Search results

The Marginalisation and Co-created Education project has established and utilises a conceptual framework called ‘Equalities Literacy’ (Stuart et al., 2020) that evolved from the first yearlong action research cycle of the project. The framework was initially informed by the practice experience and theoretical knowledge of the international and interdisciplinary team and later substantiated and adapted in the light of the 100 international youth narratives collected in the second yearlong action research cycle. In this chapter we propose the Equality Literacy Framework is a potent tool for direct work with young people and adults, as an indirect tool to understand young people and adults, as a practice framework and as a research framework.

In the light of the core pedagogical ideas, theoretical framework and methodology of the MaCE project, this chapter will discuss implications and options for working with young people in higher education. A core finding in MaCE points to the fact that the participatory approach is very fruitful for working with young people, in order to enhance their feeling of belonging and commitment in the educational system. From educational research, we know that the dropout rate is high in the students' first year of higher education. Therefore, we consider it important to build a solid foundation of trust and well-defined expectations among students and teachers, starting the very day they pass the doorstep of higher education. When applying such inclusive strategies, it becomes possible to collaborate with students as co-researchers in a socio-cultural learning environment. From the MaCE research, we learned that students thrive when academic hierarchies are toned down, making mutual reflections and partaking in discussion accessible for all students. A participatory pedagogy that involves students and builds relations empowers students' sense of meaning and belonging, making them more engaged and thus help decrease dropout rates in higher education. This points to the importance of strong relations and sufficient time for counselling and tutoring.

Gender inequality in New Zealand, and globally, remains a social justice and human rights issue despite decades of feminist activism and scholarship as well as social and political interventions. This chapter outlines the strides in gender equality in New Zealand, and the continued manifestations of gender inequality within the country. It argues that to address persistent patterns of gender inequality, a primary prevention approach that deals with gender polarity and then sexism is needed before it takes hold. New Zealand considers best practice from other countries in implementing gender equality education and better media literacy in schools. Drawing on existing Scandinavian policies and other empirical work, this chapter explores how such gender equality education policy is outlined.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences and responses of ten adult literacy organisers (ALOs) from Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare to the growing influence of neoliberalism and the commodification of adult literacy as a skill and function of the economy. The research argues for a greater focus on literacy as a social practice concerned with equality and social justice, rooted in emancipatory and transformative adult education.

A qualitative research methodology using in-depth unstructured interviews, underpinned by critical realism.

While the ALOs sampled have developed strategies to resist the impact of neoliberalism, they are also struggling to sustain their resistance and nurture access to emancipatory and transformative adult literacy practices.

The research is limited in size, being a small sample study of ten ALOs.

The research will inform policy discussions in advance of the new further education and training strategy, where adult literacy policy is situated.

The paper gives unique and independent access to the voices of ALOs in Ireland and provides a small example of empirical evidence of the commodification and marketisation of adult literacy under neoliberalism.

This chapter looks at the presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus (LGBTQIA+) literacy practices in New Mexico schools, primarily Albuquerque Public Schools. When finding rates of homelessness, suicide, and mental illness to be high in New Mexico, the author tackles the question of what teachers can do in their spaces to be inclusive and supportive. The author analyzes what is present and what is missing. Through citing organizations GLSEN, The Trevor Project, and Equality New Mexico, the author suggests minor and major ways to make change in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. The suggestions include adding LGBTQIA+ history to the curriculum, creating safe spaces for preferred pronouns, and reading LGBTQIA+ literature and legislature.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for analyzing the social responsibility (SR) of financial institutions (FIs) in developing countries (DCs), especially in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), with regard to their contribution to development.

The connection between finance and economic development can be studied at the macro or general level of “financial systems” or at the micro or institutional (organizational) level of “financial institutions”. This paper will focus on the micro level of FIs. The author used the work of Sen as a reference to approach the concept of development, and Sherraden's “Asset‐building policies” combined with Cabraal et al.'s “microfinance ideals” as a strategy to implement the broad developmental agenda proposed by Sen in the field of SR of FI.

The study identified seven indicators for the social responsibility of financial institutions: low interest on loans; small loans; micro‐savings; income equality; marketing equality; geographical equality; and unbiased financial education. These groups of indicators reflect the different areas that are relevant for assessing the SR of FIs.

Since this is a conceptual article, it lacks the empirical data to support theoretical conclusions. Through further research, operationalizing this model and testing it through surveys and in‐depth interviews can overcome these limitations.

With this framework, SR strategies of FIs operating in DCs and specifically in SSA may require a broader vision in their contribution to development. This is by viewing SR in development not only as a tool for economic growth but also as a tool for promoting equality and freedom through economic inclusion and consequently social inclusion.

The paper suggests how Sen's theory of development, Sherraden's theory of asset building and Cabraal et al.'s microfinance ideals can be merged in a framework to analyze the SR of FIs in DCs.

This study aims to explore gender equality in school textbooks in Georgia.

The research had the following questions: To what extent are women and men visible and represented equally in school textbooks? How do school textbooks promote gender socialization of boys and girls to be treated equally in terms of power and privileges, superiority and inferiority? Do school textbooks promote critical thinking and analysis of gender issues and problems? The content analysis of the qualitative research method was used to answer the research questions.

The research revealed that males remain more visible in school textbooks; however, the authors mainly attempt to balance the gender representation in textbooks quantitatively. The textbooks do not socialize girls and boys as equals in power, privileges, superiority and inferiority. The textbooks do not provide room for discussing gender and social justice issues.

The study is an original work. The study contributes to the development of the field of multicultural education, as it develops the three levels model of gender socialization based on the empirical research data. The first, detection level, implies the visibility of both boys and girls equally in school textbooks. The second, the recognition level of gender socialization, acknowledges gender equality in occupations, activities and power and privileges. The third, the affirmation level, develops a critical understanding of gender issues and gender equality in society.

This study looks at how local grassroots organizations as well as international Women Non-Governmental Organizations (WNGOs) and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations utilize social media to empower women in Jamaica and Brazil. The researchers also evaluate how issues of socio-economic background as well as social media infrastructure influence the selection of entities with which the respective WNGOS connect.

This study uses NodeXL, a social media research tool, to analyze the information found on WNGO social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter. The authors also use content analysis to make sense of the data on WNGO Facebook pages. The study specifically uses summative content analysis, a method that translates the frequency of occurrence of certain symbols into summary judgments and comparisons.

Social media usage by WNGOs in Jamaica and Brazil show striking similarities regarding who gets reached or are connected to the networks. The study reveals that women of lower socio-economic backgrounds in both cases are not being reached via social media. Further, the outcomes of the observed current social media communication patterns on WNGO social media sites suggest the occurrence of what the authors refer to as the “noticeboard” effect, wherein communication patterns are top-down, exclusive, and non-reciprocal in nature.

While social media offer less centralized ways of engaging in communication with local communities, inherent in social media infrastructure are issues of race, gender, and social class that affect how these communication platforms are used, potentially another dimension of the “Mathew Effect” in the context of social media usage for purposes of achieving national development objectives.

With the rise in internet penetration in both countries, WNGOs are increasingly incorporating social media into their communication strategies to accomplish development goals. This study is the first to compare both countries in this respect and so adds new insights to this area of the communication field.

This chapter will provide an analysis of current educational conditions of Black males within our K-12 school system and the ongoing instructional implications for school leaders working to address literacy leadership and practice. It will provide insight and motivation for school leaders as they navigate political, social, and policy systems that surround the current educational climate and instructional expectations. Readers will engage in a reflective, collaborative, and constructive learning process related to how successful school leaders enhance teaching and learning on their school campuses for Black males and what behaviors are critical to supporting teachers and students through the process. Specifically at the elementary level where foundational decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills are developed and cultivated for early learners we must be intentional with all aspects of the learning process and our instructional pedagogy. This chapter will work to expand the body of knowledge surrounding Black males as we commit to deconstructing existing and reconstructing inclusive, equitable, and just learning environments. Implications for research, policy and practice, including recommendations to support ongoing formal and informal professional learning opportunities for educators to openly discuss their understanding of Black males, challenges they face, and strategies that they have found to be successful will be disclosed.