Conceptualizing Transformative Agency in Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Social Justice

The concept of “agency” lies at the core of many liberatory forms of education that draw from Paulo Freire’s theories of education raising learners’ critical consciousness and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and networks to act for positive social change (Freire, 1970). The term agency is utilized widely across disciplines to refer to a variety of behaviors and actions. This article explores the concept of transformative agency, which lies at the center of educational projects, namely: peace education, human rights education, critical ethnic studies, and social justice education. These educational interventions have often been fought for and won through walkouts, massive student mobilizations (Solorzano & Delgado Bernal, 2001), and/or social movements exerting pressure on educational policymakers in distinct contexts (Bajaj, 2012). This article situates transformative agency within its larger theoretical and conceptual dimensions in order to offer scholars and practitioners important insights for their engaged work. The sections that follow offer an overview of discussions of agency in relevant scholarship and then posit a conceptual model for transformative agency in the fields of peace, human rights, and social justice education

Breaking Apart the Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner Stereotypes: Asian Americans and Cultural Capital

Despite recent challenges to the literature and dominant narratives that shape the United States’ notions of cultural capital, educational research continues to ignore the cultural capital of Asian Americans. This paper will use Yosso’s (2005) framework of cultural capital among communities of color and the concept of community cultural wealth to illuminate the ways Asian American students complicate and challenge current dominant narratives in the field of higher education. In addition, the longstanding stereotypes of the “model minority” and “perpetual foreigner” are addressed, including how these have also contributed to a severely limited view of Asian American cultural capital

The Experiences of Second-Generation South Asian Female Students who are Attending Universities in Canada

This study examines the experiences of second-generation South Asian women attending university. It also focuses on the ways in which race, gender, and class intersect in the participants’ lives. The research questions being investigated are as follows: (1) How does cultural identity inform young South Asian women’s experiences at home and at school? (2) What types of social boundaries do second-generation South Asian immigrant women negotiate, and how do they change based on their surroundings? (3) Does their socioeconomic status have an impact on these negotiations? The methods adopted were case study qualitative research. The findings discussed some of the ways in which the participants negotiated their cultural identities. Additionally, they also pointed to social class as a significant factor in determining the cultural and academic expectations for many of the participants in this study

Social Work as a Profession

Social work is a discipline within human services. Its main goal is to assist individuals and families with their needs and solve their problems using a multidiscipline approach. In order to be effective, social workers work closely with many agencies and professionals. Social work is usually a part of the Human Services Department of a government. It serves as a link between the government’s clients and other government resources, such as: manpower training leading to employment, welfare payments towards financial assistance, legal consultation in dealing with legal problems, food and water relief at times of drought, famine and war, etc. As a social worker, you will also work closely with medical professionals in order to provide medical care for clients; with school personnel to identify children who are in need of help and with counselors and psychologists in order to provide psychological counseling. Today the problems faced by individuals and families are often complicated, and assistance from many agencies is needed.Professional social workers assist individuals, groups, or communities to restore or enhance their capacity for social functioning, while creating societal conditions favorable to their goals. The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior, of social, economic and cultural institutions, and of the interaction of all these factors. Keywords: Social Work, Human Service Department, Human Development, Professio

Exploring the lives of youth in the BPO sector: Findings from a study in Gurgaon

This report seeks to fill gaps in information on the lives of unmarried youth in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in India. Specifically, it documents young people’s self-efficacy and their connections with their family and peers, as well as their sexual experiences and substance use practices. The findings presented in this report reiterate the fact that BPO employment not only provides young adults with a profitable and challenging work environment, but also has other positive outcomes: many young BPO employees associated their increased independence and self-efficacy to their employment in this sector, many reported close peer networks, and many reported a savings orientation. However, several areas of concern calling for a variety of interventions for youth in this sector were also observed: high levels of stress; a lack of sexual and reproductive health awareness; a need for contraceptive supplies and referrals for counseling and infection; and awareness-building efforts that address the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse