Social Justice Values Research Articles

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IN MORTAL ENGINES (2018) FILM: A STUDY OF POSTCOLONIAL ECOCRITICISM

This research aims to uncover the social and environmental issues depicted in Mortal Engines (2018) and explore the possible implications the film promotes from the disparity’s depiction concerning social and environmental justice. The study utilizes Huggan and Tiffin's Postcolonial ecocriticism and mise-en-scene theory, employing a descriptive-qualitative research method. The data is collected from the characters' dialogue and visual representations highlighting social and environmental injustice. The findings show that: 1) There are significant correlations and interconnectedness between different issues, resulting in social and environmental injustice within the film; 2) This injustice originates from ecological imperialism and is perpetuated by dualistic and binary thinking. These thinking patterns lead to bio-colonization, violence, abuse of power, marginalization, othering, and exploitation, contributing to power imbalances, social injustice, environmental racism, and degradation; 3) The depiction employs mise-en-scene, dialogue, symbols, allegory, visual language, and literary devices, the film effectively engages the audience and promotes social and environmental justice values; 4) The research also uncovers the film's role as an interventionist and counter-hegemony, advocating for social and environmental justice, decolonization, resistance, sustainability, humanity, and historicism.

“Not everyone has the privilege to have good food”: promoting positive youth development and social justice values in school gardens

“Not everyone has the privilege to have good food”: promoting positive youth development and social justice values in school gardens

The experiences of medical and pharmacy students participating in a collaborative online international learning on social accountability and global health: a qualitative study

BackgroundSocial accountability aims to promote a collective ethic that upholds the fundamental values of equity, efficiency, solidarity, and social justice in healthcare and is now considered as a critical mission of academic health centers. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a pedagogical approach that uses digital technology to provide experiential international learning, specifically for increasingly diverse and multicultural healthcare work environments. The SOLID’AIRS program is an innovative French-language COIL that aims to set up international exchanges and workshops on social accountability between health sciences students. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of participation in the SOLID’AIRS program on medical and pharmacy students.MethodFive universities in four different countries were involved in SOLID’AIRS. We conducted a qualitative study by performing individual, semi-directed interviews with students who participated in the program from 2021 to 2022. A thematic analysis was conducted in five chronological phases: (1) reading, (2) descriptive coding, (3) conceptual coding, (4) identification of themes and (5) production of a coherent thematic structure.ResultsAfter including sixteen student participants, 13 medical and 3 pharmacy students, we identified four main themes related to the impact of participation: (1) previous experiences in social accountability and international learning, (2) perception of the program, (3) perceived impacts of the program, and (4) difficulties encountered and avenues to improve the program. Overall, the program was well received by all participants who reported the advantages and limitations of the online learning format. The primary advantage of this format was its feasibility. The participants noted both professional and personal benefits of the program for their current and future practice, including greater reflexivity towards health sciences practice. Based on the challenges faced during the program, particularly in coordinating group work and communication, participants suggested increased supervision of group projects by collaborators, and organizing at least one in-person meeting for future editions. The participants reported encountering difficulties during the COIL and suggested ways of improvement.ConclusionParticipating in a COIL on social accountability appears to be an effective way to adopt a reflective approach to medical practice and should be implemented and evaluated in other educational contexts.

Two identical twin pairs discordant for longstanding anorexia nervosa and OSFED: lived experience accounts of eating disorder and recovery processes

Research into the risk of anorexia nervosa (AN) has examined twin pairs to further the understanding of the contributions of genetics, trait inheritance, and environmental factors to eating disorder (ED) development. Investigations of twin experiences of EDs have been biologically-based and have not considered the qualitative, phenomenological aspects of twin experiences. A gap in the literature exists regarding understanding of discordant twins with EDs. This research was developed in response, with the aim to deepen understanding of AN in discordant twins and to create novel ideas for further research and testing. The case studies presented in this article provide lived experience insights of two identical discordant twin pairs: one twin pair discordant for longstanding AN and one twin pair discordant for ‘atypical’ AN (the twin with AN has recovered). The perspectives and experiences of each co-twin (one with AN and one without) explore a number of factors that may have contributed to twin discordance in these cases, and how each twin has responded to the impact of AN in their lives. Through use of first-person accounts in case study presentation, this article centres social justice values of lived experience leadership and involvement in research. This article aims to extend current knowledge and understanding of EDs in discordant twins, particularly regarding risk for ED development, ED duration, diagnosis and treatment, and recovery processes.

Contesting Neoliberal Reform of Statutory Social Work in Switzerland and England: Discretionary Spaces, Collective Resistance and Ethico-Political Professionalism

Abstract This article reports findings from a qualitative study of the impacts of, and practitioner responses to, neoliberal social work reforms in Switzerland and England. The article highlights commonalities, and contrasts, in how neoliberalism has restructured social work across the two jurisdictions. Social workers responded to neoliberalisation in a variety of ways, often through adaptation but sometimes by challenging reforms. This resistance primarily involved individualised forms of agency promoting social justice in practice, such as carving out discretionary spaces within casework. However, in Switzerland, collective agency also emerged in the form of anti-cuts campaigning alongside service users. The literature tends to counterpose these micro and macro levels of agency, theorising discretion and resistance to the contradictions and value tensions generated by neoliberal reform as largely a product of practitioners’ individual ethical dispositions. However, we argue that enduring legacies of social justice values and relationship-based practices within social work institutions are also relevant in shaping how social workers navigate reforms. These enduring features offer institutional and normative resources of solidarity which can strengthen the possibilities for practitioner agency, at both individual and collective levels, to resist neoliberal reconfigurations and promote more liberatory and transformative forms of practice. We call this orientation ‘ethico-political professionalism’.

Teaching sport and social justice: an investigation into the experiences of university lecturers

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in both awareness of and engagement with the issue of sport and social justice. While research has been conducted on social justice in relation to university students enrolled on physical education (PE) courses, there has been little exploration of how the concept is understood and taught on sport-orientated courses (such as sport development, sport management/business, and sport coaching). Using a narrative, qualitative case study approach, this study draws on in-depth qualitative data generated from 14 semi-structured interviews with university lecturers, working in different English universities, responsible for teaching students on courses that were centred around sport. The intention is to explore how lecturers viewed the connection between theoretical knowledge and practical actions (praxis) in promoting social justice values. The work of Freire (1970) and intersectional theory are used to explore how those interviewed reflected on their teaching practices and informed their teaching and learning for inclusion, equity, and social justice outcomes. The interview transcripts were thematically analysed to identify the lecturers’ understandings, experiences, and teachings of sport and social justice. The findings show how the lecturers’ positionality was informed by a Freirean pedagogy (including the ideas of praxis and conscientização) which shaped their teaching and demonstrated a relationship between teaching, sport, social justice and activism. Based on the findings discussed here, it is proposed that social justice needs to be featured in all sports-orientated courses and not be treated as an optional extra.

Omnibus Law Method and Fast-track Legislation Method: A Degradation to Social Justice Value?

Omnibus Law Method and Fast-track Legislation Method: A Degradation to Social Justice Value?

All’ombra dell’istituzione totale. La «sociologia pubblica» alla prova del penitenziario

The contribution aims to reflect on the emancipatory role that sociology can play, in its public dimension, when confronted with a total institution, such as the penitentiary. The historical-critical assumptions from which the reflection moves can be traced, on the one hand, to those values of inclusion and social justice to which public sociology, in the ‘version’ that Burawoy (re)launched in 2004, looks to as inalienable ethical principles. And which, notoriously, due to the type of inmate population in penal institutions (Italian and otherwise) and the history of the penitentiary itself, are often disregarded and ignored. On the other hand, it seems more interesting than ever to test the liberating capacity of sociology in a ‘public’ institution such as the prison, in comparison with a ‘public’ with peculiar characteristics, which only partially reflects that notion of organic public that has become increasingly central in Burawoy’s conception. This ‘social experiment’ will be conducted from a particularly interesting case study, namely the project of university prison centres, which constitute a virtuous encounter between university culture and the prison world. Specifically, the group under investigation will be inmates enrolled in university courses. Through this case study, it will be possible to verify the limits and possibilities of a sociological style, which turns out to be sociology in its public version, which represents, in an era of strong social inequalities and urgent global issues, a valuable tool to give voice and centrality to sociology, to its critical demands and, through of it, try to listen to the ‘cry of pain’ coming from a growing part of the men and women of our world.

Strategi Dakwah Nahdlatul Ulama dalam Membentengi Nahdliyin Dari Radikalisme di Kota Subulussalam

This research aims to identify Nahdatul Ulama's effective da'wah strategy in protecting Nahdliyin from Radicalism in the city of Subulussalam and evaluate the factors that influence the successful implementation of this strategy. The research method used is field research with a qualitative approach which aims to analyze Nahdlatul Ulama's da'wah strategy in protecting Nahdliyin from radicalism in the city of Subulussalam and includes interviews and observations in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the efforts made by Nahdlatul Ulama in fighting against it. radicalism among the Nahdliyyin. The results of this research show that Nahdlatul Ulama in Subulussalam City has succeeded in implementing an effective da'wah strategy in fighting radicalism. By delivering da'wah material that involves the values ​​of tolerance, balanced education, critical thinking, inter-religious dialogue, social justice, moderation and empathy as an effort to prevent radicalism.

Customary Criminal Liability And The Harm Caused By Perpetrators Of Customary Offenses

Customary law is the original law of the Indonesian nation. Every formation of legislation must be based on the values of social justice, one of which is the religious-magical nature of customary law. This research wants to examine customary criminal liability and how to recover losses caused by perpetrators. This research method uses normative juridical research. The results and discussion of this research show that the position of the application of customary sanctions in the national criminal system is recognized as long as it is in accordance with State principles and the formulation of the balance of customary criminal liability must be adjusted to regional characteristics. Where recovery does not only affect bodies or individuals but can also use compensation to carry out certain rituals.

Clinical Legal Education and Social Justice: Assessing the Impact on Law Students in a Law Clinic in Nigeria

One of the core missions of clinical legal education is to expose students to the legal needs of society while enhancing access to justice for indigent members of the community. This, the University of Ibadan Women’s Law Clinic (UI-WLC) does by offering pro bono legal aid to indigent women in the community who lack access to justice. In the process, law students are engaged in clinic experiences involving interaction with real clients and conduct of outreach programs for different target audiences within the community. Through these experiences, it is expected that professionalism, empathy, equality and and a sense of fairness is inculcated in the students. Students trained with these values ideally have a strong sense of what is just and fair, and are able to choose careers and lifestyles that support their immediate communities. Since its establishment, the UI-WLC has groomed over 960 law students; and currently has about 120 students spread over third, fourth and fifth year students, however, an assessment of the impact of social justice values which the clinic seeks to impart to the students through the training they receive at the clinic has not been carried out. This research seeks to achieve this aim through a mixed methods approach. Using a quota sampling method, 90 law graduates were identified and interviewed through self- administered pre-tested questionnaires and in-depth interview guides. Two sessions of focus group discussions were also conducted. Findings in this study revealed how participation in the UI-WLC through various activities and programs has had both positive and negative outcomes for the students. It also showed an aspect of group dynamics which has to be improved upon at the UI-WLC to better equip students to impact the society.

Perwujudan Nilai-Nilai Pancasila dalam Pembelajaran Abad Ke-21 di SMAN 14 Medan

Pancasila is the entity and identity of the Indonesian nation. For this reason, Pancasila is the basis and foundation of education in Indonesia. Pancasila has unique values ​​contained in it and can be realized in 21st century learning. This research was conducted to find out how Pancasila values ​​are realized in 21st century learning both inside and outside the classroom. This research is qualitative research with observation methods carried out at SMAN 14 Medan. The results of this research show that SMAN 14 Medan has realized Pancasila values ​​in 21st century learning. These values ​​are the value of religiosity, the value of honesty, the value of responsibility, the value of civility, the value of justice, the value of unity, the value of consensus deliberation, the value of democracy, the value of social justice and the value of mutual cooperation. The realization of Pancasila values ​​is carried out side by side and mutually supports 21st century learning, namely the development of 4C skills.

‘Being part of a space made up of people of colour, led by people of colour’: Young people navigating institutional whiteness in the cultural sector

AbstractIn 2020, after George Floyd's murder and with the mobilisation of Black Lives Matter activism, many UK institutions announced social media pledges to tackle racism. The cultural sector promised honest conversations about race, racism and whiteness and offered hope for social justice. However, not long after claims of imminent change on the part of cultural organisations, it went quiet. Conversations about race, racism and whiteness, once again, were not a priority. Rightly, young activists question the performative nature of cultural institutions expressing anti‐racist commitment and social justice values. Drawing upon the experiences of museum education, engagement and activism, the key question addressed in this paper by the author and members of the Our Shared Cultural Heritage Young Collective is: How do young people understand and experience the processes of engaging in education and activism in what they perceive to be overwhelmingly white middle‐class cultural institutions? The authors argue that museums can be useful, relevant and interesting to young people if museum staff actively seek to learn from them through participatory action research. The authors share some highlights, challenges and complexities of our ‘youth‐led’ work in the heritage sector, in the hope that museums and galleries, as well as other arts and cultural organisations, might learn and benefit from our experiences and knowledge of young people's activism in the heritage sector.

‘Rocking the boat’ at the boundaries of social work practice

The response to the immigration crisis of 2015 raised issues about how social work as a profession in the UK was responding to what was unfolding in Calais, France. This article draws on evidence from a qualitative study conducted between 2018 and 2020 that analysed the narratives of 13 front-line local authority social workers’ experiences of volunteering with a charity. It was found that social workers were motivated to volunteer with the charity due to its commitment to social work’s core values of social justice and human rights through a radical social work approach and activism on issues affecting asylum seekers and refugees. This article highlights the opportunities for an alternative social work practice and recommends ways of embedding this in social work practice and education.

Harmonizing Diversity: Pancasila's Role as The Cornerstone of Multi-Cultural Harmony As Legal Discours

This study examines Pancasila's pivotal role in harmonizing Indonesia's diverse cultural, religious, and social landscape through legal discourse. As the foundational philosophy of Indonesia, Pancasila embodies principles that not only forge national identity but also guide the legal framework towards promoting unity, justice, and human dignity. Employing a Juridical Normative Research method, this paper delves into how Pancasila influences legal norms, principles, and decision-making processes, ensuring that Indonesia's legal system reflects its rich cultural diversity while upholding the values of social justice and national unity. The findings highlight Pancasila's dynamic adaptability and its enduring relevance in addressing contemporary challenges, such as globalization and radical ideologies, by fostering a legal and societal framework that is inclusive, just, and humane. By integrating Pancasila's principles into legal discourse, Indonesia presents a unique model of how foundational philosophies can harmonize multicultural societies. This research underscores the importance of Pancasila in shaping not only legal discourse but also in nurturing a cohesive national identity amidst diversity, offering insights into its potential application in other multicultural contexts worldwide

Interreligious Formation, Community-Based Learning, and Justice: The Case of Formerly Incarcerated Citizens

Graduate schools of theology frequently offer interreligious studies classes and programs. But simply teaching about a religious tradition is not enough. For interreligious studies and dialogue to be effective, there needs to be a deeper understanding and appreciation that can be transformative. Interreligious community-based learning can serve as a critical educational bridge between the classroom and the real world and also help students live into the shared religious value of social justice. In this article, I utilize Catholic and Islamic theologies related to human dignity and interreligious engagement to demonstrate how a theological graduate school’s interreligious educational curriculum can be improved through a community-based learning program.

Whole person healthcare as social and environmental justice: new research directions toward a paradigmatic integration of an ecological whole system medicine framework

With increasing recognition of the interdependencies of human and planetary health, calls for a socially and environmentally just framework of health have centered on whole person healthcare (WPHC) approaches. This perspective piece proposes an argument for broadening the definition of human health from WPHC to one that is guided by the philosophical orientation of traditional whole system medicine (WSM) approaches, undergirded by the values of social and environmental justice, and supported by the practices of an allopathic-integrative medicine-based WPHC framework. This piece presents opportunities for praxis offered by a WSM–WPHC framework to address global inequity, environmental disparities, and sustainability challenges. An ecological WSM–WPHC framework envisages social and environmental justice in material and discursive ways by foregrounding environmental planetary ecological consciousness as constitutive of human consciousness and biopsychosocial composition. It argues for structural support through formalized programmatic pathways targeting funding opportunities and mechanisms that invite investigations addressing epistemic challenges of expanding definitions of evidence constituting basic science knowledge domains beyond mechanistic, causal, and formative paradigms. Furthermore, it calls for innovative research directions examining the integration and validation of evidence-based approaches incorporating the ontologically diverse and epistemically distinct ontological orientation of WSM and clinical approaches. A WSM–WPHC framework that positions human health within the parameters of social and environmental justice principles envisions the material enactment of the practice of health and medicine as a universal planetary value.

Critical whiteness theory and social work education: turning the lens inward

ABSTRACT The social work profession adheres to the values of social justice and equity, yet extensive literature suggests that anti-racism education in social work has room for growth. Research demonstrates that social work practitioners and educators often fail to recognize (1) how structural oppression creates racial inequities and (2) how social workers maintain and reproduce hegemonic power structures. Critical whiteness theory (CWT) seeks to reveal the invisible role of whiteness in constructing racial inequities. As a subject area, critical whiteness studies emerged in the late 1990s as an expansion of critical race theory. A variety of disciplines have incorporated critical whiteness studies as a framework for anti-racism education; however, CWT remains relatively absent from the social work literature. This paper proposes the incorporation of CWT in social work education as a tool to facilitate critical self-reflexivity and combat structural racism within the profession. Engaging with the concepts of white normativity, white ignorance, and white complicity allows social work educators and students to acknowledge and interrogate the formative ways in which social work pedagogy maintains and reproduces white supremacy.

Gender Inequality: A Multi-Perspective Analysis

Gender equality is a fundamental human right that has long been denied, and despite progress in some areas, significant challenges still remain in achieving true gender equality. The research motivation of this paper mainly stems from the pursuit of the universal value of social justice and human rights. The aim of gender equality studies is to understand and address the problems caused by gender inequality and gender discrimination in society. In this paper, the author analyzes gender inequality from three perspectives, namely gender inequality in the workplace, education, and health care. It can be summarized that gender inequality at the workplace mainly refers to the situation that women are put at a disadvantage in their workplace, gender inequality in education mainly refers to the unfair treatment of girls in school, and gender inequality in health care mainly refers to the large differences in maternal mortality between low- and high-income countries.

Empowerment of Accounting Industry Towards Sustainable Employment

This study focuses on accounting as a crucial aspect of business, providing control, stability, and accountability to a company’s finances. However, high turnover rates and career change are evident not only in the Philippines but also abroad. The country is facing a shortage of accountants due to a drop in college enrollment and those licensed working abroad. The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) reported that local accounting firms have hit a tipping point and begun hiring non-certified public accountants to fill the widening gap. High turnover rates can lead to lost productivity, increased costs, and a decline in morale. Accounting professionals help businesses track and manage transactions, including expenses and incomes, and make sound financial decisions. Without them, the world would be less safe and stable, resulting in increased fraud, financial instability, and overall economic inefficiency. Strategic management is necessary to improve efficiency and set goals. Understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the profession is crucial to recognizing what needs to be built or empowered and what needs to be resolved and avoided. The worldwide shortage of accountants makes it easier for Filipino accountants to find better opportunities elsewhere. Pursuing an accounting degree and passing licensure examinations is not an easy feat, and the profession is not being recognized enough. A strategic management plan could make the accounting and auditing profession more attractive to potential employees and create a more positive and supportive work environment for accountants and auditors in the country. The accounting industry’s empowerment is crucial for sustainable employment, as businesses increasingly prioritize sustainability. Accountants play a vital role in creating resilient and stable jobs by adopting sustainable practices and embedding them into their business processes. They act as catalysts for change, leading businesses to make more responsible financial decisions and promoting sustainable long-term growth. This approach goes beyond financial matters, recognizing the value of environmental stewardship, social justice, and ethical practices. Accountants can leverage their expertise to drive positive change and create a more just and sustainable future. Future research should focus on job enlargement and enrichment, addressing issues such as work-life balance, technological skills, and sustainability variables. Future studies should re-evaluate each step and emphasize the challenges in implementing empowerment and sustainability strategies for the accounting industry. Keywords: empowerment, sustainable employment, accountancy, turnover, professional development