Social Justice Lens Research Articles

A multidimensional account of social justice for global health research.

A transformation of global health research is urgently needed if it is to eliminate long-standing structural inequities within the field and help reduce global health disparities. Ethics has a key role to play in fostering such a transformation: it can help identify what the transformation should entail. Yet, ethics scholarship linking global health research to greater equity and social justice has limited authority and capacity to do so for two related reasons: it largely fails to apply theories and concepts of justice from the global South and it says little about whether or how to address the coloniality and epistemic injustices inherent within global health research. This paper develops a multidimensional social justice lens using social justice and decolonial theory from the global North and global South. This lens identifies five core dimensions of social justice: power, recognition, harmony, inclusion, and well-being. This paper then applies the multidimensional lens to the global health research context. For each dimension of social justice, several key ways to transform global health research are identified and described. They include shifting control of global health research funding, education, conduct, and publishing away from the global North and making knowledge from the global South visible and valued. To conclude, potential objections are considered.

Identifying factors that promote or inhibit disability-related discussion in secondary English language arts classrooms

ABSTRACT Although disabled people encounter discrimination in almost every facet of life – such as employment, housing, education, healthcare, and transportation – disability is often missing from conversations regarding social justice. Disability-related discussion (DRD) in English Language Arts (ELA) offers an inroad to having students view disability through a social justice lens. This exploratory, qualitative study examines the factors that influence 13 secondary (6–12) ELA teachers’ decisions to lead (or refrain from leading) DRD in classrooms in the United States. Findings reveal that primary factors that helped or hindered DRD included the role of subject/curriculum, school and classroom culture, and personal factors. Participants also expressed a desire for professional development related to DRD, as well as increased curricular representation within ELA. This study represents a critical first step in solidifying disability as a component of social justice by identifying factors that secondary ELA teachers encounter when attempting to discuss disability in their classrooms.

Social justice and migrant children: Exploring the design and implementation of education policies for migrant children in China

AbstractDrawn from 14 educational policy documents and 26 interviews with educators of internal migrant children in China, this paper examines the design and implementation of educational policy for Chinese internal migrant children in the past three decades through the theoretical lens of social justice. Taking Guiyang city as the focus, this study demonstrates that educational policy and provision for migrant children are part of an evolving process impacted by interrelations between issues, such as the hukou system, (lack of) government funding and tensions between central and local governments. Although migrant children increasingly have access to improved opportunities, their outcomes remain poor relative to their peers from urban areas. New policies aiming to mitigate the disadvantages of migrant children are needed.

Mobility data justice

Mobility experiences are becoming intrinsically linked with digital and data experiences. Being mobile increasingly involves the production, storage, processing and sharing of data (consciously or not), from car sensor data for diagnostics and insurance apps for driving, to ticketing apps for public transport, urban micromobility share schemes, Google maps, fitness and wellbeing apps, Internet of Things sensors, AI in migration “management“, or air pollution data. The ‘datafication’ of mobility raises new questions with regards to justice. What kinds of inequalities emerge at the intersection of mobilities and datafication? Whose mobility gets included and excluded through data collection and sharing, why and how? How are mobilities enabled and restricted through data? How are access and ownership to mobility and data changing? What about the mobility of data in relation to justice? This article links scholarship on mobility justice and data justice to develop a mobility data justice framework. It closes with a discussion of critical issues for mobility data justice and develops an agenda for future research in this area. The lens of social justice helps to understand the multiple ways power and (in) equalities are transformed or amplified at the intersection of mobility and data.

Translanguaging through the lens of social justice: unpacking educators’ understanding and practices

ABSTRACT This article focuses on translanguaging, which has been posited as a language practice, pedagogical tool, and lens that values individuals’ linguistic resources and deems them valuable. Scholars have postulated that translanguaging is rooted in social justice, as it aims to address social inequities among emergent bilinguals. Yet, do educators address social justice objectives when using translanguaging strategies, or do they merely conceptualize translanguaging as a pedagogical tool in teaching and learning as a means to assimilate and help students succeed within an unjust system rather than changing the system? Using a historical review of the literature and data gathered through an online survey, this study sought to examine: what understanding do educators hold about the connection between translanguaging and social justice? And in what ways, if any, do these understandings align with their teaching practices? The findings from our study show that only a few educators proposed a connection between translanguaging and social justice. Moreover, even those educators who suggested a connection between the two shared little evidence of the enactment of this relationship in their practice. This article discusses these observations in the context of the education of emergent bilingual students and the development of critical awareness among their educators.

Engaging diverse learners: lessons learned from a dialogic, technology-enabled social studies curriculum

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present insights from the implementation of a dialogic social studies curriculum and its potential to support diverse learners. Policymakers and educators must attend to the learning needs of diverse/minoritized (Note: In this paper, the authors use minoritized and diverse interchangeably) students who have been marginalized in public education. A critical goal is to close racial, ethnic and socioeconomic achievement gaps by increasing, for example, students’ engagement with curriculum and instruction. In this paper, the authors bridge research on dialogic instruction and culturally relevant and responsive education with the goal of informing curricular design and instructional practice.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper discusses the utility of dialogic instruction in improving learning outcomes for minoritized student populations. While some researchers have examined the positive effects of dialogic instruction on underperforming students (e.g. Murphy et al., 2009; Pillinger and Vardy, 2022), few scholars have examined dialogic instruction through a culturally relevant and responsive lens. The authors argue that the application of this critical lens may improve learning outcomes for diverse learners who have been marginalized in public education systems.FindingsThe authors present illustrative vignettes and insights from a pilot study of a novel social studies curriculum. This curriculum applies a social justice lens by guiding students in the exploration of complex social issues that affect them. Given the diversity of their collaborating teachers’ classrooms (55% are racially minoritized students), the authors applied principles of culturally relevant and responsive education (e.g. Ford, 2010; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995) when designing and piloting the curriculum. Prior personal and professional experiences by the first author point to the potential of dialogic instruction to meaningfully support minoritized students’ learning.Originality/valueThis paper builds on two bodies of literature – dialogic instruction and culturally relevant and responsive education – to identify how an innovative social studies curriculum may improve learning for diverse student populations. It calls for the advancement of a research agenda that applies a culturally relevant and responsive lens to inform instructional practice. The authors begin this discussion with two vignettes.

Personalizing Large‐Scale Assessment in Practice

AbstractThe article describes practical suggestions for measurement researchers and psychometricians to respond to calls for social responsibility in assessment. The underlying assumption is that personalizing large‐scale assessment improves the chances that assessment and the use of test scores will contribute to equity in education. This article describes a spectrum of standardization and personalization in large‐scale assessment. Informed by a review of existing theories, models, and frameworks in the context of current and developing technologies and with a social justice lens, we propose steps to take, as part of assessment research and development, to contribute to the science of personalizing large‐scale assessment in technically defensible ways.

Future directions in neuropsychology: Training, education, clinical practice, and advocacy for Asians and Asian Americans

Objective: Given the need for increased equity, justice, and inclusion in neuropsychology, this paper aimed to present an initial perspective on key areas of understanding necessary to provide ethically and culturally responsive services and training to Asians and Asian Americans. Method: We first reviewed the terms Asian and Asian American and established the large multitude of individuals these terms encompass. Second, a brief review of the foundations for Asian American psychology is provided to set the stage for the unique considerations when evaluating individuals of Asian descent. Lastly, the necessity of using the social justice lens in education and training pipelines needed to propel the field forward is emphasized. Conclusions: Overall, this paper reviewed key information to provide a foundational level of understanding regarding the nuances of working with persons of Asian descent in the field of neuropsychology.

Cultivating resilience among Hong Kong's underprivileged ethnic minority groups in the face of a pandemic through a social justice lens

PurposeIn this study, the authors investigated ways to cultivate resilience through a social justice lens among ethnic minorities against COVID-19 in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative (case study) methodology was adopted to interview 15 social service providers from diverse ethnic backgrounds serving disadvantaged ethnic minority groups (South and Southeast Asian groups from low-income households, foreign domestic workers and asylum seekers/refugees).FindingsTwo major protective factors were identified, contributing to the development of resilience among diverse ethnic groups: (1) individual-based resilience (including being optimistic) and (2) socio-environmental factors (including ongoing support from strong family, peer and religious settings' support, consulates' support, on-going material and nonmaterial donations, support of young volunteers and importance of online connection and communication) using the integration of resilience and social justice frameworks.Originality/valueThis study showed that the protective factors were found to dynamically interact with each other and the environment. The present study recommends additional culturally sensitive service and policy implications for preventing the long-term impact of mass crises among Hong Kong's marginalized minorities.

Gender-leisure nexus through a social justice lens: The voice of women from Iran

Leisure is recognised as offering individuals a chance for relaxation, self-development, social interaction, and wellbeing. However, women's participation and experience of leisure in many developing countries are constrained by gender stereotypes and gender-based inequalities. This study aims to investigate the interrelationship of gender, leisure and issues of social justice and equity in the developing country of Iran. This study also demonstrates how constraints to access and participation in leisure activities can further reinforce Iranian women's socioeconomic disadvantage. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted to explore women's narratives of leisure activities and their perceptions of leisure in/equality. The findings reveal that issues such as society norms, cultural mythology and traditions, household and parental responsibilities, personal safety, and crises can restrict women's leisure in Iran. The implications of this study focus on transitional steps for societal changes to reduce marginalisation and bring into being a more inclusive and just society for women.

Teaching Social Justice Through TPSR: Where Do I Start?

In this paper we offer practical suggestions for integrating social justice content into physical-activity based physical education, namely, through a socially-just TPSR approach. We first address the challenges of using pedagogies for social justice in physical education. This is followed by a brief overview of TPSR (the what) and a re-imagined TPSR approach from a social justice lens. Next, practical examples for developing a socially-just TPSR approach are offered such as ways to a) examine and practice socially just behaviors, b) include transfer and advocacy, and c) use a five-part TPSR lesson plan to integrate social justice issues into physical-activity-based physical education settings. Final thoughts include a) being patient and kind to yourself when implementing unfamiliar approaches and issues, and b) making decisions about the inclusion of social justice issues based on what’s personally meaningful for students as well as context, and c) using a TPSR approach to enact social justice content requires a reconceptualization of the model through a social justice lens.

Teaching English in challenging situations: interviews with those in the trenches

ABSTRACT The conviction that language education should serve as a means to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity has spread around educators worldwide. In this light, even though humanistic approaches to language teaching are not new (Stevick 1990), the past two decades have shown a growing interest in such approaches as they offer the possibility to articulate the teaching of linguistic competence with social justice values, interculturality, and with ways of enhancing the wellbeing of individuals and communities (e.g. Glynn, Wesely, and Wassell 2014; Gregersen, MacIntyre, and Meza 2016; Hastings and Jacob 2016; Oxford et al. 2021). Teaching languages through a social justice lens is of paramount significance in extremely challenging situations, including areas affected by war. This article is based on interviews done to Nick Bilbrough and Chris Sowton about their influential work associated with the teaching of English in challenging contexts. The article presents the interviews and makes reference to important themes that include the difficulty to implement pedagogies that favour equity, inclusion, and diversity in the language classroom due to the prevailing instrumental view of language education worldwide; humanistic, intercultural teaching approaches that should be favoured in the language classroom; and the importance of teacher wellbeing to support learner wellbeing.

Review: Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism, edited by Denise D. Meringolo

Review: <i>Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism</i>, edited by Denise D. Meringolo

Worldview Diversity Education at Global Liberal Arts Campuses

In this emerging scholar summary, the author joins together scholarship on religion and culture and advocates for education for religious understanding that is linked to global citizenship and diversity education from a social justice lens. A comparative case study methodology that incorporates a survey and elite interviews is used to explore the manner and degree to which global liberal arts colleges and universities are engaging with religious diversity. Three axes are applied to analyze the ways education for religious understanding may function across place, space, and time within global education policy networks.

Integrating person-centred care and social justice: a model for practice with larger-bodied patients

Person-centred care (PCC) has been touted as a promising paradigm for improving patients’ experiences and outcomes, and the overall therapeutic environment for a range of health conditions, including obesity. While...

Predicting Decent Work Among US Black Workers: Examining Psychology of Working Theory

The U.S. has a history of marginalizing Black people. Marginalization impedes Black Americans’ ability to secure wealth, education, and meaningful work. The Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) uses a social justice lens to understand how contextual factors inform the labor market experiences of those who work and want to work. PWT highlights the ways economic constraints and marginalization predict access to decent work. We tested the PWT model with two measures of marginalization, general ethnic discrimination, and racial microaggressions, with a sample of 241 Black workers to add to the extant literature about the suitability of the PWT for racial minorities. Diverging from previous studies, we found that marginalization predicted career adaptability. Consistent with previous studies, marginalization and economic constraints predicted Black workers’ work volition and perceived access to decent work. Work volition mediated the relationship between general ethnic discrimination and economic constraints with the perception of attaining decent work.

Connecting the science of reading to social justice: Introduction to the special section.

The science of reading is the consensus of research conducted across multiple disciplines over many years that informs how children learn to read, the types of instructional practices that work best for most students, as well as how to address the needs of students who struggle to learn to read. This body of convergent evidence strongly indicates that approximately 95% of children can be taught to read at or approaching grade level, including students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (Moats, 2020). Despite this compelling evidence, two-thirds of children cannot read proficiently in this country, and these data illustrate persistent gaps in reading proficiency across race, English learners, disability, and socioeconomic status (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The implications of not learning to read proficiently are profound, including increased risk for school dropout, anxiety, depression, and low self-concept. All these outcomes are worse for our students of color and those from economically and culturally diverse groups. Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn to read requires that the science of reading is implemented in all schools across the nation and that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach reading and address reading challenges. This article introduces a special section devoted to studies describing the ways in which the science of reading is bridging the practice to research gap with a social justice lens in an effort to advance and improve student, classroom, school-wide, or system-level outcomes for children and youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Professional Disposition Considerations in Clinical Supervision: A Social Justice and Disability Perspective

The concept of social justice has been discussed in the counseling profession for decades and is considered an ethical obligation when providing services to clients. Counselor educators and supervisors are also responsible for integrating social justice into their work when teaching and training counseling trainees (i.e., supervisees, students). The evaluation of professional dispositions of counseling trainees is a required task of counselor educators. While much has been discussed regarding the process of professional disposition assessment, there has been less discussion of appropriate evaluation processes when working with trainees with disabilities and intersecting identities. Lack of intentionality with evaluation practices, especially integrating a social justice lens, could lead to inaccurate and harmful evaluation of trainees with disabilities and intersecting identities. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the concepts of social justice with supervision and disability to offer a more robust discussion regarding supervision practices that may lead to more accurate and helpful evaluation of trainees.

Teaching Mathematics and Science Through a Social Justice Lens

Abstract Teaching mathematics and science embedded in social justice is not a familiar concept for many teachers, especially pre-service teachers. This qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative study examines the experiences and reflections of 26 middle grade and secondary pre-service mathematics and science teachers on teaching and learning mathematics and science through the social justice lens as they took a semester-long course concurrently with their student-teaching. The primary research question was, “How may a semester-long course focusing on teaching and learning mathematics and science with social justice awareness provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on and change their teaching practices?” Data included researchers’ field notes and participating pre-service teachers’ verbal discussions, written reflections, and classroom presentations. The findings suggest that teaching mathematics and science in the context of social justice enhanced the pre-services teachers’ awareness of educational opportunity and equity. The findings also indicate teaching mathematics and science from the social justice perspective requires a paradigm shift in teaching and learning. Furthermore, the study exposes the limitations of the current school structure and culture for meaningful learning, the limitations of existing curricula and state-mandated texts, and the lack of adequate resources in teaching mathematics and science in social justice contexts.

Evolving Conceptualizations of Peace Education in Hiroshima, Japan

Japan is a world leader in peace education, and Hiroshima is one of the world’s centers for peace. While the peer-reviewed literature on Japanese peace education is growing, few studies address how present-day peace educators in Hiroshima conceptualize peace education. This study aims to better understand how peace educators in Hiroshima (re)conceptualize, adapt, and apply their work. Using a grounded theory approach, we answer the following research questions: (a) How do contemporary peace educators in Hiroshima conceptualize their work? (b) How has this conceptualization changed or evolved over time? Interviewees presented convergent and divergent insights around three main themes: definitions of peace as a collective identity and constructivist process, metaphors for peace as informing pedagogy, and efforts to challenge taboos through a social justice lens.