Power Imbalance Research Articles

Integration of primary care and palliative care services to improve equality and equity at the end-of-life: Findings from realist stakeholder workshops.

Inequalities in access to palliative and end of life care are longstanding. Integration of primary and palliative care has the potential to improve equity in the community. Evidence to inform integration is scarce as research that considers integration of primary care and palliative care services is rare. To address the questions: 'how can inequalities in access to community palliative and end of life care be improved through the integration of primary and palliative care, and what are the benefits?' A theory-driven realist inquiry with two stakeholder workshops to explore how, when and why inequalities can be improved through integration. Realist analysis leading to explanatory context(c)-mechanism(m)-outcome(o) configurations(c) (CMOCs). A total of 27 participants attended online workshops (July and September 2022): patient and public members (n = 6), commissioners (n = 2), primary care (n = 5) and specialist palliative care professionals (n = 14). Most were White British (n = 22), other ethnicities were Asian (n = 3), Black African (n = 1) and British mixed race (n = 1). Power imbalances and racism hinder people from ethnic minority backgrounds accessing current services. Shared commitment to addressing these across palliative care and primary care is required in integrated partnerships. Partnership functioning depends on trusted relationships and effective communication, enabled by co-location and record sharing. Positive patient experiences provide affirmation for the multi-disciplinary team, grow confidence and drive improvements. Integration to address inequalities needs recognition of current barriers. Integration grounded in trust, faith and confidence can lead to a cycle of positive patient, carer and professional experience. Prioritising inequalities as whole system concern is required for future service delivery and research.

Exploring Discourse Markers in Analyzing Gender Discrimination in Pakistani Drama Serials: A Corpus-Based Study

This research examines gender-related language patterns and discourse markers in Pakistani drama serials, focusing on the lexical choices made by male and female authors. Drawing on Lakoff's model, we conduct qualitative content analysis on the selected episodes to uncover gender dynamics and power imbalances. Results show that men use words like "absolutely", "decide", "go", "listen", and "stop" along with self-referential pronouns "I" and "he" more frequently. Women employ words like "doubt", "maybe", "very", "excuse me", "wonder", "we", and "might", as well as pronouns "she", and "we" more often. These findings reveal gender stereotypes in Pakistani drama serials, underscoring the need for more diverse and inclusive narratives challenging traditional roles. This research impacts the broader media landscape, emphasizing media's role in shaping societal perceptions and the importance of promoting gender equality in representations. Moreover, by analyzing the corpus of Pakistani drama serials authored by both genders, our methodology employs qualitative content analysis, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive media environment by dissecting gender-related language patterns and discourse markers in these serials.

"Listen with your ears and eyes and heart and your minds and your soul": Implications for decolonising consultation and occupational therapy from case studies on "Closing the Gap" policy implementation.

Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities through consultation has been a key feature of policy implementation throughout the Australian Government's "Closing the Gap" (CTG) strategy. However, consultation often reinforces power imbalances between government and local community and can undervalue or marginalise Indigenous knowledge and leadership. Occupational therapy has a short history of examining colonial power structures within the profession, but there has been limited progress to decolonise consultation and practice. Drawing on decolonising research methodology and positioned at the interface of knowledge, comparative case studies were used to understand policy implementation in two regions. In Shepparton, Victoria, CTG policy was implemented predominately through an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and in Southern Adelaide, South Australia, CTG policy was implemented through mainstream state government and non-government providers in the absence of a local Aboriginal-controlled organisation. Findings were examined critically to identify implications for occupational therapy. Our case studies showed that policy stakeholders perceived consultation to be tokenistic and partnerships were viewed differently by Aboriginal and non-Indigenous participants. Participants identified the need to move beyond a rhetoric of "working with" Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to promote Aboriginal leadership and really listen to community so that policy can respond to local need. The findings of this research show that Aboriginal-controlled services are best positioned to conduct and respond to community consultation. A decolonising approach to consultation would shift the status quo in policy implementation in ways that realign power away from colonial structures towards collaboration with Indigenous leadership and the promotion of Aboriginal-controlled services. There are lessons for occupational therapy from this research on policy implementation on authentic, decolonised consultation as a key feature of policy implementation. Shifting power imbalances through prioritising Indigenous leadership and honouring what is shared can drive change in CTG policy implementation processes and outcomes.

Unveiling Power Dynamics: Diversity Interpretations, Management Practices, and Inclusion Perceptions in the Workplace

The current diversity management literature highlights a lack of empirical investigations into nuanced diversity characteristics within specific contexts, with a predominant focus on the USA, Europe, and Asia. This article addresses these gaps by exploring the intricate relationship between interpretations of workforce diversity dimensions and ensuing diversity management practices, shaping perceptions of inclusion or exclusion. Workplace diversity is viewed subjectively, influenced by contextual factors like industry and location. A case study was conducted in June 2022 within a Japanese automotive company, gathering qualitative data through techniques such as semi-structured in-depth interviews and non-participant observations were made during two guided visits. AtlasTi was utilized for the analysis of results. Findings reveal that socio-economic differences' interpretation is swayed by power imbalances in labor relationships. Diversity management practices aligned with the dominant group exacerbate inequality among demographic groups, establishing metaphorical «glass ceilings» for minorities and fostering exclusion perceptions. Considering the case study’s limitations, the research contributes to the diversity management discourse, prompting a reevaluation of practices to mitigate unintentional inequality perpetuation in the workplace.

Syncretic Narratives: Ethnic Diversity and Identity Politics in Post-Colonial Malaysia

The account of post-colonial Malaysia is indeed an intricate one, the relationship between the ethnic bunch and identity politics is both dynamic and complicated, creating a syncretic narrative with nuanced understanding of human culture. Delving into the many layers of Malaysia's socio-political landscape to examine the subtle linkages between ethnicity, culture, and power relations. A mosaic of nationalities, each adding to the rich fabric of the country's cultural past. Malaysia is an amalgamation of many customs, dialects, and beliefs, ranging from the Indigenous Orang Asli to the Malay majority, as well as the Chinese diaspora and India. However, underneath the facade of diversity is a crucible of identity politics, where historical grudges and power imbalances collide with current socio-economic realities. The legacy of British Colonialism with its divide and rule strategy, may still be felt in Malaysia's socio-political environment, impacting notions of race and identity today. While attempts to construct a national identity have been made, they frequently collide with notions of ethnic dominance and marginalization, exacerbating tensions and divides within Malaysian society. The quest for a unified national identity is loaded with difficulties, as Malaysia grapples with the complexity of its heterogeneous background while under the constraints of globalization and modernity. Despite the obstructions, there are moments of optimism and resilience as Malaysians traverse the contours of their hybrid identity, gaining strength from the variety that distinguishes their country. Through debate, openness, and a commitment to social justice, Malaysia has the opportunity to break free from identity politics and embrace a more inclusive and equitable future.

The reflections of health service providers on implementing contingency management for methamphetamine use disorder in Australia.

Contingency management (CM) is the most effective treatment for reducing methamphetamine use. We sought to understand why CM has not been taken up to manage methamphetamine use disorder in Australia. Six focus groups (4-8 participants per group) were conducted with health workers from agencies in Australia that provided drug-related health care to people who use methamphetamine. These agencies had no previous experience delivering CM for substance use. The potential acceptability and feasibility of implementing CM in their services were discussed. Participants felt that it would be beneficial to have an evidence-based treatment for methamphetamine use disorder. This sentiment was offset by concerns that CM conflicted with a client-centred harm-reduction approach and that it dictated the goal of treatment as abstinence. It was also perceived as potentially coercive and seen to reify the power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship and therefore potentially reinforce stigma. There was also concern about the public's perception and the political acceptability of CM, who would fund CM, and the inequity of providing incentives only to clients with a methamphetamine use disorder. Some concerns could be ameliorated if the goals and structure of CM could be tailored to a client's needs. Many healthcare workers were keen to offer CM as an effective treatment option for people with methamphetamine use disorder, but CM would need to be sufficiently flexible to allow it to be tailored to client needs and implemented in a way that did not adversely impact the therapeutic relationship.

Performance analysis of DFIG support microgrid using GA optimized restricted Boltzmann Machine algorithm

Voltage and reactive power regulation in a deregulated microgrid can be achieved by strategically placing the Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) in coordination with other renewable energy sources, thus ensuring high-end stability and independent control. STATCOM plays a crucial role in effectively addressing power quality issues such as voltage fluctuation and reactive power imbalances caused by the intermittent nature of wind energy conversion systems. To successfully integrate STATCOM into the existing system, it is essential that the control system employed for STATCOM coordination aligns with the Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) controller within the microgrid. Therefore, an efficient control algorithm is required in the microgrid, capable of coordinating with the DFIG controller while maintaining system stability. The utilization of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) in calibrating the Restricted Boltzmannn Machine (RBM) can streamline the process of determining optimal hyperparameters for specific tasks, eliminating the need for computationally intensive and time-consuming grid searches or manual tuning. This approach is particularly advantageous when dealing with large datasets within short time durations. In this research, a Simulink model comprising a DFIG-based microgrid and STATCOM has been developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system using RBM in managing STATCOM and facilitating microgrid operations.

An Energy Management System to Schedule the Optimal Participation to Electricity Markets and A Statistical Analysis of the Bidding Strategies over Long Time Horizons

This paper presents a tool that allows to perform an ex-ante estimation of the profitability to participate to the electric energy and service markets for a microgrid or a polygeneration power plant. The tool is the evolution of an Energy Management System (EMS) previously developed by the University of Genoa and Renantis Solutions Srl. Constraints are added to the original EMS to model the Ancillary Service Market (ASM) and Day Ahead Market (DAM) mechanisms in the framework of a planning tool that allows to get estimates of the microgrid/plant costs/revenues over a long-time horizon. As the market outcome strongly depends on the Transmission System Operator (TSO) acceptance/rejection of bids and offers, a statistical approach is proposed. The optimization process is split in two steps: the first one optimally dispatches the energy units and proposes DAM offers and ASM bid and offers over a specified time horizon. Then, a Monte Carlo method is launched; at each extraction the TSO acceptance/rejection of each ASM bid and offer is simulated and there is a second step of optimization in which the energy sources are optimally re-dispatched to meet the bidding program and so to avoid imbalance power exchange that would increase the energy cost. The cost/revenue is thus computed at each extraction. The result is the Probability Density Function of the costs/revenues that allows to estimate the profitability of the participation to the electricity markets. One test performed on a real microgrid shows that the computational time needed to complete one iteration related to a time horizon of one month is approximately 20 seconds. Moreover, the comparison of the outcomes with two independent launches to define the set of bids and offers to be accepted in ASM demonstrates that the statistical analysis allows to avoid misleading conclusions on the costs/revenues. Consequently, the fact that the developed EMS allows to perform a statistical analysis in a reasonable time enables the possibility of comparing multiple scenarios and gives an indication related to the range of cost/revenues in which the microgrid/plant may incur. Finally, the computational efficiency of the proposed approach allows to conclude that the developed EMS is appropriate to perform a long-time horizon (of the order of magnitude of years) analysis and, at the same time, allow to model all the involved components with a high level of details.

Patriarchal Dominance in English Literature

Patriarchal dominance has been a prevalent theme in English literature throughout its history. Many literary works reflect and critique the societal norms and power structures that have historically favored men over women. Patriarchal norms prescribe rigid gender roles and expectations for men and women, reinforcing stereotypes and inequalities. Women are often relegated to traditional roles as caregivers, homemakers, and subordinate members of the family, while men are expected to be the primary breadwinners and decision-makers. These gender roles perpetuate unequal power dynamics and limit women's autonomy and agency. Prominent examples include Shakespeare's plays, where gender roles and power imbalances are often central to the plot, and classic novels like Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," which explores women's limited options in a patriarchal society. Over time, literature has evolved to challenge and subvert these patriarchal norms, with authors like Virginia Woolf and Charlotte Perkins Gilman addressing issues of gender inequality and women's autonomy. Feminist literature and criticism have also played a significant role in analyzing and deconstructing patriarchal themes in English literature. Patriarchal dominance, characterized by the historical and societal power imbalance that favors men over women, has been a recurring theme in English literature throughout the ages. This theme reflects and critiques the prevailing gender norms, roles, and inequalities that have persisted within different periods and cultures of English-speaking societies. From early literary works to contemporary literature, patriarchal dominance remains a complex and enduring subject of exploration.

Investigating the Educational Challenges Related to Cultural Competence Faced by Iraqi Nursing College Students

English for specific purpose is becoming increasingly considerable in various sectors, including medical sectors. Although numerous studies have investigated the effectiveness of such programs o n cultural competence behaviors and client outcomes, limited research has explored professionals' perceptions of cross-cultural educational representations (such as cultural consciousness and cultural competence) and the magnitude to which they and their administrations implement these values in preparation. In light of this gap, this study is directed to investigate the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding customarily competent care, their involvements with multicultural patients, their own levels of cultural competence, and the degree to which they believe their cultural competencies discourse multicultural encounters. Data for this study are collected from a sample of 56 healthcare professionals affiliated with a Baghdad university in Iraq, representing various healthcare systems. A 19-item questionnaire, consisting of open-ended inquiries and multiple-choice items, is used to gather participants' perspectives and experiences. The majority of participants seem to perceive cross-cultural education primarily from a "cultural awareness" perspective. They emphasize on the importance of possessing practical cultural knowledge, such as understanding norms and customs, and facilitating communication through the use of interpreters. The study participants pay little attention to the principles of systemic cross-cultural approaches, such as cultural competence, cultural safety, and addressing issues like racism, power imbalances, and biases ingrained in the majority culture. Additionally, the need for self-reflection and awareness of personal prejudices was rarely acknowledged.

Digitally Scaffolded Vulnerability: Facebook’s Recommender System as an Affective Scaffold and a Tool for Mind Invasion

AbstractI aim to illustrate how the recommender systems of digital platforms create a particularly problematic kind of vulnerability in their users. Specifically, through theories of scaffolded cognition and scaffolded affectivity, I argue that a digital platform’s recommender system is a cognitive and affective artifact that fulfills different functions for the platform’s users and its designers. While it acts as a content provider and facilitator of cognitive, affective and decision-making processes for users, it also provides a continuous and detailed amount of information to platform designers regarding users’ cognitive and affective processes. This dynamic, I argue, engenders a kind of vulnerability in platform users, structuring a power imbalance between designers and users. This occurs because the recommender system can not only gather data on users’ cognitive and affective processes, but also affects them in an unprecedentedly economic and capillary manner. By examining one instance of ethically problematic practice from Facebook, I specifically argue that rather than being a tool for manipulating or exploiting people, digital platforms, especially by their underlying recommender systems, can single out and tamper with specific cognitive and affective processes as a tool specifically designed for mind invasion. I conclude by reflecting how the understanding of such AI systems as tools for mind invasion highlights some merits and shortcomings of the AI Act with regards to the protection of vulnerable people.

Postcolonialism, culture, and values in evaluating scientific collaborations with minority-serving institutions

Postcolonial theory can be paired with a values-engaged educative evaluation approach to resist imperialism and colonialism in evaluation spaces, de-Westernize conceptualizations of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and extend the capacity of culturally responsive evaluation. Beyond the joining of the values-engaged educative approach and postcolonial theory, Collaboration Research Network theories offer another distinct but complementary avenue for exploring structural power imbalance and invisible hierarchies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics evaluation contexts. Using these three theories, values-engaged educative, Collaboration Research Network, and postcolonial theory, this qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of faculty and students at three minority-serving institutions participating in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Center. This study aims to bridge theories traditionally used in research with evaluation frameworks to reconceptualize concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Working with emotions in social work practice. A pride-building model for institutional care of young people

In this article we point out why social workers and treatment staff must have knowledge of how to identify emotions, understand their own emotions and understand the emotions they elicit in others as a prerequisite for successful rehabilitation. In particular, the emotions of shame and pride play a crucial role in the interaction between social workers and clients.There is currently a need for empirically applicable models that facilitate social workers and therapists in institutional care to identify shame and pride in the interaction with clients. Here we provide a model that can be used to analyze the quality of the social bonds between treatment staff and young clients in institutional care.Institutionalized treatment of young people is often based on an asymmetrical power relationship and the transformation of deviant young people’s identity into normal ones. This is fraught with risks, as the power imbalance can preserve and reinforce deviant identities. To encourage the emergence of a normalized identity, the client's good qualities must form the basis of treatment. Greater understanding of the emotions evoked in a treatment situation is necessary for successful rehabilitation.

Mobilizing knowledge about urban change for equity and sustainability: developing ‘Change Stories’, a multi-country transdisciplinary study

Background Health-focused research funders increasingly support multi-country research partnerships that study health, urban development and equity in global settings. To develop new knowledge that benefits society, these grants require researchers to integrate diverse knowledges and data, and to manage research-related aspects of coloniality, such as power imbalances and epistemic injustices. We conducted research to develop a transdisciplinary study proposal with partners in multiple middle and high income countries, aiming to embed equity into the methodology and funding model. Methods Parallel to literature review, we used participatory and social research methods to identify case study cities for our primary study and to inform our study design. We conducted semi-structured interviews with informed and consented sustainable urban development experts in the USA (n=23). We co-developed our research approach with our global advisory group (n=14) and conducted a participatory workshop (n=30) to identify case study sites, also informed by conversations with international academic experts in sustainable development (n=27). Results Through literature review we found that there is a need to study the contextual pre-conditions of urban transformation, the influence of coloniality on understandings of how cities can change and the failure of standard development practices to meet the needs of all residents and the planet. Through expert input and literature we found that decolonial and storytelling methods may help us show the complexities behind stories of urban transformation, particularly the role of marginalized populations in creating long-term change. Conclusions There are multiple benefits of conducting research to develop an equitably designed multi-country research collaboration. We built new partnerships and co-developed our research approach, creating new understanding of diverse collaborators’ disciplinary perspectives and institutional requirements. By investigating the informational needs of U.S. sustainable development actors and designing our study to meet these needs, we have increased the likelihood that our research will create impact.

An Historical Case Study of Trans Exclusion and Empowerment: Implications for Transgender Older Adults and Aging

ABSTRACT Transgender older adults have a long history of exclusion that shapes current experiences with social services. However, scant gerontological research uses archival data, which can provide critical context for service providers. Moreover, sparse research examines how exclusion can be a catalyst for change that social workers could leverage. Empowerment theory provides a theoretical tool to explain how this is possible. This multidisciplinary case study blends community member interviews and archival data to answer this question: How did exclusion shape empowerment and social change for transgender Americans? This study focuses on the events before and after the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, one of the first acts of LGBTQIA+ collective resistance that led to new services for and by transgender Americans. Data reveal how exclusion facilitated the emergence of collective empowerment among transgender women and queer youth in San Francisco. Archival data shows how exclusion preceded self-efficacy, critical consciousness, involvement with similar others, acquisition of new skills, and ultimately action to eliminate social, economic, and political barriers and power imbalances. This study provides both empirical and theoretical tools to contribute new data and perspectives on trans exclusion and empowerment and its implications for social workers serving transgender older adults.

Navigating the Global Landscape: Dynamics and Impacts of Internationalization in Higher Education

The internationalization of higher education stands as a multifaceted phenomenon characterized by a myriad of driving forces, mechanisms, and consequential impacts. This paper seeks to elucidate the intricate nature of this global trend, exploring its diverse dimensions and evaluating its implications for institutions, stakeholders, and the broader socio-economic landscape. Central to the discourse on internationalization is the evolution of higher education in response to globalization. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, institutions of higher learning face growing imperatives to engage in cross-border collaborations, foster cultural diversity, and prepare students for a globally interconnected workforce. The paper navigates through the underlying rationales propelling this transformation, shedding light on the economic, social, and academic motivations that drive institutions towards internationalization strategies. The mechanisms facilitating internationalization manifest through a spectrum of initiatives, including but not limited to student mobility programs, collaborative research ventures, cross-border partnerships, and curriculum internationalization. This paper delves into the efficacy of these strategies, evaluating their impact on enhancing academic quality, fostering intercultural competencies, and promoting knowledge exchange across borders. Furthermore, it examines the challenges and opportunities inherent in implementing these mechanisms, considering issues of equity, linguistic diversity, and varying academic standards across regions. A critical aspect of internationalization is its impact on stakeholders within higher education. Faculty members, administrators, and students experience a transformed academic landscape as they engage in global collaborations, navigate diverse cultural contexts, and adapt pedagogical approaches to accommodate internationalized curricula. This paper assesses the roles and experiences of these stakeholders, exploring how they contribute to and are affected by the internationalization agenda. While acknowledging the transformative potential of internationalization, this paper critically examines its limitations and ethical considerations. It addresses issues of cultural hegemony, power imbalances in global knowledge production, and the commodification of education. Moreover, it discusses the potential for unintended consequences, such as brain drain from developing countries and the commercialization of higher education. In conclusion, this paper synthesizes the complexities of internationalization in higher education, offering insights into its multifaceted nature, driving forces, operational mechanisms, and far-reaching implications. By providing a nuanced understanding of this phenomenon, it aims to inform policy discussions, guide institutional strategies, and stimulate further scholarly inquiry into the evolving landscape of higher education in a globalized world.   Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

The social-ecological ladder of restoration ambition.

Expanding in both scope and scale, ecosystem restoration needs to embrace complex social-ecological dynamics. To help scientists and practitioners navigate ever new demands on restoration, we propose the "social-ecological ladder of restoration ambition" as a conceptual model to approach dynamically shifting social and ecological restoration goals. The model focuses on three dynamic aspects of restoration, namely degrading processes, restoration goals and remedial actions. As these three change through time, new reinforcing and balancing feedback mechanisms characterize the restoration process. We illustrate our model through case studies in which restoration has become increasingly ambitious through time, namely forest landscape restoration in Rwanda and grassland restoration in Germany. The ladder of restoration ambition offers a new way of applying social-ecological systems thinking to ecosystem restoration. Additionally, it raises awareness of social-ecological trade-offs, power imbalances and conflicting goals in restoration projects, thereby laying an important foundation for finding more practicable and fairer solutions.

Globalization and Education: Exploring the Exchange of Ideas, Values, and Traditions in Promoting Cultural Understanding and Global Citizenship

In today’s interconnected world, globalization has significantly impacted various aspects of society, including education. This research aims to investigate the influence of globalization on the education system and the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions in schools and universities. The study explores the role of international education programs, cross-cultural exchanges, and multicultural curricula in promoting cultural understanding and global citizenship. To begin, the research examines how globalization has transformed the education system. With the advent of technology and the ease of travel, students have greater access to educational opportunities worldwide. International education programs, such as student exchange programs and study abroad initiatives, have become increasingly popular, enabling students to experience different cultures firsthand. These programs foster the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions by immersing students in diverse environments, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and perspectives. Furthermore, cross-cultural exchanges play a vital role in promoting cultural understanding within the education system. Through collaborations between schools and universities from different countries, students and educators have the opportunity to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and learn from one another. These exchanges facilitate the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions, promoting a more inclusive and globally aware educational environment. Multicultural curricula also contribute to the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions in education. As societies become increasingly diverse, it is crucial for educational institutions to incorporate multicultural perspectives into their curricula. By teaching students about different cultures, histories, and belief systems, multicultural education promotes empathy, respect, and appreciation for cultural diversity. It encourages students to critically analyze their own cultural biases and develop a global perspective. Moreover, the research explores how the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions in education contributes to the development of global citizenship. Global citizenship refers to the recognition of our interconnectedness and responsibility towards addressing global challenges. Through exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives, students develop a sense of global identity and a commitment to social justice and sustainability. They become equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in cross-cultural dialogue, collaborate with individuals from different backgrounds, and contribute to the betterment of society on a global scale. However, the research also acknowledges the challenges and limitations of globalization in education. While international education programs and cross-cultural exchanges offer valuable opportunities for cultural exchange, they can also perpetuate power imbalances and reinforce cultural stereotypes. It is crucial for educational institutions to approach these initiatives with sensitivity and ensure that they promote equitable and inclusive practices. In conclusion, globalization has had a profound impact on the education system, facilitating the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions. International education programs, cross-cultural exchanges, and multicultural curricula play a crucial role in promoting cultural understanding and global citizenship. By embracing these opportunities, educational institutions can prepare students to navigate an increasingly interconnected world, fostering empathy, respect, and appreciation for diverse cultures and perspectives. However, it is essential to approach globalization in education with caution, ensuring that it promotes inclusivity, equity, and cultural sensitivity.   Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Discrimination in the time of digital real estate: Illustrating a rental schema in the Australian setting

Digital real estate technologies (Proptech) have rapidly become ubiquitous in many nations—including Australia—their presence reshaping how tenants, landlords and agents navigate private renting. How Proptech are mediated by regulatory settings and responses shapes their presence, impacting on their potential for both subtle and overt forms of discrimination. In this paper we draw on our Australian-based research to illustrate the utility of a rental schema to develop understandings of digital reconfigurations and their discrimination effects in the private rental sector. Our research sought to identify and examine discrimination against renters across the entire experience of renting—particularly in relation to new and emerging forms of discrimination arising from, or exacerbated by, digital technologies. By focusing on the experiences of renters, the schema that we employed inverts Proptech approaches that create and target new assets for financial extraction through the rental sector, instead recognising the discriminatory potential of such approaches. We signal the utility of this renter-experience-centred approach to examine the rental sector through a discrimination lens, and the real and potential role for regulation including, but not limited to, a focus on digital technologies. Incorporating research, alliance-building and advocacy into our schema bolsters its renter-centredness and reiterates the necessity of these efforts at housing justice for urgent regulatory reform. We point to our own nascent efforts in collaboration with Australian tenant advocacy groups—inspired by others—to use digital technologies to subvert embedded power imbalances that drive discrimination in Australia's private rental sector.

Design Tensions in Online Freelancing Platforms: Using Speculative Participatory Design to Support Freelancers' Relationships with Clients

This paper explores the design challenges that arise in supporting online freelancers to navigate relationships with clients. Prior studies have shown that current platform designs can lead to worker precarity in freelancer-client relationships, such as power imbalances, information asymmetry, and labor abuse. To envision alternative designs that empower workers in managing their relationships with clients, we engaged 22 Upwork freelancers in participatory speculative design activities. Through this co-design process, we identified design tensions that constrain design options as a result of conflicting values and priorities that could only be balanced and compromised rather than completely resolved. Six design tensions were identified in the context of designing for four different phases of freelancing. We observed three patterns in these tensions: 1) the freelancers' need for client involvement in their tasks and career growth, which conflicted with their skepticism that clients had sufficient incentives to be involved; 2) that there was often no viable balancing option for some tensions, but they could be addressed through changes in the platform's incentive structure; and 3) some tensions occurred not only between freelancers and clients, but also within the freelancer community. We present three approaches for addressing these design tensions and discuss how this research can support more equitable and healthy freelancer-client relationships.