Change in Rhetoric but not in Action? Framing of the Ethical Issue of Modern Slavery in a UK Sector at High Risk of Labor Exploitation

This article shows how the ethical framing of the contemporary issue of modern slavery has evolved in UK construction, a sector in which there is a high risk of labor exploitation. It also examines how these framing dynamics have inhibited the emergence of a common framework of action to deal with the issue. We draw on both framing theory and the literature on the discursive construction of moral legitimacy. Our longitudinal analysis reveals that actors seeking to shape the debate bring their own moral schemes to justify and construct the legitimacy of their frames. Actors cluster their views around five evolving frames: human rights issue (later shifting to hidden crime), moral issue, management issue (later shifting to human moral obligation), social justice issue, and decent work issue—which promote particular normative evaluations of what the issue is, who is responsible, and recommendations for action. Our study contributes to a dynamic and political understanding of the meaning making of modern slavery. We identify the antecedents and conditions that have forestalled the emergence of new patterns of action to tackle modern slavery in the UK construction sector thereby evidencing the effects of the interplay of morally competing frames on field-level change.

Raising children in an technologically advanced world

“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith”. Evangelist Billy Graham.Dining together each night my father- in -law converses with us on how he was born and brought up by his parents long back. having his mother alive all hail and hearty, an old lady of 100 makes him recall his childhood each time he sees her. he flips back on how his father gave him valuable advices on lessons of life, and continues to walks on the principals that his father has imbibed on him as a young boy and he carries a strong impression of his fathers teachings, he expects that the coming generation should live a life as they then lived. childhood in itself is a sweet memory for each one of us, we all have our own bunch of memories to share. childhood is even the most correct time to mould a raw person into a fine personality. living in the 21st century world, things have seemed to be changing a lot. parenting, raising children has become a far more different aspect. since parenting is also an ethical and moral issue, perspective may vary according to the culture and civilization for different people belonging to different set ups. as health personals we too come across many cases that arise merely due to maladjustments or psychological impairments that many a times lead to serious psychiatric problems. the third important thing is that parenting as a complete process and according to the changing time parenting is not the same as it used to be in the past. in the previous years we have been undergoing tremendous technological advancement which in terms is a boon for us. our lifestyles have heavily changed, we no more live in an joined family, we all are working parents and our outlook for a settled life has changed the world around us. we all live in the a world that is modernly civilized. leaving our civilization far behind. raising kids in this advanced world is a challenge indeed. since technology has brought curses as well as boons to our lives. we need to balance them both. things may be difficult but not impossible.

Testing Extended Parallel Processing Model in the Korean COVID-19 Context: Effect of Moral Intuitions as Moderators

Despite the possible social implications of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), previous studies of the extended parallel processing model (EPPM) in the context of COVID-19 overlooked the emotional aspects when processing fear-inducing COVID-19-related messages. Drawing upon the moral foundation theory (MFT), this study aimed to (a) apply EPPM in the Korean COVID-19 context, (b) introduce MFT and explain why moral intuitions can be related to the processing of COVID-19 messages, and (c) examine the moderating role of moral intuitions in the EPPM model. Based on the theoretical backgrounds, this study tested EPPM hypotheses and also tested whether moral intuition can moderate the relationship between perceived self-efficacy, perceived threat, fear of COVID-19, and health compliance behavioral intention. This study conducted an online survey using measurements of perceived self-efficacy, perceived threat, MFQ-20, fear of COVID, and health compliance. Our study showed three main findings. First, our study found the main effects of (a) self-efficacy on health compliance behavioral intention and (b) perceived threat on health compliance behavioral intention. Second, our study found that morality moderated the main effects of self-efficacy or perceived threat and also moderated EPPM interaction on fear of COVID. Third, the moderation of morality in the relationship between self-efficacy and health compliance behavioral intention showed that health compliance intention decreased as morality increased. Our findings suggest that people can consider COVID-19 as a social and moral issue that involves protecting others.

2019冠狀病毒病疫情下的疫苗猶疑與強制疫苗接種：初步的道德評估

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. 疫苗猶豫，亦即延遲甚至拒絕接受疫苗接種，不只是人們對科學有多少了解的問題，亦混雜着不同信念和對權威的不信任。另一方面，有支持強制接種疫苗人士認為，因為疫苗是相對安全的方法令得社會達至群體免疫；權衡輕重之下，強制接種是道德上可以容許的做法。社會能否要求民眾強制接種新冠疫苗，抑或是疫苗猶豫有其合理性，應予尊重，是一個值得我們探討的道德課題。 本文會用以下的方式探究此項課題。歷來有不少學者提出各類支持強制接種麻疹疫苗的理由。另一方面，我們亦必須考慮各類支持疫苗猶疑的理由。正反的道德論證，皆涉及不能約化，但是在不同情境需要比較和排序的價值。我們會論證應以阿馬蒂亞•森(Amartya Sen)提出的後果評價作為道德推論和基礎去評估這些多元價值。在後果評價的基礎上，才可以比較接種新冠疫苗與麻疹疫苗在道德上的異同，並由此建立一套框架去評估強制疫苗接種的道德議題。 Vaccine hesitancy, a delay in acceptance or even refusal of vaccination, is a problem not only linked to public knowledge of science but also caused by complex beliefs and a lack of confidence in authority. People who support coercive vaccination argue that vaccination is a comparatively safe path for people in a community to reach herd immunity. Weighing the benefits and costs, coercive vaccination is morally permissible. However, whether we should enact it for Covid-19 vaccines or respect people who have vaccine hesitancy is a moral issue worthy of detailed investigation. Similar debates have also been around coercive use of the measles vaccine, which will serve as a point of comparison in this evaluation. There are different kinds of arguments for and against policies of coercive vaccination, but whether positive or negative, they involve values that are incommensurable but should be compared and ranked accordingly in different situations. We argue that consequential evaluation, as suggested by Amartya Sen, forms the moral reasoning and foundation to evaluate these plural values. Using consequential evaluation, we can compare the moral similarities and differences between Covid-19 vaccines and measles vaccines and develop a framework to evaluate the moral issue of coercive vaccination.

Global Income Inequality, Trickle-Down Economics, and Charity in Islamic Economics

Islam promotes charity both at an individual as well as at the community/society level. Charity has been almost a moral issue rather than an economic one though it affects the society in terms of economics. Mainstream economics has ignored the application of charity model and how it can result in reducing economic disparities. Unfortunately, charity has been ignored by researchers in the context of it being an economic entity. In 2015, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) pinpointed the persisting issue of global income inequality and gave thumbs down to the populist approach of “trickle-down economics.” This study aims to theoretically examine how the concept of charity addresses the issue of global income inequality and denies trickle-down economics. The evidence suggest that countries can minimize income inequality by mobilizing the concept of charity. The concept of charity can result in a huge amount of transfers from the upper 10% to the lower 10% of the income bracket.

Inconsistent Definitions of Bullying: A Need to Examine People’s Judgments and Reasoning about Bullying and Cyberbullying

Despite decades of research efforts, researchers have yet to reach a consensus on the definition of bullying. There are ambiguities around the conceptualization of bullying relating to the intent, harm, repetitions of an act, and power disparity in episodes of bullying. Practically, the lack of differentiation between bullying and playful teasing as well as between bullying and other types of aggression has made it difficult to accurately measure bullying and derive the prevalence rate. There has been scant attention to how people evaluate an intent, harm, repetitions of an act, and power disparity between bullies and targets. If bullying is a moral issue, it involves people’s moral judgments and cannot be understood solely by empirical descriptions of the behavior. In this paper, I considered how social domain theory can be applied to help understand people’s judgments about bullying behaviors, which, in turn, is helpful in improving our conceptualization of bullying.

Knowledge, Fear, and Conscience: Reasons to Stop Flying Because of Climate Change

Much research on the societal consequences of climate change has focused on inaction, seeking to explain why societies and individuals do not change according to experts’ recommendations. In this qualitative study, we instead consider people who have changed their behaviour for the sake of the climate: They have stopped travelling by air. We first asked them to elaborate their rationales for the behaviour change. Then, using topos theory to find thought structures, we analysed their 673 open-text answers. Several themes emerged, which together can be regarded as a process of change. Increased knowledge, primarily narrated as a process by which latent knowledge was transformed into insight, through experience or emotional distress, was important. Contrary to certain claims in the literature, fear stimulated change of behaviour for many in this group. Climate change was framed as a moral issue, requiring acts of conscience. Children were invoked as educators and moral guides. Role models and a supportive social context played an important part. Alternatives to flying were brought forward as a motive to refrain from flying. Only a few mentioned shame as momentous. Instead, stopping travelling by air invoked a feeling of agency and responsibility, and could also result in a positive sensation.

Preaching when life depends on it: climate crisis and Gospel hope

Many preachers avoid delivering sermons about the climate crisis. Bullitt-Jonas reflects on the power of sermons to awaken moral courage, arguing that strong sermons on climate change create the conditions for spiritual awakening and prophetic action. She considers six ideas for preachers, starting with how to frame the climate emergency in terms of Christian theology. She reflects on how to approach the lectionary; how to be adequately informed about climate science; how to connect climate change with other issues, such as coronavirus and racial and economic justice; why and how to infuse sermons with the empowering love of God; and individual and collective actions to encourage. Preachers play an essential role in helping Christians understand the climate crisis as a religious and moral issue and in creating a social “tipping point” that propels rapid change. The article includes resources for “best practices” in climate preaching and communication.

LAW, RELIGION, AND SAME-SEX RELATIONS IN AFRICA

Some years back, around 2013, I was asked to write an article on the uses of the Bible in African law. Researching references to the Bible and biblical law across the African continent, I soon learned that, besides support for arguments by a few states in favor of declaring themselves “Christian nations,” the main use was in emerging debates over homosexuality and same-sex relationships—almost exclusively to condemn those relationships. In January 2013, the newly formed African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS) held its first international conference at the University of Ghana Legon. There, African sexuality debates emerged forcefully in consideration of a paper by Sylvia Tamale, then dean of the Makarere University School of Law in Uganda, who argued pointedly, “[P]olitical Christianity and Islam, especially, have constructed a discourse that suggests that sexuality is the key moral issue on the continent today, diverting attention from the real critical moral issues for the majority of Africans . . . . Employing religion, culture and the law to flag sexuality as the biggest moral issue of our times and dislocating the real issue is a political act and must be recognised as such.”

Student perceptions of plagiarism: A study of Vietnam- and New Zealand-educated postgraduate students

<b>This study investigated perceptions of plagiarism among Vietnam- and New Zealand-educated postgraduate students in a New Zealand university. Informed by Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, Bandura’s social cognitive theory of moral thought and action, and Marginson’s theory of student self-formation, various aspects of student backgrounds were explored and analysed to identify and explain factors influencing their perceptions.</b><div><b><br></b><p>An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design, qualitative dominant, was employed. The quantitative phase consisted of an online survey with 207 Vietnam- and New Zealand-educated postgraduate students at Victoria University of Wellington. Survey results informed the instrument development and purposeful sampling for the qualitative phase. 12 survey respondents with divergent understandings of plagiarism were selected for participation in a longitudinal series of interviews to seek in-depth information about their understanding and attitudes towards plagiarism, and how their perceptions of plagiarism had developed. </p><p><br></p> The findings revealed that postgraduate students held a range of different views regarding plagiarism at university. Some of them thought students were responsible for their plagiarism, viewing intentional plagiarism as a moral issue, and unintentional plagiarism as part of the learning process. The others were concerned about university’s responsibilities in terms of plagiarism education and management, considering plagiarism as a form of academic cheating, and a scholarly offence. The study found multiple influences on students’ perspectives, habits, and expectations regarding plagiarism, affirming the relevance of the underpinning theories. Students from diverse backgrounds possessed distinct sources of embodied cultural capital, including understanding of plagiarism. They developed moral standards through various environments that they interacted within. As they progressed through their doctoral studies, most students showed deepening understanding of plagiarism and the importance of correct practices. They actively developed their own voice in writing and strived to write with integrity. <p><br></p><p>The research advances knowledge about Vietnam- and New Zealand-educated postgraduate students’ perceptions of plagiarism, populations that have not been previously studied. It offers an alternative perspective to deficit models regarding plagiarism by international students by contributing rich qualitative evidence showing multiple influences on student perceptions. Findings point to practical implications to help university faculty engage with students’ needs and expectations in ways that respect their diverse social and educational backgrounds and generate meaningful and productive outcomes across student groups, thus enhancing equity. </p></div>