Justice Issues Research Articles

Exploring procedural justice in stakeholder identification using a systematic mapping approach

In the face of complex societal challenges, stakeholder participation/engagement and knowledge co-production have become increasingly important to the sustainability sciences. Why and how these stakeholders are identified frequently remains unclear, which raises concerns regarding rigor and procedural justice of research processes. Against this background, this paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of how and why procedural justice issues materialize in stakeholder identification and assess the extent to which they can be addressed. We build on proposals for stakeholder identification in the academic literature that integrate three common approaches: analytical, sampling, and participant-based approaches. Further zooming into these approaches and related methods through a procedural justice lens, we show how the inclusion of stakeholders, the influence of stakeholders on the identification process, and the transparency of the overall identification process matter. We draw upon our own case study experiences to share the lessons learned, including the benefits of systematic mapping approaches for stakeholder identification. We conclude that stakeholder mapping facilitates accurate documenting of identification procedures and supports iterative refinement and adjustments of the stakeholders identified, whilst also creating reflexive potential to address intuitive and past experience-based practices, ultimately opening promising avenues to advance procedural justice in stakeholder identification.

Teaching strategic management accounting with sustainability

ABSTRACT Current agendas such as decolonising curriculum, incorporating sustainability, and navigating the neoliberal global political-economic order demand a broader perspective on management accounting education in universities than the prevailing techno-economic taxonomy. With a critical social science approach, this paper first explores why current management accounting thought limits the consideration of social and ecological justice issues. It then seeks to broaden management accounting teaching by integrating ecological and social justice concerns into the Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) curriculum. Drawing from Deleuze and Guattari’s theoretical concepts of arborescent and rhizomatic assemblages, the paper provides a conceptual framework to contextualise, historicise, politicise, and theorise the techno-managerial particularities of SMA within a broader framework of strategising ecological and social justice. This approach encourages management accounting students to critically engage with professionally accredited techno-managerial elements of SMA while considering their sustainability implications.

Analysing the Intersection between Law and Creative Writing: An Analysis of Petina Gappah’s Literary Writing Prose

This study is an analytical transposition of law and creative writing. The article starts by exposing how the intersection is experienced and positioned. The two fields are based on rhetoric. Rhetoric serves as the foundation for both forensic argument and creative writing, and the dynamic relationships between the two fields also leave many other traces, as we can see in the dramatic performances that connect judges and attorneys to actors, the performative effects of literary language, jurists’ and literary critics’ shared concerns with interpretation, demonstration, and proof, and the function of narrative schemas as templates. There are more similarities between legal scripts and creative writing than there are conflicts. Petina Gappah is someone who has managed well in the two fields, making her writings a marvel to both lay readers and those with a law background. The short stories and novels discussed in the article are embedded in the African culture and legal frameworks of reality. The short story “In the Matter between Goto and Goto” is a thought-provoking depiction of divorce in the Zimbabwean context. The story illustrates the conflicts between the customary and the legal face of marriage. The article picks and analyses three major themes emerging from this story, which are, culture and the law, the issue of gender and justice, and lastly, the limits of law in a legal system.

Legal Implementation of Domestic Violence: A Case Study of Military Justice and Social Issues in Ambon, Indonesia

Law enforcement of domestic violence (DV) cases involving members of the military in Indonesia presents unique and complex challenges, particularly as it involves the overlap between general criminal law and military criminal law. This study analyses the relevant legal foundations, namely the Military Criminal Code (KUHPM) and Law No. 23/2004 on the Elimination of Domestic Violence (PKDRT Law), in the context of handling domestic violence cases committed by members of the military. Using a case study method and interviews with victim-witnesses, this research reveals that the application of the law against domestic violence in the military often faces obstacles due to the military hierarchy and strict corps values. The research findings suggest the need for stronger integration between military and civilian legal frameworks, as well as policy reforms in the procedures for handling domestic violence cases in the military to ensure fairer and more transparent justice. In addition, the study also proposes the establishment of a special unit to handle domestic violence in the military, improved gender-sensitive training, and stricter implementation of a "Zero Tolerance" policy to prevent and effectively handle domestic violence cases. These reforms are expected to strengthen military integrity and discipline and protect the rights of victims of domestic violence in Indonesia.

The Essence of Marxism and Anarchism from the Labour Theory of Value to the Critique of Political Economy

ABSTRACT The ills of global capitalism, the critical issues of climate change, global warming, and environmental justice, have all collectively continued to generate concerns, with the world itching for alternate ideological solutions. This article aims to provide a comprehensive critique of the amalgamation of Anarchism and Marxism as a theoretical framework for addressing contemporary world development challenges. While both ideologies share common ground in their critique of capitalism, this paper argues that their synthesis even though may fall short in adequately addressing the complexities of today's globalised and interconnected world might offer a realistic pathway to the contradictions of capitalism. To this end, this study interrogates the Marx-Proudhon debate on three major areas of differences or similarities, namely, (1) The Tyranny of Exchange Value; (2) Crisis in the Evolution of Capitalism and (3) Method of intervention; and their response to contemporary challenges. The method of analysis is essentially historical, providing an in-depth critique of the theoretical standpoint of both ideologies. We conclude that scholarly solutions to current global challenges should be approached with a view to adequately situate them within the ideological context. Thus a return to the Marx-Proudhon debate provides a path forward in our search for alternatives to capital.

No room! Of course there’s room

This article is an adaptation of a workshop provocation given at the University of the Arts London (UAL) Education Conference in July 2023, which I set up as an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ ‘Mad Hatter’s’ table. I dressed the table on theme and equipped it with props, as a set to share with fellow educators a focus group project I had undertaken with students on overcrowding in their college art studios. I held up the lack of room in the studios as a social justice issue for exploration, first, as the inflation of numbers and knock-on impact of overcrowding of studios felt by students was acknowledged as result of over-recruitment to the course during and post pandemic; and second, exploring the question of whether minority students are most impacted; including those who are less confident to claim space due to factors such as accessibility, language barriers, financial issues and lack of peer support within the course. By putting workshop participants in the position of taking a seat at a fictional table space, loaded with caricature, I sought to provoke a creative dialogue around positionality and our relationship to shared space, while contemplating anonymised transcripts of the focus group dialogue that had taken place with students around a different table earlier in the academic year. The workshop gave reference to the ideas of Nirmal Puwar regarding positionality and the negotiation of space; and to Mikhail Bakhtin when considering student utterances in the focus group dialogue.

Sociopolitical, clinical, and ethical challenges of sustainable fracture care in Haiti.

In low- and middle-income countries such as Haiti, musculoskeletal injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Untreated injuries can contribute to decreased mobility, leading to disability and reduced productivity for individuals. The accessibility of timely fracture care poses a substantial challenge in Haiti, where socioeconomic instability and recent surges in gang violence exacerbate an already strained healthcare infrastructure. This manuscript delves into the intricate barriers to sustainable fracture care in Haiti, shedding light on the sociopolitical landscape and clinical challenges that influence the delivery of orthopedic services. The ethical considerations in providing fracture care in Haiti are multifaceted, including classic medical principles, self-preservation in the face of violence, issues of justice in resource and service allocation, and concerns of nonmaleficence in the context of international volunteers. These ethical dilemmas arise from the complex interplay of limited resources, the dangers posed by the current sociopolitical climate, and the involvement of international aid in a vulnerable healthcare system. To address the clinical and ethical conflicts of providing fracture care in Haiti, solutions include education and training of Haitian orthopedic surgeons, capacity building of healthcare facilities, and establishing ethical standards for international volunteers. This comprehensive approach is vital for advancing sustainable fracture care in Haiti and other resource-limited settings.

Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention: Teaching Social Justice Oriented Skills and Strategies to Undergraduate-Level Teachers and Social Workers

Youth from socially marginalized populations are at increased risk of experiencing adolescent dating violence (ADV), since they are often directly impacted by root causes of violence (e.g., homophobia, racism). Because structural inequalities impact youth’s experience of ADV, ADV is a social justice issue. In this paper, we describe a symposium series that taught education and social work students about their role in preventing ADV through a social justice lens. We present a pilot evaluation of the symposium series using survey ( n = 34) and interview ( n = 7) data. Results of this study (quantitative and qualitative) suggest students showed an increase in willingness and confidence to prevent and respond to ADV through a social justice lens after completing the symposium series. This work highlights the importance of incorporating critical theory into ADV prevention efforts, especially as it relates to serving youth who are marginalized and for promoting social justice in schools.

Capitalism, Education and Social Mobility: Critical Approach Based on Scientific Literature

Education is a key factor for human development and social progress. However, in the context of capitalism, education is also influenced by economic inequalities and power structures. Scientific information selected through a critical review has identified the main theories and findings regarding education conceived within the capitalist model and inherent social mobility. The results demonstrate that in more egalitarian states, wage increases associated with education vary only slightly based on socioeconomic status. However, significant class disparities exist in states with moderate to high levels of inequality. While some argue that education can be a tool for upward mobility, others emphasize how capitalism and pre-existing inequalities can limit such mobility. Understanding this relationship is crucial for addressing issues of equity and social justice in capitalist societies.

Doing ethics with microbes: toward a queer feminist posthuman framework for bioethics.

The Centre for the Social Study of Microbes (CSSM) at University of Helsinki, Finland is a Wellcome-funded hub for creating new approaches to human-microbial relations. Most urgently, the complex relations between microbes, antimicrobial resistance (in its human-health centered definition, understood as infection and disease now uncurable by antibiotics, threatening human life and wellbeing), animals, environments and climate emergency require new theoretical and methodological approaches. These include a variety of research interest from global fermentation practices and cultures to microbial bioremediation techniques, from aquatic microbes to urban gardens. A key orientation of CSSM is also combining ethnography with artistic and performative practice such as felting, painting, installation, sculpture and audiovisual means, to gain a deeper, more sensory and embodied perspective of our shared lives with microbes. As their agency exists outside textuality, new experimental methodology is needed to engage with it. Thinking with microbes invites many ethical issues that often remain unaddressed in medical and scientific approach. As one of such contributions, we suggest a new framework for bioethics. In a conceptual analysis, a queer feminist posthuman framework aims for radical reorientation of human exceptionalism for more-than-human justice while keeping existing social justice issues between groups of people, such as vulnerabilities cascading around gender and sexual variance, in the same framework. Both a theoretical and practical initiative, seeking to forge solidarity between justice movements, this framework could ground policies relevant to a broader bioethical and philosophical research community, and social scientists studying microbes. This open letter discusses this work at the CSSM.

Are social justice and sustainability interdependent? If so, how and under what conditions?

AbstractSustainability often entails dealing with issues of justice in the distribution of goods and bads, such as resources and restrictions. Applications of justice to concrete situations, including what is deserved and entitled, call for specifications of several issues, like the meaning of “deservingness” and “entitlement” and how justice should be accomplished. This is a key aspect for sustainability, as social arrangements that are not experienced as fair may not be long‐lived. Conversely, justice may be an empty notion unless it is sustainable. With this in mind, we provide an inventory of factors to analyze the relationship between (un)sustainability and social (in)justice from a social psychological perspective. We (a) clarify the gist of the two subjective notions, (b) discuss their interdependences, (c) provide a list of factors for analyses, and (d) illustrate how they may be applied to two cases, one at a global level (food accessibility) and the other at a local level (distribution of renewable energy resources in communities). The proposed framework forms the basis of empirical analyses of the social dimension of sustainability.

To Become an Object Among Objects: Generative Artificial “Intelligence,” Writing, and Linguistic White Supremacy

AbstractThis paper critically explores the implications of generative artificial “intelligence” (GAI) technologies for literacy theory and practice through a case study of the author's use of OpenAI's ChatGPT. The study opens with an overview of recent literature surrounding the pedagogical implications of using GAI with a focus on issues of racial justice, outlining an abolitionist political ecology approach to literacy that extends relational theories of mediation to machine‐aided writing. The framework is then applied to data from a cognitive autoethnography of GAI use over a 6‐month period, which included a digital ethnography of ChatGPT and an extended semistructured “interview” with the GAI chatbot. Racial justice issues were found, especially linguistic and other biases. As such, soon‐to‐be ubiquitous artificial intelligence (AI) technologies require profound reconsideration of the productive value of literacy exploited by GAI, which will inevitably be pursued through an acquiescence or fundamental rupture with the dystopian visions of the technology's creators.

Accessing the right to vote among system-impacted people

Recent efforts to dismantle felon disenfranchisement regimes have the potential to substantially expand electoral eligibility among people with criminal records; however, even among those with criminal legal histories who are eligible to vote, voting rates are often extremely low. Analyzing interview, focus group, and text message conversations among a multi-state sample around the November 2022 election, we identify and describe how administrative barriers to voting—including a lack of understanding about the voting process, confusion about legal eligibility, and perceived risks of rearrest of voting while ineligible—pose an access to justice issue among system-impacted people. These barriers are amplified by government mistrust, specifically the perception that barriers are intentionally constructed to suppress voting, and they are potentially mitigated by outreach by community organizations that are viewed as credible. The findings emphasize that legislative reforms repealing disenfranchisement laws must be accompanied by on-the-ground efforts to address administrative burdens to broaden access to the franchise.

Children’s explanations in at-risk zones: fostering hope through science education in Quintero-Puchuncaví Bay

ABSTRACT Considering the increasing severity of environmental disasters and the scarcity of studies centered on children’s perspectives, this article explores context-based learning to create spaces of hope. Constructing explanations fosters meaning creation and knowledge integration. Fourth graders’ self-explanations about contamination in a degraded area, known as an “environmental sacrifice zone”, were analyzed. The educational research design within a humanistic paradigm aimed to be responsive to participants’ needs. Children’s explanations were gathered through interviews and images. The qualitative thematic analysis identified three types of explanations and six causal factors. Some students did not recognize the local contamination despite its relevance to their daily lives. In contrast, others associated and contrasted the phenomena with earthquakes and tsunamis that could lead to disasters. The participants expressed socioscientific reasoning, revealing causal relationships, involving agents of damage, and highlighting environmental injustice as a consequence. Facilitating dialogues with children living in at-risk areas is interpreted as a restorative action in education and advocating for their right to be heard on matters that affect them. This article discusses the role of responsive research in context-based science learning, emphasizing the opportunities to mediate human actions and foster spaces of hope and awareness in connection with environmental justice issues.

John Locke’s political philosophy

Abstract John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher, very influential in the 17th century. He is considered the first English empiricist, where his ideas had an enormous influence on the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings later influenced Voltaire and Rousseau. Regarding the examination of the natural state, Locke, like Hobbes, starts from the problem of what characterizes the natural state, when there is no political power. Unlike Hobbes, Locke thought that the state from nature was an affordable state characterized by reason and tolerance. As for the social contract, he understood it as “a way to ensure the natural morality of man in a more efficient way, not to throw away his ugly condition, but to achieve his goals, that is, peace and security” (Locke, 2012). The paper also examines the influence and importance of Locke’s ideas in the development of modern political thought, analyzing how these concepts have contributed to the shaping of democratic ideas and human rights. In conclusion, a critique and re-contextualization of Locke’s theories in the contemporary context is offered, addressing their relevance to current issues of governance and justice in modern societies. This analysis aims to help deepen the understanding of Locke’s political philosophy and assess its influence on today’s political theories and practices.

Unbalanced burden is escalating: Urban inequality landscape under sudden shocks?

Sudden and unforeseen events, notably the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored and exacerbated pre-existing urban inequalities. These disruptions have disproportionately affected the most vulnerable sectors of society, thereby further aggravating existing inequalities. Addressing these inequality issues requires systematic research into academic community's response to significant global disturbances. Therefore, we have integrated bibliometric analysis with meta-analysis (quantitatively combines research results from systematic reviews) techniques, culminating in a research framework based on KNIME software (a software for creating data applications and services) and Python programming. Noteworthy for its open-source nature, scalability, and reproducibility, this framework tries to decode the developmental patterns and response characteristics of urban inequality research under sudden shocks. Additionally, it seeks to clarify its causal pathways, predict the emergence of new or strengthened inequalities, and provide effective suggestions to promote inclusive and sustainable urban development. Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 has exacerbated the existing urban inequality, attracting widespread attention in fields such as society and public health. Issues of fairness and justice of human health, resource allocation, urban resilience and vulnerability have become hot topics around COVID-19 related urban inequalities. Simultaneously, the sudden shocks have led to disparities in research areas and themes. Social, economic, and urban planning are the main drivers behind urban inequality, and particularly affecting vulnerable groups, including low-income populations and those living in remote regions. Before and after the COVID-19, the average global urban inequality are 0.57 and 0.61, respectively. Inequality issues are particularly severe in Africa and countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The pandemic changed the focus of urban inequality to health and social issues, worsening inequality performance in these regions and deepening global gaps. Additionally, countries with high urban inequality are more prone to large-scale outbreaks and higher mortality rates. To this end, we advocate academia for in-depth research and comprehensive evaluation, focusing on vulnerable groups, providing integrated policy recommendations, supporting interdisciplinary exchanges and cooperation, and committing to find long-term sustainable solutions. These efforts aim to propose more comprehensive and reasonable solutions to alleviate and address complex urban inequality issues under sudden shocks.

Decarbonization and social justice: The case for artisanal and small-scale mining

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is the primary livelihood for an estimated 40 million people in 80 countries and supports an additional 130 to 270 million people in mining communities. With the emergence of critical minerals necessary for decarbonization efforts, ASM has emerged as a crucial form of production to help meet global demand. Despite its importance, ASM miners and communities are routinely ostracized and pathologized. Rather than the cause of social deprivation, this article argues that ASM reflects broader social, political, and historical inequalities. We contend with four main arguments against ASM before elaborating on three reasons that ASM ought to be responsibly supported. These reasons are ASM's ability to enable economic redistribution, meet increased global demand for critical minerals, and advance social justice. Inclusive regulation and governance rather than exclusion and plausible deniability constitute the pathway to addressing attendant social and environmental challenges associated with ASM practices. This paper identifies pathways to inclusive regulation of ASM and proposes avenues for future research and interventions. Ultimately, ASM must be understood as a central social justice issue of our time, especially in the context of global decarbonization efforts.

Unveiling environmental justice in two US cities through greenspace accessibility and visible greenness exposure

Uneven access to greenspaces or visible greenness is an environmental justice (EJ) issue. In this paper, we use a social equity lens to develop geospatial models that measure convenient walking access to urban greenspaces such as parks and street-level green exposure en route to greenspaces. We utilized earth science, geospatial, and demographic datasets to develop two models—Greenspace Accessibility and Visible Greenness Exposure—and applied them in Camden and Jersey City, USA, two communities experiencing environmental injustices. Modeling results show that greenspace accessibility is a concern in both cities, with Jersey City experiencing more prominent disparities. We observed significant positive relationships in Camden between greenspace accessibility and two EJ variables: Black segregation and Hispanic segregation. Most streets in both cities have poor greenness exposure, although Jersey City faces higher inequality compared to Camden. We also observed significant negative relationships in Jersey City between street-level greenness exposure and low-income populations. We conclude the paper by explaining the implications of our findings for greenspace planning and policymaking.

From colonial conquest to climate crisis: reframing French maritime museums

ABSTRACT Maritime museums occupy a challenging position when it comes to confronting environmental and social justice issues linked to colonial modernity, understood as five hundred years marked by European colonial expansion and exploitation. As institutions that emerged to celebrate national maritime exploits and dominion over the seas, they embody many of the features of colonial modernity itself. In light of the climate emergency, this article examines two recently opened or renovated French maritime museums to analyse the extent to which they are reorienting their focus and embracing more critical, oceanic ways of thinking about human relationships with the sea. An oceanic perspective recognises the fluid, interconnected nature of the oceans and the need for more holistic approaches to environmental sustainability and climate justice. The analysis reveals tensions between nationalist perspectives and emerging efforts to tell more environmentally attuned stories. Significant scope remains for maritime museums to shift their interpretive frameworks towards the seas as entities worthy of preservation in their own right, rather than as resources to be managed for human use and profit.

Linkages among socio-economic status, green space accessibility, and health outcomes: An environmental justice perspective in Australia

Green space accessibility is a crucial environmental justice issue, which is influenced by socio-economic factors and may lead to disparate health outcomes among individuals. While numerous scholars have examined the association between green space accessibility and socio-economic status or health separately, research on the pathways linking these three dimensions remains relatively sparse. Using Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) data from eight Australian capital cities, this study explores the pathways from socio-economic status to green space accessibility and subsequently to diverse health outcomes. The findings indicate the limited green space accessibility in some socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly among ethnic minorities and in larger cities. Additionally, a significant association is observed between increased green space accessibility and reduced chronic diseases in the national capital and major global cities. Regarding spatial proximity, the study suggests that green spaces do not need to be immediately adjacent to residential areas but can be planned within reasonable walking distances to confer significant health benefits. These findings can inform the development of equitable green space planning policies and contribute to improved human health.