Research Library

The Youth and Anti-Racism (YARI) Collective, a research project by Dr. Pallavi Banerjee and Dr. Pratim Sengupta at the University of Calgary, connects racialized refugee and newcomer youth to art, anti-racism and community experiences. On March 28, 2023 YARI hosted an interactive art and technology installation titled ‘Landings: Anti-Racist Futures in Stories’ highlighting the youth’s stories of love, friendships, grief and pain through various artistic mediums (e.g. stop motion animation). The Youth and Anti-Racism (YARI) Collective, a research project by Dr. Pallavi Banerjee and Dr. Pratim Sengupta at the University of Calgary, connects racialized refugee and newcomer youth to art, anti-racism and community experiences. On March 28, 2023 YARI hosted an interactive art and technology installation titled ‘Landings: Anti-Racist Futures in Stories’ highlighting the youth’s stories of love, friendships, grief and pain through various artistic mediums (e.g. stop motion animation).
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The Rainbow Refuge Program (through the Edmonton Newcomer Centre, formerly called the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers) provides settlement services, housing support, settlement support and community building for 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers in Edmonton. Since the start of the program, the acceptance rate of 2SLGBTQ+ refugee claims in Edmonton has increased exponentially. The Rainbow Refuge Program (through the Edmonton Newcomer Centre, formerly called the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers) provides settlement services, housing support, settlement support and community building for 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers in Edmonton. Since the start of the program, the acceptance rate of 2SLGBTQ+ refugee claims in Edmonton has increased exponentially.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

As the population of young newcomers (immigrants, refugees and international students) increases in Canada, there is a growing need to understand the social integration process of these students into Canadian schools. This thesis reports a qualitative analysis of how newcomer students in three Albertan schools perceived their experiences interacting with local students. As the population of young newcomers (immigrants, refugees and international students) increases in Canada, there is a growing need to understand the social integration process of these students into Canadian schools. This thesis reports a qualitative analysis of how newcomer students in three Albertan schools perceived their experiences interacting with local students.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This report contains the assessment done by Constellation Consulting Group to assess the impact of service delivery mode on client satisfaction and therapy outcomes provided by CCIS during COVID. The main goal is to capture learnings about client preferences and service outcomes. This report contains the assessment done by Constellation Consulting Group to assess the impact of service delivery mode on client satisfaction and therapy outcomes provided by CCIS during COVID. The main goal is to capture learnings about client preferences and service outcomes.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The purpose of this qualitative arts-informed and play-based case study was to explore and better understand how young newcomer children use common childhood activities of play and personal art-making as tools or vehicles of communication, for exploration of their ideas and sharing perspectives, and to demonstrate what they considered personally significant about their everyday lives and experiences. The research study was guided by the following questions: 1) What are the personally significant experiences and influences in young newcomer children’s daily lives?; 2) How do young newcomer children use play and personal art-making to understand, negotiate, and make sense of experiences, and communicate the personally significant? and; 3) How do adults support young newcomer children’s play and personal art-making and their communication of the personally significant? The purpose of this qualitative arts-informed and play-based case study was to explore and better understand how young newcomer children use common childhood activities of play and personal art-making as tools or vehicles of communication, for exploration of their ideas and sharing perspectives, and to demonstrate what they considered personally significant about their everyday lives and experiences. The research study was guided by the following questions: 1) What are the personally significant experiences and influences in young newcomer children’s daily lives?; 2) How do young newcomer children use play and personal art-making to understand, negotiate, and make sense of experiences, and communicate the personally significant? and; 3) How do adults support young newcomer children’s play and personal art-making and their communication of the personally significant?
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Parenting is a socially and culturally constructed role and experience. Parenting practices vary across and within communities yet most of what we know about parenting in the literature stems from Western worldviews on what ideal parenting and child-rearing looks like in practice. Taking a postcolonial feminist approach, this study helps to diversify the literature by presenting the perspectives of 11 parents with traditional and postcolonial African worldviews who have migrated to Canada. With the purpose of examining gender-based parenting practices of African refugees in Alberta, Canada, this study drew upon existing interviews from a larger study focused on gender relations in African immigrant families. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis informed by three theoretical frameworks (transnationalism, postcolonial feminism, and intersectionality) to generate three themes and nine subthemes. These findings reveal old, new, and bifocal ways African refugees practice parenting in a postmigration context as well as the impacts of structural forces on their practices. Key among the complicating factors described involve a lack of community-focused and culturally-informed social supports for adjusting to new gender roles and relations in cultural traditions, family life, and parenting challenges typical in their post-migration experiences. Implications for childcare, community, and workplace supports to help African refugees successfully manage the higher risk of facing a host of interpersonal, systemic, and structural barriers when they arrive in Western host countries like Canada are discussed. Studies on gender roles and relations in parenting practices for African refugee parents are rare and this study provides much-needed insights that can be further explored. Parenting is a socially and culturally constructed role and experience. Parenting practices vary across and within communities yet most of what we know about parenting in the literature stems from Western worldviews on what ideal parenting and child-rearing looks like in practice. Taking a postcolonial feminist approach, this study helps to diversify the literature by presenting the perspectives of 11 parents with traditional and postcolonial African worldviews who have migrated to Canada. With the purpose of examining gender-based parenting practices of African refugees in Alberta, Canada, this study drew upon existing interviews from a larger study focused on gender relations in African immigrant families. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis informed by three theoretical frameworks (transnationalism, postcolonial feminism, and intersectionality) to generate three themes and nine subthemes. These findings reveal old, new, and bifocal ways African refugees practice parenting in a postmigration context as well as the impacts of structural forces on their practices. Key among the complicating factors described involve a lack of community-focused and culturally-informed social supports for adjusting to new gender roles and relations in cultural traditions, family life, and parenting challenges typical in their post-migration experiences. Implications for childcare, community, and workplace supports to help African refugees successfully manage the higher risk of facing a host of interpersonal, systemic, and structural barriers when they arrive in Western host countries like Canada are discussed. Studies on gender roles and relations in parenting practices for African refugee parents are rare and this study provides much-needed insights that can be further explored.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

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.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

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.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy 2020-2021 Evaluation is a report that highlights the positive impact of the Youth Therapy Program on immigrant and refugee children and their families. The report provides an overview of the mental health services offered by the program, including individual and group therapy, as well as the use of interpreters to ensure multilingual accessibility. The report also emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in the program and provides data on the success of the program in helping children heal from trauma. The report concludes with a list of resources consulted in the evaluation, including academic studies and government reports. Overall, the report demonstrates the effectiveness of the CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy program in supporting the mental health and well-being of immigrant and refugee children. The CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy 2020-2021 Evaluation is a report that highlights the positive impact of the Youth Therapy Program on immigrant and refugee children and their families. The report provides an overview of the mental health services offered by the program, including individual and group therapy, as well as the use of interpreters to ensure multilingual accessibility. The report also emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in the program and provides data on the success of the program in helping children heal from trauma. The report concludes with a list of resources consulted in the evaluation, including academic studies and government reports. Overall, the report demonstrates the effectiveness of the CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy program in supporting the mental health and well-being of immigrant and refugee children.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Evidence suggests that despite growing numbers of refugees entering Alberta each year, there may not be enough counsellors equipped to provide helping services. Within the counselling context, refugees are identified as at risk for developing complex psychological challenges, requiring culturally sensitive counselling that incorporates diverse culture and language differences. This case study explored how three Alberta-based mental health professionals provide helpful counselling services to refugees and how they prepared to attain competencies and relevant experiences required for providing appropriate, culturally sensitive interventions to refugees. Evidence suggests that despite growing numbers of refugees entering Alberta each year, there may not be enough counsellors equipped to provide helping services. Within the counselling context, refugees are identified as at risk for developing complex psychological challenges, requiring culturally sensitive counselling that incorporates diverse culture and language differences. This case study explored how three Alberta-based mental health professionals provide helpful counselling services to refugees and how they prepared to attain competencies and relevant experiences required for providing appropriate, culturally sensitive interventions to refugees.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly