Implications For Social Justice Research Articles

Relationality as Relationalities and a Model of Human (and Other) Justice Through Qualitative Inquiry

Based on the most recent meeting of the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (2023), it is clear that using theories of relationality to situate our work is on the rise. Given this growing interest in relationality, I attempt to describe several philosophical approaches to relationality, explain how relationality is not simply a theory but an ontic stance, and consider relational theory’s implications for social justice. Regardless of the varieties of relationality that exist (be they ancient, current, Eastern, or Indigenous), research adopting a relational stance is antithetical to the world in which we find ourselves today: in brief, well-populated with (substantialist) sentiments that would seek to divide and isolate individuals, rather than show our inherent connectivity. Qualitative work is in a position to tease out the nuanced, multifaceted, and shared relationships that, by relationality’s standards, are our ontic foundations. I close with the idea that qualitative work may be pedagogical in its ability to spread these sentiments not only to fellow researchers, but to participants in this work as well.

Teachers at the speed of light: alternative pathways into teaching and implications for social justice

ABSTRACT What happens when Initial Teacher Education shifts focus from preparing teachers as change agents to focusing on fast-tracking candidates into the profession? In this paper, we focus on the implications of the accelerated push in teacher education for key social justice and transformative aims of preparing critically reflective, culturally responsive teachers. We tease out what these emerging priorities mean for work of capacity-building for equity, diversity and social justice in teaching and teacher education. We unpack how alternative teacher education programmes that prioritise “employment” present both caveats and opportunities in this regard. We conclude by suggesting ways to harness existing challenges in the service of closer alliances between teacher educators, school staff, members of communities and the education departments for preparing a teaching workforce capable of responding to the needs of their students.

Online education and learning management system usage in a South African Economic and management faculty during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid move of Higher Education from face-to-face to online formats worldwide; initially referred to as emergency remote teaching. As Higher Education transitions into a “new normal” of online and blended education, how educators had transitioned to online spaces at an historically Black and disadvantaged university in South Africa was explored; more specifically, how educators were using the Sakai learning management system (LMS)/virtual learning environment (VLE). This study investigated the instructional design and educational-soundness of online pedagogical practices. To this end, forty-eight (48) online undergraduate course sites from an Ecnomic and Management Sciences faculty were reviewed from nine departments and programmes, according to socio-constructivist and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles. It was found that Sakai LMS/VLE tool usage was skewed towards administrative, evaluative and management functions over pedagogical functions: communication (83%), evaluation (83%), content (71%), monitoring (67%), and collaboration (52%). While most courses included varied types of learning activities, they were dominated by traditional and passive approaches, and less inter/active approaches: acquisition (89%), practice (71%), production (64%), discussion (35%), collaboration (31%), and investigation (8%). The results from this study will guide future staff development initiatives to improve LMS/VLE instructional design and online educational practice. Future research includes qualitative exploration of both staff and student experiences. Implications for equity, social justice and transformation in South African Higher Education, and related contexts, are emphasised.

Data-Driven Insights into Non-Purchasing Behaviours through Latent Dirichlet Allocation: Analysing Study Material Acquisition Among University Students

The advent of technology has shifted higher education students’ educational resource acquisition from traditional printed textbooks to digital formats. This shift is underscored by recent scholarship. The current study extended the discourse on student educational resource acquisition, beyond digital preference. It offers a nuanced view of strategies encompassing digital resources and traditional methods such as library and peer borrowing. The aim of this study was to investigate non-purchasing behaviours of university students in acquiring study material. An online survey link was sent through email to all registered students in the university, out of which a total of 1500 participated – this sample included all students from the four schools. The survey sought to answer the following questions: How do you access books? Besides buying, what other strategies have you employed to access books? Data were analysed using Dirichlet allocation for topic modelling to extract the topics from participants' qualitative responses. The study’s findings reveal a complex interplay of socio-economic factors that influence student behaviour. Digital downloads emerged as a prominent strategy, indicating a reliance on online resources. However, borrowing from libraries and peers was significant, which highlights the role of social learning communities. This study contributes to the understanding of how the cost of textbooks impacts academic choices and success, emphasising the social justice implications of textbook affordability. The rise of alternative media suggests a need to reimagine educational resources. It potentially reflects a generational shift in media consumption. This study’s insights advocate for educational institutions and policymakers to reassess resource provisioning to align with the evolving landscape of higher education students’ academic resource acquisition. This will ensure equitable access to educational material.

The inequity of urban green space availability between urban villages and residential quarters: An empirical study in Shenzhen, China

During the rapid urbanization process, the unequal distribution of green spaces (GS) has become a prominent topic in academic discussions due to its implications for social justice. Nonetheless, the equity of GS availability among different types of residential neighborhoods remains unclear, posing a challenge to achieving environmental justice in urban greening practices. This study, taking Shenzhen as a case study, examines the equity of GS availability between urban villages (UV) and residential quarters (RQ), two common residential neighborhood types in Chinese cities. We initially categorized both inner-GS and outer-GS based on their location inside or outside the boundary of residential neighborhoods and assessed GS availability at various accessible distances. Subsequently, the Theil index was applied to evaluate the inequity of GS availability, encompassing both the inequities within and between UV and RQ. Our findings reveal that UV exhibited higher GS inequity than RQ across all accessible distances. Furthermore, within UV, GS inequity decreased as the accessible distance increased, while the opposite trend was observed for RQ. Notably, although significant inequities existed in inner-GS availability between UV and RQ, outer-GS played a crucial role in mitigating this imbalance. These results provide valuable insights into GS equity across different residential neighborhood types and offer recommendations for enhancing/balancing the equity of GS availability in Shenzhen.

Investigating How Social Justice Framing for Assessments Impacts Technical Learning

Multiple studies call for engineering education to integrate social justice into classroom instruction. Yet, there is uncertainty regarding whether integrating these social topics into engineering curriculum will support or detract from the learning of technical concepts. This study focuses on evaluating how reframing technical assessments to include social justice concepts impacts student learning and investigates how well students integrate social justice into engineering decision making. Using a within-subject design, in which students were exposed to both conditions (questions with and without social justice context), we evaluate how social justice framing impacts overall student learning of technical topics. Social justice prompts are added to homework questions, and we assess students’ demonstration of knowledge of original technical content of the course, as well as their ability to consider social justice implications of engineering design. In the earlier homework assignment, the experimental group showed a significant decrease in learning when technical concepts were framed to include social justice. As the students became more familiar with social justice considerations, their learning of technical concepts became comparable to that of students who did not have the social justice components in their assignment. Their evaluation of the social implications of technical decisions also improved. History: This paper has been accepted for the INFORMS Transactions on Education Special Issue on DEI in ORMS Classrooms. Funding: This work was supported by the Carnegie Mellon University’s Wimmer Faculty Fellowship and the National Science Foundation [Grant 2053856]. D. Nock also acknowledges support from the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, where she is an energy fellow. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2022.0030 .

“This is Where the Care Can Step Up”: A Typology of Nurturing Pedagogies in Primary Schools Serving Low-Income Communities During COVID-19 Closures

AbstractAll schools possess a duty of care towards their students. However, this duty of care falls unevenly across schools, with those serving low-income communities often responding to the material and psychological effects of poverty as a priority. This duty of care for such schools was placed into stark relief during the period of COVID-19 school closures, when structural inequalities in society became particularly pronounced. Previous research has drawn distinctions between different forms of caring enacted in schools serving low-income communities. These range from practices centred on children’s academic learning to those more concerned with children’s welfare and well-being—which, for the purposes of this paper, we term as academic nurturing and affective nurturing respectively. Others recognise the need for schools in low-income communities to perform a dual role and engage in both forms of nurturing simultaneously—which we term as critical nurturing. This paper presents findings based on case studies from three designated disadvantaged primary schools in Ireland during pandemic-related closures. It draws on interviews from the Children’s School Lives longitudinal study with the teachers, principals, and families of four Junior Infant children (typically aged four to five years). Our findings suggest a typology of nurturing pedagogies, with academic and affective nurturing emphasised to varying degrees across our three schools during this period. Narratives from interviewees also demonstrate the central role of school culture and leadership in achieving critical nurturing, with significant social justice implications for the education of children in schools serving low-income communities.

The role of sport in juvenile justice: benefits according to key informants

There is a strong body of literature underscoring the potential of sport programs to contribute to broad health benefits and positive youth development (PYD) for young people. However, benefits are dependent on a variety of factors including the purpose, structure and setting of programs. Justice settings provide potentially critical spaces for realizing the benefits of sport, but barriers in access among justice-affiliated youth persist, and little is known about programs in this setting. This paper describes a qualitative study exploring juvenile justice administrators’ perceptions of programs in their facilities. We find that administrators believe their programs contribute to positive relationships and other important aspects of youth development. Further, programs provide opportunities to practice treatment skills and support re-entry. We conclude that while individual PYD features are reflected in administrators’ perceptions of sport, programs also served a broader role for families, facilities, and communities with implications for social justice through sport.

Advancing understanding of unionization in the hospitality industry: the role of attitudes toward unions and social justice

Hospitality, where unions are rare, is a significant employer of women, youth and migrants, many of whom work as temps and part-timers. This translates into modest livelihoods and vulnerability to socio-economic shocks, which has social justice implications. This study explores the mediating role of attitudes toward unions in the relationship between attitudes toward social justice and the intention to join a union at two points in time. It draws on data collected among UK hospitality workers in March 2022 (T1) (N = 253) and February 2023 (T2) (N = 151). The research also examines how circumstances influenced employees’ views and the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that attitudes toward unions were a full mediator in the relationship between attitudes toward social justice and the intention to join a union at both T1 and T2. Furthermore, there was a positive association between attitudes toward social justice and attitudes toward unions at T1 and T2. The findings suggest that, for hospitality workers and potentially precarious workers at large, the perceived social justice orientation of unions significantly influences their willingness to engage with unions. This thirst for social justice among employees reflects the evolving expectations and values within the labor force. Unions should, therefore, position themselves as champions of a fairer and more equitable society rather than just advocates for individual member interests. The study, while framing the analysis around the concept of social sustainability, contributes to workforce research in tourism and hospitality.

Resourcing Their Own Aspirations: First-In-Family Young People and DIY Career Counselling

ABSTRACT The relationship between career counselling and widening participation is increasingly capturing the attention of educational researchers, especially those interested in its social justice implications. International research on first-in-family students demonstrates the continual class-based barriers they are faced with which influence their progression into and through higher education. Career counselling has an important role to play in both supporting first-in-family students to not only enter university but also set them on a career trajectory which allows them to fulfil their aspirations. However, access to effective forms of career counselling remains fragmented and highly dependent on social class. This article explores how first-in-family students engage in what we call ‘DIY career counselling,’ where they draw on their informal networks and the internet to enhance their understanding of their future prospects and possible trajectories. Their efforts suggest a strong desire to learn more about what university can offer them and how they can position themselves advantageously in the job market; furthermore, their efforts also suggest a consumerist awareness that the career counselling on offer in their secondary schools was lacking.

Hukum Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan: Studi Kasus di Negara-Negara ASEAN

Economic law and sustainable development are two interrelated concepts that influence public policies in ASEAN countries. This research aims to analyze the relationship between economic law and sustainable development in ASEAN countries, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by these countries in implementing the principles of sustainable economic law. The research method used is a normative juridical approach, namely by examining laws and regulations, official documents, and related literature relating to economic law and sustainable development in ASEAN countries. The results show that there are variations in the level of engagement and commitment of ASEAN countries in realizing economic law and sustainable development, depending on factors such as social, political, economic, and environmental conditions in each country. The research also identifies several important issues that need to be addressed by ASEAN countries, such as the need for legal harmonization, enhanced regional cooperation, protection of human rights, community empowerment, and effective law enforcement. This research provides recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of economic law and sustainable development in ASEAN countries, and its implications for social welfare and justice in the region.

Teachers’ Use of Knowledge in Curriculum Making: Implications for Social Justice

Curriculum work is a key part of teachers’ practice and involves engaging with different types of knowledge. The way in which teachers use this knowledge will influence pupils’ experience of the curriculum in their classroom. In the globalised world of the 21st century, knowledge questions are important considerations, as schooling is situated in inequitable systems and social structures. This qualitative research study examined teachers’ use of knowledge as they made the curriculum in their classrooms. Data were generated via interviews with primary school teachers in Scotland and thematically analysed. Five types of knowledge were identified and then critically examined using Nancy Fraser’s framework for social justice. This enabled examination of the implications of teachers’ use of knowledge in their curriculum work. Findings were congruous with previous research on this topic, highlighting the complexity of curriculum work. Our analysis suggests that while the focus on ‘pupil-centred’ education is important, as it acts to recognise pupils in curriculum work, the redistribution of knowledge is a key consideration in the globalised and digitised present day. Digital tools and spaces not only provide access to information but also provide new opportunities for inequity and oppressive social relations; continual reflection on the knowledge flow into schools is an important consideration for both teachers and policy-makers.

Analisis Pandangn Fikih Siasah Terhadap Tindakan Terorisme: Implikasi Terhadap Keamanan Dan Keadilan Sosial

This research aims to explore the views of Fikih Siasah on acts of terrorism within the context of Islam and their implications for security and social justice. In pursuit of this goal, we employ a literature review methodology as our research framework. The analysis results indicate that a profound understanding of acts of terrorism and efforts to address their consequences is essential. Terrorism often poses threats to societal security and affects the principles of social justice. To create a safer and more just society, cooperation among nations, the international community, and individuals is required. This abstract reflects the urgency and relevance of the topic in the constantly evolving global landscape and emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in addressing this challenge.

Unyielding humanity from catastrophic ruins: new political society for social and environmental justice after Bhopal

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the ways in which a site of catastrophic ruins transpires as a new political society for critical social and environmental justice. Predicated on two and half months of fieldwork in Bhopal – consisting of 60 interviews with gas and water victims and activists, archival research, and observation of sites and events – the paper specifically explains how the Bhopal Movement, the longest-running social movement in post-colonial India, has become an exemplar of what I call ‘unyielding humanity,’ one that rejects conciliatory posturing and ad-hoc solutions, constraining states and corporations alike to meaningfully address the ongoing social and environmental mutilation of Bhopal. Underlining the agency, targets, means, objectives, and determinations of the subaltern people, the paper illustrates how this women-led movement poses triumphant challenges to dominant narratives by focusing on the politics of long-term, intergenerational suffering. Findings indicate that prolonged marginalization can give rise to distinct forms of politics, diverging not only from labor and identity politics but also from various environmental justice movements that have been theorized emphasizing primarily material, visible, and immediate consequences. The paper holds implications for social and environmental justice struggles worldwide.

The EU Just Transition Concept and Its Application in the Case of the Just Transition Mechanism

Abstract The aim of the article is to delve into the question of how the just transition concept that is mainly implemented by the jtm, is determined at the EU level and which are its specific characteristics. The article analyses the concept of just transition and its relation to the concepts that address the social justice implications of the environmental, energy and climate policies. Αdditionally, it examines how certain elements of the concept are incorporated in certain EU Key Strategic Documents. The Just Transition Mechanism is analysed in light of the specific criteria of the just transition concept. The main message is that the EU has adopted a rather limited approach in regard to the determination of the regulative elements of the “just transition” concept and that there is a need for a systematic consideration of the social implications of the EU Decarbonisation and Environmental Policies in their whole spectrum.

Analyzing the Impact of Gender-Inclusive STEM Curricula on Enhancing Female STEM Literacy: Implications for Social Justice and Economic Equilibrium

Analyzing the Impact of Gender-Inclusive STEM Curricula on Enhancing Female STEM Literacy: Implications for Social Justice and Economic Equilibrium

Social Justice Implications for Development Communication: A Case Study of Body Dissatisfaction Disorder

The aim of this study was to broaden development communication on how it deals with building the capacity of people to live meaningful and expressive lives. We examined users of Facebook and Instagram who exhibit body dissatisfaction beliefs and eating disorder (ED) behaviours. An important objective was to examine the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among young adult users of social media. Another objective was to examine if body dissatisfaction among these users is associated with ED behaviours. The target population for the study constituted students at a midsize university in the United States. A self-administered web survey was used to collect information about individuals’ use of social media and its relation to body dissatisfaction, and consequently the prediction of ED behaviours. Correlational analyses were performed to answer the research question and test H2. Hierarchical regression was run to test H1. Regressions corresponding to the path model were run to test H3a and H3b. This study showed the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among users of social media, an association between body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating behaviours, and further provided empirical evidence that attitude, norms and behaviour control exert an influence on intentions, which then influence disordered eating behaviour. The need for the present study was precisely to establish such a theory-based premise. This study then demonstrated how social media may be used as sites for development communication to combat and mitigate unhealthy physical appearance-based feelings and ideas, and potentially stop them from developing into more serious problems such as EDs.

“The wheelchair really is just a piece of athletic equipment to play the sport of basketball”: The experience of college athletes with disabilities navigating social inclusion and exclusion

This study examines the experiences of youth with physical disabilities navigating social inclusion and exclusion and their engagement in activism through college wheelchair basketball. Studies on disability frequently examine marginalization of, and challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, which can reinforce stereotypical understandings of individuals with disabilities. Yet the attention to youth’s participation in sports, particularly competitive sports that illuminate their strengths and resilience, allows us to identify and discuss effective strategies for supporting the social inclusion of youth with disabilities. As part of our focused ethnography on one U.S. collegiate wheelchair basketball team, we conducted in-depth individual interviews with players and coaches. Participant youth described wheelchair basketball as mediating both social inclusion and exclusion. Their involvement in wheelchair basketball expanded the opportunities for self-growth, participation in social activities, and access to higher education. They, however, highlighted their differences from other athletes without disabilities, including unequal treatment of wheelchair basketball compared to “stand-up” basketball, which motivated them to engage in activism. Participants described strategies they have employed to increase the awareness of their games and educate their classmates about disability and wheelchair basketball. These narratives suggest implications for social justice, particularly the need to raise the voices of youth with disabilities, and strategies for supporting their engagement with advocacy roles and activism.

Collective Memories and Community Interventions: Peace Building in Northern Ireland

This paper examines the role of community interventions in post-conflict settings. The focus is on peacebuilding through the shaping of collective memories, achieved through the transformation of social ties. By addressing community interventions, this paper opens the black box between interventions by formal institutions (such as peace treaties, trials, or truth commissions) and outcomes. It is based on a study of one specific cross-community initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which – in 2012 – employed a Transitional Justice Grassroots Toolkit. Document analysis is complemented by interviews with participants and organizers to reveal the role of pedagogical practices, mediated by cohort effects, in facilitating cultural transformation through group interactions. This paper suggests how community interventions can change collective memories, cultural trauma, and related identities of the conflict, away from their polarized and polarizing forms, and it explores implications for future peace and social justice.

Sustainability is not a thing: It's hard work! Recognizing the middlemen of operations and maintenance for feminist energy systems in India's Sundarbans

The work it takes to operate and maintain energy systems is essential yet often missing from public and scholarly discourses on energy transitions. Such discourses often reduce sustainability to a property of energy sources and/or technologies, thereby discounting the hard work it takes to sustain energy systems in the long term. Building on insights from feminist theory, the paper conceptualizes this work as care work – key to the reproduction of energy systems past the original moments of design and production – and considers the question of who cares for energy systems as having both social justice and sustainability implications. Informed by primary data collected during 15 months of fieldwork on an island of India's Sundarbans, the paper connects two separate conversations in ERSS: the first aims at exploring the gender-energy nexus; the second calls attention to those figures who mediate between energy technologies and users – the “missing middlemen” of energy studies. In India's Sundarbans, it is men who care for energy systems, yet their care work is devalued. Showing how the devaluation of middlemen's work cannot be abstracted from their identities at the intersection of gender and other markers of difference, the paper provides an illustration of what feminism can offer to energy studies. Animated by a political commitment to enact a vision of feminist energy systems, the paper seeks not only to advance scholarly conversations but to help imagine a different type of society – where the work of energy system reproduction counts towards achieving sustainable energy objectives.