Local Realities Research Articles

Policy integration by implementation: Lessons from frontline staff policy practices around small‐scale gold mining in Liberia

AbstractEnvironmental policy integration is needed to ensure environmental policy goals are being realized, given their cross‐sectoral nature. Most of the published research has focused on integration and coherence of (inter)national policies, plans, and programs. The implementation practices for these policies, however, are at least as important. This paper therefore looks at policy implementation for the case of artisanal gold mining in Liberia. This is studied through a lens of frontline staff (street‐level bureaucrats) who operate in networks of local government agencies, civil society organizations, and communities. Results of interviews and field observations in Grand Gedeh county show how the policy context and local realities create specific dilemmas, resulting from the combination of limited resources of local frontline staff, low‐income security for local communities and traditional local practices around protected forest areas. In response local frontline bureaucrats use their discretionary power and network to mobilize support, pool resources, combine mandates, and find creative solutions to both regulate and support community residents. Although these implementation strategies are neither necessarily sufficient to realize the official policy goals, nor are guaranteed to have the desired effects, they do show how local frontline staff act as de facto policymakers. Recognizing frontline staff as environmental policy integrators therefore is a crucial element toward more successful policies for sustainable development.

Carbon footprint in agriculture sector: a literature review

As the climate problem becomes more serious, controlling greenhouse gas emissions has become an overarching issue facing all countries. The agriculture sector is one of the main sources of carbon emissions. The measurement of its carbon footprint not only can quantitatively evaluate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions but also provide technical support for low-carbon agricultural construction. However, most reviews focus on the carbon footprint of manufacturing or international trade. Thus, this study selects the agriculture sector and summarizes the literature associated with the carbon footprint. First, this paper analyzes the different definitions of carbon footprint at macroscopic and microscopic levels. Then, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis is used to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of two main accounting methods, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Input-Output Analysis (IOA). Third, the research on carbon footprint in the agricultural sector is concluded and quantified using CiteSpace. Therefore, this paper gives the implications and prospects of carbon footprint in the agriculture sector. It is necessary to further agree on the definition of carbon footprint and consider other pollutants, water, and energy footprints to optimize agricultural management. Additionally, establishing a carbon footprint accounting model in line with local realities will provide scientific support for developing low-carbon agriculture.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Did Strict Mobility Restrictions Save Lives and Healthcare Costs in Maharashtra, India?

Maharashtra, India, remained a hotspot during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the initial complete lockdown, the state slowly relaxed restrictions. We aim to estimate the lockdown's impact on COVID-19 cases and associated healthcare costs. Using daily case data for 84 days (9 March-31 May 2020), we modeled the epidemic's trajectory and predicted new cases for different phases of lockdown. We fitted log-linear models to estimate the growth rate, basic (R0), daily reproduction number (Re), and case doubling time. Based on pre-restriction and Phase 1 R0, we predicted new cases for the rest of the restriction phases, and we compared them with the actual number of cases during each phase. Furthermore, using the published and gray literature, we estimated the costs and savings of implementing these restrictions for the projected period, and we performed a sensitivity analysis. The estimated median R0 during the different phases was 1.14 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.45) for pre-lockdown, 1.67 (95% CI: 1.50, 1.82) for phase 1 (strict mobility restrictions), 1.24 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.35) for phase 2 (extension of phase 1 with no restrictions on agricultural and essential services), 1.12 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.23) for phase 3 (extension of phase 2 with mobility relaxations in areas with few infections), and 1.05 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.123) for phase 4 (implementation of localized lockdowns in high-case-load areas with fewer restrictions on other areas), respectively. The corresponding doubling time rate for cases (in days) was 17.78 (95% CI: 5.61, -15.19), 3.87 (95% CI: 3.15, 5.00), 10.37 (95% CI: 7.10, 19.30), 20.31 (95% CI: 10.70, 212.50), and 45.56 (95% CI: 20.50, -204.52). For the projected period, the cases could have reached 631,819 without the lockdown, as the actual reported number of cases was 64,975. From a healthcare perspective, the estimated total value of averted cases was INR 194.73 billion (USD 2.60 billion), resulting in net cost savings of 84.05%. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) for implementing the lockdown, rather than observing the natural course of the pandemic, was INR 33,812.15 (USD 450.83). Maharashtra's early public health response delayed the pandemic and averted new cases and deaths during the first wave of the pandemic. However, we recommend that such restrictions be carefully used while considering the local socio-economic realities in countries like India.

Peace Building in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Problems and Dilemmas

Soldiers and civilian victims of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been living in peace more than 25 years, unlike irresponsible political leaders for whom “war-mongering rhetorics” is the most important mechanism for achieving electoral victories. In addition to inciting “new wars”,”separatism” and “denial of war crimes” through hate speech, by spreading “false news” and “untruths” in public space through the media. Irresponsible policies “intimidating their people”, produce a society of fear and prevent building of lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina through development of democracy and the rule of law. In addition, by acting in this way, with the help of corruption, irresponsible policies produce “legal anarchy” and “undermine the rule of law”. In this paper the authors intend to present some ways of endangering peace and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They argue that post-War peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina relies on a wide array of international actors with diverse interests and mandates which are not necessarily aligned with local realities or needs.

Environmental management assessment in state forest concessions in the Brazilian Amazon

The environmental sustainability of Brazilian public forests under a concession regime has been the subject of controversy, highlighting the need for effective and continuous monitoring. This study evaluated the performance of stakeholders and efficiency of environmental monitoring of state forest concessions in the Eastern Amazon. Monitoring was evaluated based on compliance with the rules by public and private stakeholders and on their satisfaction perception. Forest monitoring efficiency and governance was analysed using international guidelines for concessions adapted to the local reality. Monitoring and forest governance were evaluated as partially satisfactory, with asymmetric performance among stakeholders. The robust legal and procedural framework in Brazil confers security to the forest concession regime. However, key elements such as field inspections, communication, transparency, and accountability need to be improved for effective environmental monitoring in state concessions. Safeguarding public forests under concessions, typically in remote areas and with weak institutions, would at least require the use of remote monitoring technologies and standardized administrative and accountability procedures.

THE MODELING OF STARTUP ECOSYSTEMS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE BASED ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The article is devoted to solving the problem of the development of startup ecosystems in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (including Ukrainian entrepreneurship since Ukraine gained independence) by reorienting their economy to a market economy and conducting it based on sustainable development, ethics, and social responsibility. It has been found that in the countries a large number of mechanisms and procedures are not fully adapted to the implementation of entrepreneurial activity based on systematicity, complexity, and interaction; only point elements are present, and the effectiveness of their interaction in the process of entrepreneurial activity is quite low. At the same time, the rapid development of startup ecosystems is observed. The definition of this concept in the article is considered from the point of view of scientists as “a combination of localized cultural views, social networks, investment capital, universities, and active economic policies that create an environment that supports innovative business” and Startup Genome. This allows for the interpreting of a startup ecosystem as “a set of resources (policies, accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces, educational institutions, and funding groups) that are mostly located within a radius of 100 kilometers around a central point in a given region, with a few exceptions based on local realities”. It has been established that at the moment the theoretical concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems is insufficiently developed, which does not allow unambiguously interpreting its composition, as well as determining the impact on the development of startup. It has been revealed that the central driver of start-up ecosystems is most often considered by universities as centers of education and driving forces of innovative growth. It is innovations that are determined as a source of entrepreneurship development. The above was the basis for consideration and a possible solution to the problem of building a model that would describe the development of the startup ecosystem of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe based on the analysis of a set of indicators that characterize the startup ecosystem according to the Dealroom.co methodology, where the most popular and those that Ecosystem value is the most complete description of the development of the startup ecosystem. The European experience in the development of startup ecosystems has been analyzed. The structural components of the startup ecosystem have been reflected, and their role in the functioning of the system and their interrelationships has been defined. The functioning of startup ecosystems in European countries has been described. Possible directions of application of the European experience in the development of startup ecosystems in Ukraine have been studied. At the same time, the government of Ukraine considers the IT industry and military tech (high-tech weapons) as priorities in further development, which is especially relevant during military operations. The study was tested on the Greek startup ecosystem and found that the most significant issues affecting the successful development of startups are issues at the state level, which are related to tax incentives and acceleration of start-up procedures, the availability of financing opportunities, communication between interested parties, entrepreneurial education, previous startup experience, incubator support, and mentoring. A regression-correlation analysis of a set of five indicators (Number of unicorns, Future unicorns, VC funding, Number of exits, Employees, New funds, Number of startups, Number of funding rounds), which have the greatest significance for the Ecosystem value of the country, has been carried out. A model has been built that determines the dependence of Ecosystem value on the action of a set of significant factors: Number of unicorns, Future unicorns, VC funding, Number of exits, and Employees, which allows predicting the development of the startup ecosystem of the countries of the world.

Scope and limitations of heritage-based resilience: some reflections from Nepal

Recent risk preparedness and recovery frameworks have focused in particular on the themes of heritage and resilience. It is generally agreed among heritage professionals that heritage can play an important role in postdisaster recovery and resilience. However, heritage (monuments or sites or even intangible heritage) in general is perceived as a fragile resource that needs to be saved instead of as a source of resilience. This raises a question on what resilience means for the conceptualisation of heritage – is it about ‘building back’ the same heritage there was before, or is it also about making heritage relevant to the changed situation (due to disaster etc.)? Is resilience an inherent quality of heritage, or can it also be a process for reconsidering heritage in the postdisaster period? Instead of pursuing heritage as a passive recipient of any response and resilience building process, we can ask (i) how heritage provides refuge in times of crisis, (ii) how heritage can be an agent of distress in some situations, and (iii) what heritage and resilience mean together. Scholars have begun to raise questions about the meaning of heritage for building resilience and the meaning of resilience in relation to heritage. Taking built heritage as an example, while many aspects of built heritage, such as construction techniques, open spaces or resilient materials, may contribute to resilience and recovery, there are also situations where narrow streets and dense built fabric add to disaster risks. Similar dilemmas may be observed in the case of intangible heritage associated with urban areas and everyday life. Thus, this paper challenges the romanticisation of heritage values and explores rationales and critical perspectives that will enable us to conceptualise heritage as a potential source of resilience and recovery. By examining these critical issues, the paper hopes to help enhance the notion of heritage-based urban resilience and recovery rather than loosely promoting it. In doing so, references are made to global frameworks as well as local realities related to the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal.

Envisioning Pre-service English teacher education in Colombia as political action

This reflective article explores the need to revise the education of pre-service English teachers to place critical and political dimensions as central components in the education of future teachers. The author presents a brief critical overview of some key historical events in Colombia that have taken place mainly during the last sixty years. Two national educational proposals that aim to promote peaceful human relations and knowledge of the country’s historically violent past (Cátedra para la Paz and Estándares de Competencias Ciudadanas) are also described. Two complementary approaches to English teacher education are discussed as possible alternatives to enacting teacher education from a political and critical stance (Teacher Education for Social Justice and Critical Teacher Education). Finally, three trends in English teaching and research in Colombia are described as a way to illustrate some of the ways in which different scholars have enacted English teaching as part of a political and critical endeavor. The author concludes that in order to contribute to a more just, equitable, and peaceful country, pre-service English teacher programs must prepare prospective teachers committed to a process of social, cultural, and political transformation of the local realities of Colombia.

Ukrainian refugee crisis management in the Local Health Authority Roma 1: the challenges of implementing public health policies and lessons learned

BackgroundThe conflict between Russia and Ukraine has strained the health systems of countries that welcome war refugees on all levels, from national to local. Despite the Public Health guidelines regarding assistance being published on the topic, the scientific literature currently lacks evidence on the experience of applying theory in practice. This study aims to describe evidence-based practices that were implemented and to provide a detailed description of emerging problems and solutions pertaining Ukrainian refugee assistance in the context of one of the biggest Local Health Authorities in Italy (LHA Roma 1).MethodsLHA Roma 1 developed a strategic plan based on local expertise, national and international guidelines to ensure infectious disease prevention and control, as well as continuity of care for non-communicable diseases and mental health.ResultsThe insertion of Ukrainian refugees in the National Health System through an identification code assignment and other services such as COVID-19 swab and vaccination were provided either in one of the three major assistance hubs or in local district level ambulatories spread throughout the LHA. Many challenges were faced during the implementation phase of the outlined practice guidelines, which required sensible and timely solutions. These challenges include the necessity of rapid resource provision, overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers, guaranteeing a standard of care across multiple sites and coordination of interventions. Public Private Partnerships, the creation of a centralized multicultural and multidisciplinary team and the mutually beneficial collaboration with the local Ukrainian community were essential to guarantee the success of all operations.ConclusionsThe experience of LHA Roma 1 helps shed light on the importance of leadership in emergency settings and how a dynamic relationship between policy and practice would allow each intervention to be modulated according to the local environment, to better realize the potential of local realities to provide appropriate health interventions to all those in need.

Global insights, local realities: BGI challenges and opportunities in Indian urbanization

Global insights, local realities: BGI challenges and opportunities in Indian urbanization

Political Performances of Surviving Oppression

Abstract In light of the societal and structural changes that have occurred in Palestine since the signing of the Oslo Agreements in the 1990s, the present work aims to analyse the enhanced role of individuals and individual actions as opposed to actions led by collective and/or top-down organisations in the unarmed resistance of Palestinian people to the State of Israel, both in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and in 1948 Palestine/Israel. To understand the main tracts, limits, and potential of this contemporary trend I resort to the work and ideas developed by Bayat on social nonmovements. A further aim is to highlight how the resistance of the individuals intersects with individual-right movements, to understand the changing relation between the fight for individual rights and the fight against occupation. Hence, an in-depth analysis of the village realities of al-Walaja and al-Laqiya will be provided, by examining land defense in reaction to illegal acquisition of Palestinian property. Moreover, the results will be confronted with the broad events of May 2021, to better understand how new resistance dynamics have unfolded in different local realities as well as nationwide. Nowadays Palestine is marked by geographical, social, political, and religious fragmentation, together with economic difficulties. In such an environment I suggest that individuals adapted to the new reality of NGOs’ aid and relief and, with the boost of social media and the discourse brought forward by Palestinian women, have taken the lead of the leaderless Palestinian resistance, as proved by the events of the Habba of May 2021. As for the claims over individual rights, I believe this new resistance paradigm has the potential to prompt social and political reform, while the capabilities of individuals to practice such resistance in a sustained manner have to be carefully thought out.

Agroforestry-based community forestry as a large-scale strategy to reforest agricultural encroachment areas in Myanmar: ambition vs. local reality

Key messageThe Forest Department strongly influences agroforestry design, tree species selection, and the participation and motivation of farmers to plant trees. Farmers perceive trees as harmful to crops and have avoided planting them near crops. We recommend considering farmers’ preferences, establishing farmers’ field schools, and increasing their awareness about the benefits of trees to improve adoption rates of agroforestry systems.ContextThe high rate of deforestation in Myanmar is mainly due to agricultural expansion. One task of the Forest Department is to increase tree cover in the agricultural encroachment areas by establishing large-scale agroforestry-based community forests (ACFs).AimThe objectives of this study were to analyze the adoption and performance of the ACFs in the agricultural encroachment areas in the Bago-Yoma Region, Myanmar; and to provide recommendations to enhance the adoption of ACFs by farmers.MethodsWe inventoried 42 sample plots and surveyed 291 farmers. Survey responses were analyzed by binary logistic regression, one-way ANOVA, and non-parametric correlation tests to evaluate factors influencing the adoption of ACFs. Stand characteristics were calculated from the inventory data to evaluate the performance of ACFs.ResultsOur results show that farmer participation in ACFs was lower than stated in the registry of the Forest Department. Farmers practiced four different agroforestry designs in ACFs with different outcomes. The Forest Department strongly determined tree species and planting designs, farmers’ perception and participation in ACFs. Farmland size, unclear, and insufficient information on ACFs, and a negative perception of raising trees in crop fields were the major factors limiting the adoption rates of ACFs.ConclusionWe recommend capacity building for farmers and Forest Department staff and raising awareness about the benefits of planting designs and trees on farmland. A stronger consideration of farmers’ preferences for design and species selection could increase their motivation to adopt ACFs and improve the long-term sustainability of ACFs.

Um processo de design para definir desafios públicos envolvendo os ODS

Abstract How might we define local innovation challenges that are user-centered but also address strategic goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? We propose a design process that introduces a relevant contribution to the practices of the Mission-oriented Innovation Policies (MIPs) field as it goes from Grand Societal Challenges (GSCs) to local innovation challenges, which are more relevant to local needs and capabilities of solution. The main goal of the design process is to go from a GSC, such as “access to health” and one of its missions, like “reducing chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD),” to a more able-to-solve innovation challenge, passing by its mission, and different problems and aspects. Snowball sampling methods allow us to find and mobilize electable subjects and design thinking techniques to process problem mapping, election, and clustering, as well as create challenge statements. It was possible to translate GSC to the local reality while reducing contestation and complexity and producing a problem-grouped map with prioritization and three problem statements (challenges) with open phrasing and solution criteria to foster the users’ desired outcomes.

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: From the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) to the Italian Neurosurgical Society (SINch) Recommendations

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a progressively growing pathology to afford by a spinal surgeon due to the aging of the population, associated with better treatment management and the best diagnosis and treatment solutions are greatly discussed. Nowadays that scientific literature is progressively increasing to identify the gold standard in diagnosis and treatment can be very challenging. This is particularly evident in spinal surgery with many different indications not only in different countries but also in the same local reality. In this scenario, many neurosurgical societies works to identify some guideline or recommendations to help spinal surgeons in daily practice. Furthermore, in an era in which legal issues are increasingly present in clinical practice to have some indications globally accepted can be very useful. World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) few years ago starts this process creating a list of recommendations originating from a worldwide steering committee to respect all the local reality. The spinal section of Italian Neurosurgical Society decides to adopt the WFNS recommendations with some revision basing on Italian scenario. The steering committee of the Spinal Section of Italian Neurosurgical Society identify 7 groups to review the literature of the last 10 years about different topics on CSM and to analyses the WFNS recommendations to adapt it to the Italian daily practice. The statements were discussed and voted in 2 sessions to obtain the final version. A list of recommendations on natural course and clinical presentation; diagnostic tests; conservative and surgical treatment; anterior, posterior and combined surgical treatment; role of neurophysiological monitoring and follow-up and outcome was created with only few new or revised statements respect the ones of WFNS. The Spine Section of Italian Neurosurgical Society create a list of recommendations that represent the more contemporary treatment concepts for CSM as presented in the highest quality clinical literature and best clinical practices available on this subject.

Digital Ethics: Dilemma or Opportunityin Intelligent Higher Education Organizations

The purpose of this essay is to generate thinking on digital ethics as an essential agent to promote values, principles, and practices in higher education organizations and to stimulate healthy and safe digital behaviors in the people involved in the educational act, for an appropriate use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). For this purpose, an analysis of the relationship between ICT and ethics is presented, which will constitute an opportunity to establish human relations in universities based on respect, justice, inclusion, transparency, and responsibility, for the benefit of a complex, technologically active, and impacted society by the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic. It begins with a technological description of the global and local reality, then some theoretical and practical elements related to intelligent organizations, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), are explained. In addition, digital ethics is approached from a theoretical approach, considering whether this is a dilemma or an opportunity to generate change from the perspective of intelligent organizations. Finally, a proposal is provided with guidelines to promote digital ethics in universities that contribute to a healthy coexistence focused on the common good, with the use of digital technologies.

Жизнестойкость арктических сообществ: концепция, методология и направления исследований

This article is aimed at scientific review of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of social (community) resilience and its empirical applicability in the context of territorial development of the Arctic. The relevance of this research is determined by the need to solve the problems of sustainable development of the Arctic region in the context of economic, social and natural challenges. Using the method of knowledge contextualization, the paper analyses various definitions of the concept of resili-ence, and describes factors and strategies for community resilience. It concludes that social resilience is the ability of communities to be flexible and able to adapt in response to external influences. Social resilience is difficult to measure and control; however, resilience factors are potentially observable using quantitative and qualitative methods, enabling the development of community resilience strategies. These strategies should be based on local realities, since they will take different forms depending on the community, and the idea of resilience itself will manifest in different ways. This justifies the need for empirical studies that would provide longitudinal data on social resilience in a particular area. Using the Arctic region as an example, the article presents foreign and Russian experience of research on social resilience in the context of global changes. It concludes that the development of resilience in Arctic communities requires a systematic approach, which should be based on knowledge of how local communities respond to global challenges.

Formation of social communication skills among students of the Faculty of Medicine in the system of professional education. Experience of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The article describes the formation of social communication (SC) skills among healthcare professionals in order to determine its place in professional activities.A theoretical analysis of the philosophical, pedagogical, psychological and scientific-methodical literature related to the problem under study was carried out. The national pedagogical experience in SC development was analyzed through the prism of cultural and moral patterns embedded in the national literature. The following methods were used: conversations with students, medical workers, discussion, survey.According to the authors, the low interest in national literature and culture is a significant reason for the low level of SC skills among workers in the social and medical service and in professional group communication. A survey among students showed a low interest in the national cultural samples, including those expressed in national literature.According to the authors, in the development of SC skills in future healthcare professionals, the experience of domestic pedagogy is of great importance, aimed at improving the moral education necessary for adequate behavior and communication, not only in the context of local and national realities, but also including respect for other cultures.

The collapse of a polity, the birth of states: municipal debt, local conflicts and state formation in the former Crown of Aragon (1740–1770)

ABSTRACT In south-western Europe, the transition from pre-modern polities to modern states started in the central decades of the eighteenth century. This article explores why and how the plural, judicial and polycentric practices that structured social and political life before circa 1750 were progressively replaced by more unified, administrative and hierarchical repertoires of practices. The article rethinks the formation of the state through the conflicts over the debt of four municipalities of the former Crown of Aragon in the monarchies of Spain, the Savoy and the Two Sicilies. The global wars of the mid-eighteenth century and the subsequent extraordinary fiscal pressure fuelled local conflicts that led to the collapse of the ancient practices that structured life in common. However, the new social and political arrangements that were born out of the ancient polities and started replacing them were not imposed from above, but rather ideated, negotiated and implemented by a myriad of local actors and corporations. The article asserts that local realities were much more complex and polyhedric than what has traditionally been stated. As in other European regions, in the south-western polities of the Old Continent the modern state also emerged, first and foremost, from below.

Of duty and diaspora: (Re)negotiating the intergenerational contract in South Asian Muslim families

In recent years, there has been exponential growth in the South Asian Muslim population in the United States. This demographic trend, along with a rapidly aging North American population, implies that very soon, a significant proportion of U.S. adults 65 years and older will identify as South Asian Muslim. Moreover, more than one-half of Muslims (57%) live in a multi-person/multi-generation household where all members identify as Muslim. Despite this evidence, limited research exists on the dynamics of multigenerational living in aging South Asian Muslim households, particularly around intergenerational support exchanges and the nature and strength of affectual bonds between generations. Additionally, research suggests that espoused within internalized cultural norms around filial obligation and duty, kinwork in South Asian families remains highly gendered. Less is known, however, about the gendered nature of kinwork in immigrant South Asian Muslim families. Based on 30 in-depth narrative interviews with three generations of South Asian Muslim women living in the U.S., this paper addresses these gaps, specifically focusing on intersections of faith, culture, gender, age, immigrant status, and age at migration. The findings from this study point to a renegotiation of the intergenerational contract, wherein care and support for a parent or grandparent were understood and enacted within the framework of an overarching Muslim identity, while simultaneously, for their older relatives, it was reinterpreted within shifting local and global realities such as the increasing participation of the middle generation, the daughters and daughters-in-law, in the paid workforce. In addition to providing insights into ethnic and religious-oriented experiences of aging and care, these findings may help inform policymakers and stakeholders (e.g., community service providers and faith leaders such as imams of mosques, researchers, and family members) in culturally congruent ways to support the health and well-being of aging South Asian Muslim families.

Monoglot Ideologies in Multilingual Ecologies: Case Study of Language-in-Education Policies in India and Indonesia

The creation of language policies is a socially embedded process that affects the socioeconomic well-being of those who live in a given language ecosystem. Unrealistic presumptions about a nation’s linguistic landscape on the part of its government run the risk of perpetuating an unequal social climate in which some demographic groups are given more possibilities for social mobility, while others are pushed into a marginalized position of powerlessness. In multilingual societies, the power structures that exist mirror the roles that various languages are given in social, educational, and other domains. The current study examines the ecology/practice of language in multilingual Indian and Indonesian contexts and strives to determine if it receives adequate reflection in the language policies (LPs) of both nations. To comprehend how multilingual social practice is managed and planned through official policy framing, it construes these situations as case studies. In social contexts where societal multilingualism is the norm, the current study takes a critically reflexive approach toward the formulation and application of policy. To determine whether there is a correlation between contentious LPs in multilingual situations and social justice, in terms of equal access to high-quality education, it links top-down government language management with local linguistic realities. Moreover, it draws its own conclusions regarding the implications of policy analysis for fair language management in multilingual contexts and teachers’ participation in policy implementation as part of their regular professional activities.