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Revisiting ECB's Technocratic Legitimacy: No Longer Fit‐for‐Purpose?
Get PDFThis article revisits the technocratic model of legitimacy that the European Central Bank (ECB) has enjoyed since its early period, by exploring the Monetary Policy Strategy statements that constitute the "comprehensive framework" guiding the Bank's operational decisions. We examine whether the operational framework and the interpretation of the ECB's legal mandate, which are included in these statements, are aligned with this model. We find that the ECB's early monetary policy statements (1998 and 2003) appear to be aligned with this model, due to the presence of strictly defined performance criteria and an interpretation of the ECB's mandate that was limited to pursuing price stability as a single objective. Our analysis of the ECB's 2021 monetary policy strategy highlights its incompatibility with the technocratic model as a result of significant changes that enabled wide policy discretion and a re-interpretation of the ECB's mandate, which revealed a largely vague and broad mandate. We argue that the ECB's model of technocratic legitimacy is untenable in a democratic polity, given the extent and type of choices that the Governing Council is required to make in the current policy setting. Finally, we suggest that only a strengthening of the (hitherto diminished) input dimension of the ECB's legitimacy could address this legitimacy gap
Participatory Interventions: Digital Crowd Mapping Perceptions of Safety in Public Space
Get PDFCurrent estimates indicate the world will not achieve the United Nations SDG #5 of gender equality by 2030, with a more accurate prediction post-2300. Escalating global crises have brought existing gender disparities into sharper focus, exacerbating issues of unequal access and opportunity. These conditions make the prioritisation of gender equality imperative to the sustainable development of cities, regions, and rural communities. This article presents a case study of the YourGround project, which utilises an interactive, geolocative digital crowd-mapping platform as a participatory method to gather insights into perceptions of safety among women and gender-diverse people in public spaces in Australia's two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales. The data and insights from YourGround provide city planners, urban designers, and community members, with a gender-sensitive lens developed by the expertise of people from the community. This method of data collection and feminist co-design democratises the research process, amplifies marginalised voices, and avoids the hazards of technocentrism and top-down approaches. The findings underscore the nuanced and context-specific nature of gender inequality in public spaces, highlighting the pervasive impact of social and environmental factors on safety perceptions and access in both urban contexts and rural areas
Engaged Scholarship and Its Discontents
Get PDFEngaged scholarship plays a crucial role in shaping collective narratives and fostering inclusive societies. This article explores the concept of engaged scholarship, highlighting both its transformative potential and the discontents that accompany it. Informed by existing literature and personal reflections, the discussion is divided into three key sections. The first section provides a concise overview of engaged scholarship and outlines the conditions that enable its practice. The second section delves into the main discontents of engaged scholarship: narrow definitions of academic work, polarised views on knowledge and truth, restrictive professional guidelines, the potential for backlash, and the risk of burnout. These pitfalls create an environment where scholars may hesitate to engage fully, despite the pressing need for their contributions to public discourse. In the third and final section, the article emphasises the moral imperative of using research for social change and advocates for the creation of supportive ecosystems to help scholars navigate the challenges of public engagement
Violence, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Video Games: A Systematic Review
Get PDFThis systematic review analyses the relationships between violence, hate speech, discrimination, and video games. A comprehensive search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases identified 47 relevant studies published between 2018 and 2023. The review examines how video games may provide fertile ground for online violence, hate speech, and discrimination, while also exploring their potential as educational tools. Key findings suggest that exposure to violent video game content can increase aggressive cognitions and behaviours, particularly when combined with competitive gameplay. However, prosocial aspects of gaming may promote positive intergroup attitudes and reduce prejudice. Hate speech and discriminatory behaviours remain prevalent issues in online gaming communities, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups. The article highlights the complex interactions between game content, individual factors, and sociocultural contexts in shaping player experiences and behaviours. While video games pose risks, they also offer opportunities for fostering empathy, cultural understanding, and critical thinking, if they are thoughtfully designed. The findings underscore the need for evidence‐based interventions to mitigate online hate and maximise the educational potential of video games
Quarantined Justice, Compromised Diversity: Barriers to Disability Inclusion in China's Public Sector Employment
Get PDFUnder the advocacy for diversity and inclusion within Chinese society, the judiciary has become a significant institution for the protection of marginalized groups, especially disabled people. Through proactive power expansion, the Supreme People's Court has played a crucial role in scrutinizing employment discrimination in the private sector. However, the judiciary has paid less attention to the fact that government agencies failed to consider the value of workplace diversity and maintained ableist standards that preclude many disabled candidates from public sector positions. Due to the intrinsic political embeddedness within Chinese judicial systems, courts tended to adopt a strategy known as "quarantined enforcement" when confronted with discriminatory recruitment clauses issued by government‐tied entities. Social and political factors collaboratively shaped the intersectional marginalization of the disabled community in China. This article attempts to move beyond traditional legislative‐centric approaches and emphasize the judiciary's role in minimizing the marginalization of disabled people. It argues that eliminating political barriers within the judiciary is crucial for achieving workplace diversity and employment equality
A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
Get PDFCompetence frameworks have emerged to define the knowledge, skills and attitudes that contemporary educators mainly in general education environments should acquire. They have been less developed within VET which is now subject to fast evolving and complex activities as a result of rapid technological changes increasingly embedded in industrial and organisational demands of the working context. Many VET classrooms with dual or flexible contexts, with a range of diverse and vulnerable students, now requires teachers to be trained with new competences and cross-cutting skills. This paper presents the outcomes and data of the design and validation processes of a competence framework combining digital and social skills. It was piloted in 5 countries (UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Spain) to provide a flexible, scalable and needs-based competence framework for VET teachers working with vulnerable learners. After conducting a literature review and a needs assessment of VET teachers and learners, a flexible three-domain framework is presented, with pathways and training methods that accounts for the so-called poly-contextual skills that combine digital and social skills. The flexible framework and 26 competences were tested with 358 VET teachers using three evaluation tools (self-assessment survey, game-quizzes scores and programme satisfaction survey). Conclusions highlight the need to combine digital and social skills with flexible pathways to achieve them, due to the results evidenced higher changes in knowledge and application of domain B which includes digital and social skills for teaching, learning and how to empower learners
Digital Skills' Role in Intended and Unintended Exposure to Harmful Online Content Among European Adolescents
Get PDFDigital skills play a crucial role in shaping young people's online experiences, serving both as a shield against harmful content and as a gateway to accessing it. Previous studies on online harmful content have predominantly focused on general exposure, overlooking the distinction between intended and unintended exposure, i.e., whether the child deliberately sought out the content or was unexpectedly exposed to it. Moreover, existing studies did not consider the role of adolescents' digital skills in this matter. This exploratory study aims to newly examine the role of the subtypes of digital skills in intended and unintended exposure to harmful online content among children from four European countries, as well as the influence of protective and risk factors according to the Problem Behavior Theory. Using multinomial logistic regression, a sample of 3,934 children aged 12 to 17 (M = 14.4, SD = 1.3; 51% boys) from Estonia, Finland, Italy, and Poland was examined. The results show different associations with respect to the type of exposure. For instance, knowledge skills, and technical and operational skills were found to figure as risk factors for unintentional exposure to such content, but not for intentional exposure. Similarly, the protective role of the family was found in intentional exposure but not in unintentional exposure. These findings underscore the importance of raising awareness among educators and parents regarding the dual nature of digital skills. Rather than solely emphasizing their protective potential, we shall acknowledge and address the potential risks associated with certain facets of digital proficiency
Longer‐Term Effects of Voting at Age 16: Higher Turnout Among Young People in Scotland
Get PDFDebates about the lowering of the voting age to 16 often include claims about the possible longer-term outcomes of earlier enfranchisement for the electorate. It has been shown that, when eligible to vote, 16-and 17-year-olds turn out to vote in higher proportions than slightly older peers (Zeglovits & Aichholzer, 2014). However, questions remain regarding the longevity of this early voter boost and whether it carries on as young people grow older (Franklin, 2004, 2020). Using original survey data collected from 863 young people in Scotland, we investigate the outcomes of being eligible to vote in elections from age 16/17 and its effects on political behaviour for young people aged up to 24. We compare levels of political engagement, including voting in the 2021 Scottish parliament elections, among cohorts of young people who were enfranchised at age 16/17 to cohorts who experienced their first election aged 18 or older. We show that young people who were eligible to vote at 16/17 exhibited greater levels of turnout in the 2021 Scottish parliament elections, up to seven years after the initial lowering of the voting age than those who got to vote for the first time at 18 or older. This finding provides new evidence in support of theories on the longer-term effects of voting at age 16/17 on electoral political engagement. However, we find no similar pattern for non-electoral political engagement, showing that the outcomes of the lowering of the voting age may be limited to turnout
Political Participation of Young Immigrants: Do National Identification and Discrimination Moderate the Relationship?
Get PDFWith nearly a third of the German population having a migration background, immigrant political participation is crucial for democracy and immigrants' integration. Adults with a migration background tend to participate less than the majority population. The findings become less conclusive when focusing specifically on young adults. The socialization phase during youth and young adulthood lays the foundation for future political participation and thus holds significant importance. At the same time, established factors that explain political participation, such as socio-economic status, political interest, or political efficacy, may not yet be fully developed in young adults. The present study starts here and focuses on the conventional and unconventional political participation of young adults (ages 18-30) with and without a migration background in Germany. Specifically, we investigate the moderating effects of perceived discrimination and national identification, which play a key role in shaping immigrants' political integration. We use the civic voluntarism model as our baseline and explanatory framework. It provides a foundation for understanding differences in political participation more broadly. For our analyses, we rely on data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU-DE, wave 5; linear regressions). First, we find contrary effects of perceived discrimination on recruitment networks and unconventional participation: Positive for individuals with a migration background and negative for individuals without a migration background. Second, national identification weakens the positive impact of political interest among the majority population and of recruitment networks among immigrants. Lastly, we observe no moderating effects for resources and conventional political participation for either group