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#StrongerTogether, Can Symbols of Nationalism be Transformed? A Case Study of the Springboks: South Africa’s National Rugby Team
No full textThis study examines whether symbols, particularly those associated with nationalism, can undergo transformation in meaning and be co-opted to represent ideas or values contrary to their original intent. To explore this question, the study employs the case of the Springbok emblem, a symbol historically linked to the South African national rugby team. Originally, the Springbok was closely associated with the apartheid regime, embodying Afrikaner nationalism, exceptionalism, and, by extension, White supremacy. However, in the post-apartheid era, there have been growing efforts to reimagine the Springbok symbol by promoting greater inclusivity within the national rugby team. These efforts aim to transform the emblem into a symbol of unity, reflecting the rainbow nation ideal championed by South African leaders in the wake of apartheid\u27s demise.
This investigation is conducted through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Specifically, I analyze the racial composition of Springbok teams and South African professional rugby teams more broadly, examining changes over time. This analysis seeks to assess how shifts in racial representation align with the broader goals of transforming the sport to better reflect South Africa\u27s diverse population. In addition, I conduct interviews with a range of stakeholders involved in or impacted by the transformation process. These include sports administrators, journalists, coaches, and prominent sports figures who possess in-depth knowledge of the internal dynamics of transformation efforts. Through these interviews, I aim to explore the perceived impacts, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths of the transformation initiatives, highlighting areas of success as well as those requiring further attention.
This study, in a broader sense, investigates the intricate relationship between human society and the human psyche, emphasizing how societal structures and dynamics are fundamentally shaped by human cognition and agency. It focuses particularly on constructs such as identity and power, which are created, maintained, and adapted by human beings. By examining these constructs, the study seeks to illuminate the pivotal role of human agency in shaping the conditions of our existence, the organization of society, and our collective understanding of the world. Central to this exploration is the question of how individuals and communities can navigate and potentially transcend the limitations imposed by self-constructed frameworks. These frameworks, whether consciously or unconsciously established, can sometimes act as restrictive structures, perpetuating cycles of constraint and dependency. The study ultimately aims to advocate for a heightened awareness of our capacity to redefine, resist, or reimagine these limitations, thereby empowering individuals to exercise greater agency over their lives and environments
To be soft again: A phenomenological study of uncertainty and resilience in childbearing during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textBackground:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty was exacerbated in experiences of pregnancy and childbirth as people navigated through uncharted territory. Building resilience may be one effective way to cope. However, for those who carry a heavier burden in upholding others, a societal expectation of “toughness” and the ability to endure may lead to an appearance of resilience, while on the inside, well-being may be compromised. Objectives:
This study is part of a larger phenomenological study that explored the broad research question: What is the lived experience of childbearing during the COVID-19 pandemic? Specific themes of uncertainty and resilience are reported with the aim to provide a deeper exploration of the role they play in childbearing persons’ lives. Design:
This study utilized an interpretive phenomenological design, which allowed for an in-depth exploration of participants’ experiences and the implicit meanings of those experiences. Methods:
Participants who were either currently or recently pregnant and had given birth since the pandemic began were recruited from a larger U.S. national survey. Twenty-two U.S. ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse women were interviewed via Zoom in English or Spanish. Results:
The text revealed rich narratives of uncertainty during the unfolding of the pandemic vis-à-vis direct experiences of contracting COVID-19, concerns regarding vaccination, and the effects of public health restrictions impacting pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. Participants also shared how courage and humility contributed to their overall resilience, and how resilience may be masked in others. Conclusion:
When considering the complexity of women’s lives in contemporary society along with the demands of motherhood to facilitate a deeply felt resilience resulting in well-being, interventions must be multi-pronged to lessen the pressures to be a superwoman and/or supermom and change the norm on a societal level for childbearing persons to have the option to be soft again
Decolonizing Education in the Post-Independent Madagascar by Utilizing Malagasy as the Primary Language of Instruction in Schools
No full textWhen the French colonial power structured the education system in Madagascar during colonization (1896-1960), they oriented it toward French needs and interests (Rosnes & Rakotoanosy, 2016). One of the relics of the French colonial influence that significantly affected Madagascar since its independence in 1960 is the choice of language of instruction in its domain of education. Even though Madagascar has its sole spoken and written language, “Malagasy,” that people use every day, it has decided to borrow French and utilize it as the language of instruction and administration for its people (Dahl, 2011; Rosie, 2012; McCaughey, 2020; Pirbay & Rosenboom, 2020). Unfortunately, since its independence, Madagascar has not yet taken benefit of its unique linguistic richness to educate its children. Therefore, 65 years after independence, it is necessary for Madagascar to be freed from “political and cultural imperialism” (Sawant, 2012, p. 121), including its sphere of education. Madagascar\u27s education system needs to be changed and updated and has to respond to the context of the nation. To bring my contribution to this battle, this qualitative case study research attempts to enhance decolonizing education system in Madagascar by exploring the use of Malagasy as the primary language of instruction in schools. Utilizing postcolonial theory, the purpose of this study examines how the use of Malagasy as the primary language of instruction in schools might serve as a decolonizing force in education against French colonial legacies. It is also to understand how policymakers, school leaders, teachers, educators, parents, and students view the education system and the language of instruction in Madagascar. Furthermore, it explores whether the implementation of the Jesuit pedagogy model in Madagascar promotes decolonizing education for the country
Improving Effective Assistant Nurse Manager Communication in Obstetrics
No full textAbstract
Problem: This quality improvement project addresses inconsistent leadership communication among Assistant Nurse Managers (ANMs) in the Obstetrics (OB) department of a hospital in Northern California. ANM and staff concerns around shift handoff, huddles, and leadership responsiveness have created confusion and hindered team coordination. The project aims to improve communication effectiveness scores among OB ANMs from 50% to 75% by July 11, 2025.
Context: The project was conducted in the Maternal-Child-Health (MCH) unit of a hospital in Northern California, specifically targeting communication practices among OB ANMs. Concerns around communication practices were voiced by both ANM leadership and frontline staff, signaling a need for structured interventions.
Interventions: Two main tools were implemented to improve communication: a collaborative standardized end-of-shift handoff template and an updatable employee tracking system. These interventions were designed to ensure that consistent massaging, improved shift transitions, and enhance transparency in staff coordination and support.
Measures: A pre-intervention gap analysis and anonymous baseline staff survey revealed dissatisfaction with current communication methods. The intervention included implementing structured tools: a standardized end-of-shift handoff template and a collaborative staff tracking system. Communication effectiveness was measured using a follow-up anonymous survey over a six-week period.
Results: The post-survey results showed an increase in effective communication from 50% to 78%, indicating that the newly implemented tools had a positive impact on information sharing and team coordination.
Conclusions: The use of structured communication tools improved leadership communication effectiveness, enhanced ANM teamwork, and strengthened trust between leadership and staff. These interventions supported more consistent information sharing, improved shift coordination, and fostered a culture of collaboration, contributing to safer and higher-quality care in the OB setting.
Keywords: Assistant Nurse Managers, communication, obstetrics, quality improvement, Lewin’s Change Theory, Kaiser Permanente PPM, handoff tools, nursing leadership
The Art of Building Belonging Through Student Voice and Choice: Liberating Learning and Creating Community in Catholic Schools
No full textThis is a study of students’ voices, choices, and experiences. Its purpose is to examine the barriers and opportunities for building belonging in Catholic schools. The research is a contribution to the positive work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging currently taking place in various Catholic school contexts. It is also a response to specific issues that continue to permeate students’ curricular experience, such as the silencing of voice, the lack of choice, untapped educational agency, and the exclusion of their authentic identities. The study is designed to learn directly from students’ own lived experiences, their testimonies, and their artwork. Students were engaged through an arts-based research model that gathered their insights and perceptions about belonging in spaces both inside and outside of school; they created and contributed visual art pieces and written reflections as the study’s data. The entirety of the research process was integrated in a Building Belonging unit within a sophomore level theology and visual arts course, The History of Christian Art, at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco. The research relied on a personalized and experiential educational research (PEER) method that employed principles of critical pedagogy, critical race theory, culturally relevant pedagogy, and reality pedagogy. The findings illuminated new curricular and communal possibilities that can further activate the Catholic faith and the missions of Catholic schools. The study’s aim is to widen the ways of belonging in our Catholic schools, so that educators and students can together live the Gospel of our time
Queer Youth Futures Now! Education and Research as a Transformative Praxis for Queer Youth Globally
Full text linkDespite growing movements, queer youth find themselves in the spotlight of intense backlash. While anti-queer activism becomes increasingly visible, queer youth activists engage in worldmaking practices through their educational activism. This narrative literature review examines how scholarly literature discusses education and research as a transformative praxis to further queer youths’ envisioned ways of being and their activism in the future. Employing the concept of queer futurity, this article highlights how queer youth move through time and space, co-create knowledge through participatory research, and engage in activism within and beyond school settings. It also underscores the need for critically reflexive, relational research methodologies that center queer youths’ lived experiences. This article concludes with an invitation to reconceptualize pedagogical, methodological, and theoretical approaches that might foster movements and facilitate what is possible
Rethinking Human Rights: Critical Insights from Palestinian Youth
Full text linkThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948, articulating a bold vision of a future in which every human being has the essential rights of dignity, freedom, and justice. But so much of that promise may now be at risk, especially with regard to how the UDHR addresses systemic inequities rooted in colonial legacies. This contradiction is especially evident in the lived experiences of marginalized communities in the Global South—where structural inequalities are entrenched in the everyday fabric of life. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), for example, principles of human rights appear light years from the current lived experience of Palestinians who are subjected to military occupation, Israeli incursions, and suffocating checkpoints that lead to a systematic infringing of the UDHR’s principles
