Research Library

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 13 racialized immigrant women, this research explores experiences of using mental health services in Lethbridge, Alberta. The women’s narratives serve as a thread linking psychiatric, neoliberal, colonial, patriarchal, and other power relations. The treatments focused on the women’s concerns as individualized; the resulting prescription of antidepressants and psychotherapy required self-colonization to relieve their pain, complicating several women’s experiences of using mental health services. Some women found medical interventions beneficial to their wellbeing, while others resisted psychiatric knowledge at various points because of the embodied suffering they faced, and their reliance on conflicting cultural beliefs and healing systems. By analyzing these women’s experiences, I offer a rethinking of the biomedical conceptualization of mental illness as a natural and universally occurring pathology. Ultimately, I argue that current framings of mental illness obscure the intersectional power relations that played an important role in contributing to these women’s distress. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 13 racialized immigrant women, this research explores experiences of using mental health services in Lethbridge, Alberta. The women’s narratives serve as a thread linking psychiatric, neoliberal, colonial, patriarchal, and other power relations. The treatments focused on the women’s concerns as individualized; the resulting prescription of antidepressants and psychotherapy required self-colonization to relieve their pain, complicating several women’s experiences of using mental health services. Some women found medical interventions beneficial to their wellbeing, while others resisted psychiatric knowledge at various points because of the embodied suffering they faced, and their reliance on conflicting cultural beliefs and healing systems. By analyzing these women’s experiences, I offer a rethinking of the biomedical conceptualization of mental illness as a natural and universally occurring pathology. Ultimately, I argue that current framings of mental illness obscure the intersectional power relations that played an important role in contributing to these women’s distress.
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Systemic and overt racism exist within education systems. If we are serious about addressing the problem of systemic racism and its effects within Edmonton Public Schools and on our students then we must first collect data that shows the race of the students we serve and the outcomes that these students experience. Currently, the lack of race-based data is making it difficult to measure educational inequalities and to identify inequities that exist because of racism and discrimination. This report describes recommendations to the Board of Trustees of Edmonton Public Schools to implement race-based data collection in their school board. Systemic and overt racism exist within education systems. If we are serious about addressing the problem of systemic racism and its effects within Edmonton Public Schools and on our students then we must first collect data that shows the race of the students we serve and the outcomes that these students experience. Currently, the lack of race-based data is making it difficult to measure educational inequalities and to identify inequities that exist because of racism and discrimination. This report describes recommendations to the Board of Trustees of Edmonton Public Schools to implement race-based data collection in their school board.
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Beginning in April, 2020, The Immigrant Education Society conducted an internal study on staff and student reactions to the transition to remote services delivery precipitated by the COVID19 Pandemic. This consists of a preliminary survey deployed by the Research and Program Development Department, and the compilation of independently developed surveys deployed in June by the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) department and the Human Resources department. The analysis of the raw survey data was conducted by the Research and Program Development department. This document encompasses results from the Human Resources and LINC surveys. Beginning in April, 2020, The Immigrant Education Society conducted an internal study on staff and student reactions to the transition to remote services delivery precipitated by the COVID19 Pandemic. This consists of a preliminary survey deployed by the Research and Program Development Department, and the compilation of independently developed surveys deployed in June by the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) department and the Human Resources department. The analysis of the raw survey data was conducted by the Research and Program Development department. This document encompasses results from the Human Resources and LINC surveys.
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The success of the out-of-school time collaborative program coordinated by REACH Edmonton in empowering immigrant and refugee children and youth was evaluated. The report provides a high-level summary of the program’s description and reach, highlighting the various programs offered by the 13 organizations in the collaborative. The report also includes an overview of the themes found across all programs from the summer youth feedback sessions. The report concludes with recommendations for future program development and expansion. Overall, the report demonstrates the positive impact of the Bridging Together collaborative in promoting the well-being and integration of immigrant and refugee children and youth in Edmonton. The success of the out-of-school time collaborative program coordinated by REACH Edmonton in empowering immigrant and refugee children and youth was evaluated. The report provides a high-level summary of the program’s description and reach, highlighting the various programs offered by the 13 organizations in the collaborative. The report also includes an overview of the themes found across all programs from the summer youth feedback sessions. The report concludes with recommendations for future program development and expansion. Overall, the report demonstrates the positive impact of the Bridging Together collaborative in promoting the well-being and integration of immigrant and refugee children and youth in Edmonton.
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Using PhotoVoice, this research explored the settlement experiences of refugee youth who have exited high school and are in a program designed by an Albertan school board to support their language and academic needs. Newcomer youth encounter profound academic and social stresses as they attempt to create a new identity and sense of belonging in their new home. This project examined what it means for refugee youth to recuperate a place of belonging. By focusing on the notion of belonging rather than barriers to settlement, the findings revealed that at the core of the youth’s efforts, connecting to people, especially in school, in addition to connecting to the natural world, fostered feelings of well-being and belonging. Educational implications include recommendations for schools and teachers supporting newcomer youth. Using PhotoVoice, this research explored the settlement experiences of refugee youth who have exited high school and are in a program designed by an Albertan school board to support their language and academic needs. Newcomer youth encounter profound academic and social stresses as they attempt to create a new identity and sense of belonging in their new home. This project examined what it means for refugee youth to recuperate a place of belonging. By focusing on the notion of belonging rather than barriers to settlement, the findings revealed that at the core of the youth’s efforts, connecting to people, especially in school, in addition to connecting to the natural world, fostered feelings of well-being and belonging. Educational implications include recommendations for schools and teachers supporting newcomer youth.
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ECELC sought to consult with newcomer communities in Edmonton, specifically in regard to planning a centralized system of early learning and care that honours the realities of marginalized families and works to mitigate and remove institutional and/or systemic disadvantage for these families. The information from these consultations will be used to ensure ECELC’s activities take into account the lived experiences of newcomer families and that it considers an inclusion/equity lens in its work as it moves forward. Multicultural Family Resource Society (MFRS), one of the ECELC members, was approached to conduct this work on behalf of the Council through MFRS Coaching, Advisory, and Research Services. The consultations involved meeting with key groups of people to learn about what is already known about this topic and to identify who some of the ‘knowledge keepers’ are on this topic. MFRS consulted with Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative; Jasper Place Child and Family Resource Centre; Intercultural Child and Family Centre; University of Alberta, Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families (CUP); MacEwan University, Human Services and Early Learning and Care; and Muslim Community of Edmonton (MCE) Child Care Centre to assess what work has already been done recently on the topic of newcomer families and early learning and care and to identify existing groups of practitioners and community members that would be good candidates for further consultation. The consultations also sought to identify facilitators for future conversations as community consultation often generates the richest data when the facilitators are known to participants and this would be an important aspect to future ECELC work. ECELC sought to consult with newcomer communities in Edmonton, specifically in regard to planning a centralized system of early learning and care that honours the realities of marginalized families and works to mitigate and remove institutional and/or systemic disadvantage for these families. The information from these consultations will be used to ensure ECELC’s activities take into account the lived experiences of newcomer families and that it considers an inclusion/equity lens in its work as it moves forward. Multicultural Family Resource Society (MFRS), one of the ECELC members, was approached to conduct this work on behalf of the Council through MFRS Coaching, Advisory, and Research Services. The consultations involved meeting with key groups of people to learn about what is already known about this topic and to identify who some of the ‘knowledge keepers’ are on this topic. MFRS consulted with Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative; Jasper Place Child and Family Resource Centre; Intercultural Child and Family Centre; University of Alberta, Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families (CUP); MacEwan University, Human Services and Early Learning and Care; and Muslim Community of Edmonton (MCE) Child Care Centre to assess what work has already been done recently on the topic of newcomer families and early learning and care and to identify existing groups of practitioners and community members that would be good candidates for further consultation. The consultations also sought to identify facilitators for future conversations as community consultation often generates the richest data when the facilitators are known to participants and this would be an important aspect to future ECELC work.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The settlement and integration of immigrants is a common policy focus for governments and researchers across the world. In Canada, these policies have become more relevant over the last twenty years. Still, most of the conversations about integration processes in Canada occur in the context of Canada’s largest and most diverse cities. In this thesis, I examine the settlement experiences of recent landed immigrants in Lethbridge—a small Albertan city. My analyses especially highlight the crucial roles that community support, length of residence, and admission class play in determining settlement outcomes of recent immigrants in Lethbridge, Alberta. Based on the data, it is safe to say that integration is promoted in Lethbridge, but immigrants still do not fare as well as the general population. The outcomes of integration process also varies depending on the lived experience of newcomers. For example, refugees are more susceptible to poorer outcomes of integration processes, while highly educated immigrants tend to perform relatively well. To increase the efficiency of integration programmes in Lethbridge, I propose to hire more immigrants to have their perspectives at the table in decision-making; increase access to and availability of relevant settlement information to immigrants; provide more mental health support; provide specific employment supports for economic immigrants; offer services to people without PR status. The settlement and integration of immigrants is a common policy focus for governments and researchers across the world. In Canada, these policies have become more relevant over the last twenty years. Still, most of the conversations about integration processes in Canada occur in the context of Canada’s largest and most diverse cities. In this thesis, I examine the settlement experiences of recent landed immigrants in Lethbridge—a small Albertan city. My analyses especially highlight the crucial roles that community support, length of residence, and admission class play in determining settlement outcomes of recent immigrants in Lethbridge, Alberta. Based on the data, it is safe to say that integration is promoted in Lethbridge, but immigrants still do not fare as well as the general population. The outcomes of integration process also varies depending on the lived experience of newcomers. For example, refugees are more susceptible to poorer outcomes of integration processes, while highly educated immigrants tend to perform relatively well. To increase the efficiency of integration programmes in Lethbridge, I propose to hire more immigrants to have their perspectives at the table in decision-making; increase access to and availability of relevant settlement information to immigrants; provide more mental health support; provide specific employment supports for economic immigrants; offer services to people without PR status.
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This research is purposed for an assessment of needs so as to identify the barriers to successful on-line language learning for new immigrants, especially those with language proficiency at CLB 3. This research is purposed for an assessment of needs so as to identify the barriers to successful on-line language learning for new immigrants, especially those with language proficiency at CLB 3.
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The home language environment and language abilities were compared between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with typical development, both from newcomer families in Edmonton. Children were in elementary school, mostly 6 and 7 year olds. The goal was to understand if there were differences in bilingual development between children with ASD and children with typical development at the same age. Specifically, we wanted to understand if children with ASD have the capacity to become bilingual and whether this is supported by their communities, clinicians and educators. We conclude that children with ASD are more at risk than children with typical development for losing their heritage language. In other words, children with ASD have the capacity to be bilingual, but have limited opportunities to develop their heritage language. The home language environment and language abilities were compared between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with typical development, both from newcomer families in Edmonton. Children were in elementary school, mostly 6 and 7 year olds. The goal was to understand if there were differences in bilingual development between children with ASD and children with typical development at the same age. Specifically, we wanted to understand if children with ASD have the capacity to become bilingual and whether this is supported by their communities, clinicians and educators. We conclude that children with ASD are more at risk than children with typical development for losing their heritage language. In other words, children with ASD have the capacity to be bilingual, but have limited opportunities to develop their heritage language.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This research explores political participation of immigrant women in Lethbridge. More specifically, research participants identified the factors that affect immigrant women’s practices of political participation in Lethbridge. The analysis draws upon feminist standpoint theory, as well as Sandra Burt’s and Martha Ackelsberg’s conceptual framework on political participation. Fifteen open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with immigrant women who have permanent residency or Canadian citizenship, have been living in Canada for more than three years, and are over nineteen years old. As a result of this research the following factors were revealed that affected immigrant women’s political participation: immigration status, country of origin, time, language, education, economic stability, opportunity, age and membership in organisations and groups. Overall, the research found out that the level of political participation of immigrant women in Lethbridge is low, especially for those coming from developing countries. This research explores political participation of immigrant women in Lethbridge. More specifically, research participants identified the factors that affect immigrant women’s practices of political participation in Lethbridge. The analysis draws upon feminist standpoint theory, as well as Sandra Burt’s and Martha Ackelsberg’s conceptual framework on political participation. Fifteen open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with immigrant women who have permanent residency or Canadian citizenship, have been living in Canada for more than three years, and are over nineteen years old. As a result of this research the following factors were revealed that affected immigrant women’s political participation: immigration status, country of origin, time, language, education, economic stability, opportunity, age and membership in organisations and groups. Overall, the research found out that the level of political participation of immigrant women in Lethbridge is low, especially for those coming from developing countries.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly