Voting Abroad: Cultural Diversity and Democratic Institutions in a Global Era

The past decade has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of countries that have made provisions to allow for voting in national, regional and local elections by individuals residing outside the national territory. The adoption of these policies—in place in 110 countries at the time of writing—can be seen as a response to an increase in international migration since the end of the Second World War, a period that has witnessed that movement of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Recent estimates indicate that there are between 150-200 million people currently residing outside of their countries of origin.1 Granting migrants the right to vote has been an important step in ensuring that every individual is given a voice in government, even if that voice is not necessarily in the government of the country where that individual currently resides. In this way, these voting rights should be seen as the adaptation of institutions of democratic governance to realities of globalization. However, it must be acknowledged that migration is not a new phenomenon. Therefore, it cannot be seen as the sole justification for the emergence of mechanisms allowing for non-resident citizens to vote. This is often referred to as “external voting.” The development of communication technologies, such as satellite television and the Internet, have changed the relationship between migrants and their country of origin, allowing for a much larger flow of information about everyday life and political events to reach a larger number of emigrants than in previous periods of high global migration. At the same time, these technologies have often made the experience of migration more visible at “home.” Secondly, and perhaps most significantly, these rights cannot be separated from the global diffusion of policies advocating multiculturalism and promoting cultural diversity.2 In light of such a context, it should come as little surprise that the question of external voting rights is and will continue to be particularly salient in countries like Canada, a country where nearly 20 percent of the population was born outside the country and a significant portion of that population is entitled to vote in elections of other countries as well as, in the case of dual citizens, Canadian elections. My purpose here is to provide a brief outline of the development of external voting rights, some of the different contexts in which these rights are exercised, and some of the questions they raise for governments and citizens alike. The extension of voting rights to non-resident populations raises a number of questions about relationship between migration, territorial sovereignty and the institutions of representative democracy. While there is a long history of external voting rights being granted, it is only recently that the issue has come to garner significant attention on the part of national governments, international organizations and other actors in international affairs. At present there are no clear and explicit norms and regulation for the exercise of external voting rights internationally, an absence that is echoed in the Canadian context. By way of conclusion, I suggest that this is an oversight that should be remedied at the national level and an international dialogue to which Canada could productively contribute

Finance and Pornography at the SEC: A Media Studies Approach

This short piece examines investigations into the use of workplace computers to access pornographic material at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the United States. Rather than focus on the individual or institutional morality of these activities, it examines what thinking about the role played by media in these violations of SEC policy tell us about the changing nature of institutional power and labour in the contemporary moment. Looking at practices of media use and the legal frameworks that structured the porn scandal at the SEC, it concludes by suggesting that media-oriented approach to the economy raises many possibilities for critique and engagement

The Effects of Data-Driven Instructional Leadership on Student Achievement

Instructional leadership is key in reaching educational goals for students. Data-driven instructional leadership leveraged to improve teachers’ instructional practices provides opportunities for teachers to reflect, collaborate, and improve instructional practice. Data-driven leadership has been studied, but achievement results have not been a common topic. It is of value to understand the aspects of school leadership with causal nexus to student outcomes and what actions by leaders are associated with positive student outcomes. This study examined the achievement scores of four groups of schools (N= 81) in the state of New Mexico. The treatment groups leveraged data-driven practices, while the control groups did not use formalized data-driven practices. A causal-comparative design with a t-test analysis was conducted on the differences of achievement scores based on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career assessment. Results of independent samples t-tests did not reveal a statistically significant difference between data-driven groups and nondata-driven groups on neither reading nor math achievement outcomes. However, the mean averages of data-driven groups were higher than the nondata-driven groups on both academic measures

A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Literature on Personal Recovery and Voice Hearing.

Personal recovery literature has been influential in the conceptualisation of emotional distress and service provision. While personal recovery in psychosis has been well-studied, voice hearing literature has not been reviewed to elucidate recovery processes. Five databases were systematically searched to identify relevant qualitative recovery literature. 12 eligible studies were included in this review and an appraisal tool was applied to assess quality. Thematic synthesis was used to examine results. Three superordinate themes were found relating to 'Recovery Phases', 'Recovery Facilitators' and 'Barriers to Recovery'. Papers included descriptions of finding voices distressing initially yet moving toward integrating and accepting voices. Searching for meaning versus seeking distance from voices were pivotal processes to recovery pathways. Enabling and disrupting recovery experiences are discussed within a proposed model. Recovery in voice hearing is an individual and potentially ongoing process. Future research should seek to examine recovery factors in voice hearing longitudinally and add further evidence to the supportive role services can play in recovery and voice hearing. [Abstract copyright: This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.