Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Intergenerational Evolution of Gender Bias in Spain: Analysis of Values Surveys
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9288
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9288
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9288
Author-Name: Pilar Antolínez-Merchán
Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Communication and Design, University Camilo José Cela, Spain
Author-Name: Ángel Rivero Recuenco
Author-Workplace-Name: Economy Department, University of Alcalá, Spain
Author-Name: Elvira Carmen Cabrera-Rodríguez
Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Business and Legal Sciences, University Camilo José Cela, Spain
Abstract: This article uses data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the European Values Study (EVS) for Spain, covering the years between 2005 and 2022 (waves 5, 6, and 7) to analyse the evolution of gender bias in different dimensions: politics, education, economics, and family. The results indicate a positive trend towards the reduction of gender bias, especially in areas of political leadership and education. However, certain biases remain, particularly among older generations. The analysis reveals that variables such as sex, education level, religion, political orientation, and materialistic values have a statistically significant influence on gender bias. Young people demonstrate a higher acceptance of gender equality compared to older adults. However, the younger generations are exposed to ideological and moral influences that cause changes in their perception of politics and democracy. One‐fifth of the sample surveyed did not consider gender equality relevant as a constitutive element of democratic regimes, which seems to indicate a relative fading of the political and moral significance of gender equality as an issue for a significant proportion of young Spaniards. Religion is the only variable linked with a higher probability of maintaining gender biases, and even accentuating them among young people, which would be indicative of a correlation between religion and the adoption of ideologically conservative positions, in line with the socio‐political dynamics of polarisation and the growing influence of neo‐conservative movements in Spanish society.
Keywords: gender bias; gender equality; gender stereotypes; values survey
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9288
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Propagation of Hate Speech on Social Network X: Trends and Approaches
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9317
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9317
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9317
Author-Name: Eva Matarín Rodríguez-Peral
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain
Author-Name: Tomás Gómez Franco
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Francisco Vitoria University, Spain
Author-Name: Daniel Rodríguez-Peral Bustos
Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Information Sciences, Complutense of Madrid University, Spain
Abstract: Digital technologies have democratized the transmission of information, enabling individuals to interact and share information instantly through social networks. However, these advancements have also brought about negative aspects such as the propagation of hate speech on social media. This research aims to address the following question: What are the predominant theoretical and methodological approaches in academic research on hate speech on X (formerly known as Twitter)? This study aims to identify and analyze the trends in existing academic research on the proliferation and dissemination of hate speech on the social network X, to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this field, and to highlight areas for future research. To conduct this analysis, a mixed‐methods methodology is employed and a systematic literature review is applied as the research technique. Quantitative analysis involves descriptive statistical analysis, while qualitative analysis is conducted using a deductive strategy to study the predetermined categories of research included in this study. Among the main contributions is the integration of findings from multiple studies, facilitating the understanding of this phenomenon, as well as enabling the identification of best practices and existing knowledge gaps in this field.
Keywords: academic analysis; digital interaction; hate speech; social conflict; social network X; Twitter
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9317
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Ripple Effects Mapping Within a Process Evaluation of Sport for Development Provision in England
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/8911
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.8911
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 8911
Author-Name: Jase Wilson
Author-Workplace-Name: Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, UK
Author-Name: Dan Bates
Author-Workplace-Name: Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, UK
Abstract: Evaluating the impact of sport for development is fraught with practical and methodological challenges. The evaluator is often presented with complex and messy social realities compounded by ill‐defined interventions with hard‐to‐follow outcomes. Further, those subject to an impact evaluation can feel under the spotlight with little contribution to the research programme, which complicates the potentially informative learning and developmental processes of the evaluation. This article provides an introduction to ripple effects mapping (REM) as an evaluation technique and draws on the case study of a community‐based, physical‐activity intervention within the UK. This article will demonstrate the utility of REM as a co‐productive technique for exploring programme outcomes but also as a tool to capture and understand the impact of the programme on participants. Through the presentation and analysis of the example REM, produced collaboratively with programme participants and stakeholders, the discussion illustrates the suitability and potential of REM as a process evaluation tool. The article presents REM in the context of evaluating sport for development practices and provides a critique and reflection about the refinement of REM as a robust evaluation tool.
Keywords: community engagement; evaluation; impact; participatory methods; physical activity; ripple effects mapping; sport for development
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:8911
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Self‐Managed Housing in Vienna: Managing Ambivalences Between “Invitability” and Resistance
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/7993
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.7993
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 7993
Author-Name: Andrea Schikowitz
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Austria
Abstract: This contribution addresses how self‐managed collaborative housing (CoHo) groups engage in and with urban planning in Vienna and thereby how they manage the ambivalence of simultaneously getting involved in established planning and maintaining their alternative and subversive character. These groups aim to shape their own living environments and contribute to more sustainable, affordable, and collaborative housing and living. The relations and interactions between self‐managed housing projects and municipal planning actors are ambivalent and include both invited and uninvited forms of engagement. To be able to realise their projects and to intervene in urban planning, CoHo groups thus need to manage the boundary between making their aims compatible with and challenging urban planning visions and strategies. I analyse this by paying attention to how CoHo actors enact “invitability” while maintaining their resistance against certain urban policies. For doing so, I draw on and contribute to literature at the intersection of urban planning and STS that address public participation in collaborations and controversy contexts. The empirical materials stem from a multi‐sited ethnography, comprising interviews with members and proponents of CoHo groups, observations of public and semi‐public events of, with, and about CoHo, as well as documents and social media posts. I find that CoHo creates invitability by negotiating and working on three aspects that are directly or indirectly challenged by municipal and professional actors: their relevance, expertise, and reliability. They do so by engaging in infrastructuring activities that stabilise both the invitability and resistance of CoHo in Vienna.
Keywords: collaborative housing; hostility; infrastructure; public participation; representation; urban planning
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:7993
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Semiotic Analysis of Hate Discourse in Spanish Digital News Media: Biden’s Inauguration Case Study
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9295
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9295
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9295
Author-Name: Max Römer-Pieretti
Author-Workplace-Name: Communications & Design Faculty, Camilo José Cela University, Spain
Author-Name: Elías Said-Hung
Author-Workplace-Name: Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain
Author-Name: Julio Montero-Díaz
Author-Workplace-Name: Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain / Villanueva University, Spain
Abstract: This study analyzes hate in Spanish digital media from a semiotic standpoint by focusing on the coverage and discourse of Joe Biden’s inauguration as the US President in January 2021 by El País, La Vanguardia, ABC, El Mundo, and 20Minutos in Spain on the X platform. The event drew significant attention from international and Spanish media. A qualitative investigation was conducted on the interactions, denotations, connotations, and semiosis related to hate in the Spanish media and their followers. The analysis, which is based on a semiotic matrix from Greimas and Courtés (1979), Greimas (1976), Barthes (1970), Kristeva (1969), and Lyotard (1979/2019), and was developed by the authors, covered 661 news items and 721 literal fragments and generated 2,074 interactions for examination. This study offers a semiotic framework for understanding how hate expressions are constructed and disseminated in digital media. It is crucial to recognize the narrative structures that promote the dissemination of hate expression in news content published by digital media on social media platforms. A scenario emerges in which fear, politically charged expressions, and terms aimed at accusing, discrediting, or undervaluing the recipients of such messages become tools for spreading content. Therefore, digital news media must review their content moderation practices to better manage the discussions generated concerning the news that they publish in the current digital landscape. This landscape is dominated not only by hostility rather than violence toward social groups represented by news protagonists but also by people who are used to promoting narratives filled with stereotypes and prejudices through dehumanization or demonization.
Keywords: digital news media; digital semiotics; discourse analysis; hate speech; social media platforms
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9295
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Violence, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Video Games: A Systematic Review
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9401
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9401
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9401
Author-Name: Robeto Moreno-López
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Castilla‐La Mancha, Spain
Author-Name: Catalina Argüello-Gutiérrez
Author-Workplace-Name: Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain
Abstract: This systematic review analyses the relationships between violence, hate speech, discrimination, and video games. A comprehensive search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases identified 47 relevant studies published between 2018 and 2023. The review examines how video games may provide fertile ground for online violence, hate speech, and discrimination, while also exploring their potential as educational tools. Key findings suggest that exposure to violent video game content can increase aggressive cognitions and behaviours, particularly when combined with competitive gameplay. However, prosocial aspects of gaming may promote positive intergroup attitudes and reduce prejudice. Hate speech and discriminatory behaviours remain prevalent issues in online gaming communities, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups. The article highlights the complex interactions between game content, individual factors, and sociocultural contexts in shaping player experiences and behaviours. While video games pose risks, they also offer opportunities for fostering empathy, cultural understanding, and critical thinking, if they are thoughtfully designed. The findings underscore the need for evidence‐based interventions to mitigate online hate and maximise the educational potential of video games.
Keywords: cyberhate; hate speech; inclusion; video games; violence
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9401
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: The Italian Manosphere: Composition, Structure, and Functions of a Digital Network
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9341
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9341
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9341
Author-Name: Elisa Ignazzi
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti‐Pescara, Italy
Author-Name: Mara Maretti
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Legal and Social Sciences, G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti‐Pescara, Italy
Author-Name: Lara Fontanella
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Socio‐Economic, Managerial, and Statistical Studies, G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti‐Pescara, Italy
Abstract: The digital sphere is pivotal in shaping social norms, and the Italian “manosphere” is a key player in this process. This study examines the composition and structure of the Italian manosphere, an intricate online ecosystem characterised by antifeminist and often misogynistic ideologies. Through a comprehensive analysis of Facebook networks and blog presentations from various groups, we mapped and classified the main actors within this ecosystem, shedding light on their connections and functions. The analysis focuses on two main aspects by employing natural language processing techniques and social network analysis. First, we investigated the functions of different groups within the network—Men’s Rights Activists, Men Going Their Own Way, Involuntary Celibates, and Pick‐Up Artists—identifying their roles, how they interconnect and their ties to the international manosphere. Second, we analysed the blog presentations of members to explore the motivations driving individuals to join these communities, revealing the key themes emerging from their narratives. Our findings highlight the manosphere as a complex and interconnected phenomenon that not only reflects global neosexist trends but also integrates unique socio‐cultural elements specific to the Italian context. This study underscores the significance of understanding the manosphere’s influence on public discourse and its far‐reaching implications for the socio‐political landscape in Italy, particularly concerning gender relations.
Keywords: digital sphere; Incels; misogyny; men’s rights activists; men going their own way; natural language processing; pick‐up artists; sexism; social movements
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9341
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Synderesis vs. Consequentialism and Utilitarianism in Workplace Bullying Prevention
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/8406
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.8406
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 8406
Author-Name: Jolita Vveinhardt
Author-Workplace-Name: Vytautas Kavolis Interdisciplinary Research Institute, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Author-Name: Mykolas Deikus
Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Catholic Theology, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Abstract: The existence of workplace bullying in modern organizations is, first of all, a serious moral challenge. Since bullying characterized by intense and long‐lasting persecution of the target causes serious negative consequences for organizations, there are proposals to base the prevention of this phenomenon on utilitarianism. However, some studies show that the ethics that judges the goodness of an action by consequences causes many problems at the level of interpersonal relationships. Therefore, in the context of workplace bullying, it is proposed to consider the scholastic idea of synderesis. The article theoretically examines three alternatives to bystanders’ decisions based on the ideas of consequentialism, utilitarianism, and synderesis: to act constructively actively (to support the victim), to act destructively actively (to support the persecutor), and to act destructively passively (not to intervene in the conflict). Considering that different schools of consequentialism and utilitarianism cannot guarantee constructive behaviour of bystanders, the decisions inspired by the conscience guided by synderesis can be a suitable alternative that can be easily implemented in practice.
Keywords: consequentialism; ethics; synderesis; utilitarianism; workplace bullying
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:8406
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Quarantined Justice, Compromised Diversity: Barriers to Disability Inclusion in China’s Public Sector Employment
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9083
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9083
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9083
Author-Name: Qian Xue
Author-Workplace-Name: KoGuan School of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China / Faculty of Law & Justice, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Author-Name: Bo Chen
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Law, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
Abstract: Under the advocacy for diversity and inclusion within Chinese society, the judiciary has become a significant institution for the protection of marginalized groups, especially disabled people. Through proactive power expansion, the Supreme People’s Court has played a crucial role in scrutinizing employment discrimination in the private sector. However, the judiciary has paid less attention to the fact that government agencies failed to consider the value of workplace diversity and maintained ableist standards that preclude many disabled candidates from public sector positions. Due to the intrinsic political embeddedness within Chinese judicial systems, courts tended to adopt a strategy known as “quarantined enforcement” when confronted with discriminatory recruitment clauses issued by government‐tied entities. Social and political factors collaboratively shaped the intersectional marginalization of the disabled community in China. This article attempts to move beyond traditional legislative‐centric approaches and emphasize the judiciary’s role in minimizing the marginalization of disabled people. It argues that eliminating political barriers within the judiciary is crucial for achieving workplace diversity and employment equality.
Keywords: disability equality; disability rights in China; embedded court; integrated employment; quarantined justice; social diversity
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9083
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9076
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9076
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9076
Author-Name: Alba Angelucci
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Law and Political, Economic and Social Sciences, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro,” Italy
Author-Name: Gül Ince-Beqo
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
Author-Name: Fabio De Blasis
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
Abstract: In this article we examine how small and medium‐sized towns address migrants’ participation amidst hostility. To do so, we focus on a small town in central Italy. We scrutinise two dimensions of participation— visibility and agency in policy‐making—and connect them to specific forms of hostility towards migrants that can arise in small communities. We also consider how changes in the social fabric and political discourse can overcome and subvert such hostilities. By exploring the case vertically (involving institutions) and horizontally (involving civil society actors), we analyse local migrants’ participation in light of political transitions and changes in the local government’s attitude. We focus in particular on how and whether migrants are granted space in the planning and implementation of integration and participation policies across different periods in a small town in central Italy. This case highlights substantial policy transitions that shape migrants’ involvement in local life and set boundaries on their engagement. The article, which is based on qualitative research conducted within the EU‐funded project PISTE—Participation in Small and Medium‐Sized Towns: Experiences, Exchanges, Experiments, relies on policy analysis and 17 semi‐structured interviews with policy‐makers and civil society actors. The results show that political discourse on migration affects perceptions and practices of hostility in regard to migrants and the forms of visibility assumed by migrants’ participation in small and medium‐sized towns. When participation is politically hindered, everyday practices of visibility (such as being visible in public spaces) assume political significance. The presence of “bridging figures” is crucial for facilitating the transition from an adverse to a more inclusive political environment, enhancing participation by specific migrant groups. However, reliance on such bridging figures and personal relationships can be a double‐edged sword. It can promote participation, but it may confine it to individual interactions rather than foster broader migrants engagement.
Keywords: bridging figures; hostility; local policy‐making; migrants’ participation; migration policies; political participation; small towns
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9076
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Overcoming Obstacles? Institutional Support for the Pathways to Higher Education at German Vocational Schools
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/8771
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.8771
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 8771
Author-Name: Nadine Dörffer
Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Educational Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany / Leibniz Center for Science and Society, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Author-Name: Nadine Bernhard
Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Educational Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
Abstract: The institutionalization of new types of vocational schools in the 1960s and 1970s aimed to open up the German education system and create new pathways for accessing higher education, particularly for socially disadvantaged students. Today, one‐third of German students with a higher education entrance certificate graduate from vocational schools. However, these graduates are less likely to pursue or succeed in higher education. This raises the question: How do vocational schools support their heterogeneous student body in transitioning to higher education, and to what extent do differences exist between school types? Sociological research has shown that institutional support for and during transitions is crucial for expanding access to education. In particular, organizational structures and practices play a role in the (re)production of social inequality. To analyze these, we apply the concept of institutional permeability, focusing on information and counseling, financial support, learning organization and pedagogy, and school culture. The study draws on problem‐centered interviews with staff from different types of vocational schools in one German federal state, analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The results reveal significant variations in how schools aim to prepare students for higher education. Specifically, students of Fachoberschule face a double disadvantage due to their social background and institutional structures, which hinder their higher education pathways. The lack of personalized support at vocational schools complicates students’ orientation process, placing much of the responsibility on students and a few dedicated teachers.
Keywords: Germany; higher education; institutional permeability; institutional support; school types; social background; study orientation; vocational schools
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:8771
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: The Emotional Costs of Solidarity: How Refugees and Volunteers Manage Emotions in the Integration Process
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9009
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9009
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9009
Author-Name: Neeltje Spit
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Humanistic Studies, The Netherlands
Author-Name: Evelien Tonkens
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Humanistic Studies, The Netherlands
Author-Name: Margo Trappenburg
Author-Workplace-Name: Utrecht University School of Governance, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Abstract: While emerging right‐wing populist voices are calling to prevent the arrival of refugees and their integration, volunteers perform solidarity by performing activities to support refugee integration. Most studies on these forms of solidarity in diversity focus on the quality and effectiveness of the activities. The emotional labor involved has received limited attention. To consider this emotional labor in more detail, we use Arlie Hochschild’s concept of feeling and framing rules and relate these rules to prevailing citizenship regimes, distinguishing between the self‐reliance regime and the community regime. Based on in‐depth ethnographic research of volunteer solidarity work in a deprived urban neighborhood and a middle‐class commuter town in the Netherlands, we show that volunteers are strongly aligned with the community regime, which involves navigating a multitude of feeling rules they struggle with. Refugees are more aligned with the self‐reliance regime, which also gives way to emotional struggles. We argue that to promote solidarity in diversity, scholars and policymakers should pay more attention to these different forms of emotional labor and the painful and joyful emotions involved.
Keywords: citizenship regimes; emotions; feeling and framing rules; refugee integration; volunteers
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9009
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Building Resiliency in Community Development: The Experiences of Women in Rural Communities in Ghana
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/8705
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.8705
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 8705
Author-Name: Charles Gyan
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Social Work, McGill University, Canada
Author-Name: Jacob Kwakye
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Social Work, McGill University, Canada
Abstract: In Ghana, women face challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, restricted legal rights, and entrenched gender roles, impeding their empowerment. Despite these barriers, they exhibit remarkable resilience, often through active engagement in community development initiatives. Previous studies highlight the importance of collective solidarity and intergenerational support in fostering resilience among Ghanaian women. However, these studies frequently apply external frameworks that conceptualize resilience as an internal attribute. This qualitative study explores the intrinsic motivations and support mechanisms that underpin resilience among Ghanaian women (? = 12) actively participating in community development efforts. Thematic analysis of interviews reveals that their resilience is greatly influenced by concerns for their children’s future and strengthened by strong familial and community support networks. This research enriches our understanding of resilience by highlighting authentic sources rooted in the lived experiences of Ghanaian women, challenging conventional perceptions and emphasizing both individual and community‐level factors.
Keywords: community development; gender equality; resilience; rural Ghana; women
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:8705
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: The High Price of Gender Noncompliance: Exploring the Economic Marginality of Trans Women in South Africa
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/8455
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.8455
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 8455
Author-Name: Siyanda Buyile Shabalala
Author-Workplace-Name: Psychology Department, Rhodes University, South Africa
Author-Name: Megan Campbell
Author-Workplace-Name: Psychology Department, Rhodes University, South Africa
Abstract: This study brings trans women to the forefront of global discourse on gender‐based economic inequalities. Such discussions, often lacking intersectionality and narrowly focused on cis women, have frequently overlooked the distinct economic obstacles trans women face in cisheteropatriarchal societies. Grounded in critical trans politics and intersectionality, this research explores the lives of five trans women in South Africa, examining the contextual norms, practices, and policies that shape their experiences of economic inclusion and exclusion. Findings reveal that economic marginality for trans women is upheld by social institutions prioritizing cisgender norms, reinforcing biology‐based gender binaries that render those existing outside these frameworks vulnerable, disposable, and disenfranchised. This structural economic bias is reflected in four key areas: (a) patriarchal family systems enforce conformity to cisgender expectations through abuse, financial neglect, and rejection, displacing trans women into precarious circumstances, including homelessness and survival sex work; (b) cisnormative workplace conventions demand legal gender alignment as a precondition for organizational access and employability, shutting out trans identities lacking state recognition of their gender; (c) institutionally entrenched anti‐trans stigma creates heightened scrutiny and discrimination during hiring processes; and (d) a gender‐segregated labor system undermines trans women’s ability to participate in both “male” and “female” jobs due to nonadherence to traditional, biologically defined gender roles. These cisgender‐privileging norms intersect with racism and colonial‐apartheid legacies, compounding economic difficulties for trans women. By mapping the economic conditions of historically invisibilized trans women, this study deepens the scope of economic transformation theories. It calls for a trans‐inclusive, intersectional model of economic justice, advocating for institutional cultures that embrace diverse gender expressions beyond static gender classifications.
Keywords: cisgender norms; economic exclusion; gender binary; gender economic equity; labour systems; South Africa; trans women
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:8455
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Dual Marginalisation and the Demand for Dual Citizenship: Negotiating “At Homeness” Among Diaspora Liberians
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9033
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9033
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9033
Author-Name: Franka Vaughan
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Abstract: In Liberia, identity and citizenship have long been contentious, with dual citizenship emerging as a focal point in recent decades. On 22 July 2022, former President George Weah signed an Amendment Law allowing Liberians naturalized abroad to retain citizenship and granting Liberian women the right to confer citizenship to their children, addressing a key demand from diaspora Liberians. This article, based on my doctoral thesis (Vaughan, 2022), examines diaspora Liberians’ advocacy for dual citizenship within contemporary debates on citizenship as a strategic institution. Drawing on the “post‐exclusive turn” in citizenship (Harpaz & Mateos, 2019), which suggests that individuals often prioritize a premium passport over strong ties to a homeland, the article explores how diaspora Liberians pursue dual citizenship to secure a “true home” in Liberia. This advocacy is fueled by their marginalization both in Liberia, where they face scrutiny over their Liberianness, and in their host countries, where they experience otherness as ethnic minorities. Dual citizenship, for these Liberians, is a strategic path back to belonging in Liberia. This article highlights the intricate interplay between identity and citizenship in Liberia, complicating the strategic citizenship framework by shedding light on the nuanced experiences of diaspora Liberians as they navigate dual marginalization and negotiate belonging. By focusing on these dynamics, the article contributes to the broader debate on citizenship in Africa, an area that remains understudied. Moreover, it reframes discussions on strategic citizenship, particularly in the context of growing inequalities and rising anti‐immigrant sentiments.
Keywords: belonging; diaspora Liberians; dual citizenship; home; Liberia; marginalization; strategic citizenship
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9033
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Engaged Scholarship and Its Discontents
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9124
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9124
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9124
Author-Name: Tebeje Molla
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Education, Deakin University, Australia
Abstract: Engaged scholarship plays a crucial role in shaping collective narratives and fostering inclusive societies. This article explores the concept of engaged scholarship, highlighting both its transformative potential and the discontents that accompany it. Informed by existing literature and personal reflections, the discussion is divided into three key sections. The first section provides a concise overview of engaged scholarship and outlines the conditions that enable its practice. The second section delves into the main discontents of engaged scholarship: narrow definitions of academic work, polarised views on knowledge and truth, restrictive professional guidelines, the potential for backlash, and the risk of burnout. These pitfalls create an environment where scholars may hesitate to engage fully, despite the pressing need for their contributions to public discourse. In the third and final section, the article emphasises the moral imperative of using research for social change and advocates for the creation of supportive ecosystems to help scholars navigate the challenges of public engagement.
Keywords: backlash; Bourdieu; burnout; crisis; critical theory; engaged scholarship
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9124
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: Self‐Organised Practices of Social Participation; or How Individualisation is Collectively Contested in the Raval
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9090
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9090
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9090
Author-Name: Olaf Tietje
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Sociology, LMU Munich, Germany
Abstract: In this article, I focus on current developments in the Raval district of the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona and show how social participation can be made possible despite hostility. Social participation is the opportunity for subjects to take part in society and, in this way, to experience “belonging to society.” “Belonging to a society” means experiencing both active and passive opportunities to shape and use socially founded and politically constituted community relationships and infrastructures. The example of the Raval shows how neighbours can be activated as a collective through self‐organised practices of social participation. In the context of a welfare state in transformation, social participation is partly being transferred from the state to civil society actors. Focusing on the issues of housing, security, and care, this article shows how, on the one hand, this transferring of responsibility contradicts individualisation and creates something in common. On this basis, the residents can find collective answers to individualised problems and improve social participation. On the other hand, it shifts the weight of social responsibility unto civil society, which means that social participation is no longer guaranteed by the state and, as in the case of the Raval, becomes dependent on more or less randomly developed structures in the social environment.
Keywords: Barcelona; collectivising; hostility; neighbourhood; self‐organisation; social environment; social participation; Spain
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9090
Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Title: “We Know Best Because Our Skin Is in the Game”: Doing Politics Through DIY Pharmaceuticals
File-URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9037
File-Format: text/html
DOI: 10.17645/si.9037
Journal: Social Inclusion
Volume: 13
Year: 2025
Number: 9037
Author-Name: Natasa Stoli
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Author-Name: Klasien Horstman
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Author-Name: Olga Zvonareva
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Abstract: In recent years, critical social science scholarship has expanded our understanding of public participation beyond talk‐based and institutionally organised formats, such as citizen juries and focus groups. Building on these insights and relying on digital ethnography, we studied the practices of an online community of transgender activists producing their own hormones to broaden access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We argue that they pursue a political cause related to their gender identity, not by partaking in visible protest movements, but by producing what they deem as superior pharmaceuticals. In the process of DIY hormone production, the community members perform three distinct types of political work: contesting the hierarchy of expertise in biomedical science, moving the locus of pharmaceutical production from big pharmaceutical companies to the household, and producing better pharmaceuticals by focusing on affordability and responsiveness. Thus, this article delineates what public participation may look like in hostile circumstances, where it works around public spaces, maintains its invisibility, and is not directed at openly contesting formal institutions.
Keywords: digital ethnography; DIY pharmaceuticals; public participation; science and technology studies; transgender healthcare
Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9037