By In today’s tense higher education landscape, one may wonder why anyone would take on the role of a university or college president. Indeed, even before the recent accusations against women academics, women who sought to or served as executive leaders of higher education institutions (HEIs) faced gender bias, racial discrimination, and other challenges. Despite this, the number of women presidents in HEIs tripled from 9.5% to 33% between 1986 and 2023. In addition to the personal and professional satisfaction... The post A gender milestone: First women presidents in U.S. higher education ins ..read more

The War on Drugs in the Philippines, a signature policy of then President Rodrigo Duterte, killed thousands of people, predominantly alleged drug users and street peddlers from poor communities. Paradoxically, it enjoyed huge support among Filipinos including the poor as reflected in various opinion surveys and in the electoral dominance of Duterte and his allies. Naturally drawn to this complex and intriguing anti-drug campaign and socio-political phenomenon, scholars asked questions like: how to “make sense” of the popularity of the... The post How have scholars confronted the War on Drugs i ..read more

There is no consensus about the meaning of workplace innovation (WPI) (Oeij, 2024; Oeij & Dhondt, 2024). None is there agreement on whether WPI should be seen as a cause or an effect or a mediating variable. This leaves a void in understanding WPI both scientifically and practically. We regard workplace innovation as a practice to improve how an organisation performs while maintaining or creating a good quality of work for its employees. WPI has, therefore, a causal or mediating... The post Workplace innovation: a human-centric point of view appeared first on Sociology Lens Insights ..read more

Unsurprisingly, workplace innovation (WPI) has many different interpretations since the field of research has been expanding substantially in the past 20 years. Reviewing what the field has to offer is warmly welcomed. But what makes a ‘good’ review? From the perspective of the applicability of workplace innovation, its practicality is essential. A number of systematic literature reviews of WPI have been carried out that do not meet the criteria of practicality. Are these really useful? My answer is negative, and... The post <a><strong>When is a review of workplace innovation usefu ..read more

In Italy, as in most other advanced economies, large families are much less common than in the past. But does this mean that their needs should not be specifically considered by social policy? This question is at the heart of an article we recently published on the International Journal of Social Welfare titled “The large family penalty in Italy: Poverty and eligibility to minimum incomes”. This blog article has the aim of delivering its main results to the broader public.... The post The larger, the poorer, the more penalized families: an Italian perspective appeared first on Sociology Lens I ..read more

In recent decades, we have too often passed the buck of social problems to children who lack the power to say no to stigmatizing psychiatric labels. Laura Batstra and Ernst Thoutenhoofd call for reflection on these non-evidence-based, ineffective and sometimes even harmful practices. The instability of labels Recently, a well-designed cohort study reported that nearly 40% of 213 toddlers classified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) no longer met the criteria for ASD at the age of 5-7 years. ‘Recovery’... The post Discussing the ‘obsession’ with childhood disorder labelling appeared first ..read more

It’s not easy to question things that have been life changing for some people. As more and more people seek or receive psychiatric diagnosis, it becomes a very personal thing to question its validity. When I wrote an opinion piece in 2023 suggesting moral implications associated with increasing psychiatric diagnosis of children, I felt nervous. Nervous of invalidating the experiences of others but also nervous of the implications of questioning medical hegemony without undermining the hard fought for systems of... The post <strong>You are what you swallow? Considering the moral implicati ..read more

In many parts of the world, women play a crucial role in agriculture and food production. Their contributions to farming, fishing, and livestock keeping are significant for food security and nutrition, especially in rural communities. However, women often face challenges that limit their ability to make decisions about what food is grown, prepared, and consumed in their households. Understanding the link between women’s overall empowerment and their specific agency in nutrition can provide valuable insights into improving food security and... The post Empowerment in Action: How Women’s Choices ..read more

“Terroriste: This word resonated in my 5th grade ears during lunch. A girl who I had barely talked to began calling me this. It wasn’t just the 5 boys in my class would come up to me shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ as if it were a joke.” — Notebook entry of youth participant in LOVE program LOVE Quebec is a non-profit organization that offers programming to youth, through a social development approach with artistic means such as writing, photography, and drawing.... The post <strong>Can we play to address violence? Feeling vulnerable while free (at school) with LOVE</strong> appeared first ..read more

When domestic violence takes place in families with children, it is not just the abused mum or dad who is a victim. The children are also victims and the consequences for them can be severe. In 2017, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that worldwide, one in four children under age 5 (176 million) live with a mother who is a victim of domestic violence. Because of this widespread occurrence and the profound impact it has on both its survivors... The post Growing up in the shadow of domestic violence: impacts upon children & cost to society appeared first on Sociology Lens Insights ..read more