Issues Of Injustice Research Articles

Impact of social movements and employer responses on tourism employees: a reactive attitude framework perspective

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research note is to explore the impact of social movements on the tourism profession from an employee perspective. This study interviewed 28 tourism employees and analyzed the data through the lens of Strawson’s reactive attitude framework. The results revealed how tourism employees reacted to social injustice issues outside of their own workplace. The participants’ feelings varied but were mainly influenced by their work location, ethnicity, and diversity of their working and living environments. Moreover, employees displayed various emotional reactions based on their job positions and attitude toward their company's public support of social movements and implementation of DE&I measures. Based on these preliminary findings, this paper concludes by presenting key research opportunities that integrate social justice, employee well-being and internal crisis management and communication within the tourism industry.

Engaging critical cultural awareness through video mediation during online intercultural encounters

ABSTRACT Online international collaboration projects provide students with valuable opportunities to apply their critical cultural awareness (CCA), which involves evaluating the values of one’s culture and other cultures using a systematic approach. In such projects, mediation tasks can play a crucial role by facilitating participants’ access to the meaning of a text that would otherwise be inaccessible due to linguistic, semantic, or cultural barriers. However, the potential of using videos for mediation in online collaboration projects to engage CCA remains underexplored. This exploratory study addresses this gap by investigating the mediation efforts of Colombian and German university students who utilised English as a lingua franca during online intercultural encounters. The results showed that using videos for mediation stimulated critical evaluation and reflection on students’ and their partners’ cultures. Interacting and mediating in a virtual environment encouraged students to explain stereotypes and share their thoughts on different cultural aspects, including social injustice issues, thereby fostering a deeper engagement with culture-related concepts. Findings demonstrated that the choice of videos influenced the depth of evaluation and analysis. Consequently, employing certain types of videos as a foundation for mediation activities proved a powerful tool for engaging students in CCA during international encounters.

The Consortium of Celestials: Cosmic objects equitable interactions

This speculative design study presents a provocative inquiry into the idea of an equitable society, addressed through the exploration of cosmic scale and celestial object interactions. The issues of injustice occurring in current society are influenced by the lack of access to resources and opportunities, where architecture also plays a part. Using a post-humanist approach, the study speculates on the scale of society, broadening the context of civilisation to develop an equitable society. The study creates a science narrative of a cosmic-scale civilisation as the basis of the architectural scheme between celestial objects in cosmic space that interacts in an equitable way. The narratives inform systems of architectural interactions that are designed to support an equitable life system, including communication, extraction, processing, and distribution of spatial and environmental resources. Five particular scenarios are outlined to demonstrate these interactions, from scenarios of resource exchange, climate calibration, and anticipation of destruction. This study demonstrates an important discussion on how design of an equitable society can be informed by the interactions between cosmic objects, systems, and resources. In doing so, this study introduces new narrative of architecture as a form of extraterrestrial built environment, expanding the current understanding of context and its environmental limitations.

The Responsibilities of Social Work for Ecosocial Justice

The crisis of civilization we are experiencing unbalances the inter-relational, interdependency and intergenerational relationships of the planetary ecosystem, putting all species at risk. The current relationship between the unlimited economic development model and its social impacts in all regions, territories and communities is analyzed. These are more severe in the global South and the most impoverished populations, which often leads to conflicts, the deterioration of subsystems of life, and, as a result, movements of people. These challenges highlight the close interrelationship between social justice and issues of ecological injustice acting as a new source of inequality. The responsibility of social work, which is called on to incorporate the ecosocial perspective in all its areas and dimensions of practice, is becoming consolidated. To achieve this, five measures are proposed: expanding and strengthening the ethical and political basis of the profession; promoting the skilling-emancipatory models; cutting across all levels, methodologies and action areas; new fields of practice for ecosocial work; and introduction into social work curriculums. Social justice cannot be fully achieved without taking ecological justice into account.

To What Extent Is Public Demonstration Effective to Combat Environmental Injustice and Safeguard Community Rights in the United States?

Public demonstrations have emerged as an essential strategy for addressing environmental injustice and promoting systemic change. Other potential approaches such as legal actions face resistance due to resource limitations and urgent need for solutions in underprivileged regions. Through case studies, this research underscores the unique strength of public demonstration to mobilize comparatively immediate actions and exert political pressure. The substantial social influence made is crucial in driving reforms, given that environmental injustice issues typically pose continuous and serious health impacts on residents. The research points out that though community solidarity and governmental repression are two potential risks, public demonstration's effectiveness and accessibility still make it an optimal strategy. In addition, adopting micro protests across diverse locations is recommended to enhance the visibility of demonstrations further while reducing risks of injuries to participants. The study offers perspectives and operations for activists and community leaders on creating more resilient movements for equitable environmental governance.

Liberation Theology in Indonesia: The Role of Cak Nun and Maiyah Community in Social Transformation

This article aims to examine the application of liberation theology in Indonesian Islam, focusing on the efforts of Muhammad Ainun Nadjib (Cak Nun) and the Maiyah Community Assembly, analyzed through Ali Shari’ati's concept of rausyanfikr. The study aims to explore how Cak Nun contextualizes Islam to address contemporary issues of injustice, oppression, and social alienation. Utilizing qualitative library research methods, it investigates various literary sources to evaluate the role of Islamic teachings in cultural and social emancipation. Findings indicate that Cak Nun and the Maiyah Community Assembly have played crucial roles in heightening community awareness about prevalent oppression, employing the Quran and Islamic thought as tools for liberation. The study concludes that Islam, as interpreted by Cak Nun, serves as an effective means for societal change, promoting a comprehensive application of Islamic teachings to address modern societal challenges. This research holds significant implications for scholars and practitioners interested in the intersections of religion and social transformation.

Residents’ Perceptions of Urban Greenspace in a Shrinking City: Ecosystem Services and Environmental Justice

Although urban greenspace enhances ecological functioning and human well-being through ecosystem services (ES), it is oftentimes inequitably distributed. Environmental justice (EJ) encompasses aspects of distributive, procedural, and interactive justice related to accessibility and allocation of environmental benefits. Vacant land in shrinking cities has the potential to address greenspace inequalities and provide ES. This study investigated the perceptions of residents regarding urban ES and EJ in their communities in St. Louis (MO, USA)—a shrinking city that was undergoing green development, through semi-structured interviews. Altogether, 27 residents were selected from socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods characterized by high levels of vacancy due to legacies of redlining and systemic racism. Interview analysis revealed four themes: green benefits (including recreation opportunities), green costs (e.g., concerns for increased crime and nuisance animals), injustice issues (e.g., access to community greenspaces), and changes in the community (e.g., higher property taxes). Results revealed that residents perceived ES as closely connected with EJ when it comes to urban greening projects in their city. This study helps inform the process of urban greening projects, particularly in shrinking cities at risk of inequities.

Visualising the iconography of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid heroes and heroines in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa

Amidst the plethora of statues and monuments constructed as part of the post-apartheid monumental project in Pretoria, photographs of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid heroes and heroines are often used to remember and celebrate the contributions they made to the attainment of the new dispensation. Photographs (presented through statues and monuments) are crucial instruments used in conveying messages about these heroes and heroines, and at the same time denouncing issues of injustice and segregation that were the hallmarks of the colonial and apartheid regimes in Pretoria and South Africa. However, while a vast amount of literature has been published on anti-colonial and anti-apartheid monumentalisation in South Africa, not much attention has been given to iconography of the statues as an aspect that could inform research and understanding of how post-apartheid monumentalisation is not a break with the past, but, rather, a continuation of the pre-1994 practices. Drawing from eight photographs taken from the ‘Long March to Freedom’ statues park at the former Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria, this visual essay highlights the role played by some of these heroes and heroines at their time. The photographs were taken during two months of research conducted at the park from July to August 2016.

Social Injustice Inflicted by Spatial Changes in Vernacular Settings: An Analysis of Published Literature

It is well known that every kind of development has the tendancy to produce spatial disparity or spatial justice. However, usually, it is the demand-driven, rural, non-agricultural transitional area development considered the prime cause of concern for policy planners. Indeed, this is an area where spatial justice needs to be ensured so that development is just for all and not lopsided for any single stakeholder. For example, there is a need to ensure that fair allocation of land development rights rests with the village dwellers. Usually, the market is biased in favour of allocating premium land of the vernacular settlements to expand the city for new city dwellers who wish to get new parcels of land for developing housing. Plan-led spatial changes without corrective mediation between villagers and the city dwellers also lead to bias decision-making. Transition from rural sprawl to urban compactness suggests institutional change need be adopted in governance so that socio-spatial justice for villagers is incorporated into an integrated city. In this context, this paper examines the current knolwdge reflected through academic narratives of social injustice inflicted by spatial change. This paper presents the concept of spatial justice as an umbrella term encompassing all political, social, economic, and environmental forms. Gentrification and peri-urbanization are two spatial changes that do injustice to certain social groups. The paper employs both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques. It conducts primarily a document survey, analysing published research related to development and social and spatial justics issues. The documents discussing the role of planning in achieving spatial justice until 2023 are examined. The paper reveals that while formal planning often marginalizes vernacular settlements, participatory and communitydriven planning processes show potential for addressing issues of spatial injustice. The paper concludes that the investigation into spatial justice within vernacular settlements must account for unique socio-cultural, environmental, and economic dynamics.

Social work and women's violence care in Morocco

This study explored the challenges and practices of social workers at Moroccan Integrated Care Units for Women and Children Victims of Violence (ICUWCVV) regarding violence as a major public health and social injustice issue. The study was guided by the Ubuntu philosophy, which emphasizes community solidarity, justice and human dignity. The theoretical framework is informed by African feminist epistemologies critiquing and extending African methods of empowerment within care practices. It applied indigenous research methodology through semi-structured interviews with 13 social workers across the Fès-Meknès region. In this paper, we will share the experiences in the field and challenges in operationalizing services. The perceived lack of training and resources in the programs impacts the quality of care provided and the ability to offer empathetic, victim-centered services. A need for training has been identified for all accountable health and social care workers who have access to case notes under the information-sharing protocol. Recommendations are made to contribute to policy development in areas related to continuous professional development support, as well as improved resourcing aimed at providing effective and culturally competent care for victims. These recommendations also emphasize the revaluation and incorporation of African philosophies and knowledge systems into social work practices. The recommendations draw upon national guidelines from governing bodies, outlining best practices and evidence-based methods for delivering healthcare, which service providers are expected to implement. HOW TO REFERENCE USING ASWDNET STYLE Mrabti L., Rhoulam I, Nejjar, F. and Belamfedel Alaoui Z. (2024). Social work and women's violence care in Morocco. African Journal of Social Work, 14(4), 225-232 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i4.6 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

A powerful potion for a potent problem: transformative justice for generative AI in healthcare

AbstractGenerative Artificial Intelligence (AI), as a transformative technology, holds significant promise for applications in healthcare. At the same time, the datafication, AI integration, and commodification of health have opened the floodgates for ethical issues, including those related to fairness, access, beneficence, democracy, solidarity, inclusion, and societal harms. As further the digitalization, innovation, and disruption of healthcare is inevitable, the paper maps out how power, equity, access, identity, participation, and knowledge contribute to creating social injustice issues. It also discusses that current justice approaches—distributive justice, representational justice, restorative justice, and capabilities-centered justice—do not have enough impact to prevent or remedy the many harms and injustices that AI has already created in healthcare or will continue to do so. The paper proposes that a transformative justice approach is needed for generative AI as a transformative technology, focused on (1) peace, emancipation, and eliminating the root causes of injustice, (2) holistic conflict resolution, (3) human rights-based approaches, and (4) the empowerment of agency and actors.

Critically unlearning about madness and distress: Reflections on social work education and activism in Ireland

This article draws from my involvement in critical social work education and my position as an aspiring ally of the Mad movement in the Irish context. I use a reflexive auto-critique as a methodology to consider a significant shift in my engagement with Mad matters which has led to new ways of (un)learning critically about madness and distress in education and activism. This is a shift from celebrating criticality and inclusion strategies, and in particular service-user involvement in education, to problematising criticality and its potential to perpetuate power inequalities within mental health and education systems. It is a shift from viewing critical education as a process of knowing about distress and Mad people to a process of knowing with and from Mad people, service-users, and survivors. The emerging field of Mad Studies provides a conceptual framework to inquire about knowledge and knowers, to consider issues of co-option and epistemic injustice, to focus on pedagogies for unlearning, to ask questions about representational politics and the complexities of being an engaged academic and Mad positive ally. Guided by Mad Studies as a mode of analysis, I recognise that inclusion of madness in university curricula can work in ways that continue to pathologise and subjugate Mad people. This is an unsettling recognition that leads to an interrogation of my own praxis as an academic and an aspiring ally of the Mad moment. I propose that prefigurative politics are central in these considerations as genuine engagements with mental health matters need to model the changes we aim to achieve. Engaging with the tensions of inclusion politics, the complexities of madness, and the unsettledness this engagement generates, can be a source of knowing through epistemic humility and a resource for networks of solidarity.

Just transition as practitioners’ acceptance of technical solutions to decarbonize: Insights from the glass manufacturing industry

The concept of a just transition in energy-intensive industries is gaining growing attention in both academic and practical realms. Stakeholders’ perspectives, particularly those of frontline workers in relevant fields, are crucial for understanding the nuances of a just transition. However, research in this domain, especially concerning the glass manufacturing industry, remains yet sparse. The current study fills this gap by developing an integrated framework that assesses the attitude of practitioners towards a low-carbon transition, as evidenced by their stance on implementing sustainable energy technologies (SET) in glass production. It also explores disparities among different groups to detect potential injustice issues, and examines the factors that drive their support for SET. Utilizing survey data from 270 frontline practitioners within glass manufacturing corporations in China, we have obtained a preliminary understanding of their opinions toward SET, and uncovered variances indicative of justice-related concerns. We delved deeper into the determinants of SET support using a three-dimensional model and hierarchical regression analysis. Our findings indicate that social-psychological attributes, perceived intrinsic qualities of SET, and perceived extrinsic contextual elements are all significant motivators for the acceptance of SET. In light of these insights, we propose recommendations for policymaking and environmental communication that incorporate considerations of justice.

Climate change, energy transition, and the Global South: learnings from the international framework on the ozone layer

The pursuit of climate action to meet net-zero targets has triggered the call for a global energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. However, this global energy transition does not entirely recognise all countries’ social, economic and technological capacities as well as emission contributions as envisaged under the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, which underlies international climate policy. It is concerned more with the outcome of transitioning to clean energy than with justice in the transition process. Recognition justice, an element of energy justice, enables us to identify the inequalities that global energy paradigms (such as the energy transition) can create and how a justice framework can help us understand the implications of energy injustice and address the inequities across energy systems. Recognition justice acknowledges the divergent perspectives rooted in social, economic and racial differences and the varied strengths of developed and developing countries. The energy transition process ought to recognise these differences so that they are reasonably expected to benefit everyone. Implementing the energy transition in the Global South (GS) in the same way as it is being advanced in the Global North will have security, justice, economic, resource-stranding, and sustainable development implications. This issue (of injustice in the energy transition) is aggravated by two dichotomous realities: many countries in the South will be most impacted by climatic changes, yet there remains political and social opposition to climate action through the energy transition. As a solution, this paper relies on the notion of recognition justice with support from the Rawlsian justice concept to argue that a delayed transition represents justice and recognises the peculiar nature and different circumstances of the GS. It identifies that learnings from the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the notion of CBDR under international climate treaties can be mainstreamed into energy transition research and policies to achieve justice for countries of the GS. The paper further finds that a delayed transition for the GS will (i) enable the region to address sustainability-related issues of hunger and multidimensional poverty, essential to realising other Sustainable Development Goals, whilst gradually implementing energy transition policies; (ii) present an attractive case against political and social opposition to energy transition in the GS; (iii) advance the goal of CBDR already recognised under international climate treaties and the bifurcated approaches established in such treaties; and, finally, (iv) ensure that developed countries contributing the most to greenhouse gas emissions take the lead now and act while the GS effectuates national contributions sustainably.

Fugitive Truth: Renewing the Public Sphere in the Age of Post-Truth

In the sixty years since the publication of Jürgen Habermas' magnum opus, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, the public sphere now faces a new threat in the era of “post-truth” politics. The preponderance of lies, mis/disinformation, “fake news”, “alternative facts”, conspiracy theories, and the general breakdown of trust in established sources of knowledge and information has led to the fragmentation and deepening polarisation of the public sphere - a situation deliberately promoted by right wing populist forces intent on fighting the “culture wars”. At the same time, the political space is being disrupted, in a different way, through new social movements and radical activism particularly around issues of climate change, inequality, racial injustice, and police violence. My aim is to show how these contemporary forms of dissent are engendering a new “structural” transformation of the public sphere. They create autonomous and critical spaces of collective engagement that call into question the legitimacy of dominant power structures. Understanding this process requires an alternative rendering of the relationship between truth and politics - something I develop through Michel Foucault's rethinking of the critical impulse of the Kantian Enlightenment and his later work on parrhesia.

English as a Medium of Instruction in Pakistan: Equity, inclusion and Social Justice Issues

The language of education plays a substantial role in the development of a nation. It is not only a means to transfer knowledge to the masses, but it also shapes the feelings and attitudes of individual students. Unfortunately, if the language (s) of education is not chosen carefully or if its status and role are not defined adequately, it may give rise to inequality and injustice. In Pakistan, during General Musharraf’s regime (2001-2008), English was proclaimed as the medium of instruction with the aim of introducing a unified medium of instruction for all, (Asif et al, 2020). English as the medium of instruction (EMI) has always remained controversial in Pakistan. It is often criticized for paving ways for a number of issues of equity, inclusion and social justice. Thus, the studyaims to explore the extent to which English medium instruction (EMI) addresses social equality and social justice issues in the public-school system of Pakistan. Data for the study is collected via interviews with ELT (English Language Teacher) professionals from the public- school system who are facing such issues because of EMI. Additionally, employing a thematic approach to analysis, study provides a critical analysis of inclusion and injustice issues. Finally, it draws implications for teachers, schools, and policymakers, and will make recommendations to address the issues.

Rethinking Global Englishes and Moving toward Reparative Redress for Language‐Minoritized and Racialized TESOL Practitioners

AbstractIn this article, I propose an ontological break in Global Englishes‐oriented research and teaching practice, and a critical‐ethical movement beyond the five foundational paradigms of GELT. I do this by first drawing on two philosophical perspectives on liberation and justice—Enrique Dussel's (2013) ethics of liberation and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's (2022) constructive and distributive model of reparative justice—and then conceptually linking them to two critical perspectives outside of the Global Englishes paradigm, that is, Flores & Rosa's (2015, 2022) raciolinguistic perspective and Canagarajah's (2023) decolonial crip linguistics perspective. The conceptual work that I present here involves mapping out a critical‐ethical framework, a pedagogy for repair, that seeks to redress rather than reproduce structural injustices in ELT. The framework prioritizes the uptake of ethical research questions and positions and provides a heuristic for rethinking ELT in ways that allow us to be wholly committed to continuing TESOL's “transformative journey as an adaptable profession” (Rose & Galloway, 2019, p. 222). I argue that it is by critically addressing issues of injustice and ethically centering our work on the lives of language minoritized and racialized ELT/TESOL practitioners that we will ensure the long‐term adaptability and sustainability of the teaching profession.

Gender Equality within Family in Islamic Perspective: Insights from The Hadiths of Ummul Mukminin

The concept of gender equality is crucial in reinforcing societal foundations and addressing issues of injustice. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding gender equality within the context of families, recognized as one of society'smost influential institutions. By exploring gender dynamics within the family, this research draws on the Hadith, which encapsulates historical records and narratives from the Prophet Muhammad's life in a patriarchal Arab society. Despite societal norms, the Prophet’s Hadith texts, driven by principles of equality and justice, advocate for equal relationships between men and women, sparking considerable debate and protest from his contemporaries. The significance of Hadith texts from Ummul Mukminin (the Mothers of the Believers) in discussing gender relations within the family lies in their potential to serve as a reference source. Utilizing content analysis as a methodology, this research provides a comprehensive examination of relevant Hadiths and their implications for modern gender equality within the family. The findings highlight the Prophet’s dedication to creating a model of marital relations based on mutual respect, compassion, and equality. The study positions these texts as guides for families, helping them reinforce their functions and internalize equality values, contributing to the formation of a maslahah family—a family governed by principles prioritizing societal well-being.

Build environment, race, and walking behavior: A multiscale analysis

Hispanics have a documented higher risk of obesity than other ethnic minorities. Walking can reduce the risk of obesity and promote healthy living. However, walking behavior varies with race/ethnicity, and Hispanics’ walking behavior is less understood. This study compared the walking behaviors of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White residents in Salt Lake County (SLCo), Utah, at the personal and block group levels, based on data from the Utah Household Travel Survey (UHS), which covered 2800 households and 176 Hispanic individuals in SLCo, including their travel trips and socioeconomic status. Trip-level data from the UHS were aggregated into personal and block group levels based on trip ends for multiscale analysis. Our statistical analysis suggested that Hispanics’ walking frequency and density were significantly lower than those of non-Hispanic Whites. According to the personal-level model, education generally contributed to ethnic disparities in walking, but higher education did not increase Hispanics’ walking frequency. The block-group-level model showed that non-Hispanic Whites’ walking behavior was highly sensitive to the built environment. We also found positive impacts of worship accessibility on walking density, which might be unique to non-Hispanic White neighborhoods in SLCo. Built environment factors influenced Hispanics’ walking behavior less than that of non-Hispanic Whites, and the primary determinants included car ownership, driving license, and accessibility of public transit. The research outcomes of this study could provide implications for designing strategies to promote walkability based on ethnic disparities. This also encourages further investigations into the equity of walkable environments for different racial/ethnic populations as an environmental injustice issue.

Chinese Immigrants - How to cross frontiers?

The issue of racial injustice has always been a topic in today’s democratic world. Especially during the epidemic, the status of Chinese Americans has once again been questioned and discussed. My research method is mainly based on the target of different classes of people. One is the bottom-level people engaged in labor activities, so I found a group of Chinese coolies. The others are Chinese immigrants with capital who can afford to live in other countries. In my research, I championed a case of a two-fold definition for the frontier, one is the geographical frontier, and the corresponding characters are the Chinese coolies, mainly about how they came to Latin America across the vast Pacific Ocean, what is the purpose of their search for this new continent, and what did they experience during their journey. Another definition is about the ideological frontier, mainly referring to the barriers established by racism, social Darwinism, and Manifest Destiny, how Chinese immigrants are socially isolated, and how they use the law weapons against these prejudiced ideologies.