Splitting and blaming: The psychic life of neoliberal executive women

The aim of the article is to explore the psychic life of executive women under neoliberalism using psychosocial approaches. The article shows how, despite enduring unfair treatment and access to opportunities, many executive women remain emotionally invested in upholding the neoliberal ideal that if one perseveres, one shall be successful, regardless of gender. Drawing on psychosocial approaches, we explore how the accounts given by some executive women of repudiation, as denying gender inequality, and individualization, as subjects completely agentic, are underpinned by the unconscious, intertwined processes of splitting and blaming. Women sometimes split off undesirable aspects of the workplace, which repudiates gender inequality, or blame other women, which individualizes failure and responsibility for change. We explain that splitting and blaming enable some executive women to manage the anxiety evoked from threats to the neoliberal ideal of the workplace. This article thereby makes a contribution to existing postfeminist scholarship by integrating psychosocial approaches to the study of the psychic life of neoliberal executive women, by exploring why they appear unable to engage directly with and redress instances of gender discrimination in the workplace

The integration of sustainable development concept in Chemistry curriculum : a conceptual framework for the case of Pusat PERMAT Apintar™ Negara

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has attracted the attention of numerous researchers in recent years. The focus ESD is to educate individuals to become responsible citizens in the future. Schools are the primary channels through which the students gain an understanding of sustainable development. Using an extensive literature review, a conceptual framework to integrate sustainable development (SD) concept in Chemistry curriculum of Pusat PERMATApintar™ Negara (PPpN) was proposed to investigate stakeholders' knowledge, behaviour and attitude of SD concept as well as the factors that intervene the integration of SD concept in Chemistry curriculum of PPpN. PPpN was selected as a case study because there has been little research conducted to seek gifted children views on ESD. Besides that, it is the first gifted education centre in Malaysia, which offers Chemistry curriculum for students from age range 13 to 17. Gifted students are individuals with natural, intellectual, creative and socio- affective ability to handle complex problem in an easier way. Learning chemical theories and facts alone not able to raise students' capability with sustainable development issues. Addition of more society-oriented approach by concerning environment, social and economy aspects in conjunction with traditional content across Chemistry curriculum may aid in understanding of SD concepts

Sustainable development concept in the chemistry curriculum : an exploration of foundation students’ perspective

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of foundation chemistry learners concerning the sustainable development concept. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse the chemistry curriculum based on selected themes and sub-themes. A survey was carried out involving 132 chemistry learners. The chemistry learners were students from a foundation programme in a local university located in Selangor, Malaysia. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 involving descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: Document analysis on the chemistry curriculum shows that water is the theme most covered in the chemistry learners’ textbook, as compared to other themes. In general, the chemistry learners have good knowledge and attitude concerning the sustainable development concept. However, their knowledge and attitude do not reflect in their behaviour as an individual, as well as in the classroom. Moreover, their knowledge, attitude and behaviour focus more on environmental dimension, as compared to other sustainable development dimensions. Practical implications: This paper is instrumental in assisting educators to assess how chemistry learners perceive sustainable development, and this may help to bring about changes to improve chemistry teaching and learning processes towards education for sustainable development. Originality/value: This paper is an original and novel research paper which is first conducted on sustainable development concept in chemistry curriculum in Malaysia