Alana Griffith and Mahalia Jackman
A consensus in the literature is that anti-gay prejudice has a negative impact on HIV programming for men who have sex with men (MSM). This paper aims to analyse the prevalence…
Abstract
Purpose
A consensus in the literature is that anti-gay prejudice has a negative impact on HIV programming for men who have sex with men (MSM). This paper aims to analyse the prevalence and predictors of anti-gay prejudice in Barbados, an island in the Caribbean, and possible impacts on the full recognition of the right to health care.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used nationally representative data obtained from the Caribbean Development Research Services capturing anti-gay prejudice in Barbados in 2004, 2013 and 2019. The data were analysed using logit models and ordinary least squares regression.
Findings
The share of persons who expressed feelings of hatred towards gays and lesbians did not change significantly over the period. Social distance attitudes improved between 2004 and 2013 but have not changed since. Men generally expressed more prejudice than women and male sexual prejudice could be localised to three groups – men without tertiary education, men under 51 and members of non-Christian religions. Meanwhile, there was little consistency in the predictors of women’s attitudes over the period.
Originality/value
This study provides insights into the trends in attitudes towards sexual minorities in a developing country. The main conclusion is that although health care is provided as a universal right to all Barbadians, a strictly medical approach to HIV prevention among MSM in countries with high levels of anti-gay prejudice is insufficient.
Alana Griffith, Mahalia Jackman and Peter Wickham
Public support for various policy options for managing cannabis in the Caribbean and the characteristics of those most likely to support specific policy options remains largely…
Abstract
Purpose
Public support for various policy options for managing cannabis in the Caribbean and the characteristics of those most likely to support specific policy options remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of age, sex and employment status on the public attitudes towards the full legalisation of cannabis, partial legalisation (that is for medical or religious purposes) or its continued prohibition.
Design/methodology/approach
Using secondary data collected from nationally representative public opinion polls conducted by Caribbean Research and Development Services from 2016–2018, this paper compares the public attitudes towards cannabis in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica using a multinomial logistic model.
Findings
Support for the continued prohibition, legalisation or partial legalisation of cannabis varied significantly by age, employment status and country of residence. Women, people over 51 years of age and the employed were more likely to support full prohibition. Attitudes towards cannabis policy in the Caribbean are by no means homogenous, neither are the policy shifts occurring across the region, with some of these changes occurring slowly and not necessarily reflective of cultural dynamics.
Originality/value
This study is unique in its cross-country analysis in the Caribbean and providing valuable insight into the levels public support for cannabis legalisation. Its findings can help shape targeted public education in these countries.
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Keywords
Alana Griffith and Winston Moore
This chapter compares the approaches used in two different disciplines – economics and sociology – to highlight innovative teaching strategies (like the flipped classroom) that…
Abstract
This chapter compares the approaches used in two different disciplines – economics and sociology – to highlight innovative teaching strategies (like the flipped classroom) that are employed to engage students, different ways of integrating sustainability into the curriculum and linking taught units to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as how students confront these issues. The case study courses are delivered at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus in Barbados and the two courses are “Caribbean Social Problems” and “Economic Planning.” This chapter demonstrates the necessity of integrating sustainability and the SDGs into course delivery to ensure that the future development of the Caribbean does not compromise future generations.
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Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger and Taisir Subhi Yamin
In this ever changing world, managing our ecosystem and creating a sustainable future seems to be one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. This challenge is further enhanced…
Abstract
In this ever changing world, managing our ecosystem and creating a sustainable future seems to be one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. This challenge is further enhanced by ignorance or apathy of people toward the concept of sustainability. In most cases, students who are our future generation are left without any insight, commitment or even understanding their role and responsibility toward creating any meaningful beliefs and actions related to sustainability. Sustainability education is becoming crucial, mainly for young generation so that they have an understanding of concepts such as economic prosperity, resource equity, energy uses, and environmental health and concerns. While educating them on sustainability begins in institutions of education, it is important that sustainability education is well entrenched in the curriculum and everyday practice of their lives. This chapter introduces the volume series on sustainability where authors from different parts of the world narrate their own experience of imbibing sustainability into their curriculum and teaching sustainability to students.
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Alana Vandebeek, Wim Voordeckers, Jolien Huybrechts and Frank Lambrechts
The purpose of this study is to examine how informational faultlines on a board affect the management of knowledge owned by directors and the consequences on organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how informational faultlines on a board affect the management of knowledge owned by directors and the consequences on organizational performance. In this study, informational faultlines are defined as hypothetical lines that divide a group into relatively homogeneous subgroups based on the alignment of several informational attributes among board members.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses unique hand-collected panel data covering 7,247 board members at 106 publicly traded firms to provide strong support for the hypothesized U-shaped relationship. The authors use a fixed effects approach and a system generalized method of moments approach to test the hypothesis.
Findings
The study finds that the relationship between informational faultlines on a board and organizational performance is U shaped, with the least optimal organizational performance experienced when boards have moderate informational faultlines. More specifically, informational faultlines within boards are negatively related to organizational performance across the weak-to-moderate range of informational faultlines and positively related to organizational performance across the moderate-to-strong range.
Research limitations/implications
By explaining the mechanisms through which informational faultlines are related to organizational performance, the authors contribute to the literature in a number of ways. By conceptualizing how the management of knowledge plays an important role in the particular setting of corporate boards, the authors add not only to literature on knowledge management but also to the faultline and corporate governance literature.
Originality/value
This study offers a rationale for prior mixed findings by providing an alternative theoretical basis to explain the effect of informational faultlines within boards on organizational performance. To advance the field, the authors build on the concept of knowledge demonstrability to illuminate how informational faultlines affect the management of knowledge within boards, which will translate to organizational performance.