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This paper presents the narratives of women who work in the university and their experiences of silencing and institutional containment. Through these narratives, I describe the ways in which the narrators deal with being silenced, and their attempts to establish their voice in personal, public and institutional realms. Many of the narratives are studies in how women challenge marginalization through their actions and by speaking out. The paper suggests that the stories are shaped by individual diversity and how these women experienced the politicization of difference. Individual voice and agency are mediated by personal, social, and spiritual connections within the past and present. For all of these women, their developing voice and agency were factors in their being able to challenge dominant institutional discourses. Feminist and critical race literature discuss the intersections between race and gender, the connections between race, gender and power, and how the relations of power affect knowledge. These considerations also raise the issues of patriarchy within the institution, and how this affects possibilities of change and empowerment. Race and gender stand out as primary categories and lenses from which these women tell their stories. (Contains 55 footnotes.)

Misao Dean (2006) discusses the canoe as a celebrated icon of Canadian culture in her critique of the Centennial celebrations of 1967; as part of the Centennial, the Canadian government organized the longest canoe race ever held. This author believes that the canoe has become a universal symbol of Canada and that all Canadians have the right to claim it as their own. However, as Dean (2006) suggests, it is vitally important that outdoor and environmental educators acknowledge and teach their students about the Aboriginal roots of the canoe; to ignore this crucial socio-historical truth amounts to cultural misappropriation. Contemporary outdoor and environmental educators are faced with the challenge and opportunity to facilitate the societal shift towards a deeper collective eco-cultural consciousness. The author suggests educators should reconsider the legacies of the voyageurs, habitants, and Indigenous peoples--inspiring and creating authentic connections for their students and themselves with Nature and history through backcountry journeys and canoe trips, as well as fostering a sense of daily connection through long-term initiatives such as community gardens and farmers' markets. (Contains 1 note.)

North Americans have had a lengthy and often one-sided relationship with Great Britain. Long after the waning of the British Empire and the apex of Britain's exercise of global political and economic hegemony, its cultural influence remains strong. Beyond the commercial successes in the box office and the bookstore, there is a much more immersive, even fetishistic and nostalgic, preoccupation with British culture, texts, and worldview within North American society, as well as other parts of the world. Described as anglophilia, or "Masterpiece Theatre Culture," its presence in North America is not wide, but its influence on those who exercise and maintain the traditionally dominant ideology has been significant, especially within the realms of economic and political power and academia. Anglophilia can be characterized by its adoration of the class system in Britain, in particular, the upper classes and their values. It is a form of leisure which is both consumptive and performative. As an antimodernist tendency it creates nostalgia for an English past, typically a genteel one.

Several governments throughout the world promote cultural partnership programs as a means of enriching the school curriculum. How do such programs affect teachers and artists? What meaning do they give to the presence of the cultural dimension in schools? To answer these questions, I examined the content of twelve semi-structured interviews (n=12) conducted with teachers and artists within a sociology of justification theoretical framework. The findings suggest that cultural partnerships between teachers and artists enabled them to experience happiness and satisfaction as well as to learn from each other. Cultural partnerships seem to produce these effects when they involve a dialogue between teachers and artists in order to reach mutual understanding and respect. I conclude this paper by addressing the factors to consider when implementing cultural partnerships and the limitations of my study. (Contains 2 tables and 8 notes.)

Student diversity in Canadian universities is rapidly increasing, and faculty and curriculum developers are challenged to transform programs and pedagogies to meet the learning needs of diverse students. While universities across Canada are actively attending to the need for interculturality and diversity in undergraduate education, this same need exists in continuing education units that serve heterogeneous populations of adult learners. This paper explores the intercultural curricular experience in the context of adult education in two ways: (i) examining the literature that reviews key terms and concepts related to culture, interculturality, and learning, and (ii) drawing upon examples of intercultural learning based on a certificate program called Leadership in Community Engagement, offered by the Centre for Continuing Education at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We also offer recommendations for those working in adult and continuing education who strive for respectful and meaningful intercultural learning.

Many Indigenous communities in Canada experience endemic tuberculosis with superimposed periodic epidemic outbreaks. Failures in outbreak management have resulted in the "seeding" of future infection and disease. In this paper we present a model that may be used in planning, implementation and review of tuberculosis outbreak management in Cree Indigenous communities in Canada, based on the Medicine Wheel, a paradigm for holistic living. In the context of tuberculosis management, the Medicine Wheel provides a path for the establishment of respectful cross-cultural relationships, the expression of values through action, true community engagement and partnership, and the establishment of culture-based processes of transparency, accountability and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a plea for the recognition of the psychological and cultural value of pluralism in a nation. Government policies often discourage cultural pluralism in an attempt to promote national unity, but these policies suppress the individual's need for identity. Group interaction in complex societies may be divided into eight categories: (1) integration or democratic pluralism; (2) paternal integration or inclusive segregation; (3) rejection or self-segregation; (4) exclusive segregation; (5) voluntary assimilation; (6) involuntary assimilation; (7) marginality or segregation of a small group; and (8) deculturation, where apathy or withdrawal negate any cultural characteristics. Canadian government policy promotes the first of these patterns, integration or democratic pluralism. Biculturalism and bilingualism are recognized; cultural pluralism is supported and assimilation discouraged. Thus identity and unity both are maintained. (CK)

This paper focuses on the experiences of Indigenous learners at Athabasca University. Having access to online education provided a sense of normalcy for students during the global pandemic while many postsecondary institutions and Indigenous communities were closed. The purpose of the research was two-fold: a) to determine the dynamics of reaching Indigenous learners and measuring their adaptability in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and b) to understand the effects of the pandemic on the mind, body, spirit, and social environment of Indigenous distance education learners and their families. This research included qualitative and quantitative methods, specifically, a survey, focus group, and individual interviews. We share the results of online research involving Indigenous students during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We concluded that listening to Indigenous students supported their online education while giving them an outlet to express their experiences. This research identified Indigenous student adaptations towards their spirituality in specific ways inherent to their culture given the reactions to COVID-19, their responses, and reflections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the increase in the number of female physicians across most specialties within cardiology, <10% of clinical cardiac electrophysiology (EP) fellows are women., Objectives: This study sought to determine the factors that influence fellows-in-training (FITs) to pursue EP as a career choice and whether this differs by gender., Methods: The authors conducted an online multiple-choice survey through the American College of Cardiology to assess the decision factors that influence FITs in the United States and Canada to pursue cardiovascular subspecialties., Results: A total of 933 (30.5%) FITs completed the survey; 129 anticipated specializing in EP, 259 in interventional cardiology (IC), and 545 in a different field or were unsure. A total of 1 in 7 (14%) FITs indicated an interest in EP. Of this group, more men chose EP than women (84% vs 16%; P < 0.001). The most important factor that influenced FITs to pursue EP was a strong interest in the field. Women were more likely to be influenced by having a female role model (P = 0.001) compared with men. After excluding FITs interested in IC, women who deselected EP were more likely than men to be influenced by greater interest in another field (P = 0.004), radiation concerns (P = 0.001), lack of female role models (P = 0.001), a perceived "old boys' club" culture (P = 0.001) and discrimination/harassment concerns (P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Women are more likely than men to be negatively influenced by many factors when it comes to pursuing EP as a career choice. Addressing those factors will help decrease the gender disparity in the field., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Abdulsalam was a second- and third-year fellow-in-training (FIT) in the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, during this study; she is currently a first-year FIT in the Cardiac Clinical Electrophysiology Fellowship Program at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Dr Killic was an FIT in the Interventional Cardiology Program at Brown University during this study; she is currently on the faculty at the University of Oregon Health and Science Center in Portland, Oregon. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund programme supported research and scaling up of nutrition‐ and gender‐sensitive agriculture innovations from 2009 to 2018. Women and girls were identified as agents of change and were targeted as the main programme beneficiaries. Projects were implemented in 25 countries through multistakeholder partnerships among universities, research institutions, public and private sectors, and civil society groups, reaching over 78 million people, mainly women and children. Approaches specific to nutrition included growing more nutritious crops, improving dietary diversity, value added processing, food fortification, and nutrition education. Scale‐up for impact was achieved through a number of pathways that started with evidence through rigorous research, followed by a combination of elements such as understanding local and regional contexts to identify specific bottlenecks and opportunities for the deployment and adoption of successful innovations, selecting politically effective or influential partners to lead the scaling up process, and investing in long‐term local capacity and leadership building. Overall, the knowledge generated in the programme indicate that well‐designed nutrition‐sensitive agriculture and food‐based interventions can have meaningful impacts on pathways that will lead to better health and well‐being of women and children through improving household and individual access to nutrient‐rich foods. Longer intervention times are needed to demonstrate changes in health indicators such as reduced stunting. This overview paper summarises the programme and showcases examples from studies that demonstrate the impact pathway for nutrition interventions that encompass efficacy and effectiveness studies, value‐added processing, cost effectiveness of interventions, and bringing a proven intervention to scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary care, and its transformation into Primary Health Care (PHC), has become an area of intense policy interest around the world. As part of this trend Alberta, Canada, has implemented Primary Care Networks (PCNs). These are decentralized organizations, mandated with supporting the delivery of PHC, funded through capitation, and operating as partnerships between the province's healthcare administration system and family physicians. This paper provides an implementation history of the PCNs, giving a detailed account of how people, time, and culture have interacted to implement bottom up, incremental change in a predominantly Fee-For-Service (FFS) environment. Methods: Our implementation history is built out of an analysis of policy documents and qualitative interviews. We conducted an interpretive analysis of relevant policy documents (n = 20) published since the first PCN was established. We then grounded 12 semi-structured interviews in that initial policy analysis. These interviews explored 11 key stakeholders' perceptions of PHC transformation in Alberta generally, and the formation and evolution of the PCNs specifically. The data from the policy review and the interviews were coded inductively, with participants checking our emerging analyses. Results: Over time, the PCNs have shifted from an initial Frontier Era that emphasized local solutions to local problems and featured few rules, to a present Era of Accountability that features central demands for standardized measures, governance, and co-planning with other elements of the health system. Across both eras, the PCNs have been first and foremost instruments and supporters of family physician authority and autonomy. A core group of people emerged to create the PCNs and, over time, to develop a long-term Quality Improvement (QI) vision and governance plan for them as organizations. The continuing willingness of both these groups to work at understanding and aligning one another's cultures to achieve the transformation towards PHC has been central to the PCNs' survival and success. Conclusions: Generalizable lessons from the implementation history of this emerging policy experiment include: The need for flexibility within a broad commitment to improving quality. The importance of time for individuals and organizations to learn about: quality improvement; one another's cultures; and how best to support the transformation of a system while delivering care locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities around the world seek to increase their students' learning abroad in forms like international co-op and exchange. The authors build on findings in a 2016 publication by Behrisch in this journal to focus on the correlation of perceived risk with students' completion of a learning abroad experience. Using binary logistic regression analysis, findings suggest that students' perceived risk is negatively correlated with their likelihood of completing a learning abroad experience. Drawing on approach/inhibition theory and sensation seeking literature, the authors form a picture of how risk perception interacts with other factors to influence students' completion of learning abroad. Risk is typically regarded at the institutional and student levels as something negative to avoid. Reframing risk within the university as a conversation about learning, opportunity, and cognitive processing is recommended, since learning and teaching are essential elements of universities. The goal is to increase student engagement in learning abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the results from a systematic literature review of subsistence research that was conducted in northern Canada between 1950 and 2019. Our analysis identified trends in subsistence research, including the breadth of research topics, influential scholars and scholarship, and the emergence of research networks. Our results identified 245 publications authored by a multidisciplinary network of 365 scholars. Research conducted through ArcticNet and the International Polar Year is responsible for 75% (n = 183 of 245) of all subsistence-related publications during this period. Subsistence publications cover a wide range of topics, including climate change, nutrition, and wildlife management, but Indigenous food culture and the roles of women in subsistence have received comparatively less scholarly attention. Given the profound changes occurring in northern Canada, whether a result of anthropogenic or non-anthropogenic disturbances, greater attention to the cultural and gendered dimensions of subsistence will be particularly valuable to northern scholarship and the public policies it can inform. This attention will be increasingly necessary in a time when critical thinking about the future of subsistence in northern Canada is of critical need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the relationship between cultural continuity and health among Métis people as well as how this knowledge could be translated into cancer prevention initiatives. We included any Métis-specific literature evaluating connections between culture, health, and well-being. We conducted electronic searches of Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo, I-Portal, and hand-searched journals, and reviewed the grey literature. Based on our inclusion criteria, articles were screened and assessed for eligibility, resulting in a sample of 22 publications. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs were considered. The 22 publications included in this review were diverse, ranging from population-based studies to reports and news articles. There were no limitations to publication year, and most of the data presented in this review were published more than five years ago. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate the potential role of Métis cultural continuity in cancer prevention. The scoping review revealed the current lack of Métis-specific data regarding health and its intersectionality with culture. However, the existing literature indicates that cultural continuity for Métis appears to influence health and well-being positively. As such, there may be benefits to incorporating cultural continuity in cancer prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on a study by Jessri and colleagues, which explores the role of religion and cultural beliefs in breastfeeding behaviors of immigrant women. She discusses that the study underscores the importance of value conflicts in nutrition behavior, and highlights the lack of awareness about breastfeeding advantages. She commends the qualitative methodology used by the authors and opines that the findings emphasizes on early introduction of complementary foods.

The objective of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature on internationalization, in relation to the absence of objective and measurable performance indicators for the process of how firms sequentially enter external markets. To that end, this research develops a quantitative tool for use as a performance indicator of gradualness for firms entering external markets at a sectoral level. The performance indicator is based on firms’ export volumes, number of years operating in the export market, geographic areas targeted for export and when exports began to each area. The indicator is tested empirically in the wine sector. The main contribution of this study is the creation of a reliable international priority index, which can serve more widely as a valuable tool because of its potential use in other industry sectors and geographic areas, and which would allow the analysis of how geographically differentiated internationalization strategies develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indigenous patients often present with complex health needs in clinical settings due to factors rooted in a legacy of colonization. Healthcare systems and providers are not equipped to identify the underlying causes nor enact solutions for this complexity. This study aimed to develop an Indigenous-centered patient complexity assessment framework for urban Indigenous patients in Canada. Methods: A multi-phased approach was used which was initiated with a review of literature surrounding complexity, followed by interviews with Indigenous patients to embed their lived experiences of complexity, and concluded with a modified e-Delphi consensus building process with a panel of 14 healthcare experts within the field of Indigenous health to identify the domains and concepts contributing to health complexity for inclusion in an Indigenous-centered patient complexity assessment framework. This study details the final phase of the research. Results: A total of 27 concepts spanning 9 domains, including those from biological, social, health literacy, psychological, functioning, healthcare access, adverse life experiences, resilience and culture, and healthcare violence domains were included in the final version of the Indigenous-centered patient complexity assessment framework. Conclusions: The proposed framework outlines critical components that indicate the presence of health complexity among Indigenous patients. The framework serves as a source of reference for healthcare providers to inform their delivery of care with Indigenous patients. This framework will advance scholarship in patient complexity assessment tools through the addition of domains not commonly seen, as well as extending the application of these tools to potentially mitigate racism experienced by underserved populations such as Indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funding agencies in Canada are attempting to break down the organizational boundaries between disciplines to promote interdisciplinary research and foster the integration of the social sciences into the health research field. This paper explores the extent to which biomedical and clinician scientists’ perceptions of social science research operate as a cultural boundary to the inclusion of social scientists into this field. Results indicated that cultural boundaries may impede social scientists’ entry into the health research field through three modalities: (1) biomedical and clinician scientists’ unfavourable and ambivalent posture towards social science research; (2) their opposition to a resource increase for the social sciences; and (3) clinician scientists procedural assessment criteria for social science. The paper also discusses the merits and limitations of Tom Gieryn’s concept of boundary-work for studying social dynamics within the field of science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines state power and cultural marginalisation among Aboriginal women in a relatively remote area of north-western British Columbia, Canada. In this paper, I argue that intersecting state powers explain intra-generational ‘ethnic mobility’, that is, shifts in individual ethnic identity among Aboriginal women in this area. In order to understand these shifting identities I have used the idea of ‘structural violence’ (Farmer 2003, 8) to describe how power inequalities between people and the state affect impoverished and marginalised people in different ways, and how decisions made by others constrain their survival strategies . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education is the property of Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Sociology is the property of Canadian Journal of Sociology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using field data collected in northern Canadian communities between 1991 and 1995, this paper explores recent attempts by Canadian aboriginal peoples to determine and re-discover, on their own terms, what is meant by the expressions "traditional life" and "traditional culture." Faced with the infiltration into the north of rationalized and commercial "southern" sports and the values they imply, aboriginal Canadians have attempted to consolidate their cultural integrity through the staging of games-festivals. An examination of these games-festivals demonstrates a number of tensions or colliding identities not only between "outside" and aboriginal communities but also within aboriginal communities over the place and meaning of traditional forms of sport, games and other contests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversity of Research in Health Journal / Revue de la Diversité de la Recherche en Santé is the property of Diversity of Research in Health Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction/Objective Advance Care Planning (ACP) discussions are infrequently conducted with physicians, even fewer among minorities. We explored physicians' experiences in engaging Chinese (CH) and South Asian (SA) patients in ACP conversations to understand initiation and participation patterns, topics covered, and barriers and facilitating factors. Method Twenty-two physicians with 15%+ SA patients aged 55+ and 19 with 15%+ CH patients aged 55+ were interviewed. Results SA- and CH-serving physicians described similar initiation patterns, cultural context, and need for standardized ACP routines. However, the SA-serving physicians described greater involvement of family members, while CH-serving physicians described more communication barriers and family members' desire to hide the diagnosis from patients. Conclusion Cultural taboos surrounding discussion around death and dying appear to influence CH older adults and families strongly. Lack of familiarity with ACP amongst the SA population accounts more for their limited engagement in ACP discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asians are the largest and fastest-growing racialized group in Canada, yet there are limited data on various aspects of health and well-being within this population. This includes the South Asian older adults' ethnoculturally informed perceptions of ageing. The study aimed to understand how social and cultural forces impact the meaning assigned to healthy ageing amongst older South Asians in Canada. We recruited with purposeful and snowball sampling strategies in Southern Ontario. We conducted in-depth focus group and individual interviews (n = 19) in five South Asian languages, employing a multilingual and cross-cultural qualitative approach. In our analysis, we identified three central themes: (a) taking care of body (b) taking care of mind and heart and (c) healthy ageing through the integration of mind and body. Our study demonstrates that older immigrants are a diverse and heterogeneous population and that their conception of healthy ageing is strongly influenced by their country of origin. This study also demonstrates how racialized foreign-born older adults might provide distinctive perspectives on the ageing process and on social theories of ageing due to their simultaneous immersion in and belonging to global majority and global minority cultures. This research also adds to the limited body of literature on the theories of ageing, despite migration trends, still has a white-centric lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous participation in land-based practices such as hunting, fishing, ceremony, and land care has a long history. In recent years, researchers and policy makers have advocated the benefits of these practices for both Indigenous people and the places they live. However, there have also been documented risks associated with participation in these activities. Environmental change brought about by shifts in land use, climate changes, and the accumulation of contaminants in the food chain sit alongside equally rapid shifts in social, economic and cultural circumstances, preferences and practices. To date, the literature has not offered a wide-ranging review of the available cross-disciplinary or cross-ecozone evidence for these intersecting benefits and risks, for both human and environmental health and wellbeing. By utilising hunting as a case study, this paper seeks to fill part of that gap through a transdisciplinary meta-analysis of the international literature exploring the ways in which Indigenous participation in land-based practices and human-environmental health have been studied, where the current gaps are, and how these findings could be used to inform research and policy. The result is an intriguing summary of disparate research that highlights the patchwork of contradictory understandings, and uneven regional emphasis, that have been documented. A new model was subsequently developed that facilitates a more in-depth consideration of these complex issues within local-global scale considerations. These findings challenge the bounded disciplinary and geographic spaces in which much of this work has occurred to date, and opens a dialogue to consider the importance of approaching these issues holistically.

Background: Breastfeeding is a gift from mother to child and has a wide range of positive health, social and cultural impacts on infants. The link between bottle feeding and the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) is well documented. In Aboriginal communities, the higher rates of ECC are linked with low rates of breast feeding and inappropriate infant feeding of high sugar content liquids. Methods: The Baby Teeth Talk Study (BTT) is one project that is exploring the use of four interventions (motivational interviewing, anticipatory guidance, fluoride varnish and dental care to expectant mothers) for reducing the prevalence of ECC in infants within Aboriginal communities. This research explored cultural based practices through individual interviews and focus groups with older First Nations women in the community. Results: Participants in a First Nations community identified cultural based practices that have also been used to promote healthy infant feeding and good oral health. A wide range of themes related to oral health and infant feeding emerged. However, this paper focusses on three themes including: breastfeeding attitudes, social support for mothers and birthing and supporting healthy infant feeding through community programs. Conclusions: The importance of understanding cultural health traditions is essential for those working in oral public health capacities to ensure there is community acceptance of the interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology & Criminology / Revue Canadienne des Études Supérieures en Sociologie et Criminologie is the property of Paladin Academic Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The demand for better representation of cultural considerations in environmental management is increasingly evident. As two cases in point, ecosystem service approaches increasingly include cultural services, and resource planners recognize indigenous constituents and the cultural knowledge they hold as key to good environmental management. Accordingly, collaborations between anthropologists, planners, decision makers and biodiversity experts about the subject of culture are increasingly common-but also commonly fraught. Those whose expertise is culture often engage in such collaborations because they worry a practitioner from 'elsewhere' will employ a 'measure of culture' that is poorly or naively conceived. Those from an economic or biophysical training must grapple with the intangible properties of culture as they intersect with economic, biological or other material measures. This paper seeks to assist those who engage in collaborations to characterize cultural benefits or impacts relevant to decision-making in three ways; by: (i) considering the likely mindset of would-be collaborators; (ii) providing examples of tested approaches that might enable innovation; and (iii) characterizing the kinds of obstacles that are in principle solvable through methodological alternatives. We accomplish these tasks in part by examining three cases wherein culture was a critical variable in environmental decision making: risk management in New Zealand associated with Māori concerns about genetically modified organisms; cultural services to assist marine planning in coastal British Columbia; and a decision-making process involving a local First Nation about water flows in a regulated river in western Canada. We examine how 'culture' came to be manifest in each case, drawing from ethnographic and cultural-models interviews and using subjective metrics (recommended by theories of judgment and decision making) to express cultural concerns. We conclude that the characterization of cultural benefits and impacts is least amenable to methodological solution when prevailing cultural worldviews contain elements fundamentally at odds with efforts to quantify benefits/impacts, but that even in such cases some improvements are achievable if decision-makers are flexible regarding processes for consultation with community members and how quantification is structured., (Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Evidence suggests that immigrant women having different ethnocultural backgrounds than those dominant in the host country have difficulty during their access to and reception of maternity care services, but little knowledge exists on how factors such as ethnic group and cultural beliefs intersect and influence health care access and outcomes. Amongst immigrant populations in Canada, refugee women are one of the most vulnerable groups and pregnant women with immediate needs for health care services may be at higher risk of health problems. This paper describes findings from the qualitative dimension of a mixed-methodological study., Methods: A focused ethnographic approach was conducted in 2010 with Sudanese women living in an urban Canadian city. Focus group interviews were conducted to map out the experiences of these women in maternity care, particularly with respect to the challenges faced when attempting to use health care services., Results: Twelve women (mean age 36.6 yrs) having experience using maternity services in Canada within the past two years participated. The findings revealed that there are many beliefs that impact upon behaviours and perceptions during the perinatal period. Traditionally, the women mostly avoid anything that they believe could harm themselves or their babies. Pregnancy and delivery were strongly believed to be natural events without need for special attention or intervention. Furthermore, the sub-Saharan culture supports the dominance of the family by males and the ideology of patriarchy. Pregnancy and birth are events reflecting a certain empowerment for women, and the women tend to exert control in ways that may or may not be respected by their husbands. Individual choices are often made to foster self and outward-perceptions of managing one's affairs with strength., Conclusion: In today's multicultural society there is a strong need to avert misunderstandings, and perhaps harm, through facilitating cultural awareness and competency of care rather than misinterpretations of resistance to care.

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Sociology is the property of Canadian Journal of Sociology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Why, in the midst of public debates related to religion, are unrepresentative orthodox perspectives often positioned as illustrative of a religious tradition? How can more representative voices be encouraged? Political theorist Anne Phillips (2007) suggests that facilitating multi-voiced individual engagements effectively dismantles the monopolies of the most conservative that tend to privilege maleness. In this paper, with reference to the 2003--2005 faith-based arbitration debate in Ontario, Canada, I show how, in practice, Phillips' approach is unwieldy and does not work well in a sound-bite-necessitating culture. Instead, I argue that the "Sharia Debate" served as a catalyst for mainstream conservative Muslim groups in Ontario to develop public relations apparatuses that better facilitate the perspectives of everyday religious conservatives in the public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Social Work Review / Revue Canadienne de Service Social is the property of Canadian Association for Social Work Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the current paper was to examine the equivalence of the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher rating measure of school readiness, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. The current study used an approach, which analyzes the structure and properties of the EDI at the subdomain level. Similar subdomain score distributions would suggest that the EDI measures subdomains similarly for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups, whereas systematic variations in distributions would suggest the presence of bias at the subdomain level. The EDI was completed on a population of kindergarteners in 2003 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Results indicate that mean scores for all the domains and subdomains were significantly lower for Aboriginal children. However, the distributions of subdomains in which children were rated as 'challenges exist' were similar among both groups. The findings suggest an equivalent structure of the EDI at the subdomains level for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. The next step is to examine the specific correlates, beyond the structure of the EDI, that are associated with disparities in EDI subdomain scores, such as contextual factors and social conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Sociology is the property of Canadian Journal of Sociology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper addresses the need for making connections between and among cultures, especially among Aboriginal and dominant cultures. The context of the paper is one in which we compare and contrast three Aboriginal cultures: the Adnyamathanha people of South Australia, the Sechelt people of Canada, and the Paiwan people of Taiwan. In the act of making connections, we suggest that several themes need to be addressed. The first theme is cultural memory: connections with land. Immersing oneself in the three Aboriginal cultures highlighted here, it is clear that cultural memory (oral history) is deeply tied to connections with land. The second theme is cultural performance: creating and living connections. Rather than conceptualizing visual products as art, we suggest cultural performance as a concept which embraces the integrated nature of culture. Culture is performed through the participation of creators and viewers within a cultural context. The third theme is one of cultural translation: connections for art education. Coming to understand another culture is an act of cultural translation, an act that can only represent a partial understanding from a personal perspective. Through recognizing and respecting cultural memory and cultural performance, art educators may be better able to act as cultural translators alongside members in cultural groups wishing to engage students in learning about their cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A content analysis of values in dominant culture magazines in the United States, Canada and Great Britain during 1957-59, 1967-69 and 1970-72 indicated a priority on instrumentalism and little shifting in overall value preference over time. This appears to be contrary to predictions made by counterculture observers that Western society was changing rapidly toward a countercultural ideology. A similar analysis of the underground press in the same countries during 1967-69 and 1970-72 revealed a marked shift from expressive priorities during the earlier period to political priorities during the later period. These findings and their implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to the migration that were published in several periodicals. One of the papers discussed is "Gentility: A French-Canadian Community in the Minnesota Red River Valley," by V. Berroit. The history of the settlement of French Canadians in Gentility, a township in Polk County in the Red River Valley of North-Western Minnesota. "For the most part, French Canadian immigrants remained culturally and spiritually faithful to a socio-ecclesiastical structure and that not only gave them individual independence by being basically rural, but assured them of their survival as a group by virtue of its village-like character. Another paper discussed is "Immigration Policies and Trends: A Comparison of Canada and the United States," by M. Byod. This paper discusses recent migration to North America with reference to the 1962 and 1967 Canadian immigration regulations and the 1965 U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. Despite the similar emphasis on manpower and kinship criteria as the basis for the admission of immigrants, differences between Canada and the U.S. exist with respect to the importance of immigration for the respective economies, the organization of immigration, the formal regulations, and the size and composition of migrant streams.

Background: Perceived financial security impacts physical, mental, and social health and overall wellbeing at community and population levels. Public health action on this dynamic is even more critical now that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated financial strain and reduced financial wellbeing. Yet, public health literature on this topic is limited. Initiatives targeting financial strain and financial wellbeing and their deterministic effects on equity in health and living conditions are missing. Our research-practice collaborative project addresses this gap in knowledge and intervention through an action-oriented public health framework for initiatives targeting financial strain and wellbeing. Methods: The Framework was developed using a multi-step methodology that involved review of theoretical and empirical evidence alongside input from a panel of experts from Australia and Canada. In an integrated knowledge translation approach, academics (n = 14) and a diverse group of experts from government and non-profit sectors (n = 22) were engaged throughout the project via workshops, one-on-one dialogues, and questionnaires. Results: The validated Framework provides organizations and governments with guidance for the design, implementation, and assessment of diverse financial wellbeing- and financial strain-related initiatives. It presents 17 priority actionable areas (i.e., entry points for action) likely to have long-lasting, positive effects on people's financial circumstances, contributing to improved financial wellbeing and health. The 17 entry points relate to five domains: Government (All Levels), Organizational & Political Culture, Socioeconomic & Political Context, Social & Cultural Circumstances, and Life Circumstances. Conclusions: The Framework reveals the intersectionality of root causes and consequences of financial strain and poor financial wellbeing, while also reinforcing the need for tailored actions to promote socioeconomic and health equity for all people. The dynamic, systemic interplay of the entry points illustrated in the Framework suggest opportunities for multi-sectoral, collaborative action across government and organizations towards systems change and the prevention of unintended negative impacts of initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accessing healthcare for immigrants in Canada is complicated by many difficulties. With the continued and upward trend of immigration to Canada, it is crucial to identify the solutions to the barriers from the perspectives of different immigrant communities as they encounter them including the relatively smaller and less studied population groups of immigrants. As such, Nepalese immigrants in Canada are a South Asian ethnic group who have their own distinct language, culture, and socio-economic backgrounds, however, their experience with accessing healthcare in Canada is scarce in the literature. Methods: We conducted 12 focus group discussions with first-generation Nepalese immigrants who had experiences with primary care use in Canada. Informed consent and demographic information were obtained before each focus group discussion. The verbatim transcription of the focus groups was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The participants expressed a range of potential solutions to overcome the barriers, which we presented using the socio-ecological framework into 4 different levels. This includes individual-, community-, service provider-, and government/policy-levels. Individual-level actions included improving self-awareness and knowledge of health in general and navigating the healthcare system and proactively improving the language skills and assimilating into the Canadian culture. Examples of community-level actions included community events to share health information with immigrants, health literacy programs, and driving/carpooling to clinics or hospitals. Actions at the service provider level were mainly focused on enhancing communications, cultural competency training for providers, and ensuring to hire primary care workforce representing various ethnocultural backgrounds. Overall, focus group participants believed that the provincial and federal government, as appropriate, should increase support for dental and vision care support and take actions to increase the healthcare capacity, particularly by employing internationally graduated health professionals. Conclusions: Access to primary care is essential for the health of immigrant populations in Canada. Individuals, community organizations, health service providers, and governments need to work both individually and collaboratively to improve immigrants' primary care access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study is to address the health beliefs and health behavior of Chinese immigrants residing in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia (BC) Province in Canada. This article discussed Chinese immigrants' traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use, health beliefs, and health behaviors. Methods: Information used in this study is based on data collected in the Chinese-speaking community in the Greater Vancouver area of BC in 2020–2022. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to this study. The first stage recruited 314 participants for the quantitative study to cross-validate an instrument tool, followed by the 2nd stage of 20 stratified random sampling out of the 314 participants for TCM-related in-depth qualitative interviews. This study focuses on the second stage of TCM qualitative interviews. Results: Results indicated that TCM health beliefs have cultural and spiritual meanings tied to the Chinese-speaking participants. There are barriers for the Chinese-speaking population to access the existing healthcare services due to their TCM health beliefs and other health needs, for example, family doctors, integrated medicine for better health outcomes, and mental health services especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Conclusion: Integrating TCM health beliefs and behaviors of Chinese-speaking immigrants into existing Canadian mainstream health services are strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) Canadians are seldom explored in the Canadian context. Family physicians act as a gateway to the rest of the healthcare system and are necessary to provide proper patient care. However, Canada's history with colonialism may impact the socio-cultural context in which patients receive care. 41 participants from Waterloo Region, Ontario, were engaged in eight focus groups to discuss their experiences in the healthcare system. Data were analysed following thematic analysis. Style of care, racism and discrimination and a lack of cultural competence hindered access. oor Inadequate cultural competence was attributed to western and biomedical approaches, poor understanding of patients' context, physicians failing to address specific health concerns, and racism and discrimination. Participants highlighted that the two facilitators to care were having an ACB family physician and fostering positive relationships with physicians. Participants predominantly expressed dissatisfaction in physicians' approaches to care, which were compounded by experiences of racism and discrimination. Findings demonstrate how ACB patients are marginalized and excluded from the healthcare syste Iimplications for better access to care included utilizing community healthcare centres, increasing physicians' capacity around culturally inclusive care, and increasing access to ACB physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social connectedness and engagement are particularly important among groups who are at risk of experiencing social isolation, such as immigrant older adults. The objective of our study was to understand the social relationships of aging Muslim Lebanese immigrants living in Canada by exploring their lives in their ethnic and wider communities. This study used a life course perspective and adopted a constructivist narrative inquiry to understand the diverse lived experiences of four older adults who immigrated to Canada during early adulthood. Participants engaged in a narrative interview and follow-up session in which they storied their lived experiences. Findings describe one core theme, cultivating social relationships through family, friends, and community interdependence, and three related sub-themes: (1) navigating and creating family interdependence and planting new roots; (2) family interdependence in later life: the important role of grandchildren; and (3) cultivating ethnic and local interdependence to support aging in place. The participants' stories provided an understanding of how culture, religion, aging, family, and immigration experiences interrelated throughout their life course and shaped their social relationships during later life. This study sheds new insight on the importance of culturally tailored activities and awareness about the social needs of immigrant older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Samuel Huntington theorized in The Soldier and the State that rather than make the military in the image of society (subjective control), both superior civilian control and military outcomes would result if the military was allowed its own sphere and culture, shaped by military requirements (objective control). Since 1963, the Canadian Armed Forces have argued for objective control, while political leadership and the country have largely paid little attention to military demands for greater social independence. An examination of defense policy, the "civilianization" crisis, the Somalia Inquiry, and diversity legislation and programs demonstrate the triumph of subjective control. This article concludes that subjective control has had costs to civilians in military shirking and to the military in alienation from its parent society. Huntington remains useful, but it is time to consider modern alternatives to understand civil-military relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous literature has applied system-focused structures to understand the success of First Nations Peoples' nutrition and exercise group programmes. Existing system-focused measures have included biomedical outcomes, access and service utilization. By broadening the focus of programme success beyond the system, we can evaluate programmes from a First Nations Peoples' lifeworld perspective. Critical hermeneutics and yarning using a lens of Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action to the literature has the potential to transform understandings of "success" in First Nations Peoples' nutrition and exercise group programmes. In this literature interpretation, we explored the critical success factors from a lifeworld perspective, giving scope to go beyond a system perspective to include a cultural, social or personal perspective. Our yarning led us to understand that there is a communicative relationship between explicit system structures and implicit lifeworld concepts that are critical success factors for First Nations nutrition and exercise group programmes. We have developed a set of reflective questions to guide others in considering a lifeworld perspective. Our findings represent a shift away from success measured by the dominant power structure to respect the lifeworld culture, knowledges and values of First Nations Peoples towards shared understanding and mutual decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]