The doughnut of justice: A new way to think about growth

The ideas presented embed social justice, specifically distributive justice, within a framework of environmental justice. The video segment by Kate Raworth of Oxfam International is worth viewing. There were many compelling points in her video, however one point that stood out to me was this: It would take 1% of the global food supply to end hunger for the 13% of the world’s population who do not have enough food to eat.

In my doctoral program, the meaning and definition of social justice is a topic of frequent discussion. The perspective presented by Raworth of distributive justice, including adequate food, and resources that have been thoughtfully conserved is congruent with my own ideas about social justice.

What is your definition of social justice? What are your thoughts on Raworth’s ideas?

I continue to be in awe of the momentum within the STEM fields toward disruption of the long-standing paradigm for conducting research as well as publishing research. It may be due to my frame of reference as a doctoral student, but it seems there is not as much momentum or dialogue around open science or open access within social sciences.

What are your thoughts on the topic? What do you think about the level of engagement among social scientists in the conversation about open science and open access?

At this year’s conference I will be posting daily updates over at SRA Blogs on international research and international researchers. Stay tuned!

Currently, all research in the U.S. funded through public dollars is required to be made available to the public – open access with no paywall to read research publications. The Research Works Act would like to introduce a paywall for the public to read all research that was publicly and privately funded. Essentially, the public would end up paying for publicly funded research twice.

To learn more about  this bill, read ProPublica’s story and check out Harvard’s Open Access Project Notes on the Research Works Act (thanks, Peter Suber for the G+ share).

What online classes look interesting to you? What do you think about open classrooms?

At first I considered Microsoft Access, however one of my upcoming projects may require multiple users. Access has many strengths, however it was not intended for multiple users. An additional consideration is that I want my applications to be web-based rather than stored on a single desktop.

I have settled on Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch and so far I am very, very happy with it. The Wrox book Beginning Visual Studio LightSwitch Development has been a great resource, too. And the academic discount that I found through Provantage.com has made the project financially do-able. So far I have not had to actually use any code and the process has been very straightforward.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

I was introduced to The Revolution in college. As I listen to the words today, I am reminded that social change happens only through relationships. It is our trust, presence, mindfulness, and willingness to show up that will end oppression. Media is a vehicle for communication, however revolutionary action comes about through personal connection. May we continue to seek connection with one another, not to shy away from uncomfortable conversations, and to approach one another with compassion. May we all continue to work for lasting social change and liberation.

What is an author’s addendum? It is an agreement form that authors can use to retain rights to scholarship, including posting it online or in a Scholars’ Bank.