Societal Injustice Research Articles

Intersectional Feminism and the Woman Spectator: A Historical Perspective

To what extent does a woman relate to the female on screen when she sits in front of it? Who establishes her image in the public eye and what misogynistic roles suppress her individuality both on and off screen? Many feminist cinema theorists have written extensively about the evolution of the female spectator throughout the years, including Diana Anselmo, Laura Mulvey, and bell hooks. However, a recurring issue in this lengthy discussion is the junction of multiple identities. This investigation is made more complex by intersectional feminism, which acknowledges that racial, class, and gender intersections all influence how women watch. This study uses intersectionality theory to conduct a critical analysis of movies such as La Souriante Mme Beudet (1923), Stella Dallas (1937), Imitation of Life (1959), La Noire de... (1966), and Thelma and Louise (1991) through the lenses of psychoanalysis, feminist theory, post-colonialist theory, and critical race theory. This theoretical framework challenges and examines the ways in which films uphold or question societal injustices in addition to illuminating the ways in which women from diverse backgrounds interact with the medium.

EXPLORING ETHICAL CONTINUITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF APOLOGY AND LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

This article examines the enduring relevance of Socrates' "Apology" and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," highlighting their shared commitment to justice and ethical integrity despite the vast differences in their historical and socio-political contexts. Both texts employ powerful rhetorical strategies to advocate for truth and moral righteousness, challenging deeply ingrained societal injustices. Socrates, through his dialectical method, exposes the inconsistencies in his accusers' arguments, encouraging critical self-examination, while King, through logical reasoning and emotional appeals, compels his audience to confront the moral failings of their society. The thematic connections between the two works, particularly their emphasis on truth, moral integrity, and the courage to challenge unjust laws, underscore their timeless significance in the discourse on moral philosophy and social justice. By situating their arguments within broader ethical and intellectual traditions, both Socrates and King provide timeless models of ethical leadership and moral courage. Their works continue to resonate, offering profound insights into the ongoing struggle for a more just and equitable world, making their messages relevant for contemporary movements against injustice and oppression.

Implications of the stigma of mental illness for professional knowledge development and practice: An Interprofessional Health Education framework from structural violence perspectives

AbstractPersons with mental illness (PWMI) continue to encounter stigma from the public with negative outcomes. Recent stigma discourse points to power differentials as key in shaping stigma related to mental illness within social settings. The perceived social injustice towards PWMI is known to exist both anecdotally and in documented discourses. Stigma constitutes the product of public attitudes and behaviors that characterize labeling, stereotyping, prejudice, cognitive separation, status loss, and discrimination that lead to responses that may include stress and esteem‐related appraisal of experienced, anticipated, perceived, or personal endorsement of societal actions that are anchored by existing power relational differentials. The potential consequence of such societal injustices (unfair treatments) towards PWMI may result in stigma and its sequels, including low socioeconomic status, stress, low self‐esteem, unemployment, homelessness, exclusion, and human rights abuse. This paper proposes an Interprofessional Health Education framework and discusses the implications of such unfair social treatments for Professional knowledge development and practice among healthcare professionals, with the view to improving collaboration and patient care outcomes. A more collaborative model of care, where service users and clinicians regard each other as knowledgeable with shared power to achieve healthy outcomes, empowers patients even more in areas where they fall short.

Clinical reasoning and generics

ABSTRACT I argue that generic generalizations expressed in language (i.e. ‘generics’) are apt for clinical reasoning. I introduce generics and describe two problems in the use and interpretation of generics: Generics may license inaccurate judgements about the frequency of events or properties within a group (i.e. a problem with the ‘truth-aptness’ of generics) and may facilitate problematic beliefs about social kinds (e.g. prejudice or essentializing). I provide an account of clinical reasoning and describe some features of what I call ‘good’ clinical reasoning. I offer examples of generics in clinical contexts and examine how the two problems with generics (i.e. of truth-aptness and social generics) can harm patients and impair clinical reasoning. However, I ultimately argue that generics are important for good clinical reasoning because they track ‘conspicuous’ features of disease processes (e.g. severe possible outcomes). Further, I argue that prejudicial generics are often irrational to believe. Social generics that are rational to believe need not lead to problematic implicatures about social kinds and can instead facilitate meaningfully articulating societal injustices. I then argue that statistical statements, which are tempting alternatives to generics in clinical reasoning, are no better than generics for good clinical reasoning.

Reassessing ‘good’ medical practice and the climate crisis

In August 2023, the General Medical Council released the latest update of Good Medical Practice, which sets out the standards of patient care and professional behaviour to be expected of...

The Influence of Economic Development on Educational Equity

Amidst the continuous economic development, notable disparities in economic prosperity have emerged across different regions. These economic imbalances have led to significant disparities in educational investment and resource allocation. Education, as a crucial factor in shaping the quality of human resources, begs the question: does the variance in its level further exacerbate regional development gaps, or can economic growth pave the way for educational equity? This paper delves into the intricate interactions and relationships between educational fairness and economic development. Using statistical data from Gansu and Zhejiang provinces as examples, we gain a glimpse into the profound influence of economic development levels on the allocation of educational resources. Regions with more robust economies often boast more comprehensive and advanced educational resources, which are closely linked to factors such as fiscal budgets, social demands, and population structures. Furthermore, this paper explores the reverse effect of educational fairness on economic development. Not only does educational equity enhance the overall quality and productivity of human resources, but it also promotes social mobility and harmony, helping to alleviate societal injustices and class conflicts. The relationship between educational fairness and economic development is intricate yet interconnected.

A Critical Analysis of Power Dynamics in Bullying Discourse of the Film Bully

The purpose of this study is to evaluate power dynamics in bullying discourse from a critical perspective. This study is an orientation research. For the purpose of research a short film called "Bully" is taken. Since the film is in video format, the entire film has been transcribed. Throughout the data collection procedure, the researchers repeatedly watched the film and noted statements that highlighted power dynamics, societal norms connected to bullying, and societal injustices. Following the collection of these sentences, the Fairclough 3D model is applied to the critically selected sentences. The main social issue that the short tale "Bully" illustrates is the uneven power dynamics that exist between the students, the person who is being bullied, and his group of peers who are the ones causing the persecution, which is referred to as the social injustice in the story. But it's been noted that society makes it more difficult to address this social injustice. The community continues to hold the view that it is acceptable to oppress people who have less authority. Those who realize this is something wrong happening in society initially attempt to resist, but eventually give in to the unfair system because they begin to believe that the only way to survive in such a community is to become like them (the oppressive ones).

Language use in Indigenous-authored television series

For much of telecinematic history depictions of Indigenous characters and languages have instantiated racist stereotypes that perpetuate White, colonial frameworks. However, a new generation of Indigenous writers, directors, producers, and actors use scripted performances to illuminate, contest, and reconfigure these representations, and ideally provoke new interpretations. Our paper examines how Indigenous screen creatives address the linguistic and representational erasures of dominant White, colonizing frameworks through the restructuring and performance of a (sub)genre of scripted speech: fictionalized land acknowledgements. Using discourse analysis, we examine land acknowledgements across five Indigenous-authored television series (two in the U.S. and three in Australia), focusing on how they diversify and complicate mainstream characterizations and bring in Indigenous discourses and perspectives. By “bending the rules,” characters (and authors) maintain the (sub)genre, but regain authority over it through such discursive refashioning. Our analysis explores how Indigenous screen creatives use language to transform, critique and/or reappropriate this (sub)genre. Ultimately, our research contributes to ongoing conversations about Indigenous language, discourse, and media’s role in transforming societal norms and structural injustices.

Exploring the Narratives of Rustom and Esfandiar Battle within Shahnameh Ferdowsi: An Analytical Evaluation

In this scholarly investigation, we delve into the narrative of the legendary battle between Rustam and Esfandiar, aiming to unveil the nuanced ideological underpinnings woven within the text. Our analysis traverses various contextual dimensions, including the historical background of the text and its revered status within the tradition. Furthermore, we meticulously examine the linguistic intricacies—ranging from lexical choices to syntactical structures—and the rhetorical strategies employed, alongside an exploration of stylistic elements. Through this multifaceted approach, we strive to elucidate the latent ideological discourse embedded within the narrative. The tale of Rustam and Esfandiar's clash resonates with themes of national sovereignty, the steadfast defense of liberty, and the struggle against oppressive forces across diverse realms. Moreover, it offers insights into the author's critique of prevailing power dynamics and societal injustices.

Who supports Jihadi foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq? Assessing the role of religion- and grievance-based explanations

ABSTRACT This article explores public support for Jihadi foreign fighters, an area largely unexplored in existing literature, despite its relevance to counterterrorism. The study draws on two key theoretical perspectives: grievance-based explanations that propose support for militancy arises from perceived societal injustices, and religion-based explanations that look at the role of religious factors in fostering support for religious militancy. Using original survey data from 5145 Muslim respondents across seven countries (Cyprus, Germany, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey), the study empirically tests these perspectives. The findings underscore religious fundamentalism as a potent influencer of support for foreign fighters. By providing large-scale survey data and a comprehensive comparative analysis of dominant theories, this research enhances our understanding of the dynamics that underpin public support for Jihadi foreign fighters.

Inside the Black Box: Detecting and Mitigating Algorithmic Bias Across Racialized Groups in College Student-Success Prediction

Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to algorithms that predict college-student success to inform various decisions, including those related to admissions, budgeting, and student-success interventions. Because predictive algorithms rely on historical data, they capture societal injustices, including racism. In this study, we examine how the accuracy of college student success predictions differs between racialized groups, signaling algorithmic bias. We also evaluate the utility of leading bias-mitigating techniques in addressing this bias. Using nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and various machine learning modeling approaches, we demonstrate how models incorporating commonly used features to predict college-student success are less accurate when predicting success for racially minoritized students. Common approaches to mitigating algorithmic bias are generally ineffective at eliminating disparities in prediction outcomes and accuracy between racialized groups.

A Study of Dalit Literature: Giving Voice to the Unvoiced

The word "Dalit" connotes people who are impoverished, oppressed, abused, and in need. The origin of the Indian caste system is not a widely accepted theory. There are several forms of inequality that give rise to social prejudice in every civilised community. Additionally, it is dressed in "Casteism" in India. The subaltern literary voices of the tribals, Dalits, and other minority groups were absent from discourses tailored to the tastes of the nobility. The dalits are denied their basic rights to equality, property ownership, and education. Dalit literature thus arises as a voice for all those marginalised, oppressed, and exploited populations who have long suffered from societal injustice and exploitation. The liberation of Dalits from this never-ending slavery is the central theme of Dalit literature. Dalits, who feel that the social order is to blame for their downfall, utilise their works as a weapon to express their rage. They have finally awakened from their extended sleep and are aware of their identities as humans. The Dalit awareness of their identity and self-realization has been a major theme in a variety of colourful and diverse creative writings. It is also highly praised in the works of many other authors, including Mahasweta Devi, Bama, Arjun Dangle, D. Gopi, and many more. The suffering that the Dalit writers depict is not unique to them; rather, it is the suffering of the entire marginalised community. The main goal of this article is to demonstrate, how Dalit writers break the taboo around the unreported exploitation of Dalits in our nation through their literary works. And how these silenced voices are now being unleashed through Dalit literature. This paper attempts to understand the vision and voice of the Dalits and their transformation from silent, helpless objects of history to active, self-aware subjects. The reasons behind the growth of Dalit literature, its effects on contemporary society, the socioeconomic status of Dalits in India, and how they create their own history will all be examined in this paper.

ANAND’IN UNTOUCHABLE ROMANINDAKİ TOPLUMSAL EŞİTSİZLİK YÜKÜNÜN MARJİNALLEŞME VE İNSANLIK ONURU ÜZERİNE ETKİLERİ

Untouchable is a novel written by Mulk Raj Anand, a prominent Indian writer and social activist who skilfully captures the injustices prevalent in Indian society during the 1930s, addressing themes of caste discrimination and the plight of the marginalized. Untouchable is a poignant and compelling novel that vividly portrays the harsh realities of untouchability and caste discrimination in India of the 1930s, exploring the profound impact on the lives of marginalized individuals and their relentless pursuit of dignity and freedom. In this regard, this article aims to explore the profound impact of untouchability and social inequalities on the marginalization and human dignity of individuals within the context of this seminal novel. Drawing upon a comprehensive analysis of the text and the protagonist‘s experiences, the article delves into the intricate dynamics of caste discrimination, social hierarchies, and the resulting consequences faced by marginalized communities. The weight of untouchability is critically examined, as are the ways in which societal injustices continue to exclude particular communities and reinforce the untouchability stigma. The article also tries to highlight the challenges people experience as they deal with society’s repressive forces, highlighting the vulnerability and resiliency of human dignity in the face of hardship. Eventually, it emphasizes the urgent need for societal reform to end untouchability, fight social disparities, and preserve the fundamental rights and dignity of all people via an investigation of the topics of untouchability, social inequalities, marginalization, and human dignity.

The Ultimate Recycling? Positing the Effect of Past Life Belief on Fair Trade Consumption: A Preliminary Study

As societal and environmental injustices are increasingly prevalent, expectations for organizations to implement sustainable practices, such as Fair Trade, have grown. Previous research has demonstrated that Fair Trade consumers have the emotional attribute of compassion and the educational trait of desire for sustainability awareness. This paper builds on prior research by introducing consumers’ spiritual attributes of past life belief (PLB) and positing the effect of PLB on Fair Trade consumption (FTC). The article is novel as it is the first to introduce and link the spiritual attribute of PLB to FTC while addressing racism, religious discrimination, sexism, classism, societal and environmental stewardship, and nationalism. The sample size for this study is one hundred fourteen, N=114. Results were analyzed through hierarchical multiple regression. It was found that PLB is positively related to FTC.

Mise(ère)-en-scène : Transposition and the Child in Hugo's and Ly's Les misérables

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between Victor Hugo's novel and Ladj Ly's film, both titled Les misérables , focusing on their shared themes of marginality and societal injustice in the banlieues of Paris. This article further examines how the film transposes Hugo's work, highlighting the continuity of misery and social hierarchies in the banlieue across generations. The article also delves into the representation of children in both works, revealing how they are both victimized by and implicated in systems of violence and prejudice. Lastly, it discusses Ly's use of filmmaking techniques to challenge power dynamics and provide marginalized communities with agency and visibility, both on-screen and in lived experiences.

Critical psychology & education: Opportunities outside silos

Many psychologists working in schools acknowledge how their work contributes to the reproduction and mitigation of societal injustices. While professionals engaged in education systems and classrooms may hope to achieve the latter, disciplinary conventions can compete with best intentions. In response, psychologists working in schools have recently been encouraged to realize anti-oppressive schooling by practicing what is referred to as critical school psychology. Although potentially new for school psychology, critical work bridging education and psychology has been available for some time in North America and internationally. To encourage the use of psychology in support of justice and in resistance to oppression, we review some of this work and invite those interested to consider psychosocial justice as an ethical orientation to enmeshed theory∼practice. The purposeful engagement of critically informed work from outside traditional divisional silos will not eradicate every problem facing schools today, but such action will, at the least, provide concerned practitioners options for collaborative knowledge-making and more preferred ways of working.

Emotional Literacy and Self-Awareness in Adolescents: Exploring Brené Brown's Atlas of the Heart for Schools

Adolescents must develop emotional literacy and self-awareness as they navigate the complexities of a world rife with environmental crises, political turmoil, and societal injustices. Emotional literacy involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's emotions and the emotions of others, which is particularly important in a world where adolescents are exposed to a range of emotional stimuli, from the traumatic effects of climate change to the disorienting impact of political polarization and systemic inequalities. Correspondingly, self-awareness involves reflecting on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to understand how they impact oneself and others, cultivating a sense of agency and purpose that enables positive contributions in different settings. The present analysis explores the possible use of Brené Brown's Atlas of the Heart to develop emotional literacy and self-awareness in students. Emotional maps are defined, and their importance in navigating emotions is discussed. The Atlas of the Heart book is introduced, and the various emotions and feelings are explained. The analysis also offers guidance on implementing the Atlas of the Heart to students, including those with exceptionalities, and provides examples of activities that can be used to develop emotional literacy and self-awareness. The benefits of developing emotional literacy and self-awareness in students are also discussed. Finally, potential challenges for implementing the Atlas of the Heart in classrooms and suggestions for overcoming them are presented. The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of using the Atlas of the Heart to develop emotional literacy and self-awareness in adolescents.

“The Jogger and the Wolfpack”: An Analysis of the TRANSITIVITY Patterns in the Global Media Coverage of the 1989 Central Park Five Case

Common causes of wrongful conviction include eyewitness misidentification, improper forensics, or false confessions (Garrett in Convicting the innocent: where criminal prosecutions go wrong, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2011; Innocence Canada, https://www.innocencecanada.com/causes-of-wrongful-convictions/); whilst none of these factors are in question in this paper, the notion put forward is that a more implicit factor is also at play; that is, the newspaper coverage of a criminal case during the lead up to trial. According to Felton Rosulek (Text Talk 28:529–550, 2008), “[…] linguistic choices conspire together […] and create a specific interpretation of reality”. Thus, this paper explores how the accused and the (alleged) criminal events pertaining to a high-profile case of the 1980s in New York are discursively framed in a range of press coverage across the USA and further afield. The corpus comprises newspaper articles reporting on the Central Park Jogger case, which resulted in the wrongful conviction and lost freedom of five innocent young men. Using corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis (CADS) (Partington and Marchi, in: Biber, Reppen (eds) The Cambridge handbook of English corpus linguistics, Cambridge University Press, 2015; Stubbs in Text and corpus analysis. Computer-assisted studies of language and culture. Blackwell, Oxford, 1996), the Transitivity patterns (Halliday and Matthiessen in Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar, Routledge, London, 2014) present in the press coverage are examined to gain insights into whether the portrayal of (1) the accused and (2) the victim at the centre of this case may have contributed to securing a wrongful conviction. Furthermore, this paper strives to (1) draw awareness to wrongful convictions more generally and (2) contribute to studies on Transitivity, which serve to highlight societal injustice and the power of printed news when determining the innocence or guilt of an accused individual. To acquire both quantitative and qualitative results, the UAM Corpus Tool (O’Donnell in UAM Corpus Tool, http://www.corpustool.com/) was also employed here.

Abstract IA007: Science of prostate cancer care and survivorship in black men: Structural, social and biological determinants

Abstract Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer (CaP), with limited progress in closing the CaP care and survivorship gaps experienced by Black men compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Unfortunately, there is an uptick in CaP incidence rate in the United States (US) since 2014. As reported by the American Cancer Society, the rising CaP incidence rate indicates a shift towards higher grade and stage during diagnosis. The prostate cancer (CaP) disparities experienced by Black men in the US is a microcosm of the global burden of CaP seen in men of African ancestry. For example, the top ten countries leading CaP mortality in the world are all Black nations in Africa and the Caribbean. The complexity of CaP disparities and the need for a unique approach to better understand and address a complex chronic disease, such as CaP, underscores the need for consortium research that is multilevel, collaborative, translational, and global. Through the Department of Defense funding, we formed an inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black Men Consortium to advance health equity and reduce disparities in CaP. Comprising CaP survivors, advocates, scientists, and clinicians, the iCCaRE for Black Men Consortium addresses structural, social and biological determinants of CaP among ethnically diverse Black men globally, including US Black men, West African immigrant men in the US and indigenous West African men. The overall goal of the iCCaRE consortium is to optimize CaP diagnosis experiences, treatment and survivorship based on the Science of Survivorship (SOS). Our central hypothesis is that improving social-determinants of health (SDOH) factors, CaP care and survivorship (CaPCaS)-related factors and mediating biological factors will lead to an improvement in patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This presentation will highlight the structural inequities, societal injustices and biological determinants found to be associated with CaP care and survivorship among Black men. Additionally, we will present the use of Community Living Lab (CoLLab) Health System approach to address inequity in minoritized and marginalized communities. Citation Format: Folakemi Odedina, Roxana Dronca, Kimlin Ashing, Ernest Kaninjing, Solomon Rotimi, Che Ngufor, Arnold Merriweather, iCCaRE Consortium. Science of prostate cancer care and survivorship in black men: Structural, social and biological determinants [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2023 Mar 15-18; Denver, Colorado. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA007.

Introduction to Special Issue: Re-imagining Teaching and Learning in the Context of Current Crises

In this editorial, we describe the reasons for the special issue, namely the need to understand and re-imagine the “new normal” of teaching, learning, and teacher professional development in light of the societal inequities and economic injustices laid bared by the COVID-19 pandemic. We summarize the extent to which the articles in this issue help us take a new look at classroom practices of teachers within higher education and K-12 spaces, and re-envision of educational policies and theoretical frameworks within and beyond learning spaces to enhance inclusivity.