Leaders of the social justice research movement in school psychology argue that since the inception the profession, school psychology has had social justice as a key agenda item. A closer look at the representation of diverse backgrounds in researchers and practitioners and observations of the impact the profession has had on the education of marginalized groups, one could argue that school psychology has contributed to the oppression of said groups. In recent efforts, social justice has been made a focus (i.e. social justice task forces within National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), efforts of individual school districts and graduate training programs to recruit more trainees and practitioners of color, etc.). However, there is still more to be done when training future and current school psychologist who practice, those who train graduate students, and those who do research. The goal of this study is to inquire if the multi-cultural competence and social justice intervention, the Temple Social Justice Project, impacts self-perception of professional performance with social justice matters including multicultural competence using quantitative research methods. Evidence from the current study indicates that more frequent experiences working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities is a significant predictor of higher self-report ratings of social justice orientation. While self-reflection and learning social justice principles may have helped TSJP intervention participants to conceptualize their roles in schools as allies, increased time spent in practicum experiences working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities appears to be effective at predicting higher multicultural competence and social justice orientations as measured by self-report ratings. Findings align with intergroup contact theory which states that intergroup contact reduces prejudice (Pettigrew et. al., 2011). While coursework and professional development/training opportunities are essential for the purposes of prioritizing social justice and multicultural competence and providing individuals with safe spaces to process their social experiences and come to terms with inequality, the data suggests that efforts to diversify our spaces is one of our strongest tools in improving multicultural competence and social justice. / School Psychology

Socialinis teisingumas šiame darbe suvokiamas kaip tam tikra schema (modelis), apimanti keletą pagrindinių elementų, kuriuos galima laikyti tam tikrais vertinimo kriterijais: silpnosios šalies gynimas, autonomijos teisė ir jos ribos, teismo diskrecijos teisė civilinėje teisėje ir žmogaus teisių poveikis civilinei teisei. Vadovaujantis minimais kriterijais ir jų visetu kaip socialinio teisingumo vertinimo sistema siekiama ištirti civilinės teisės šaką – panagrinėti atskirus civilinės teisės institutus iš socialinio teisingumo perspektyvos. Pabrėžtina, kad aptariamas socialinio teisingumo modelis yra tik pasiūlymas, tam tikra perspektyva, iš kurios civilinė teisė galėtų būti vertinama. Dėl ribotos darbo apimties nagrinėjami tie civiliniai teisiniai santykiai, kurie darbo autorės nuomone, su socialinio teisingumo modeliu susiję glaudžiausiu ryšiu. Detalizuojant kiekvieną minėto modelio elementų, darbe ypač akcentuojami sutartiniai teisiniai santykiai. Aiškinantis silpnosios šalies gynimo principo turinį, kaip vieno socialinio teisingumo modelio elementų, daug dėmesio skiriama vartojimo sutartiniams teisiniams santykiams - nagrinėjamas vartojimo sutarties institutas, vartotojo, kaip silpnosios vartojimo sutarties šalies statusas, taip pat aiškinamasi, kodėl silpnosios šalies statusas tam tikrais atvejais suteiktinas ir verslo subjektams. Darbe siekiama atskleisti pusiausvyros tarp asmens autonomijos teisės bei jų tarpusavio solidarumo būtinybę socialinio teisingumo požiūriu –... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In this thesis the social justice is conceptualized as a particular scheme (model) which embraces several essential elements, in other words certain evaluation criteria. According to these criteria an author of this thesis analyzes a branch of civil law – in particular certain legal institutes from the perspective of social justice. The chosen social justice model implicates five elements: regulatory legitimacy, protection of weaker party, individual autonomy and social solidarity, discretion of courts and human rights‘ impact on civil law. Four of them (excluding regulatory legitimacy) are applied. A great attention is paid to contract law, especially to the consumer contracts, as well as consumer‘s category itself. One of the aims of this thesis is to discuss the importance of fairness in contract law (contractual and pre-contractual obligations) as a restrictive factor of individual autonomy. Discretion of courts is being discussed from the perspective of social justice – how broad is the discretion given for the purposes of social justice. Lastly the impact of human rights to civil law is being discussed – it is relevant to ascertain whether human rights doctrine and civil law are related. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the civil law norms and case law in Lithuania from the perspective of social justice and to compare separate institutes to the social justice model mentioned above. The hypothesis of this thesis has been affirmed. It is assumed that due to... [to full text]

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Published Article / Psychosocial support has been defined as an ongoing process of meeting emotional, social, mental and spiritual needs, all of which are considered essential elements of meaningful and positive human development. It goes beyond simply meeting the learners' physical needs, placing greater emphasis on learners' psychological and emotional development and their need for social interaction. The Free State Department of Basic Education defines vulnerable learners as orphans, heads of child-headed households, neglected learners and all learners who do not have access to a basic set of school uniforms. The department states that there are currently 70 000 of these learners in the province. This article presents a theoretical critique, within a social justice paradigm, of efforts aimed at supporting vulnerable learners psychosocially in the rural areas of South Africa. It describes attempts to afford vulnerable learners education and addresses their marginalisation and inherent powerlessness (social justice). It argues that psychosocial support (meeting their needs) for vulnerable learners will improve their access to education.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played and continue to play an important role in uplifting African Americans through education. Most of these institutions began as normal schools designed to prepare teachers who would train and educate students of color— a population that has been historically marginalized and oppressed. Scholarly conversations regarding teaching and teacher education for social justice omit the contributions of HBCUs. Likewise, scholarship about social justice within the field of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) has been minimal. These trends including the current overemphasis on the training of a monolithic White female middle class teaching force served to justify the ethnographic study in an historically Black PETE program. Rooted in situated learning theory, this study used ethnographic methods and methodology to explore the manifestations of social justice and (physical education) teacher education at Jackie Robinson University— an HBCU. This study uncovered several cultural manifestations of social justice within JRU using interviews, artifact analyses, and observations of several cultural manifestations about social justice and teacher educating for social justice were uncovered. One of the most prominent manifestations is “The Gap”, a theme that can be seen throughout the historical and contemporary culture of JRU. In one sense, “The Gap” represents the void filled by the university as it provides opportunities for education for students with limited educational options. In another sense, “The Gap” represents tensions within the institution. These tensions exist as gaps among students, faculty, administration, and the university as a whole. Despite “The Gap”, Teacher Education for social justice exists in the culture of JRU as forms of care and culturally relevant pedagogy. While these cultural manifestations were located within specific classrooms, they represent the ethos of the university as a whole. The findings of this study offer both theoretical and practical value. From a theoretical perspective, the findings shed insight into the meaning of social justice and (physical education) teacher education for social justice in an ethnically diverse context. In a practical sense, the strategies utilized by (physical education) teacher educators at JRU foster a classroom culture of holistic education. / text

The key objective of this research is to explore Matthew Fox’s mystical immanence, as developed in his panentheistic Creation-centred theology. Focussing on the key theme in his thought, the relationship between prayer and social justice, this thesis provides what is essentially an auteur critique. That is to say, his theology is excavated by means of biographical analysis, exploring his principal formative influences. In Chapter One the thesis seeks to identify and chronicle his spiritual odyssey, from his home environment via his seminary training within the Dominican Order to his acceptance into the Episcopal priesthood in 1994. Chapter Two focuses on the main influences on Fox’s thought, particularly: Marie-Dominique Chenu, who transformed Catholic thought in the twentieth century; Jewish spirituality, as developed by Martin Buber, Abraham Heschel, and Otto Rank; and Robert Bly, the American poet, author, activist and leader of the Mythopoetic Men’s Movement. Turning specifically to the principal developments in his theology, the third chapter, analyses Fox’s mysticism. His consistent use of the term ‘Creation’ is an indication of the cosmic orientation of this thinking, while his ‘creation spirituality’ is undergirded by his embrace of Thomas Aquinas, the Rhineland mystics and his rejection of Augustine. This chapter also evaluates the diverse scholarly critiques which have attempted to classify his work as New Age, pantheist, and monist. The fourth chapter turns to his complex understanding of the historical Jesus and his quest for the ‘Cosmic Christ’ in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Church Fathers. The thesis concludes with an examination of, firstly, Fox’s understanding of ‘Wisdom’, focussing on the ‘sophiological problem’ within the Russian religious consciousness and, secondly, his interpretation of liberation theology and social justice, as developed in his theology of work, Gaia, and eco-feminism.

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This thesis is the study of experiences of a group of mainstream secondary pupils identified as having additional support needs within the terms of the Education (Additional Support For Learning ) (Scotland) Act (2004). This means that they have been categorised as having entitlements to whatever support they require to ensure that they can attain good educational outcomes. Prior to the 2004 legislation, practices were based on categorisation of such pupils into separate, often segregated, provision which reflected assumptions about their restricted potential. The 2004 legislation is part of a policy agenda concerned with social justice and equity of educational provision for all pupils. It requires that all barriers to learning are removed for each individual pupil. Such a policy shift, and the move towards an inclusive person-centred approach, seem consistent with Scottish education as it is widely regarded, that is, with a strong tradition of, and a commitment to, egalitarianism. However, there is research which also suggests that Scottish education has been, and continues to be, meritocratic and with a strong focus on academic attainment, and that the belief in the tradition of egalitarianism, which is now regarded as a myth, can still influence perception and policy. It has also been argued that the neo-liberal reforms of the public services since the 1980s have narrowed teachers‟ work, led to a focus on its measurable aspects and led to less time being available for other areas of work, including supporting non-academic learning and attainment. In this thesis I discuss how the influence of the „myth‟, a tradition of meritocracy, and a performativity focus on attainment, shape teachers understandings and practices as they are required to reconcile them with a concurrent policy agenda which has a focus on social inclusion and equity of educational opportunity. To enable the voices of pupils and their teachers to be heard, I use semi-structured interviews and an interpretivist approach to study the experiences and attitudes of 8 teachers and 17 pupils in 2 comprehensive schools in a Scottish local authority. Through doing this I identify factors which might prevent teachers from developing inclusive approaches and support for learning practices which are helpful and acceptable to pupils. I also consider any apparent tensions between a person-centred inclusive policy agenda and a tradition of meritocracy. I found that pupils were generally positive about their experience of learning and identified practices they thought would be both helpful and acceptable to them: peer working; teachers mediating learning through discussion/questioning; work which was interesting to them and/or relevant to life beyond school. There was also a degree of consensus that difficulties associated with the reading/writing tasks they were required to do could be barriers to fully accessing the curriculum. The study also found that the teachers interviewed showed a commitment to provide support to pupils with additional support needs and that they provided a range of in-class arrangements to achieve this. However, they seemed also to be influenced by academic traditions/assumptions and felt that what they were able to do was limited by the agenda created by national examination requirements and it was that which drove the curriculum. The study concludes that the practices and power relations in schools are influenced by the conservative thinking which characterises Scottish education, that these practices and power relations can be oppressive and disempowering to teachers and pupils and that pupils are still labelled, sometimes segregated and treated differently from their peers. It also emerged that while there are no real opportunities for pupils to express their views and challenge the identities ascribed to them, when they are given that opportunity they can have well formed views about their education and what changes to existing practice would better help them to improve their attainment and develop useful skills. Not all of the pupils did express such views, and this may link to effect of the power relations in schools. Of those who did express views about what they would like to see change, the changes they identified seem to be generally possible within the pedagogical and curriculum framework changes as suggested in Curriculum for Excellence documents. However, given the findings of this study about power relations and the persistence of academic traditions and assumptions, it is relevant to note that these changes in themselves will require alterations to existing in-school power relations, working arrangements and conceptualisations of what constitutes educational success and how it is measured.

Though only a small island, Cyprus experiences particularly high rates of mixed marriages, and has one of the highest per capita ratios of immigrants in Europe. Consequently, there are a growing number of bilingual and bicultural children now entering the state elementary school system. The aim of this study is to examine the school experiences, language and identity of a select group of Greek English speaking children who have one Cypriot and one non-Cypriot parent. The sub-questions of the study focus on how the children manage languages at school, their perceptions of their peers and teachers and their opinions about the responsiveness of the school and teachers to their bilingualism. Additionally, while recognizing the fluidity and multiplicity of identity, questions about the expressions of the children’s dual national identities within school are considered. Finally, concerns over integration at school are also explored. The study claims social justice for this group, and develops a qualitative case study to engage with the manner in which the children employ their Greek and English language abilities at school, accompanied by their perceptions of the representations of their dual national identities. Multiple, individual, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight children, aged ten to twelve. Interviews with parents were also conducted as a means of strengthening the depth of the data. Additional artifacts such as language use charts, sentence completion exercises and brochures were also collected and analyzed. Using a thematic approach data was examined with the aim of understanding how the children experience their bilingualism and biculturalism within the school. The study constitutes the first of its kind in the Cypriot context and its findings are valuable for researchers, practitioners and policy makers alike. The results suggest that languages are ‘kept separate’ at school, there is a lack of recognition of this group’s bilingualism and there are possible issues of some children’s Cognitive-Academic Language proficiency (Cummins, 1979). Additionally, teachers and schools presented as ill prepared and nonresponsive to the linguistic needs of this group of children. Further findings indicate that the children experience incidents of teasing and exclusion influenced by the highly hellenocentric ethos of Cypriot schools. The study concludes that the limited definition of a bilingual student used by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus, combined with an ineffectual multiculturalism, result in this group being overlooked. The thesis suggests a broadening of the current definition of a bilingual student and a further exploration of children’s linguistic profiles. The study concludes that the children’s school experience is characterized by difference blindness to their dual cultural backgrounds and linguistic blindness to their bilingualism, broken only by regulated incidents of performance. Importantly the study also reveals that though impacted by a weak policy and difference blindness, these children engage in active agency in constructing social roles and understandings of language and identity at school. They demonstrate resilience and flexibility and are aware of the nuances of the school, the global value of their bilingualism, the access and opportunities provided by their knowledge of English and the prospects and experiences available to them through their dual cultural identities.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra M. Stith / This dissertation presents an emerging inquiry about family therapists’ lived experiences as they work with families in situations that may also require the therapist to act as agents of social control whether through implementation of therapy, treatment, or programs. I used a grounded theory approach, informed by feminist qualitative research, to address the following three questions: 1) How do therapists experience their role as agents of social control? 2) What processes and strategies do they use as they navigate that role when working from a social justice perspective and 3) what implications does this have for family therapists as they conceptualize and plan treatment for their cases? This study used purposeful sampling: Eleven professional family therapists who have researched, taught and written about social justice issues were interviewed. The results of this study provide a preliminary map clarifying how family therapists navigate that role of working as an agent of social control while maintaining a social justice perspective. This research clarifies family therapists’ recognition of their role as agents of social control through the context, meaning, and expectations of therapy. The navigation of this role from a social justice perspective is accomplished through the therapists’ framework of therapy, their understanding of the lived experiences of their client systems, and their therapeutic approach to therapy. These participants also addressed the supervision and development of beginning therapists. These results are intended to provide a foundation for further discussion and research on the topic of therapists as agents of social control.