations. Drawing on the context of COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, the research expands the definition of vulnerable groups, considering the factors including gender, income, immigrant, housing ownership, and the infection/exposure history. We examine the proposed framework with structural equation modelling and compare the vulnerable groups with multiple-group analysis. The analysis evidences the direct contribution of social justice and community attachment to SWB, and community attachment intermediates environmental perception and justice to SWB. These factors present heterogeneity amongst the vulnerable groups: community identity only affects the perceived health of residents with infection history, housing ownership and high income. This research revisits the interaction between residents and community environment in urban emergencies from a vulnerability perspective. The discussions provide novel insights for devising strategies for community service and infrastructure development aimed at enhancing community resilience. Also, the findings can benefit urban emergency planning at both community and city scale.

Answering the Call for Systems Change

There is much agreement within counseling psychology on the importance of social justice, yet social justice education and training remain limited in counseling psychology programs (Beerman et al., 2012; Pieterse et al., 2009; Singh et al., 2010). Critical components to social justice education and training include an emphasis on systems theories that could inform interventions (i.e. advocacy and activism) at the exosystem and mesosystem levels as well as learning about the breadth of activism and advocacy skills. Assessment, diagnosis, and conceptualization are considered core functional competencies in professional psychology (Fouad, 2009), yet these processes are often only taught at the individual level. If the goal of advocacy and activism are to foster systems change, considered a functional competency in counseling psychology (CCPTP, 2012), then it is crucial to provide systems-level theories and skills in counseling psychology education and training. We describe how we have attended to the provision of systems-level education and training in our respective programs. We will provide recommendations about the inclusion of systems-level theories, classroom formats, assignments, and mentorship designed to foster trainees’ development of a systems-level theoretical orientation, as well as skills to engage in social justice research, leadership, and both micro- and macro-level advocacy interventions.

The role of the recognition of the Customary Marriages Amendment Act 1 of 2021 and wills in determining the proprietary consequences of polygynous customary marriages [Discussion of Mshengu v Estate Late Mshengu (9223/2016P) 2021 ZAKZPHC 49 (6 August 2021)

The Recognition of Customary Marriages Amendment Act 1 of 2021 amends section 7(1) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages 120 of 1998 as a sequel to Gumede v President of the Republic of South Africa 2009 3 SA 152 (CC) and Ramuhovhi v President of the Republic of South Africa 2018 2 SA 1 (CC) in which this section was declared unconstitutional on the basis that it unfairly discriminated, on the basis of gender and race, against women married in terms of customary law before the commencement of the Act. According to the Constitutional Court, these women did not have the right to possess property in terms of customary law, which left them especially vulnerable in the absence of statutory protection if their marriages were dissolved for example. The achievement of gender equality is an important transformative and social justice goal in South Africa. Over the years, the courts have reconstructed customary law to promote gender equality. Customary law traditionally did not discriminate against women and they were allowed to manage property. However, this changed after contact with colonialism where, through collaboration with African men, women were treated as minors. This was a distortion of the legal system. The problem is that all the focus, including that of the courts and the legislature, is on the distorted version of customary law, and the true version that did not discriminate against women is being ignored. Consequently, in reconstructing and creating gender equality, a new form of customary law is being created, namely constitutional customary law. The true form of customary law does not recognise private ownership of property, A person can only manage property, not own it, but through constitutional customary law, the court and legislature have imposed common law concepts such as joint and equal ownership of property. This has unfortunate consequences, such as the fact that a customary heir can alienate family property after divorce while disregarding any responsibility to the family.

The wicked problem of B(A)ME degree award gaps and systemic racism in our universities.

The independent regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students (OfS), set new national targets in late 2018 to achieve equality of opportunity in higher education by tackling degree award gaps. The sector response to this was to measure degree award gaps between B(A)ME students and white students in their higher education institutions. Analysis of degree award gaps using quantitative methods has revealed an “unexplained gap”. We argue that the existence of this “unexplained gap” is evidence of “systemic racism”. However, the factors influencing a degree award and their associated gaps across different racialized groups of students are so complex, that its problematisation, never-mind its solution is inherently complex. It is our view, therefore, racialized degree award gaps are a wicked problem. Despite this, it is also our view that it is an important social justice endeavor that we must still seek to address as a sector. To do so, we propose a mixed methods approach that uses dynamic centring and an intersectional lens to better understand the experiences of racialized students within the higher education “system”. Current quantitative analysis of degree award gaps simply tells us how different groups of racialized students experience the system. In using a mixed methods approach in the way we outline, we may better understand the racialized lived experience of our students and the factors influencing the experience of different racialized groups within the “system”. This solution-focused approach can help create opportunities that enable students to better navigate social structures and systems and improve their experience in the system. However, this will not address the wicked problem of degree award gaps itself, which is complex, pervasive, and messy.

Home-made blues: Residential crowding and mental health in Beijing, China

Although residential crowding has many well-being implications, its connection to mental health is yet to be widely examined. Using survey data from 1613 residents in Beijing, China, we find that living in a crowded place – measured by both square metres per person and persons per bedroom – is significantly associated with a higher risk of depression. We test for the mechanisms of such associations and find that the residential crowding–depression link arises through increased living space-specific stress rather than increased life stress. We also identify the following subgroups that have relatively stronger residential crowding–depression associations: females, those living with children, those not living with parents, and those living in non-market housing units. Our findings show that inequality in living space among urban residents not only is an important social justice issue but also has health implications.

Birds of a feather flock (even more) together: An intergroup relations perspective on how #MeToo‐related media coverage affects the evaluation of prospective corporate directors

AbstractResearch SummaryThis study examines how incumbent director reactions to media coverage of the #MeToo movement have impacted the evaluation of prospective corporate directors. We argue that heightened intergroup anxiety related to male–female interactions leads incumbents to seize on social attributes that bolster category‐based trust in the reliability of prospective directors' interpersonal behavior. We predict that in response to #MeToo coverage, incumbents evaluate board candidates more positively when they share demographic characteristics or have prior social connections, and these effects are strengthened when incumbents socially identify with the firm. Empirical analyses using a longitudinal survey of evaluations of director candidates support these predictions. Our findings suggest how social movements can produce unintended consequences by inadvertently triggering psychological processes that partially offset the anticipated benefits of the movement.Managerial SummaryIncreased coverage of #MeToo has heightened concerns among board members about male–female interactions on the board. Our study finds that as #MeToo coverage increases, incumbent directors evaluate potential board candidates more positively to the extent that they share demographic characteristics, including gender, race, functional background, education and age, or when they are connected through the social network of board appointments. These effects are especially pronounced for incumbents who psychologically identify with the firm, meaning that their self‐concept is aligned with features of the organization. Our study suggests how psychological reactions of corporate directors to #MeToo may inadvertently reduce board diversity and overall board effectiveness, and we call for research‐based interventions to correct this unfortunate side effect of a critically important social justice movement.

Rhetoric of Vegan/Vegetarianism, and Health, Medicine, and Culture

This dialogue piece provides scholars of the rhetoric of health and medicine with a close examination of vegan and vegetarian diets/lifestyles through the perspective of several scholars, activists, and/or medical practitioners. Through these conversations, the authors illuminate many key areas of interest and future examination related to vegan and vegetarian diets through the lens of several subtopics including health impact, ethics, cultural influence on diet, gender, medical advice, emerging “meat” technologies, and societal rhetoric about vegans and vegetarians.The dialogue participants provide a discussion on how vegetarian diets—and vegan diets in particular—can progress individual and public human health, liberate non-human animals, improve the environment, and provide a vehicle in which several important social justice movements (for both humans and animals) can take root, all the while recognizing the many reasons reasons people might choose a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations as Structural Injustice

Jus post bellum, a relatively new addition to the just war tradition, offers a set of principles to ensure a just peace. The jus post bellum principles establish important guidelines for punitive and transitional justice in the wake of unjust aggression. However, sexual violence during conflict highlights some of the limits of relying solely on a rights-based approach to jus post bellum. Using the jus post bellum principles, I offer some suggestions for what might be required regarding punishment, compensation, and rights vindication for both individuals and communities, highlighting throughout the limits of relying solely on a rights-based approach to jus post bellum. I then argue that post bellum considerations need to account for the structural injustices of sexual violence in conflict situations. Doing so supports important social justice initiatives proposed for a global response to sexual violence in conflict aimed not only at punishment but at prevention.

Customer attribution toward corporate social responsibility: the importance of social justice in COVID-19 donation

PurposeLiterature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has given much attention to the impact of CSR initiatives on business performance. However, managing customers’ attributions to the company’s social activities are also needed. This study aims to extend the existing knowledge by examining the role of social justice as a moderating variable in the relationships among corporate brand image, CSR motive, corporate brand trust and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachThe research data were collected from a sample of 710 respondents in Indonesia through an online survey. The variables used in this study’s questionnaire were adapted from previous studies. The focus of the survey was a COVID-19-related social activity conducted by the biggest private telecommunication company in Indonesia. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that social justice moderated the relationship between corporate brand image and CSR motive. Also, social justice that revealed fairness in social life could influence how customers respond on company social activities and thus create corporate brand trust and loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on only one company and one type of CSR activity (i.e. philanthropy) that might limit its generalizability. Future studies can focus on other types of CSR activities from various companies and industries.Practical implicationsIn designing their social activities, companies must consider the importance of social justice. Companies need to address customers’ concerns toward social and society problems, especially to overcome social, environmental or health problems. Hereinafter, companies must design CSR activities that establish and accentuate their value motives by creating communication through media and public relations activities to symbolize their high concern for social problems or disasters.Originality/valueMost previous studies consider the outcome of social activities and their impact on business performance. This study focuses on the impact of corporate brand image and social justice (as an individual characteristics) on CSR (social activities) and how it can further enhance business performance (corporate brand trust, corporate brand image, loyalty) and enrich CSR research in emerging economies.

A Preliminary Investigation of Social Justice Perceptions Among U.S. Speech-Language Pathologists: Clinical Implications.

Purpose The purpose of this survey research is to provide preliminary data regarding speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceptions of the role that social justice (SJ) plays in their work. As our professional organizations call us to advocate and communicate with regulatory agencies and legislative bodies to promote quality care for all individuals, this topic has become particularly important at this time. At present, there is a lack of data in peer-reviewed publications within the discipline of communication disorders on SJ and even less regarding the perceptions of SLPs on SJ. Method The survey was sent to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)-certified SLPs, identified by the ASHA ProFind database, across six U.S. geographic regions, including both urban and rural communities. Four themes were explored through the survey: (a) importance of SJ, (b) awareness of SJ, (c) current practices related to SJ, and (d) barriers to SJ implementation. Results The majority of respondents view SJ as important to the profession (91.2%) and value the work of creating equality among groups (96.0%). Many SLPs are actively involved in implementing SJ principles in their own practice by accepting Medicaid (40.7%), engaging in political outreach (55.0%), and providing transdisciplinary educational outreach (77.9%). Identified barriers to incorporating SJ include time (62.7%), resources (65.6%), and finances (70.0%). Conclusions Working for SJ is important to a majority of the respondents, and various efforts are implemented to create equal opportunities for service to clients. Barriers continue to exist that limit the degree to which SLPs can work toward SJ. A list of actions to be considered in order to promote SJ in the field is provided. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16584044.

Roma university students in Spain and Central and Eastern Europe: Exploring participation and identity in contrasting international contexts

AbstractRoma are Europe's largest, most marginalised minority, with a long history of racism and exclusion informing complex inequalities. Roma higher education participation remains under addressed, and paucity of research hinders understanding. While there is variation between countries, the proportion of Roma accessing higher education compared to the general population is extremely small in all countries. Spain has the largest Roma population outside Central and Eastern Europe, and relatively high levels of Roma participation in higher education. As part of an international project on Internalisation and Mobility, here we discuss insights from eleven qualitative interviews carried out with Roma students and recent graduates in Central and Eastern Europe and Spain. Findings from a thematic analysis of interviews highlight identity and inclusion and how experience intersects with distinct national approaches. We focus in particular on competing pulls of ethnic invisibility versus coming out, and related onus on a responsibility to give back. The participation of Roma in higher education remains an important social justice issue in Europe. Our research shows that proactive efforts by higher education institutions in Europe are needed to challenge persistent assumptions that fail to value the contribution and potential of Roma students within higher education.

ЗНАЧЕНИЕ СОЦИАЛЬНОЙ СПРАВЕДЛИВОСТИ В ПОВСЕДНЕВНОЙ ЖИЗНИ МИГРАНТОВ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ РОССИЙСКОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ

Objective of the study is: to examine the situation of migrants in modern Russian society and identify the adaptive and integrative potential of social justice. The methodological basis of the research was the method of content analysis: statistical collections, regulations and news articles were studied. Systemic and comparative methods of analysis were used by authors to assess the influence of the factor of social justice / injustice in the process of interaction between the host community and migrants. The method of monitoring observation was also used, which facilitates the analysis of the migration processes’ dynamics in Russia. In order to obtain the necessary data on the situation of migrants in modern Russian society, the importance of social justice in the migrant environment and the problems associated with the adaptation of migrants, a sociological approach was applied. Research results. In this article, considerable attention was paid to determining the possibility of using social justice to increase the effectiveness of adaptation practices, as well as to reduce social and interethnic tensions in the relationship between the host community and migrants. As a result of the analysis of the everyday life of migrants, it was found that most of the problems faced by migrants are caused by their lack of legal awareness and lack of adequate access to economic and social resources (social injustice), as well as there has been a recent increase in the cautious attitude of the population towards migrants and the manifestation of xenophobic sentiments. Prospects of the study. The problem of adaptation and integration of migrants into modern Russian society and the use of the factor of social justice to solve this problem is of considerable interest to researchers. Therefore, in the future, a more detailed study of the adaptation and integration potential of social justice in the migrant environment of modern Russia is planned.

Preparing Students For 21st Century Practice: Enhancing Social Justice Teaching In Clinical Legal Education

Social justice has always played an important role in clinical legal education (CLE). Clinicians are aware that students need to acquire the necessary legal skills and strategies related to client-centred lawyering, process choice and procedural justice. This paper shows that increasingly, despite clinicians’ recognition of the value of teaching social justice in CLE, those who promote it face various challenges in instilling in students the notion that social justice is important. This paper discusses some of these challenges, including, that as experiential education expands, students are being offered clinical placements in the private sector where clients do not face the barriers in accessing justice similar to those in community settings. It therefore becomes imperative to encourage students to retain the notion that social justice is an important value. This paper makes suggestions for how these challenges can be overcome to enhance students’ awareness of the importance of social justice and ensure that it remains a value they retain as 21st century practitioners.