Participation Justice Research Articles

Education Policy and Social Justice: A Policy Framework Analysis for Improving Educational Opportunities for Marginalized Groups

Educational inequality remains a pervasive issue, particularly for marginalized groups such as low-income families, immigrants, and ethnic minorities. Despite various educational reforms, current policies often fail to fully address the disparities faced by these populations. This paper critically examines the role of education policy in promoting social justice, focusing on how existing policies can either perpetuate or mitigate inequities in access and outcomes. Drawing on a comprehensive policy analysis framework, this study analyzes current UK education policies, comparing them with international best practices to identify key gaps and areas for improvement. The findings reveal significant shortcomings in resource distribution, support systems for marginalized students, and accountability mechanisms. Based on these findings, the paper proposes a refined policy framework that incorporates principles of redistributive, recognition, and participatory justice, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers. This research highlights the urgent need for a more equitable approach to education policy, ensuring that marginalized groups are not left behind in the pursuit of educational opportunity and success.

Research on tourism spatial justice based on residents' perception: A case study on Babao Town of Qilian Mountain National Park (Qinghai area)

As an important nature reserve, national parks play an important role in tourism development, not only in helping residents find employment and maintain vitality, but also in recovering funds, natural education, and environmental protection. Therefore, in the development of national park tourism, it is necessary to adhere to the development concept of spatial justice to ensure the fairness of tourism development. Based on the theory of fairness preference, this paper divides tourism spatial justice into intentional justice, procedural justice, participatory justice, distributive justice, and resultant justice, and discusses the influence relationship between them. Through the questionnaire survey, 241 effective samples are obtained, the structural equation model of tourism spatial justice is constructed, and the path analysis and intermediary effect test are carried out. Research findings: (1) In the tourism spatial justice perception model, procedural justice, participatory justice, and distributive justice all have a significant positive impact on resultant justice, and the path coefficient of distributive justice is the largest. (2) On the path from intentional justice to resultant justice, procedural justice, and participation justice play an intermediary role respectively; Procedural justice and participatory justice, procedural justice and distributive justice play a chain intermediary role respectively. This study divided the dimensions of tourism spatial justice, incorporating participatory justice and distributive justice into traditional equity preference theory, and proved the perception model of tourism spatial justice from the perspective of community residents. At the same time, the interrelationships within the model were verified and explored, exploring the differences between the implementation of tourism spatial justice in national parks and general tourism destinations, to enrich relevant research in the field of tourism spatial justice in national parks and provide reference for the tourism development of national parks. Management implicationsThe development of tourism destinations is pursuing the goal of realizing spatial justice in tourism. The uneven distribution of tourism benefits within national parks is the main reflection of the issue of tourism spatial justice in this study. National park tourism development aims to improve the perception of fairness among local residents and optimize the distribution plan of tourism benefits. The perception of other forms of justice is influenced by the issue of procedural justice among residents. The only way to ensure effective justice in the tourism space within national parks is by ensuring that residents' rights are not compromised in tourism development. In the future, the construction of national parks should attach great importance to considering the distribution and rights of residents, avoiding the problem of residents being able to participate but unable to make profits, in order to better achieve the overall function of national parks.

Promoting Equity: Examining Participatory Justice in Free Lunch Program Planning to Combat Stunting in Indonesia

This study examines the organisation of complimentary meal initiatives in Indonesia through the lens of participatory justice. The study methodology employed is a normative juridical approach within a descriptive-analytical framework. Data were gathered via literature reviews and subjectively assessed. The results indicate that public policy should consider the active involvement of different societal stakeholders. Participatory justice fosters socioeconomic inclusivity and equity in the process of decision-making. While the free lunch program is a tangible measure to combat stunting, active involvement from the impacted individuals is crucial to guarantee the efficiency and equity of this program. Challenges in implementing participatory justice are the credibility of public involvement, dispute resolution, and the influence of experts in decision making procedures.

Shifting from Equality toward Equity: Addressing Disparities in Research Participation for Clinical Cancer Research.

AbstractThere is societal consensus that cancer clinical trial participation is unjust because some sociodemographic groups have been systematically underrepresented. Despite this, neither a definition nor an ethical explication for the justice norm of equity has been clearly articulated in this setting, leading to confusion over its application and goals. Herein we define equity as acknowledging sociodemographic circumstances and apportioning resource and opportunity allocation to eliminate disparities in outcomes, and we explore the issues and tensions this norm generates through practical examples. We assess how equality-based enrollment structures in clinical cancer research have perpetuated historical disparities and what equity-based alternatives are necessary to achieve representativeness and an expansive conception of participatory justice in clinical cancer research. This framework addresses the breadth from normative to applied by defining the justice norm of equity and translating it into practical strategies for addressing participation disparities in clinical cancer research.

How Can Scholarship Contribute to Housing Justice? Three Roles for Researchers

ABSTRACT This article discusses three ways that research, within and outside academia, can contribute to housing activism. First, we discuss the role that documentation, using non-traditional methods such as film, art, and social media, can play in expanding the visibility of struggles and in politicizing people in the process. Second, we consider how a “politics of resourcefulness” can support activism, by channelling material support from universities and other institutions, asking research questions of interest and relevance to activists, and by investigating the barriers to, and opportunities for, sustained participation in activism. Third we analyse how recent and historic scholarship has re-imagined what housing means by locating it in a wider political sphere, of (anti)racism, participatory justice, and self-determination. We argue that such works, whilst not necessarily directly engaged in on-the-ground struggles, create a conceptual “guide for action”, that stretch the question of housing (in)justice beyond (re)distribution to questions of (anti)racism, (anti)colonialism and participatory justice.

Social Justice Leadership in Education: What Do School Principals Do for Social Justice?

This study aims to explore school principals' perceptions of social justice in education and their social justice leadership behaviors at school. The data of the study, which was conducted with the phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, were obtained through semi-structured interviews with nine school principals and then analyzed by thematic analysis. The results of this study reveal that school principals mostly have distributive and recognitional justice perceptions of social justice in education and participatory justice perceptions at a relatively lower level. It has been revealed that principals have perceptions of distributive justice with the phenomena of equality, equality of opportunity, and fairness; recognitory justice with the phenomena of awareness of disadvantaged groups, supporting disadvantaged groups, and respect for diversity; and participatory justice with the phenomenon of democracy. It was found that school principals mostly exhibited social justice leadership behaviors concerning the dimensions of critical consciousness and support, while their behaviors in relation to the dimension of inclusion were limited compared to the other two dimensions. In their schools, principals exhibited respect for diversity among students, awareness of social injustices, raising critical consciousness about social justice, providing financial support, supporting students' academic and social development, creating an inclusive educational environment, and participatory management behaviors. Some implications were made for school principals' leadership behaviors regarding the conduct of educational activities within the framework of the principle of social justice. It has been revealed that we need to rethink the duties of school principals on how they ensure justice in education services, how they protect disadvantaged groups, and how they distribute resources.

Normative Uncertainty in Solar Climate Engineering Research Governance

ABSTRACT This paper explores what kind of uncertainty a research program governing solar climate engineering through Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) needs to account for. Specifically, it tries to answer two central issues with regards to SAI research and it’s ethical evaluation: One, what irreducible uncertainties remain throughout the decision-process, and, two, how do these remaining uncertainties affect the ethical evaluation of SAI research. The main assumption is that decisions on SAI research governance will be made under normative uncertainty, i.e. situations under irreducible knowledge-constraints that arise in concrete, practical decision-contexts. These decision-contexts are multi-lateral and empirically ambiguous, and the decision-makers need to reconcile a plurality of values. While normative uncertainty complicates the ethical evaluation of policy decisions, I argue that moral considerations can be accommodated through the inclusion of recognitional, participatory justice approaches, as well as adaptive and anticipatory governance methods.

Rethinking Polanyi's double movement through participatory justice: Land use planning in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has lost an alarming amount of farmland in the past century, and land distribution is highly unequal in line with broader social patterns. These problems raise the question of alternative models that can enhance socio-ecological justice, and whether the reversal of the historical neglect of agriculture could factor significantly into such alternatives. A significant step toward such a reversal was arguably Puerto Rico's 2015 Plan de Uso de Terrenos (Land Use Plan) (PUT), the first island-level land use plan. I analyze the PUT as a Polanyian double movement to protect agricultural land from circulating as an urban asset, with the novel addition of environmental justice's “trivalent” notion of social justice. I argue that participatory justice, in particular, played a dual role in this “double movement”: first, the process achieved sufficient balance amongst actors to protect significant agricultural area from urban development; and second, the constituency mobilized through the PUT's creation later proved essential to the plan's defence against land marketization efforts. My analysis offers a unique synthesis of environmental justice and heterodox political economy and concludes that deepening dialogue across the two literatures can offer important insights for achieving emancipatory socio-ecological change in land use planning.

Counseling psychology and participatory justice: “sharing the university”

ABSTRACT What is a participatory justice approach to counseling psychology, and what actions would express its inclusive intentions? We propose that a participatory justice framework for counseling psychology practice and training would complement social justice perspectives by emphasizing university-community collaborations and resource-sharing; it also privileges public, community-based knowledge creation as exemplified by participatory action research. In this way, a participatory justice approach offers a counterbalance to current political trends toward private ownership of social assets and resources. This article 1) expands upon these theoretical foundations, and then 2) presents three current practice-related project examples to show how these foundations can tangibly translate to academic and professional activities. Finally, the article 3) relates these activities to the training of students by concluding with suggested curricula by which to prepare graduate students and others for participatory undertakings.

EFL Students’ Reflection on the Use of Discussion Card in Speaking Class

The purpose of this paper is to investigate EFL students’ reflection using discussion cards in speaking class. Discussion card was developed as a response to three major challenges that tend to emerge in discussion groups and participatory exercises. First, it renders new or complex issues accessible. Second, it seeks to contribute to participatory justice and third, the cards allow the introduction of expert opinions without expert presence. The research used qualitative study and involved 10 students studying at Speakgurus English Course. The study was analyzed using reflection questions from 10 students who were taking this course. The result indicates how the students’ feel towards the use of discussion cards. It includes students’ difficulty when they first get involved in the discussion, their preference about the topic and how they feel about their speaking skills development. In general, they show positive feelings towards the use of discussion cards in speaking class. However, there should be longitudinal research to create more contribution on students’ speaking skill.

Model for Ulayat Land Dispute Resolution Based on Participatory Justice in the Era of Sustainable Development

The goal of this research is twofold: to investigate and evaluate the existing model for the resolution of disputes concerning customary rights in Indonesia and to devise a model for the resolution of such conflicts that is founded on participatory justice and is appropriate for use in an era in which sustainable development is a priority. The Juridical Empirical approach is employed as the methodology for this investigation. According to the study’s findings, the lack of instruments or mechanisms for resolving ulayat land disputes will make it difficult for indigenous peoples to gain access to the magical religious values of indigenous peoples related to the spiritual, social, and cultural values of indigenous peoples. These magical religious values are tied to indigenous peoples’ traditional ways of life. Indigenous peoples’ rights can be protected through participatory justice by exerting influence over the processes and policies involved in the resolution of ulayat land disputes. This ensures that indigenous peoples will continue to have access to social rights and human rights about preserving their values, spiritual, social, and cultural qualities sustainably.

Just participation or just participation? A participatory justice model for more successful theory of change design, implementation, and solution uptake

While a wide consensus acknowledges that participation is critical for the successful implementation of change that improves the livelihoods of people and communities around the world, justly securing that participation from stakeholders (at both the design and implementation stages) remains a demanding problem. This paper proposes a heuristic model for increasing participation that not only helps to investigate instances of nonparticipation but also opens up alternative intervention strategies and pathways for designers and implementers to consider toward more justly increasing participation and overcoming nonparticipation. Applied to a successful case of participation in Gurúè District, Mozambique—where an 89% solution adoption of an improved postharvest seed storage method was measured two years after initial training—this paper demonstrates the key importance of designing opportunities and motivations for participation into any solutions or innovations but especially justice as a factor for successful realization of theory of change efforts (all the more so in developing nation contexts). Applied to a second case study, this paper also explores participation despite little to no motivation to do so. Aiming to afford designers and implementers of theory of change interventions a tool for more successfully and exactly matching innovation goals with innovation outcomes, the paper also addresses broader implications for the model within theory of change approaches generally.

Bridging the Gender Participatory Gap in Water and Sanitation Rights Adjudication

Abstract This article critically examines the justifications, litigation strategies, adjudicatory mechanisms and implications for strengthening gender participatory processes in domestic enforcement of the separate but critically interlinked rights to basic water and adequate sanitation services. The article first examines how the lack of women’s full, free and meaningful participation as key stakeholders both causes and contributes to gendered deprivation by examining three early leading jurisprudential examples from South Africa, Mazibuko and Others v City of Johannesburg (2009), Nokotyana and Others v Ekurhuleni Municipality (2009) and Beja and Others v Premier of the Western Cape (2011). Employing the literature on principles of adjudication and the discourse on equality, gender and dignity, the concept of ‘gender-responsive participatory justice’ (GPJ) is then put forth as a flexible analytical and strategic tool to mitigate the ad hoc gender-sensitive considerations that remain wholly inadequate to guaranteeing equality and non-discrimination commitments in practice. In doing so, the article emphasizes the critical nexus between procedure and the substantive values and functions of these rights in the form of autonomy-based equality and agency-based dignity. In the final instance, this examination is operationalized by a preliminary applied discussion of how gender-responsive deliberative principles of participation and their accompanying values can be utilized by practitioners and policy-makers to ultimately pursue proactive ways of guaranteeing that women’s participation becomes fully integrated in water and sanitation rights implementation.

Street Life in Renaissance Italy

Street Life in Renaissance Italy

Disability, Human Rights, and Climate Justice

The universally dire threat of climate change disproportionately affects marginalized populations, including the over one billion persons with disabilities worldwide. States that disregard the Paris Agreement, or exclude disabled persons from climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, are violating agreed-upon human rights obligations. Notably, the rights contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are threatened by climate change. To date, however, disability has largely been excluded from international climate change negotiations as well as national-level discharge of climate-related measures. By contrast, a disability human rights approach views disabled persons as disproportionately experiencing environmental threats and unnatural disasters due to their exclusion from state laws, policies, and services available to their non-disabled peers. Additionally, a disability human rights approach mandates the removal of exclusionary barriers and the implementation of positive measures to ensure the equitable treatment of individuals with disabilities. Achieving disability-inclusive climate justice requires “participatory justice”—empowering persons with disabilities to ascertain climate mitigation and adaptation approaches that are efficacious for, successfully implementable by, and accountable to disabled people. Disability-inclusive climate justice solutions are in synergy with universal climate justice goals and benefit entire societies, not “only” those with disabilities.

China's Evolution from Socialist Legality: The Expansion in the Role of Judges and the Redress of Grievances

The Chinese state implemented a conscious transfer to a market economy after 1977 when the Four Modernisations were inaugurated and the new Constitution promulgated in 1982 raised the possibility for the separation of powers. The new framework introduced judicial review into the structure of the legal system that was to provide redress of grievances from mal administration. The transition to a new leadership in 2011 allowed the National Peoples Congress to enact administrative reforms, and further amendments to the Chinese Constitution in 2018 have promulgated the Judges Law. The judicial reforms promote the values of an independent judiciary and there is an effective machinery of justice which promotes judicial review. This paper argues that the centralisation of power by the Communist Party does not preclude the functioning of judicial administration that conforms to rule of law and an emerging trend of public interest litigation and participatory justice.

Development of Perceived Social Justice in Education Scale for Primary School Students

The purpose of this research was to develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring the primary school students’ perceived social justice in educational environments. A descriptive survey design was used. The data was collected from 475 fourth-grade students studying at five primary schools in Istanbul, Turkey. During the scale development, the following steps were taken: (1) The existing literature was reviewed and elementary school teachers’ opinions were gathered; (2) a draft scale was developed and the experts’ opinions were obtained; (3) the scale with 39 items was applied to 20 students for clarity, comprehensibility and applicability purposes; (4) the actual data was collected in two phases with the participation of 150 and 325 fourth-grade students, respectively; (5) Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. The preliminary analysis showed that the value of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was .77 and the Bartlett’s sphericity test was statistically significant. The results of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed a 3-factor structure with 13 items, explaining 52% of the total variance. The factors, compatible with the literature, were named as participatory justice, recognitional justice and distributive justice. The results of the first and the second order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were satisfactory (χ2/df: 1.89 and χ2/df: 1.86, respectively). The internal consistency reliability of the overall scale was .78. Finally, a valid and reliable 3-factor, 13 statements instrument, called Perceived Social Justice in Education Scale (PSJES) was developed. The use of this instrument in future related studies would hopefully shed light on the social justice dynamics in classrooms and their impacts on students’ academic, behavioural and social-emotional outcomes.

A Wellness Program for Mothers Living in the Context of A South African High-risk Community

ABSTRACT Mothering in the context of a South African high-risk community has undue complexities. Apart from the compounding risks for families and the reality of many “poverty traps,” when mothers’ personal and parenting competencies within this context are compromised, then the entire family suffers. There is a need for the development and evaluation of a wellness program for mothers living in high-risk communities in the South African context. Moreover, scholars argue for a contextual understanding of structural conditions and, particularly, for the inclusion of a participatory and social justice approach to such program development. The aim of the program described in this paper was to strengthen the personal and parenting abilities of mothers living in a South African high-risk low-income community. We describe our modus operandi in combining research-generated academic information with contextual data obtained via participatory processes to inform the content and focus of the program. Additionally, thematic analysis of data obtained via a focus group discussion with social worker participants was used to identify prerequisite skills and competencies for this program to enhance mothers’ well-being as well as appropriate parenting skills. We describe the content of the wellness program comprising concept mapping of four modules called Mattering; Mothering; Managing; and, Mentoring located within the theoretical framework of Community Psychology. Guidelines from various parenting programs were incorporated as best practices toward effective implementation.

Participatory network mapping of an emergent social network for a regional transition to a low-carbon and just society on the Dingle Peninsula

ABSTRACT The paper develops a methodological approach that acts as a tool for active change agents working in community and just transition contexts to increase their capacity to engage a wider public in planning. An innovative contribution is made to the literature through the development of a participatory action research (PAR) based approach to social network analysis using a participatory mapping method with relation to sustainable transitions. The method comprises a participatory network mapping approach, adapted from the Net-Map toolkit, which is applied to a multi-stakeholder approach to realising a regional sustainability transition in the Republic of Ireland. Dingle Peninsula 2030 is an initiative aiming to transition a geographic region in the South West of Ireland to a low-carbon society by 2030 across the sectors of energy, agriculture, transport, education, employment, marine and tourism. Due to the scope of the overall project, a diverse range of stakeholders are involved. The method developed is used to undertake a qualitative collaborative social network analysis. The paper focuses on method, by analysing and reflecting upon the use of this participatory approach, in the initial stages of the overall project, in addressing complex sustainability and just transition challenges as they are revealed through a multi-stakeholder approach. Within this, the themes of participatory justice, social learning and visualising complexity are explored; and benefits and future improvements are outlined through reflections from both the researcher and the participant community.

Freedom and the Welfare State in Kant’s Doctrine of Right

In his doctrine of right, Kant sketched out the image of a state that secures the freedom and property of its citizens, but excludes questions of the distribution of goods. Therefore, following his basic ideas, attempts are made to incorporate socially balancing mechanisms into the theory of property. By means of some typical argumentation approaches, it is shown which paths to solve the social question are taken by Kant’s interpreters and which are closed according to the internal structural principles of Kant’s legal doctrine. With a view to Kant’s preliminary work, the concept of freedom is expanded to include a positive component of opportunities for freedom and distributive justice is interpreted as an inclusive economic, social and societal system of participatory justice.