Inequality Of Opportunity Research Articles

The influence of social class on internship participation and outcomes in higher education: the case of Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Internships have been widely recognized as an effective channel for enhancing the employability of higher education (HE) students. Accordingly, any inequality in internship opportunities may lead to inequality in students’ employability and future social positioning. Using Bourdieu’s three forms of capital, this study explores how students’ understanding and engagement in internship is affected by the differential resources available in their respective social class position and thus, the implications for the persistence of social reproduction in the future. Through in-depth interviews with eight HE students and three alumni from HE institutions in HK, we found that middle-class respondents engage in HE with cultural and social capital that motivate and facilitate their disposition and capacity to involve in internship. For working-class respondents, while a mismatched cultural disposition curtails their sense of utility, a lack of social capital limits their capacity to participate in internship. This study contributes to ongoing discussion on the relationship between social classes and education via the lens of internship involvement by providing evidence for the unequal playing field of internship for students of different social class positions.

中国高等教育机会：研究回顾与研究趋势

China’s higher education is undergoing a transformation from elitism towards inclusivity, moving towards mass education. Despite this shift, the academic community continues to focus on the inequality of higher education opportunities. This study, using advanced searches in the CNKI database with “higher education opportunities” as the main theme, selected 1259 articles from Chinese journals in Peking University’s core periodicals and CSSCI. Through visual statistical analysis in Excel, the research vividly illustrates the year-byyear growth of studies on China’s higher education opportunities since 1992, reaching its peak in 2010, with the literature quantity showing a fluctuating trend from 2014 to 2022. CiteSpace was employed to analyze the types of keyword nodes in the 1259 articles, revealing that academic research is macroscopically influenced by government guiding ideologies and educational policies. The “gender differences” in higher education opportunities have been a continuous research focus, and it was observed that “gender differences” have the longest half-life, presenting a classical nature. The study results also indicate an expansion of higher education opportunities. However, achieving equal distribution requires translating policies into specific measures, especially targeting vulnerable groups, including women. Therefore, a comprehensive approach combining qualitative and quantitative research is necessary to more thoroughly address gender differences in the distribution of higher education opportunities.

Estimation of inequality of opportunities across countries: a multidimensional approach

The study is an attempt to estimate inequality of opportunities across the countries of the world. We have developed six indices of inequality of opportunities. Each index measures the degree of inequality of opportunities in a particular dimension. Our results show that nature, extent and sources of income inequality are different in different countries of the world. In order to cope with the issue of inequality of opportunities, every country needs to adopt suitable policies depending upon its own context.

Inequality of opportunity in educational achievement in Western Europe: contributors and channels

AbstractWe study the contribution of students’ circumstances to inequality of opportunity in educational achievement (IOpE) in Western Europe and explore the role of intermediate channelling variables in translating differences in circumstances into educational inequalities. Using the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) database, we find that differences in households’ cultural environment and in parental occupation are the most important contributing circumstances, with school’s circumstances being relevant mostly in Central Europe. Our results show that the relevant channels of IOpE in most countries are students’ educational and occupational expectations, their reading habits and skills, and grade repetition in previous years. These findings can provide policymakers with key insights to aid in designing educational interventions that effectively increase educational opportunities across European countries.

Developing an ecology of disabilities framework: viewing disability inclusively

PurposeThis study introduces an ecological framework for disabilities meant to provide a new model of viewing and learning about disabilities and special education. This model projects a multi-systemic view of factors that influence a person's life, where people with disabilities are active actors in the development of the world. The increased awareness about interconnectedness, globalization, inter- and trans-disciplinarity, influences on human experience, greening, sustainability, inequality, inequity and lack of opportunities is shifting how people think about potential and growth.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological approach is qualitative, interpretive research.FindingsIn disability studies, the Ecological Model of Disabilities helps reframe this uniqueness as part of the spectrum of human experiences. In special education, the Ecoducation Model helps reframe the learning experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is conceptual, but it is also all-inclusive, rendering itself to a wide application in educational settings.Practical implicationsThe Ecoducation Model for Special Education is specific to the education of children and adults with disabilities, and it is directly compatible with the broader Ecological Model of Disabilities. These ecological models can be applied to all levels of the ecological system, and to different ecodemes of population. Nevertheless, the ecological models need to be locally implemented, with general principles tailored to national traditions, laws and resources.Social implicationsAdvocating for the pursuit of individual well-being within the larger society, both models call for practical changes in a multitude of areas, including legislation and policy, training of professional personnel, sufficient financial input in programs designed for the care of children and adults with disabilities, change in societal mentalities to fight discrimination, disempowerment and isolation. Because the scope of ecological frameworks is incommensurate, being both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, further research possibilities are countless. The ecological perspective opens the fields of disability studies and special education to new theoretical and empirical possibilities.Originality/valueTwo epistemological models are described as new frameworks in disability studies: the Ecological Model of Disabilities and the Ecoducation Model for Special Education. Both are original models that look into the education and inclusion of the person with disabilities.

A Study on Gender Roles in the Information Technology Profession and its Impact on Human Resources

Information Technology (IT) is one of the fields that has an important role in the economic and social development of the world today. One important issue that continues to be of concern is the gender gap in the IT industry. This research aims to examine the role of gender in the IT profession and its influence on human resources. This research uses a qualitative methodology in the form of a literature review, which implies that the research will examine and explain data by utilising information and textual content from various sources. The study results show that gender roles in the Information Technology profession is an issue that is gaining increasing attention in the IT industry. Despite the increasing participation of women in IT careers, gender imbalance remains a significant problem. Factors such as gender stereotypes, inequality in opportunities, and differences in education contribute to this imbalance. As a result, unequal gender roles in the IT industry create inequalities in compensation and career opportunities, and also result in underrepresentation of women in leadership positions.

Neighborhood deprivation and race as predictors for cancer-related mortality in breast cancer.

174 Background: The socioeconomic status (SES) of individuals and their neighborhoods significantly influences their access to healthcare and the outcomes of their diseases. Inequities in opportunities, education, income, and infrastructure can contribute to worse prognosis and unfavorable outcomes for certain malignancies in areas with lower SES. We studied the association of race and neighborhood deprivation with the survival of breast cancer (BC). Methods: We linked the neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) data by the National Cancer Institute with the BC cohort from the SEER database diagnosed from 2010 to 2016. NDI score of each county is created using factor analysis to identify variables from 13 SES attributes from the dimensions: wealth/income, education, occupation, housing conditions. NDI was classified into quintiles (qn) (Q1 least deprived - Q5 most deprived). The association between NDI, race/ethnicity and overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) was analyzed using Cox multivariate regression model. All analyses were adjusted for age, race, grade, insurance, and treatments. Results: Most of the early-stage (ES) (N= 88, 572) and advanced-stage (AS) BC (N= 12336) patients (pts) were in the Q5 (ES- 27.4%, AS- 30%) qn. There was a predominance of racial minorities in Q5 and Q4 compared to Q1 qn (ES: Blacks 13-15% vs 8%, Hispanics 15% vs 6%; AS: Blacks 19-23% vs 14%, Hispanics 13% vs 7%, p<0.001). Uninsured ES pts were higher in Q5 compared to Q1 qn (2.2% vs 1.7%, p<0.001). Triple-negative BC was higher in Q5 compared to Q1 qn (ES: 14.5% vs 11.7%; AS: 16.5% vs 8.8%, p<0.001). ES BC pts who live in Q5 qn have inferior OS and DSS compared to Q1 qn, but this trend was not observed in advanced BC (Table 1). The interaction between NDI and race for OS and DSS was significant (p-interaction 0.0030 and 0.02 respectively) for the ES BC, but not for advanced BC (p-interaction 0.67 and 0.72 respectively). In ES BC, Whites residing in Q5 qn had higher overall (OS: HR= 1.23, 95% CI= 1.14-1.34, p<0.001) and disease-specific mortality (DSS: HR= 1.29, 95% CI= 1.15-1.45, p<0.001) compared to Whites from Q1 qn. However, this disparity in mortality based on the NDI was not observed for Blacks with ES BC (OS: HR= 1.2, 95% CI= 0.98-1.46, p=0.06, DSS: HR= 1.2, 95% CI= 0.94-1.55, p= 0.12). Conclusions: Early-stage BC pts from areas with worse NDI have poor OS and DSS. Blacks with early-stage BC have poor OS and DSS regardless of the SES of the neighborhoods. To improve their clinical outcomes, personalized treatments are needed for Black pts with early-stage BC. Targeted investments and policies should prioritize improving the SES of neighborhoods with high deprivation to reduce healthcare disparities and enhance BC outcomes.[Table: see text]

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: An Examination of the Root Causes and Potential Solutions for Educational Opportunity Inequality Faced by Asian Women

This paper critically addresses the significant issue of educational opportunity inequality faced by Asian women, exploring its root causes and potential solutions, predicated on principles of justice and social development. The subjects of the study are Asian women, who are encumbered by intersecting societal stereotypes, cultural expectations, and institutional barriers, thereby curtailing their educational prospects. The study deploys an analytical interpretative approach, analyzing various societal stereotypes and prejudices, cultural factors, and systemic constraints, substantiated through a qualitative method. Findings reveal a collective imposition of an educational opportunity ceiling or Bamboo Ceiling on Asian women, proposing potential solutions including policy reforms, awareness initiatives, and educational strategies. Innovative methods are suggested, inspired by the narratives of Asian women, Li Ziqi and Papi Jiang, who overcame such inequalities. Ultimately, the study posits that acknowledging and addressing these entrenched sources of inequality could engender an environment fostering equal educational opportunities for Asian women, aiding in the demolition of the Bamboo Ceiling.

Unraveling transit service and land use components of the socio-spatial inequality of access

This study proposes a framework that delineates the mobility and place components of access to help identify areas potentially suffering from insufficient transit service, limited job opportunities, or both. The framework introduces Spatial Inequality of Transit Services (SITS) and Spatial Inequality of Opportunities (SIO) measures to guide the structural reform of transit development policies through the lens of equity, equality, and need. It is tested on transit access to employment opportunities at the block group level in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Three observations are perceived. First, mobility and place components of access should be untangled to tailor effective transit and land use plans and policies. Second, transit services are less equally distributed than employment opportunities and disproportionately serve the residents of core cities. Third, carless and low-income households disproportionally reside in areas with better transit services regardless of their proximity to employment opportunities, and African Americans are discriminated against the most by the unequal distribution of employment opportunities. The findings serve as an essential input for developing regional transit plans and may be utilized to evaluate and prioritize proposed interventions based on their potential to reduce observed access deficiencies. However, further targeted research on residential location choice is necessary to delve into the decision-making processes, understand underlying motivations, identify potential barriers in seeking alternative options, and determine if it is a result of self-selection.

The Influence of Mothers Education Level on Childrens Awareness of Gender Equality - Based on the Questionnaire of Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Equality Awareness in Families

With the improvement of the social system and the development of the times, the view of men and women should have equal rights has become to the mainstream view. However, in todays Chinese society, there is still a preference for men over women and many people still not have the awareness of the gender equality. This paper analyses questionnaire data on the intergenerational transmission of gender equality awareness in families, based on exposure theory and the multi-layered theory of gender equality awareness. The study found that fathers and mothers have different influences on their childrens awareness of gender equality, and that the influence of mothers is greater than that of fathers. The higher the level of education of the mother, the greater the awareness of gender equality of the children. The above findings suggest that guaranteeing womens right to higher education and eliminating gender-based inequalities in educational opportunities can, to a certain extent, raise peoples awareness of gender equality.

Life Satisfaction among Older Adults in Rural and Urban Mongolia: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Introduction: Life satisfaction is a strong indicator of well-being for older adults. In this study, we aimed to assess the level and correlates of life satisfaction among older adults in urban and rural Mongolia. Methods: We recruited 304 community-dwelling older adults in urban and rural regions of Mongolia. We compared levels of life satisfaction for the two groups, and then used hierarchical regression to examine the association of sociodemographic, health, psychosocial factors, and urban/rural status with life satisfaction. Results: Older adults in urban areas reported higher levels of life satisfaction than their rural counterparts. In the final step of the hierarchical regression model, more grandchildren in the household, better self-rated health, and reporting more positive than negative affect were associated with better life satisfaction at p < 0.05 as were engaging in paid work and lower levels of loneliness at p < 0.10. Net the effects of all other variables in the analysis, older adults in rural areas reported lower levels of life satisfaction. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that living in rural areas of Mongolia leads to lower levels of life satisfaction. We identify potential points to intervene through policies, programs, and practices that target the strengths and needs of older adults in rural areas by addressing inequities in socioeconomics, health, mental health, and opportunities for social integration.

Shaping a healthy workforce through training: the role of worker representatives in Belgium

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to look at the different roles worker representatives in Belgium play when it comes to promoting adequate and accessible training policies in their companies. This topic is highly relevant, given the importance of training for shaping healthy work environments and career perspectives for workers. Methods Two methodological approaches were used in this study. In first instance, a survey was sent to worker representatives in two Belgian sectors with specific issues regarding work-related health: the food industry and the social profit sector. In second instance, worker representatives and HR managers from ‘good practice’ companies in both sectors were interviewed to collect more in-depth information about the role worker representatives played in shaping a healthy work environment and career perspectives for workers through their impact on the companies’ training policies. Results Our study shows that training policies of companies in both sectors are mainly aimed at improving the more direct and tangible health and safety aspects, such as injury prevention. Also, a clear inequality in training opportunities became apparent from our study. Considering the attitude and role of worker representatives, we find that they mainly take on an advisory role on the topic of training, not because of a lack of interest but because of the time-consuming nature of their other responsibilities and sometimes due to the difficult relations with management. Conclusions This study clearly shows that, although worker representatives from the food industry and social profit sector in Belgium are well aware of the importance of training to create healthy work environments and career perspectives for workers, their actions are usually ad-hoc instead of structured initiatives. Based on the findings of this study, a tool for worker representatives was created on how to get started on the topic of training in their companies. Key messages • Worker representatives in Belgium can be key players in facilitating safe and healthy work environments and career perspectives for workers. • Worker representatives are ideally placed to advocate for vulnerable groups of workers, who are generally offered fewer opportunities to improve their skills.

Inequality of opportunity in juvenile crime and education

To what extent should young people be normatively held responsible for committing a crime? To contribute to this ongoing debate, our study explores the influence of inequality of opportunity on juvenile crime and education outcomes. Drawing upon Roemer’s theoretical framework and utilizing administrative data from Chile, we conduct an empirical analysis to gauge the degree to which culpability for criminal behavior or failure to graduate can be attributed to structural determinants (referred to as circumstances) versus the choices made by individuals (referred to as agency). Our findings provide compelling evidence of significant inequality of opportunity within this context. Specifically, when explaining crime among males, the contribution of circumstances varies between 46.44% and 39.58%. In contrast, the role of circumstances in high school completion appears less pronounced, with levels spanning from 34.80% to 26.01%. Importantly, our study challenges existing literature, suggesting that alternative conceptualizations of equality of opportunity yield a distinct understanding regarding the relative contributions of agency versus circumstances.

Are the Effects of COVID-19 on Inequality in Tertiary Education in Ghana Gendered?

Educational institutions around the world were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as there were nationwide closures of educational institutions around the world to contain the spread of the virus, resulting in the migration of teaching and learning to online platforms. This study examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequality in tertiary education in Ghana, focusing on the gendered effects. Primary data were collected from 371 students from six selected public universities in Ghana mainly online using KoboCollect. Binary logistic regression was employed in the data analysis. The results show that the COVID-19-induced universities' closure and migration of teaching and learning to online platforms accentuated inequalities in learning opportunities by university students in Ghana, just that its effects are not gendered. Location significantly explained the observed inequalities experienced during the period of the universities’ closure and online teaching and learning. It is recommended that universities should embrace online systems as part of their teaching and learning practices.

Book review: all through the town: the school bus as educational technology

Book review: all through the town: the school bus as educational technology

Quality of childcare and delayed child development in left-behind children in China.

Inequalities in job opportunities and income prompts many Chinese parents to leave rural regions to work in urban regions. Their children are left behind in rural regions, subjected to worse quality of childcare that jeopardizes their development. This study aimed to examine the association between quality of childcare and delayed child development in under-three years children left behind in China. Cross-sectional national survey was conducted in children left behind in rural China in 2017. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop a quality of childcare index. Mutlilevel analyses determined factors associated with quality of childcare and child development on a province and individual level. The largest population of at-risk children left behind were found in higher-GDP provinces. Children left behind had the lowest mean quality of childcare score. Multilevel analysis found that province level accounted for a great proportion of variance observed. While migration to urban regions for work may improve household income, a trade-off in worse quality of childcare and developmental delays exists. With improving household income often being the greatest contributing factor for parental migration, policies to reduce inequalities in job opportunities and wealth between rural and urban regions are required. Previous studies identified higher prevalence of developmental delays in children left behind in China. However, quality of childcare has not been examined. Based on WHO's Nurturing Care Framework, we developed a quality of childcare index to assess its association with child development in children left behind. Greatest proportion of children left behind at-risk of developmental delays resided in higher-GDP states, indicating a trade-off in worse quality of childcare and developmental delays. Since improving household income is the main factor for parental migration, policies to close inequalities in job opportunities and wealth between rural and urban regions are required.

Inequality of opportunity in selection procedures limits diversity in higher education: An intersectional study of Dutch selective higher education programs.

Selection for higher education (HE) programs may hinder equal opportunities for applicants and thereby reduce student diversity and representativeness. However, variables which could play a role in inequality of opportunity are often studied separately from each other. Therefore, this retrospective cohort study conducts an innovative intersectional analysis of the inequality of opportunity in admissions to selective HE programs. Using a combination of multivariable logistic regression analyses and descriptive statistics, we aimed to investigate 1) the representativeness of student populations of selective HE programs, as compared to both the applicant pool and the demographics of the age cohort; 2) the demographic background variables which are associated with an applicant's odds of admission; and 3) the intersectional acceptance rates of applicants with all, some or none of the background characteristics positively associated with odds of admission. The study focused on all selective HE programs (n = 96) in The Netherlands in 2019 and 2020, using Studielink applicant data (N = 85,839) and Statistics Netherlands microdata of ten background characteristics. The results show that student diversity in selective HE programs is limited, partly due to the widespread inequality of opportunity in the selection procedures, and partly due to self-selection. Out of all ten variables, migration background was most often (negatively) associated with the odds of receiving an offer of admission. The intersectional analyses provide detailed insight into how (dis)advantage has different effects for different groups. We therefore recommend the implementation of equitable admissions procedures which take intersectionality into account.

Fairness and Gini decomposition

We propose a new decomposition of the Gini coefficient that nests a structuralist and an individualistic definition of unfair inequality, as well as ex ante and ex post measures of inequality of opportunity. We illustrate the decomposition on Belgian data, highlighting the source of a consistent difference between these views about unfair inequality.

School feeding program and urban–rural inequality of child health: Evidence from China

AbstractSchool feeding programs have served as go‐to policies for addressing child malnutrition in both developed and developing countries. While an increasing number of studies have investigated the health consequences of school feeding programs, empirical evidence regarding their effects on children's health inequality remains limited. This study examines the impact of China's Nutrition Improvement Program (NIP)—A program that provides free meals for rural students at the compulsory education stage—on rural children's health status and urban–rural health status differentials. The analysis uses data from the 2004–2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey. Leveraging county‐by‐county rollouts of the program, we employ difference‐in‐differences approaches as our identification strategy. The results show that the NIP significantly improves children's height‐for‐age z‐scores by 0.136 standard deviations. Moreover, we find that the NIP alleviates the inequality of opportunity in health between urban and rural children by 21.6% in pilot counties. These findings are robust to a series of validity checks. The effect is more pronounced among students who have a younger age, and live in low social status families. Our findings suggest that school feeding programs are effective in decreasing child malnutrition levels and reducing urban‐rural inequality in the long run. [EconLit citations: I10, I18, D63].

EDITORIAL

In this autumn issue of the Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and practice, we offer you a wide range of articles on health inequalities, inequality of opportunities, and the need for new ways of reflecting and acting in the social domain.