Research Library

Resettlement for refugee youth in Canada presents multifaceted challenges, notably in integrating into existing social structures, including sports and physical activity (PA) programs. Sports and PA programs can play a crucial role in promoting physical and mental well-being, yet refugee youth often face lower participation rates compared to their Canadian-born counterparts. To address this gap, this study investigated the impact of a community-developed multi-sport program, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) multi-sport program, on the physical literacy (PL) development and psychosocial well-being of young refugees in Calgary, AB, Canada. The program aimed to equip refugee youth with the tools to embrace sports and PA opportunities in their new environment, fostering physical well-being and a sense of belonging. A total of 16 refugee youth participants between the ages of 13-19 years old (Mean age = 16.00±1.75, n =14 males) were recruited for this study and were living in temporary housing (M = 1.19 months on arrival) while being assisted by CCIS during their resettlement period. The study employed mixed methods, including the PLAY-basic tool and a modified PLAY-self questionnaire, to assess program effects on various PL domains. Qualitative data from focus group interviews and an ethnographic approach provided further insights into the program’s broader impact on well-being and social health. Resettlement for refugee youth in Canada presents multifaceted challenges, notably in integrating into existing social structures, including sports and physical activity (PA) programs. Sports and PA programs can play a crucial role in promoting physical and mental well-being, yet refugee youth often face lower participation rates compared to their Canadian-born counterparts. To address this gap, this study investigated the impact of a community-developed multi-sport program, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) multi-sport program, on the physical literacy (PL) development and psychosocial well-being of young refugees in Calgary, AB, Canada. The program aimed to equip refugee youth with the tools to embrace sports and PA opportunities in their new environment, fostering physical well-being and a sense of belonging. A total of 16 refugee youth participants between the ages of 13-19 years old (Mean age = 16.00±1.75, n =14 males) were recruited for this study and were living in temporary housing (M = 1.19 months on arrival) while being assisted by CCIS during their resettlement period. The study employed mixed methods, including the PLAY-basic tool and a modified PLAY-self questionnaire, to assess program effects on various PL domains. Qualitative data from focus group interviews and an ethnographic approach provided further insights into the program’s broader impact on well-being and social health.
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This arts-based thesis is a research-creation of a photographic exploration of the concept of home and belonging for immigrants. Drawing on my personal experience as a photographer and an immigrant, I have shed light on my sense of homesickness and the loss of my sense of belonging in order to signify immigrants’ struggle in finding a place they can call home. This research paper is centered on the theories of “liminality,” the uncertain state of being in-between, of being neither here nor there, to discuss the transitional phase of separation from one’s homeland and integration into the new land. This liminality is a widespread experience in our modern era as mobility, immigration and separation from one’s home and the sense of being home is on the rise. I argue that photography is a therapeutic tool to overcome the lost sense of belonging as it helps me as an immigrant to contemplate on my transitional phase of life and gives me the opportunity to create bonds and connections with a lost home. This arts-based thesis is a research-creation of a photographic exploration of the concept of home and belonging for immigrants. Drawing on my personal experience as a photographer and an immigrant, I have shed light on my sense of homesickness and the loss of my sense of belonging in order to signify immigrants’ struggle in finding a place they can call home. This research paper is centered on the theories of “liminality,” the uncertain state of being in-between, of being neither here nor there, to discuss the transitional phase of separation from one’s homeland and integration into the new land. This liminality is a widespread experience in our modern era as mobility, immigration and separation from one’s home and the sense of being home is on the rise. I argue that photography is a therapeutic tool to overcome the lost sense of belonging as it helps me as an immigrant to contemplate on my transitional phase of life and gives me the opportunity to create bonds and connections with a lost home.
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This thesis explains the influence of African Indigenous Knowledge in the education and identities of Black African Immigrant graduate students in Alberta, situated within Canada’s multiculturalism. Black African immigrant students’ identities are formed and shaped by their African Indigenous experiences, which influences their socio-cultural development in Canada. Canada recognizes and promotes diversity and inclusion through the Federal Multiculturalism Act (1988), which preserves and enhances the multicultural heritage of all Canadians. This exploratory research explains how the exclusion of African Indigenous knowledge in the education of Black African students impacts them; whether a shift to acknowledge and validate African Indigenous knowledge would create a better educational impact for Black African Immigrant students; and how multiculturalism enables the diverse population to understand their human rights and support the reclaiming of self and identity. The study also looks at how the strategies adopted by the Indigenous people of Canada to reclaim their identities could inform the actions of Black Africans. This thesis explains the influence of African Indigenous Knowledge in the education and identities of Black African Immigrant graduate students in Alberta, situated within Canada’s multiculturalism. Black African immigrant students’ identities are formed and shaped by their African Indigenous experiences, which influences their socio-cultural development in Canada. Canada recognizes and promotes diversity and inclusion through the Federal Multiculturalism Act (1988), which preserves and enhances the multicultural heritage of all Canadians. This exploratory research explains how the exclusion of African Indigenous knowledge in the education of Black African students impacts them; whether a shift to acknowledge and validate African Indigenous knowledge would create a better educational impact for Black African Immigrant students; and how multiculturalism enables the diverse population to understand their human rights and support the reclaiming of self and identity. The study also looks at how the strategies adopted by the Indigenous people of Canada to reclaim their identities could inform the actions of Black Africans.
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The immigrant population in Canada is rapidly increasing and projected to rise exponentially in the coming years. The immigrant population faces complex and diverse challenges when transitioning into a new country, and this occurrence may be uniquely experienced by youth, who are also navigating transitions in child development, most notably into adolescence. Embedded in a broader mixed methods pilot project, the aim of this thesis was to qualitatively investigate the impact of the Immigrant-based Physical Literacy for Youth (IPLAY) program on mental health and well-being. 21 Afghan refugee youth in Calgary, AB who participated in IPLAY were interviewed. Results indicated that youth held a holistic conceptualization of mental health, contrasting what is common practice in the field and literature. Such findings provide a rich tapestry of understanding into how newcomer youth define, understand, and experience mental health, and implications for stress management. The immigrant population in Canada is rapidly increasing and projected to rise exponentially in the coming years. The immigrant population faces complex and diverse challenges when transitioning into a new country, and this occurrence may be uniquely experienced by youth, who are also navigating transitions in child development, most notably into adolescence. Embedded in a broader mixed methods pilot project, the aim of this thesis was to qualitatively investigate the impact of the Immigrant-based Physical Literacy for Youth (IPLAY) program on mental health and well-being. 21 Afghan refugee youth in Calgary, AB who participated in IPLAY were interviewed. Results indicated that youth held a holistic conceptualization of mental health, contrasting what is common practice in the field and literature. Such findings provide a rich tapestry of understanding into how newcomer youth define, understand, and experience mental health, and implications for stress management.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of depression among African immigrant men in Southern Alberta. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive qualitative research design using focused semi-structured interviews with ten African immigrant men. Thematic analysis showed that African men went through episodes of sadness and frustrations due to intersection of challenges post-migration, which negatively impacted both their physical and mental health. However, instead of seeking professional help, they employed a series of coping mechanisms to mitigate, tolerate, or overcome the mental distress. It was evident that African men’s cultural constructions around masculinity influenced how they perceived, interpreted, and expressed their mental distress. Culture and masculinity also shaped their strategies for coping with the mental distress and behaviour towards help-seeking. It is recommended that stakeholders and policy makers apply cultural safety approaches to support African immigrant men to enhance their mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of depression among African immigrant men in Southern Alberta. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive qualitative research design using focused semi-structured interviews with ten African immigrant men. Thematic analysis showed that African men went through episodes of sadness and frustrations due to intersection of challenges post-migration, which negatively impacted both their physical and mental health. However, instead of seeking professional help, they employed a series of coping mechanisms to mitigate, tolerate, or overcome the mental distress. It was evident that African men’s cultural constructions around masculinity influenced how they perceived, interpreted, and expressed their mental distress. Culture and masculinity also shaped their strategies for coping with the mental distress and behaviour towards help-seeking. It is recommended that stakeholders and policy makers apply cultural safety approaches to support African immigrant men to enhance their mental well-being.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Current industrialized food systems have detrimental consequences for people and the planet. Relocalizing food systems offers one strategy to mitigate these harms; advocates point to opportunities for ecological, economic, and social benefits as reason to localize food production. However, the assumption that the local is inherently preferable to the global can lead academics, practitioners, and consumers into the local trap. With increasing ethnic diversity in Canada, the perception that local is inherently good and global is inherently bad can translate into defensive and exclusionary tendencies towards the food preferences and practices of newcomers, immigrants and refugees. While the literature identifies various manifestations of the local trap, it offers limited investigation of strategies that may overcome this pitfall. In contrast to defensive localism, alternative conceptualizations of scale may support action in favour of collaborative, inclusive, and diversity-receptive outcomes in food systems. Therefore, in this thesis, I aim to identify strategies that may include the food preferences and practices of newcomers while also addressing problematic aspects of industrial food systems. I also seek to understand the mechanisms and conceptualizations that enable such strategies. To accomplish this, 1) I completed a literature analysis to synthesize potential strategies and models and 2) empirically explored food practices and goals of the EthniCity Catering program (Centre for Newcomers) in Calgary, Alberta to illustrate the potential application of such strategies in a specific time and place. This thesis hopes to offer theoretical contributions to geographical discussions on scale in food systems as well as practical implications for food system practitioners. Current industrialized food systems have detrimental consequences for people and the planet. Relocalizing food systems offers one strategy to mitigate these harms; advocates point to opportunities for ecological, economic, and social benefits as reason to localize food production. However, the assumption that the local is inherently preferable to the global can lead academics, practitioners, and consumers into the local trap. With increasing ethnic diversity in Canada, the perception that local is inherently good and global is inherently bad can translate into defensive and exclusionary tendencies towards the food preferences and practices of newcomers, immigrants and refugees. While the literature identifies various manifestations of the local trap, it offers limited investigation of strategies that may overcome this pitfall. In contrast to defensive localism, alternative conceptualizations of scale may support action in favour of collaborative, inclusive, and diversity-receptive outcomes in food systems. Therefore, in this thesis, I aim to identify strategies that may include the food preferences and practices of newcomers while also addressing problematic aspects of industrial food systems. I also seek to understand the mechanisms and conceptualizations that enable such strategies. To accomplish this, 1) I completed a literature analysis to synthesize potential strategies and models and 2) empirically explored food practices and goals of the EthniCity Catering program (Centre for Newcomers) in Calgary, Alberta to illustrate the potential application of such strategies in a specific time and place. This thesis hopes to offer theoretical contributions to geographical discussions on scale in food systems as well as practical implications for food system practitioners.
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

Comprehensive sexual education (CSE) is defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as “a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality” (2018, p. 16). Given the social and cultural aspects of sexual education, my research posits that newcomer access to comprehensive sexual education could be crucial to settlement and inclusion processes in Canada. Thus, my research asks: where does immigration and settlement policy intersect with sexual education policy in Canada? How does newcomer and immigrant community access to sexual education impact immigration and settlement processes? To investigate the ways in which the policy areas of immigration and settlement and sexual education overlap, I examine how sexual education is delivered in Edmonton, Alberta, a city that has one of the most robust and multifaceted settlement frameworks in Canada. A key data source for this research includes interviews with settlement workers and others who administer social integration programming, to assess whether or not they think sexual education is integral to settlement and integration, what barriers might exist in providing these services, and relationships between organizations who work in these fields. Before engaging with interview findings, however, this thesis will first provide several contextual chapters. This includes discussion of how access to sexual education and sexual health for newcomers and immigrant communities are part of the landscapes of biopolitics and sexual citizenship in Canada, the multijurisdictional nature of immigration and settlement policy, the terrain of sexual education policy in Canada, and the capacity of comprehensive sexual education to engage in anti-racist approaches. This thesis establishes that sexual education does in fact overlap with immigration and settlement policy, as norms around sex and gender are woven into the immigration process. Although issues related to sexual education do arise in a settlement context, there are both structural and cultural barriers that hinder a more fulsome engagement with sexual education in the services and programs provided by settlement agencies. However, these barriers have been challenged by service providers with strategies that emphasize integrative and relational approaches to sexual education with clients, as well as framing sexual educational content around individual and family wellness. These strategies relate to approaches outlined by UNESCO for effective implementation of CSE, suggesting that settlement work can be conducive to CSE. This thesis also identifies key service gaps in the provision of settlement services at large, and thus sexual education in this context. The research also highlights service gaps from organizations invested in the implementation of CSE in serving newcomer and immigrant communities. The research culminates in recommendations to address these gaps and further areas of research to be pursued. Comprehensive sexual education (CSE) is defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as “a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality” (2018, p. 16). Given the social and cultural aspects of sexual education, my research posits that newcomer access to comprehensive sexual education could be crucial to settlement and inclusion processes in Canada. Thus, my research asks: where does immigration and settlement policy intersect with sexual education policy in Canada? How does newcomer and immigrant community access to sexual education impact immigration and settlement processes? To investigate the ways in which the policy areas of immigration and settlement and sexual education overlap, I examine how sexual education is delivered in Edmonton, Alberta, a city that has one of the most robust and multifaceted settlement frameworks in Canada. A key data source for this research includes interviews with settlement workers and others who administer social integration programming, to assess whether or not they think sexual education is integral to settlement and integration, what barriers might exist in providing these services, and relationships between organizations who work in these fields. Before engaging with interview findings, however, this thesis will first provide several contextual chapters. This includes discussion of how access to sexual education and sexual health for newcomers and immigrant communities are part of the landscapes of biopolitics and sexual citizenship in Canada, the multijurisdictional nature of immigration and settlement policy, the terrain of sexual education policy in Canada, and the capacity of comprehensive sexual education to engage in anti-racist approaches. This thesis establishes that sexual education does in fact overlap with immigration and settlement policy, as norms around sex and gender are woven into the immigration process. Although issues related to sexual education do arise in a settlement context, there are both structural and cultural barriers that hinder a more fulsome engagement with sexual education in the services and programs provided by settlement agencies. However, these barriers have been challenged by service providers with strategies that emphasize integrative and relational approaches to sexual education with clients, as well as framing sexual educational content around individual and family wellness. These strategies relate to approaches outlined by UNESCO for effective implementation of CSE, suggesting that settlement work can be conducive to CSE. This thesis also identifies key service gaps in the provision of settlement services at large, and thus sexual education in this context. The research also highlights service gaps from organizations invested in the implementation of CSE in serving newcomer and immigrant communities. The research culminates in recommendations to address these gaps and further areas of research to be pursued.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The civil war in Syria caused an upheaval to all aspects of life for its citizens, resulting in an unprecedented number of Syrians arriving in Canada as refugees. While government and settlement agencies responded by addressing their immediate needs, other aspects of their integration, specifically their social integration, were much less prioritized and minimally resourced. This study drew on Ager & Strang’s (2008) Domains of Integration Framework and their description of social bridging to explore this aspect of social integration of refugees in greater detail. A qualitative descriptive methodology was applied to explore how Syrian refugees describe their experiences of building social bridges in Canada, and how these bridges impact their sense of belonging and overall integration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve adult members of the Syrian refugee community, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The civil war in Syria caused an upheaval to all aspects of life for its citizens, resulting in an unprecedented number of Syrians arriving in Canada as refugees. While government and settlement agencies responded by addressing their immediate needs, other aspects of their integration, specifically their social integration, were much less prioritized and minimally resourced. This study drew on Ager & Strang’s (2008) Domains of Integration Framework and their description of social bridging to explore this aspect of social integration of refugees in greater detail. A qualitative descriptive methodology was applied to explore how Syrian refugees describe their experiences of building social bridges in Canada, and how these bridges impact their sense of belonging and overall integration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve adult members of the Syrian refugee community, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

In response to recent refugee crises around the world, scholars have called for research on resilience among war-affected children and youth as an important area of focus that offers culturally and contextually relevant implications for effective support services. While empirical research on the resilience of refugee youth has been gradually increasing, the current scholarship still lacks social, cultural, and contextual sensitivity. As such, this dissertation research, which consists of three conceptually linked manuscripts, represents a purposeful attempt to address this gap by exploring the resilience of refugee youth in a postmigration Canadian context, with contributions to research, policy, and practice. Refugee youth were recruited from Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Manuscript 1 centres on the definition of refugee youth resilience as it relates to postmigration resettlement and explores the theoretical connections between resilience and positive adaptation. This manuscript proposes a culturally and contextually relevant conceptualization of resilience from the bioecological lens, integrating the three intertwined developmental, acculturative, and psychological perspectives. Manuscript 2 focuses on a critical and extensive review of the extant literature on refugee children and youth. It synthesizes empirical evidence from scholarship on young refugees’ resilience and presents a host of biological, psychological, social and cultural determinants of resilience, which interact with one another across multiple levels of social and ecological contexts to determine adaptive responds to stressful experiences. Finally, Manuscript 3 reflects qualitative research on pathways leading to positive adaptation to a Canadian postmigration context to provide knowledge about the pathways leading to resilience among refugee youth. It outlines a classic grounded theory study that generated a substantive theory conceptually explaining the underlying process of positive adaptation from the perspectives of 15 Canadian refugee youth. Together, findings from this dissertation research spur integration of knowledge and strategies to inform practice and policies to mitigate risk and promote resilience in multiple systems that shape refugee youth adaptation over the resettlement course. In response to recent refugee crises around the world, scholars have called for research on resilience among war-affected children and youth as an important area of focus that offers culturally and contextually relevant implications for effective support services. While empirical research on the resilience of refugee youth has been gradually increasing, the current scholarship still lacks social, cultural, and contextual sensitivity. As such, this dissertation research, which consists of three conceptually linked manuscripts, represents a purposeful attempt to address this gap by exploring the resilience of refugee youth in a postmigration Canadian context, with contributions to research, policy, and practice. Refugee youth were recruited from Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Manuscript 1 centres on the definition of refugee youth resilience as it relates to postmigration resettlement and explores the theoretical connections between resilience and positive adaptation. This manuscript proposes a culturally and contextually relevant conceptualization of resilience from the bioecological lens, integrating the three intertwined developmental, acculturative, and psychological perspectives. Manuscript 2 focuses on a critical and extensive review of the extant literature on refugee children and youth. It synthesizes empirical evidence from scholarship on young refugees’ resilience and presents a host of biological, psychological, social and cultural determinants of resilience, which interact with one another across multiple levels of social and ecological contexts to determine adaptive responds to stressful experiences. Finally, Manuscript 3 reflects qualitative research on pathways leading to positive adaptation to a Canadian postmigration context to provide knowledge about the pathways leading to resilience among refugee youth. It outlines a classic grounded theory study that generated a substantive theory conceptually explaining the underlying process of positive adaptation from the perspectives of 15 Canadian refugee youth. Together, findings from this dissertation research spur integration of knowledge and strategies to inform practice and policies to mitigate risk and promote resilience in multiple systems that shape refugee youth adaptation over the resettlement course.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly