Research Library

Parents worldwide aspire to guide their children toward what they see as “success”. However, immigrant families in Canada, especially those from non-Western backgrounds, encounter distinct challenges. These include maintaining family cohesion and supporting their children’s psychological and emotional well-being amidst acculturation differences. This qualitative study utilizes Bourdieu’s critical sociological theory to examine the experiences of five first generation, middle-class Chinese immigrant mothers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Despite past research suggesting that immigrant parents are resistant to changing some of their deeply held beliefs (regardless of how they diverge from predominant norms), the findings of this study point toward participants’ shared desire to abandon their cultural traditions. They rejected the high power, hierarchical parent-child relationships of their own upbringing and instead strove to respect their children as autonomous equals with the ‘right’ to self-expression, aligning with Western philosophical paradigms. However, despite these intentions, their habitus is embodied and enduring, such that their habitual ways of reacting and relating to their children reflect the very traditions they consciously reject. The findings illuminate the challenges non-Western immigrant parents face in implementing their evolving parenting goals in everyday interactions with their children Parents worldwide aspire to guide their children toward what they see as “success”. However, immigrant families in Canada, especially those from non-Western backgrounds, encounter distinct challenges. These include maintaining family cohesion and supporting their children’s psychological and emotional well-being amidst acculturation differences. This qualitative study utilizes Bourdieu’s critical sociological theory to examine the experiences of five first generation, middle-class Chinese immigrant mothers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Despite past research suggesting that immigrant parents are resistant to changing some of their deeply held beliefs (regardless of how they diverge from predominant norms), the findings of this study point toward participants’ shared desire to abandon their cultural traditions. They rejected the high power, hierarchical parent-child relationships of their own upbringing and instead strove to respect their children as autonomous equals with the ‘right’ to self-expression, aligning with Western philosophical paradigms. However, despite these intentions, their habitus is embodied and enduring, such that their habitual ways of reacting and relating to their children reflect the very traditions they consciously reject. The findings illuminate the challenges non-Western immigrant parents face in implementing their evolving parenting goals in everyday interactions with their children
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This evaluation plan provides a basic framework and steps for assessing the new immigrant service programs conducted at ASSIST Community Services Center and AHC (Action for Healthy Community) in Edmonton. It includes important and typical indicators as examples. The plan primarily applies the Impact Evaluation Process theory (Guerra-López & Toker, 2007) and a program logic model to design and plan the evaluation. The goal is to conduct these assessment steps to provide applicable suggestions or updates for these programs. This will help improve new immigrant settlement programs, enabling them to better address existing and upcoming challenges and optimize their outcomes as expected. This evaluation plan provides a basic framework and steps for assessing the new immigrant service programs conducted at ASSIST Community Services Center and AHC (Action for Healthy Community) in Edmonton. It includes important and typical indicators as examples. The plan primarily applies the Impact Evaluation Process theory (Guerra-López & Toker, 2007) and a program logic model to design and plan the evaluation. The goal is to conduct these assessment steps to provide applicable suggestions or updates for these programs. This will help improve new immigrant settlement programs, enabling them to better address existing and upcoming challenges and optimize their outcomes as expected.
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The City of Edmonton is a diverse and constantly evolving city. As more newcomers move to the city, the need for specific language resources changes and organizations must adapt to these changes. Edmonton has many organizations that specifically assist newcomers with integrating into society. These organizations include Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA), Islamic Family and Social Services Association (IFSSA), Action for Healthy Communities, Catholic Social Services and the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), among others. Other organizations provide services to specific cultural groups, such as language and culture schools, which also assist newcomers. This thesis will discuss the research project “Mapping Spaces of Translation and Interpretation in Edmonton,” which mapped and documented organizations that make use of translation and interpretation to provide services for newcomers, immigrants, and refugees, within Edmonton and surrounding areas. The project sought to research the following two questions: 1) How do organizations within the city of Edmonton that provide services to newcomers utilize translation (text-to-text) or interpretation (spoken/verbal) to facilitate their services? 2) What challenges do these organizations face in using translation and interpretation while providing their services? The City of Edmonton is a diverse and constantly evolving city. As more newcomers move to the city, the need for specific language resources changes and organizations must adapt to these changes. Edmonton has many organizations that specifically assist newcomers with integrating into society. These organizations include Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA), Islamic Family and Social Services Association (IFSSA), Action for Healthy Communities, Catholic Social Services and the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), among others. Other organizations provide services to specific cultural groups, such as language and culture schools, which also assist newcomers. This thesis will discuss the research project “Mapping Spaces of Translation and Interpretation in Edmonton,” which mapped and documented organizations that make use of translation and interpretation to provide services for newcomers, immigrants, and refugees, within Edmonton and surrounding areas. The project sought to research the following two questions: 1) How do organizations within the city of Edmonton that provide services to newcomers utilize translation (text-to-text) or interpretation (spoken/verbal) to facilitate their services? 2) What challenges do these organizations face in using translation and interpretation while providing their services?
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The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Maturity Model provides a 5 Level pathway to achieving an anti-racist Calgary. The 5 Levels are: 1) compliance, 2) complacency, 3) awareness, 4) integration, and 5) anti-racist. Since the 2022 assessment, Calgary is currently at Level 2: complacency. The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Strategic Plan 2023-2027 aims to reach Level 5: anti-racist. The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Maturity Model provides a 5 Level pathway to achieving an anti-racist Calgary. The 5 Levels are: 1) compliance, 2) complacency, 3) awareness, 4) integration, and 5) anti-racist. Since the 2022 assessment, Calgary is currently at Level 2: complacency. The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Strategic Plan 2023-2027 aims to reach Level 5: anti-racist.
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The City of Calgary Public Safety Anti-Racism Action Strategy aims to prevent and mitigate systemic racism and racialization in public safety and City programs and services. The strategy highlights the need to examine policies, bylaws, and legislation that regulate behaviors, statements, or decisions that cause or sustain racism and racialization. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in supporting The City’s efforts to become anti-racist. This Action Strategy is instrumental in the development of The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which provides an overview of strategic actions to create equitable and fair protection, treatment, and outcomes for all Calgarians by enhancing public safety, dignity, order, and peace. The City of Calgary Public Safety Anti-Racism Action Strategy aims to prevent and mitigate systemic racism and racialization in public safety and City programs and services. The strategy highlights the need to examine policies, bylaws, and legislation that regulate behaviors, statements, or decisions that cause or sustain racism and racialization. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in supporting The City’s efforts to become anti-racist. This Action Strategy is instrumental in the development of The City of Calgary Anti-Racism Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which provides an overview of strategic actions to create equitable and fair protection, treatment, and outcomes for all Calgarians by enhancing public safety, dignity, order, and peace.
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This strategy outlines the City of Calgary’s commitment to creating a racially-just community. It emphasizes the importance of collective anti-racism work, organizational stamina, anti-racist leadership, and intentional centering of the lived experiences of Indigenous, Black, and diverse Racialized employees. The strategy also highlights the need for a focused approach to address the root causes of systemic racism and oppression. It emphasizes accountability as a public service organization and aims to embed it into the change process. Overall, this strategy serves as a roadmap for the City of Calgary’s efforts towards creating an inclusive and equitable community for all its residents. This strategy outlines the City of Calgary’s commitment to creating a racially-just community. It emphasizes the importance of collective anti-racism work, organizational stamina, anti-racist leadership, and intentional centering of the lived experiences of Indigenous, Black, and diverse Racialized employees. The strategy also highlights the need for a focused approach to address the root causes of systemic racism and oppression. It emphasizes accountability as a public service organization and aims to embed it into the change process. Overall, this strategy serves as a roadmap for the City of Calgary’s efforts towards creating an inclusive and equitable community for all its residents.
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This comprehensive report provides insights into the state of language training in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The report is based on a survey of front-line workers in the newcomer-serving sector and identifies key areas that require further reflection and action to promote improved sector health. The report highlights the challenges faced by front-line staff in delivering language training and provides recommendations for addressing these challenges. The report is an essential resource for policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders interested in improving the quality of language training services for newcomers in the PNT region. This comprehensive report provides insights into the state of language training in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The report is based on a survey of front-line workers in the newcomer-serving sector and identifies key areas that require further reflection and action to promote improved sector health. The report highlights the challenges faced by front-line staff in delivering language training and provides recommendations for addressing these challenges. The report is an essential resource for policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders interested in improving the quality of language training services for newcomers in the PNT region.
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The entire healthcare system, including primary healthcare (PHC) services, has been disrupted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the crisis threatens all citizens significantly, further barriers to accessing care exist for those who are most vulnerable, experience marginalization, and have pre-existing challenges. We aimed to explore immigrants’ lived experiences in accessing and receiving PHC services during the pandemic. A multiphase mixed-methods study using a sequential explanatory design was employed. The first study includes a systematic review that synthesizes the evidence on the experiences that immigrant patients have receiving PHC. Study two provides insights from a recently employed “COVID-19 Experiences and Impacts Survey” data and compares the experiences of Albertans that were born in and outside Canada. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were performed, using STATA. The third study is a qualitative inquiry that aims to gain a deeper understanding of the newcomers’ (living in Canada ≤5 years) and providers’ experiences in PHC during the pandemic. A thematic analysis was applied, using NVivo software. Immigrants reported many challenges in accessing and receiving PHC, and these challenges have been increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this thesis yielded six recommendations that can inform PHC quality improvement initiatives and PHC policy. The entire healthcare system, including primary healthcare (PHC) services, has been disrupted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the crisis threatens all citizens significantly, further barriers to accessing care exist for those who are most vulnerable, experience marginalization, and have pre-existing challenges. We aimed to explore immigrants’ lived experiences in accessing and receiving PHC services during the pandemic. A multiphase mixed-methods study using a sequential explanatory design was employed. The first study includes a systematic review that synthesizes the evidence on the experiences that immigrant patients have receiving PHC. Study two provides insights from a recently employed “COVID-19 Experiences and Impacts Survey” data and compares the experiences of Albertans that were born in and outside Canada. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were performed, using STATA. The third study is a qualitative inquiry that aims to gain a deeper understanding of the newcomers’ (living in Canada ≤5 years) and providers’ experiences in PHC during the pandemic. A thematic analysis was applied, using NVivo software. Immigrants reported many challenges in accessing and receiving PHC, and these challenges have been increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this thesis yielded six recommendations that can inform PHC quality improvement initiatives and PHC policy.
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Children with disabilities are among the most at-risk groups for marginalization due to compounded disadvantages from the intersection of risk factors such as refugee status and disability status. Despite this high risk, there is no systematic data collected on this group and scant literature on the topic contributing to a feeling of invisibility. We conducted a narrative inquiry on the experiences of two Syrian refugee families with children living with disabilities. Narrative inquiry is a way to understand experience as a storied phenomenon. In order to understand the complexities of the experience as a refugee with a child living with disabilities, attending to the lived and told stories is essential. In hearing the narration of these experiences across time, place, and social contexts various narrative threads emerged. The narrative threads that resonated across the experiences of two families included waiting and a struggle for agency, as well as disruption and continuity. Children with disabilities are among the most at-risk groups for marginalization due to compounded disadvantages from the intersection of risk factors such as refugee status and disability status. Despite this high risk, there is no systematic data collected on this group and scant literature on the topic contributing to a feeling of invisibility. We conducted a narrative inquiry on the experiences of two Syrian refugee families with children living with disabilities. Narrative inquiry is a way to understand experience as a storied phenomenon. In order to understand the complexities of the experience as a refugee with a child living with disabilities, attending to the lived and told stories is essential. In hearing the narration of these experiences across time, place, and social contexts various narrative threads emerged. The narrative threads that resonated across the experiences of two families included waiting and a struggle for agency, as well as disruption and continuity.
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This report presents findings from the 2020 Family Violence (FV) Broker & Apartment 1310 program evaluations. This year’s evaluation was completed by Habitus Collective and covers the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The Family Violence Brokers are a supplementary, gender-based support to CCIS Cultural Brokerage Program (CCBP) families who present with family violence concerns. Apartment 1310 provides temporary accommodation and immediate programming for low-risk perpetrators of family violence who are mandated to separate from the family. Beginning in March 2020, the programs had to adapt to frequently changing circumstances and public health regulations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in office closures, work from home mandates, and periods when in-person contact with families was limited or not possible requiring adaptation to virtual or hybrid service delivery. Furthermore, families were and will continue to be facing pandemic-related challenges and stress, which may increase the likelihood or severity of family violence. From the period January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020, the Family Violence Brokers supported a total of 234 families, including 267 adults and 154 children. This was a 28.6% increase from the year prior despite a drop in total CCBP cases. Family Violence clients represented 47 countries of origin and 29 language groups. At the individual level, Canada, India, and the Philippines were the main countries of origin, which aligns to the main countries of origin for recent immigrants to Alberta as a whole. The majority of clients were Canadian Citizens (61%) or Permanent Residents (35%). Due to health restrictions, Apartment 1310 hosted only three residents this year. Evaluation activities revealed that the program along with Apartment 1310 are highly valued by Children’s Services staff, clients, and Brokers. This report presents findings from the 2020 Family Violence (FV) Broker & Apartment 1310 program evaluations. This year’s evaluation was completed by Habitus Collective and covers the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The Family Violence Brokers are a supplementary, gender-based support to CCIS Cultural Brokerage Program (CCBP) families who present with family violence concerns. Apartment 1310 provides temporary accommodation and immediate programming for low-risk perpetrators of family violence who are mandated to separate from the family. Beginning in March 2020, the programs had to adapt to frequently changing circumstances and public health regulations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in office closures, work from home mandates, and periods when in-person contact with families was limited or not possible requiring adaptation to virtual or hybrid service delivery. Furthermore, families were and will continue to be facing pandemic-related challenges and stress, which may increase the likelihood or severity of family violence. From the period January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020, the Family Violence Brokers supported a total of 234 families, including 267 adults and 154 children. This was a 28.6% increase from the year prior despite a drop in total CCBP cases. Family Violence clients represented 47 countries of origin and 29 language groups. At the individual level, Canada, India, and the Philippines were the main countries of origin, which aligns to the main countries of origin for recent immigrants to Alberta as a whole. The majority of clients were Canadian Citizens (61%) or Permanent Residents (35%). Due to health restrictions, Apartment 1310 hosted only three residents this year. Evaluation activities revealed that the program along with Apartment 1310 are highly valued by Children’s Services staff, clients, and Brokers.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly