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This chapter seeks to provide insights into a hitherto neglected topic – that of gender segregation among those who have taken part in vocational education and training (VET). In spite of a growing body of work on the link between educational and occupational segregation by gender, relatively little attention has been given to the specific role played by VET in facilitating gender-specific occupational segregation. Using the European Social Survey (ESS) for 20 European countries and comparable macro data from different European sources, the study examines the extent to which cross-national differences in the gender-typical or atypical occupational allocation of vocational graduates aged 20–34 can be attributed to VET-specific institutional differences.

The findings are consistent with earlier research showing the protective role played by VET in reducing non-employment levels. The findings in relation to the gender-typing of work are somewhat surprising, as they indicate that VET system characteristics make relatively little difference to occupational outcomes among women, whether or not they have a VET qualification. Slightly stronger, but still modest, relationships are found between VET system characteristics and occupational outcomes for men. Male VET graduates are more likely to be in a male-typed job in systems with a higher proportion enrolled on vocational courses. In tracked systems, however, they also tend to be more likely to enter female-typed jobs. In systems where VET prepares people for a wider range of occupations, a VET qualification can act as a protective factor against non-employment, at least for men.

The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ cryptocurrency adoption through the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and complexity theory.

By using a purposive sampling method, a configurational model was developed and a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to gather responses from a Malaysian sample. A total of 223 responses were obtained. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were adopted to analyze the data.

The PLS-SEM indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and affinity for technology interaction were positive cryptocurrency adoption predictors, whereas regulation was a negative predictor. Based on the fsQCA, cryptocurrency adoption could be explained by six configurational paths, which comprised combinations of the proposed causal conditions: the UTAUT factors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating condition and social influence), environmental factor (regulation) and individual factors (financial knowledge and affinity for technology interaction).

This study offers contributions to the theoretical body of knowledge by articulating the relevance of extended UTAUT and extending the established UTAUT model by integrating external environment and personal factors, also showing the linear and nonlinear interplays of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, regulation, financial knowledge and affinity for technology interaction.

The findings facilitated practitioners’ (cryptocurrency brokers, governments and businesses) fostering of cryptocurrency adoption through the joint consideration of different factors. The factors spanned technological attributes and individual characteristics to regulation. Practitioners should acknowledge that different combinations of the aforementioned antecedents can be equally effective to increase cryptocurrency adoption. The findings suggested that these causal conditions should be considered holistically and that there is no best predictor.

In social terms, the research is expected to contribute to the dissemination of cryptocurrencies and help governments and central banks to develop, regulate and supervise digital currencies, as well as in the implementation of a digital currency ecosystem aligned with sustainable development goals. Economically, the results might foster a high cryptocurrency adoption rate and stimulate crypto-token-based business models and investment opportunities that present new means of revenue generation at individual, organizational and national levels.

This study offers unique perspectives for the body of knowledge and practice in the cryptocurrency domain, using both symmetric and asymmetric methodologies, by delineating the configurational logic involving technological capabilities, social influences, regulation and individual characteristics in facilitating more efficacious dissemination of cryptocurrencies.

The authors aim to explore the link between the gender composition of occupations and women's access to managerial positions in four societal contexts.

Using EU-LFS data for 2015, the authors measure the relative gender equality performance of France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK regarding women's access to managerial positions, defined as levels 1 and 2 of the 2008 ISCO classification coupled with the exercise of managerial responsibilities.

While gender-mixed working environments offer the largest number of managerial positions, they are also where women are least likely to reach such a position. Overall, except in Switzerland, women fare best in male-dominated occupations. Women do not appear to fare worse than men in female-dominated occupations, except in France.

The findings question the relevance of policies aimed simply at reducing occupational gender segregation without providing safeguards against the deleterious effects that gender mixing may have on women's career advancement.

The disparities between countries found here show that individual career advancement towards a managerial position may be driven by the social policies, gender ideology and institutions of the societal context. Examining how the societal dimensions involved in the poor performance of women in France and Switzerland are likely to differ sheds light on mechanisms behind the gender gap in management.

This chapter offers insight on how existing paradigms within Black Studies, specifically the ideas of racial capitalism and the Black Radical Tradition, can advance sociological scholarship toward greater understanding of the macro-level factors that shape Black mobilizations. In this chapter, I assess mainstream sociological research on the Civil Rights Movement and theoretical paradigms that emerged from its study, using racial capitalism as a lens to explain dynamics such as the political process of movement emergence, state-sponsored repression, and demobilization. The chapter then focuses on the reparatory justice movement as an example of how racial capitalism perpetuates wide disparities between Black and white people historically and contemporarily, and how reparations activists actively deploy the idea of racial capitalism to address inequities and transform society.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition with variable physical, cognitive, and quality of life impacts. Little research has investigated how MS outcomes vary by social identity (race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, and nationality) and social location (place within systems of power and privilege). However, emerging evidence points to racial and ethnic group disparities in MS outcomes. This chapter integrates core concepts from the life course perspective and an intersectional feminist disability framework to interrogate the role of diagnosis pathways in determining differential MS outcomes. MS diagnosis pathways (the time from symptom onset to the point of diagnosis) are a logical place to begin this work given the varying nature of symptom onset and the importance of a quick diagnosis for optimal MS outcomes. Whereas the life course perspective provides a framework for understanding disability transitions and pathways across the life span, an intersectional feminist disability framework centers disability within an axis of overlapping social identities and locations. The combination of both frameworks provides an approach capable of examining how MS disparities and inequities emerge in different contexts over time. The chapter begins with an overview of MS and current knowledge on disparities (mainly racial) in MS prevalence, diagnosis, and outcomes. The chapter proceeds to describe the utility of key concepts of both the life course perspective and intersectional frameworks when researching health disparities. Finally, the chapter ends with a theoretical application of an intersectional feminist disability life course perspective to investigate disparities in MS diagnosis pathways.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors affecting university students’ participation in discussion forum of electronic learning platforms of teacher–student interaction.

One-stage cluster sampling was used and a cross-sectional survey of 113 university students from four courses was done.

A combined model based on United theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and DeLone and McLean models serves as a research framework. Female and male students’ behavioral intentions were affected by different factors. System quality affects male students’ behavioral intention and information quality affects female students’ behavioral intention. Social influence affects female students’ behavioral intention but male students. Men are more focused on the hardware and women are more focused on the content of the message.

The research is limited by the nature of university students. User experience and underlying perceived risk are possible moderators. Dyad approach could be considered. One way to enhance students and teachers’ academic discussion is to establish a closed university social media site. The site should be made mobile-friendly with chatbot included.

The results support the validity of the proposed new research framework on e-learning platform by the constructs coming from two established models: UTAUT model and DeLone and McLean’s model. Factors affecting intention and use behavior in discussion forum are different for male and female students. System quality affects male students’ behavioral intention, while information quality affects female students’ behavioral intention. Social influence affects female students’ behavioral intention but not male students.