Search

Social inclusion in resource governance and enjoyment is critical towards attaining social cohesion, stability and shared prosperity. The paper examines how land law reforms in Ghana with the passage of the Land Act, 2020 promote social inclusion in the land market. The study used a descriptive research design and interviewed a total of 69 respondents – land experts and practitioners. The results revealed that six of the constructed social inclusion indicators significantly promote inclusiveness in the land market. The paper underscores the need for public education on the provisions of the law and the enactment of a legislative instrument to guide implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving best practices in land administration and management systems supporting land rights for all requires sustainable land administration and management, contributing to successful and significant land administration and management systems. There is an increasing need for legal framework reforms to support land administration and management systems. These reforms may enable rural transformation and social inclusion. Central to reform strategies may be decentralisation to improve inclusivity and collaboration between the customary and statutory institutions. Using Soft Systems Methodology to analyse the current land administration and management systems in Ekiti State, Nigeria, will be helpful for policymakers, professionals and academics reforming land administration and management systems. The study findings reveal the need for improvement in land administration and management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescent populations are at a higher risk for obesity. The aim of this study was to explore possible reasons, such as differences in eating and exercise behaviors. This was a prospective cross-sectional study of TGD adolescent patients at the pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic of the Vienna General Hospital from January to July 2022. Patients were included in the World Health Organization’s Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey, which assesses for multiple measures including exercise, eating, and mental wellbeing. We recruited 32 patients via the outpatient clinic, and a further 55 adolescents self-identified as TGD through the survey. Responses from the cohort of 87 TGD adolescents were compared to the Austrian sample containing 10,110 participants. TGD adolescents reported significantly lower levels of physical activity than the national sample, both in instances of vigorous activity (p = 0.002) and any physical activity lasting > 60 min (p < 0.001) per week. Gender variance was here demonstrated to be a strong predictor for physical inactivity levels, even when correcting for low mental health scores. Regarding body image, TGD participants were also more likely to describe themselves as feeling “too fat” (p = 0.001). No statistically significant difference in eating behavior was found. Conclusion: The results of this study point towards the complexity of healthcare needs in the TGD adolescent population. The interconnectedness of mental health and exercise behavior is well described. However, qualitative work is needed to understand the specific relationship between gender expression, body image, eating and exercise behaviors, as well as social inclusion. What is Known: • Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents are at an increased risk for obesity. The causes for this are most likely complex, and remain poorly understood. • Survey studies in the United States and New Zealand have reported reduced levels of physical activity in the TGD population. However, data is scarce, particularly regarding adolescents. What is New: • This prospective, national survey study is the first to demonstrate reduced levels of self-reported physical activity in a cohort of central European TGD adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the concept of covenantal pluralism in Romania, the most religious country in Europe according to a 2018 survey run by the Pew Research Centre. After a short overview of religion-state relations and religious demography, it focuses on three dimensions of covenantal pluralism: freedom of religion and belief, religious literacy and the advancement of virtues. It examines the key challenges and opportunities faced by covenantal pluralism and argues that religious literacy, social inclusion, populism and the politicization of religion are key factors impacting social norms and electoral processes. These challenges are significant for understanding major trends in religion-state relations, the building of a multi-faith society in Romania, and the resurgence of far-right politics in Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study sought to explore if and how public libraries in rural Australia offer outreach to their communities via home library services (HLS) and what the benefits and challenges of such a service are. An email containing a link to an online survey was sent to 344 libraries obtained through publicly available data. 144 libraries responded, all states and territories are represented, except the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), with a response rate of 41%, with 80% of respondents indicating the provision of some form of HLS. Overall, public libraries believed the benefits of having an HLS outweighed the challenges but many felt more support and resources were necessary to implement successful programs. Libraries varied greatly in how a potential customer could access the HLS, the number of items a customer could borrow, the distances travelled to service these customers, how often customers were visited and how the service was promoted, if at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative effects of social exclusion are well known, as are the effects of social inclusion on quality of life and well-being. Young adults with mental illness and complex needs are among the most marginalized people in the community. There is a pressing need to better define and promote social inclusion in mental health and substance use services, addressing both objective and subjective factors. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences and perceived opportunities of social inclusion among young adults with mental illness and complex needs. This was done to develop a comprehensive understanding of social inclusion that can be applied by providers in the fields of welfare, mental health, and substance use. Seven young adults (three males/four females, aged 22–29) were recruited through Flexible Assertive Community Treatment teams and participated in the study through qualitative semi-structured interviews. The material was analyzed employing an abductive thematic analysis. The findings show the interconnection between the elements of Citizenship and Mattering and underline the need for a framework including both the psychological and sociological perspectives. Developing the Citizenship framework and incorporating the Mattering approach is suggested as a multifaceted approach to promote social inclusion in practice, calling for further research on this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An often overlooked aspect of intergroup relations is how people react to inclusion in a beneficial superordinate category. To examine this issue, we conducted four studies (N = 1,686) in Kosovo about the European Union (EU), using adult (Studies 1, 3, 4) and adolescent (Study 2) samples. We employed experimental designs (Studies 1, 3, 4) and a two-wave longitudinal design (Study 2). In Studies 1–3, we assessed ethnic identification before exposing participants to one of three experimental conditions: inclusion in the superordinate category, exclusion, or a control. Results showed that individuals with low ethnic identification perceived less discrimination (i.e., less unfair treatment), greater metahumanization (i.e., being seen as equal), and less collective victimhood (i.e., lower feelings of being unjustly targeted) in the inclusion condition compared to exclusion or control conditions, whereas those with high ethnic identification exhibited the opposite reactions regardless of condition. In Study 4, we assessed the need to belong to the EU and ethnic identification before exposing participants to similar conditions. Results showed that individuals with a high need to belong to the EU perceived less discrimination, greater metahumanization, and lower collective victimhood in the inclusion condition compared to other conditions, regardless of ethnic identification. This pattern also held for those with a low need to belong to the EU and low ethnic identification. However, it did not appear for those with a low need to belong to the EU and high ethnic identification, whose reactions to inclusion differed from those of participants in other conditions. These effects were mediated by collective victimhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Adapted paddleboard provides an outdoor leisure-time physical activities (LTPA) opportunity with many health benefits (e.g., physical activity, reduced stress, social engagement). However, nearly 50% of individuals with disabilities do not participate in any LTPA. Quality of LTPA participation influences sustainable adherence, while optimizing participant experiences. An adapted paddleboard program is offered in Quebec City, for adults with physical disabilities, but little is known about how participants perceive their quality of participation. This study aimed to describe individuals with disabilities' perceived quality of participation in the adapted paddleboard program, and to explore their suggestions of strategies to support meaningful engagement in the program. Methods: An ethnographic mixed-methods design was conducted, consisting of participant observations during the 13-week program and semi-structured interviews based on the Quality Parasport Participation Framework (QPPF). Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation (MeEAP) questionnaire were collected. A mixed approach of data analysis was used for qualitative data and descriptive statistics were conducted for quantitative data. Results: Nine participants (8F) with various disabilities (42±15 years old) participated in the study. Emergent dimensions of quality of participation included belongingness and autonomy. Facilitators to participation were identified, such as autonomy support through volunteers and provision of adaptive equipment. Barriers to participation included water access and level of individual challenge. Suggested strategies to improve engagement included water access closer to parking and multiple groups for variable skill levels. Conclusions: Participants expressed high-quality of participation in adapted paddleboarding. The study allows the development of knowledge about conditions that enhance the experience of participating in outdoor LTPA. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Adapted paddleboard is an increasingly popular activity that can be adapted with material and environmental accommodations for people with disabilities to enable and enhance participation in outdoor leisure-time physical activities (LTPA). Several facilitators, such as the safety of the site or the social support created by the group, enhance quality of experience in leisure-time physical activities (LTPA) including adapted paddleboard; therefore, support sustainable adherence in the practice of physical activities, well-being and social participation. Further opportunities to practice LTPA such as adapted paddleboard in a public space to promote social inclusion are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal rainbowization has proliferated globally in tandem with LGBTQ+ equalities gains. The rainbow—a globalized aesthetic of an imagined community that symbolizes LGBTQ+ empowerment, belonging, and safety—is increasingly integrated into municipal infrastructure as a neoliberal place-branding tool of social inclusion and performative progressiveness. On urban peripheries, the rainbowization of infrastructure embeds LGBTQ+ imaginaries in heteronormative suburbia, simultaneously evoking rainbow infrastruggles—morality-led conflicts over questions of representational excess and legitimacy. In the absence of queer infrastructure on the Vancouver city-region periphery, this paper examines how municipal rainbowization generates infrastruggle through bureaucratic processes that perform progressiveness by aestheticizing LGBTQ2S social inclusion in generic crosswalks, city hall plaza lighting, and flagpoles. It argues that as a metaphoric policy intervention, such rainbow aestheticization performs surplus visibility as progressiveness and confines LGBTQ+ issues to the symbolic realm. To compensate for inaction on more substantive LGBTQ+ social inclusion, municipal rainbowization is a rhetorical move in which queer bodies are absented in a quest for political absolution that maintains citywide heteroneutrality. The neologism infrastruggle contributes an understanding of infrastructure as a buried site of heteronormative political assumptions and a way of seeing the inconspicuous infrapolitics of a subordinated group in the public realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study explores migrant inclusion in the linguistically diverse city of Glasgow. The particular focus is on the minoritisation of emergent speakers of English, who can find it especially difficult to access support. The research involved in-depth interviews with professionals at third-sector organisations supporting people with a refugee or migrant background. Interviewees gave examples of flexible communicative practices that support migrant inclusion. Such communicative practices can be understood in terms of translanguaging: the way that speakers fluidly draw on their full linguistic repertoires to make meaning. The analysis indicates that language minoritisation can be reduced when services better reflect the linguistic diversity of community members who access them. The examples given show how organisations can embrace linguistic diversity in ways that appear to enable inclusion, valuing the linguistic and cultural resources of recently arrived and settled community members. The article concludes that organisations which are more community led and linguistically diverse can better support the inclusion of language-minoritised migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to find out how society views vision impairment (VI) by bringing it closer to citizens through a specific strategy to encourage contact and dialogue with people with VI. A 'Human Library' was developed in which 14 people with or related to vision impairment discussed their experiences and concerns with 52 citizens without vision impairment. Twenty-two hours of interaction were recorded and analysed. The results show that participants are interested in issues that reflect the lack of knowledge and social disconnection with the situation of people with VI. They also identify 5 stereotypical images of VI as: (1) impairment, (2) inferior social category, (3) closed social group, (4) ignored condition in the sighted society and (5) group with less possibilities in school. These representations are based on the need to build more spaces for exchange and encounter that allow us to review and break down images of disability that continue to fuel exclusion. The study clearly points to the need to develop public policies aimed at making disability a matter of citizenship. To this end, it proposes the need to promote innovative actions that facilitate new forms of relationships between people based on dialogue, mutual knowledge and social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the experiences of exclusion and inclusion as reported by low-income families whose children participate in competitive sport. Using a multiple-case study approach, semistructured interviews were conducted with six mothers. Both a deductive, within-case analysis using the process–person–context–time model and an inductive between-case analysis were conducted. The results showed situations specific to competitive sport, notably by demonstrating that sport participation is a complex phenomenon that is difficult to adequately describe using sociodemographic attributes. This study demonstrates that even for families considered included we can observe large-scale sacrifices and notable levels of poverty, including living in low-income housing, receiving food bank assistance, and facing cyclical debt issues. The gradual increase in participation costs as a function of sport progression could lead to significant financial hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urban environments pose significant challenges to people of all ages and abilities, ensuring equal accessibility is essential for achieving social inclusion in cities. Authors claim that universal design, initially developed to assist people with disabilities, can also benefit older adults. Despite common assumptions, there is limited evidence to support this claim. This study examines whether the urban mobility needs of people with disabilities (physical, sensory, and cognitive) align with those of older adults, both with regular physiological ageing or age-related diseases. Using an integrative review methodology, this study synthesized 56 references on urban mobility measures and 121 references on the specific urban requirements and mobility profiles for both groups and subgroups. The findings reveal significant overlaps in the mobility requirements of people with disabilities and older adults, particularly regarding inclusive features such as barrier-free crossings, intermediate seating, noise reduction, and improved wayfinding. These measures benefit both groups, with universal design strategies supporting the mobility of people with disabilities while also addressing the needs of the ageing population, which is rapidly increasing. The findings offer valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and designers to create inclusive, accessible, and high-quality urban spaces that support people of all ages and abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]