Advocating for social justice, equity, and inclusion in the workplace: An agenda for anti‐racist learning organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (170) ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Jeremy W. Bohonos ◽  
Stephanie Sisco
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Learning Organizations ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

scholarly journals Promoting Equity, Social Justice, and Saving Lives with Life Jacket and Clothing Policies

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Beale-Tawfeeq ◽  
Linda Quan ◽  
Elizabeth Bennett ◽  
Roy Fielding
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Minorities ◽  
The Us ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Worldwide, diverse racial/ethnic groups have disproportionately higher drowning rates. Learning to swim and wearing life jackets decrease drowning risk. We evaluated aquatic facilities’ policies regarding use of life jackets, clothing, and diapers through a lens of social justice, equity, and inclusion to ensure they met the needs of the diverse high-risk groups they serve and changing aquatic activities and programs. Public recreational pools, beach and waterpark facilities in the US and international organizations were surveyed regarding their policies on life jacket use, clothing, and diapers between 2015 and 2016. A total of 562 facilities responded, mostly pools. Almost all facilities allowed wearing life jackets in the shallow end but less so in the deep end, and wearing of T-shirts, shorts, and clothes for modesty reasons. Policies varied most on wearing non-swim clothes. Almost universal requirement of diapers applied to infants only. Respondents’ reported themes included cost, access, safety, hygiene and equipment maintenance. Reviewed policies generally reflected facilities’ responsiveness to diverse populations’ specific needs. However, policy variations around wearing clothing and swim diapers could be costly, confusing, and impede participation in aquatic activities by vulnerable populations, specifically young children and racial and ethnic minorities. Standardization of these policies could assist aquatic facilities and their users. A best-practices-based policy is outlined.

scholarly journals Diversity Committees During The Era of Social Justice

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Singletary ◽  
Kenneth Royal ◽  
Kathy Goodridge-Purnell
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Colored People ◽  
Black Lives Matter ◽  
Chief Diversity Officer ◽  
The World ◽  
Community Organizers ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Business Sectors ◽  
Overall Effectiveness

The deaths of George Floyd and other African American men and women in 2020 awakened the consciousness of Americans and social justice advocates across the world. The chants of “Black Lives Matter!” echoed from the streets of Minneapolis – all the way to the shores of Cape Town, South Africa. Immense pressure from protestors and community organizers caused those in education and traditional business sectors to evaluate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations responded by releasing statements in support of minoritized groups, often including the hashtags #BLM or #NAACP[i]. However, despite support offered via social media, consumers and social justice advocates demanded more than just words. To that end, many institutions began to establish diversity book clubs, while others created DEI committees, and/or appointed a Chief Diversity Officer to guide DEI initiatives across the institution (Byrd et al., 2021). Constructing and operating a diverse DEI committee presents significant challenges. In addition to the barriers associated with assembling diverse members, there are also methodological constraints as there is a dearth of empirical research within the extant literature that provides guidance in constructing and evaluating the effectiveness of DEI committees. To that end, the purpose of this article is three-fold: (1) to discuss the necessity of DEI committees in higher education and corporate settings; (2) to explain why DEI committees sometimes fail; and (3) to offer some suggestions for addressing ways to improve their overall effectiveness. [i] These are the Twitter designations for Black Lives Matter and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, respectively.

From Avoiding Bias to Social Justice

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Anne E. Lundquist ◽  
Gavin Henning
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Assessment Decisions ◽  
Quality Learning ◽  
Research Based Practices ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

The demographics of U.S. colleges and universities continue to evolve and higher education is being called to reinvent itself in order to ensure that all students have high quality learning experiences. An equity-minded approach to assessment helps determine the effectiveness of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs as well as embodies practices and procedures that themselves are socially just. This text share many research-based practices that value, prioritize, and develop diversity, intercultural fluency, and equity in campus specific settings. This chapter describes the higher education and cultural context in which the equitable assessment conversation is taking place; reviews how research paradigms, methods, and culture impact assessment decisions and methods; describes a socially just assessment continuum; and offers tips for implementing equity-minded assessment.

¿Cuándo Podemos Descansar? When Can We Rest?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
María L. Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Educational Leader ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
Northern Colorado ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Division 2

The author uses testimonio as a way to situate the barriers and successes she has experienced as a Latina educational leader in Northern Colorado for 25 years. The setting is based in the backdrop of several worldwide issues in 2020 which created a dire need to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and social justice within industries and organizations, including educational systems. 1) National political division, 2) disparate access to healthcare and the disproportionate numbers of deaths to COVID-19, and 3) murders of Black Americans by law enforcement have re-affirmed the dehumanization of Black and Brown Americans. Solutions and recommendations are shared based on her shared experiences in moving a DEI educational agenda forward.

IMPACT: A Social Justice Organisation Remembers Their Resilience

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Tanya Cruz Teller ◽  
Marlene Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Appreciative Inquiry ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Collective Resilience ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Appreciative Leadership

This article highlights the process and key insights of a social justice organisation’s appreciative inquiry into their resilience. Diversity, equity and inclusion principles are central to the Spaciousness theory of change and the Appreciative Leadership Lotus Model used by facilitators to create the space for staff and board to remember their collective resilience. The article reflects on the appreciative resilience of a diverse group of people piloting new technology and translation functionalities.

scholarly journals Call for Special Issue on Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in Rural Schools and Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-144
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Gallagher ◽  
Benjamin Blaisdell ◽  
Janeé Avent Harris ◽  
Christy Howard
Keyword(s):  
Rural Education ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Educational Policy ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Educational Policy And Practice ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
Inclusion And Diversity

In this special issue of TPRE, we aim to highlight research, teaching, and curriculum that operates as resistance to neoliberal and oppressive educational policy and practice by inquiring into issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in rural education.

scholarly journals Fostering an Inclusively Relevant Mathematics Environment: The Case for Combining Social-Justice and Utility-Value Approaches

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy J. Priniski ◽  
Dustin B Thoman
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
Class Culture ◽  
White Middle Class ◽  
Critical Mathematics ◽  
Identity And Difference ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

Despite a common belief that mathematics is neutral and apolitical, a critical analysis reveals a legacy of mathematics education that has catered to the dominant (white, middle-class) culture, and served to stratify students along the lines of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions of identity and difference. However, there is increasing awareness that mathematics education should be reformed to make it more relevant to all students’ lived experiences. In this paper we make the case for why the goal of increasing the relevance of math is closely related to (and can be achieved in service of) inclusion and equity. We discuss two very different approaches to promoting relevance in the classroom and suggest a way forward to combine those two approaches in pursuit of equity and inclusion. Specifically, we review two bodies of literature: utility-value interventions, which stem from the motivation literature and focus on personal relevance, and teaching and learning math for social justice, which stems from the critical mathematics education literature and focuses on cultural relevance. Our review suggests that these two literatures, which have been disparate in terms of their epistemological traditions, theoretical foundations, and methodological approaches, could be complementary and even synergistic in promoting inclusive math learning environments for all students.

Leaving no one behind: bringing equity and inclusion back into education

2019 ◽  
pp. 239-252
Author(s):  
Carlos Vargas-Tamez
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Turn Of The Century ◽  
Equity In Education ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

This chapter argues that equity and inclusion may be understood in different ways according to certain, dissimilar, philosophical traditions. This is exemplified by neoliberal interpretations of equity in education that have gained currency after the turn of the century and which construe equity as the achievement of quality an excellence in learning outcomes. The chapter contends that this take on equity is limited and may lead to the reproduction of disadvantage and marginalization. It is thus proposed that equity and inclusion be conceptualized under a notion of social justice so as to deconstruct inequality and subvert dominant utilitarian discourses. Finally, the chapter asserts that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the education goal (SDG 4-Education 2030) represent an invaluable opportunity to counter neoliberalism in education and to ideate different resistance practices.

scholarly journals PRINCIPLES FOR HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER: EQUITABLE CONVERSATIONS IN OUR EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL SPACES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sanguiliano Lonski ◽  
◽  
Laurinda Lott ◽  
Hank Van Putten
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Classroom Norms ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
The Past ◽  
Peace And Justice ◽  
Standard Set ◽  
Initial Reading ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

Educators have the unique opportunity to promote equity, change, and social justice ideals to an entire generation. Through daily lessons, classroom norms, and beliefs, classroom teachers can disrupt inequity among students. The Peace and Justice Institute (PJI) at Valencia College has worked with approximately 140 educators through the week-long PJI Teachers Academy over the past three years. This workshop explores the basis of the PJI philosophy, the Principles for How We Treat Each Other: Our Practice of Respect and Community Building (PJI Principles), and discusses social justice practices and norms that research indicates support equity and inclusion in the classroom. This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to the Peace and Justice Institute and the presenter backgrounds. Research has indicated that the practice of reading the PJI Principles aloud, discussing them with members of the community, and focusing on application impacts the way we communicate with each other in our personal and professional spaces. In this session participants will read the PJI Principles aloud, hearing the voices of their online community as they discuss the implications of a standard set of norms. Following the initial reading, the presenters will dive deeper into three of the principles, working with participants to explore practical applications of the PJI Principles. With the understanding that social change towards equity and justice can begin with teachers and their classrooms, this workshop will conclude with research regarding personal and professional change related to the PJI Principles. This presentation is open to all participants.

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