Thesis (doctoral)--Universiteit Utrecht, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 463-479).

Through this study, I aim to increase understanding of how young moms experience, perceive, make meaning, and conceptualize positive support within the context of service provision (education, residential services, legal services, healthcare etc.). More broadly, I aim to illuminate ways that societal notions of vulnerability and autonomy may be shifted to offer improved quality of support to young mothers and other marginalized communities. Such a shift would counter paternalistic attitudes that have historically influenced how “support” has been imposed on young mothers. Although a full transformation would take time, we may begin to undertake the necessary work of reimagining support, gradually shifting towards the goal of building capabilities toward relational autonomy. 25 moms from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in Ontario, Canada, between the ages of 16-25 years, participated in creating visual art images and/or verbally sharing what support meant to them. I engaged in a relational approach to interaction and dialogue, centering a praxis of reflexivity and ethical treatment of everyone involved in the interview process. Guided by a critical feminist framework that included intersectionality, maternal theory, and vulnerability theory, I engaged in a feminist phenomenological approach to the analysis of transcripts and co-constructed visual analysis of imagery with the moms. Study findings reveal how service provision contexts are shaped by traditional ways of understanding vulnerability and autonomy as a binary and in opposition to one another, with an overvaluation of invulnerability. Yet young moms describe that they understand positive support as a combination of both responses to the effects of exposure to sources of vulnerability and as efforts to build autonomy in relationships with service providers, infrastructure, and broader communities of care. In addition, young moms describe positive qualities of service design and delivery, such as being non-judgemental, reliable, and sensitive, with attuned and caring interactions. The combination of these qualities can facilitate a process of internalization of positive attitudes, culminating in the development of an identity as a confident caregiver. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Through this critical feminist arts-based study, I aim to increase understanding of how young moms make meaning of the concept of positive support within the context of service provision. 25 moms in Ontario, Canada, between the ages of 16-25 years, participated in creating visual art images and/or verbally sharing what support meant to them. I engaged in a relational approach to interviewing, and a feminist phenomenological approach to the analysis of transcripts and visual analysis of imagery. Study findings reveal how service provision contexts are shaped by traditional ways of understanding the concepts of vulnerability and autonomy as a binary and in opposition to one another. Yet young moms asserted that effective forms of positive support must be designed and delivered as a combination of both a response to the effects of exposure to sources of vulnerability and as efforts made to build autonomy in-connection to others and the world(s) around us.

The over-arching goal of this project is to instill hope for activists and social workers, while simultaneously exploring the narrative of my Great-Grandmother, Mrs. Marguerite Emily Cartwright, whose activist story has never truly been told. Through the use of storytelling and thematic analysis, this research will present the reader with an opportunity to explore the tools and strategies that one woman used to make a profound and lasting influence on disability services, the study of disability and persons with disabilities throughout Ontario in the 1940’s and onwards. The Study of Disability, Disability Studies and Social Justice Studies, along with storytelling literature, are both broad albeit unique areas of knowledge. This unique thesis is based on the analysis of my family’s archives of Mrs. Cartwright’s activism, through original journal entries and newspaper clippings, along with letters and personal correspondences Mrs. Cartwright wrote to prominent North American politicians, offering a window into the mind of the activist herself. Through the use of storytelling and thematic analysis, this paper explores how the themes of wielding personal power, inheriting a moral sense of justice, and the history of disability services in Ontario contributed to the telling of Mrs. Cartwright’s untold story. An analysis of Mrs. Cartwright’s activist strategies demonstrated the intersectionality of disability, critical theory, feminism and justice studies, and the use of self in advocacy. Lastly, I discuss how my own sense of social justice, epistemology and practice of social work has been impacted by the telling of this story. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

This thesis looks at the process of reunification for Indigenous children following a time in the care of the child welfare system. To understand what has been studied in the area of reunification of Indigenous children back to their families, a scoping review process is undertaken to gathering and mapping the available research. The initial search produced a total of 1823 abstracts. After applying an inclusion and exclusion reviewing process, the scoping review resulted in a total of 44 literature sources for this study. This study uses Cindy Blackstock’s Breath of Life Theory as the theoretical framework to understand and reimagine the process of reunification from the perspective of the child, the family, the worker, and substitute caregiver. The review found support for the idea that research and programs relating to reunification for Indigenous children needs to use Indigenous methods and ways of thinking. Five themes emerged from this review, the use of Indigenous ways of knowing, this theme is central throughout the literature and informs the other four themes: structural vs. individual assessment/intervention, trauma/reconciliation, connections/relationships, and Indigenous research. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

In Canada, queer men (or ‘men who have sex with men’) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, representing at least 50% of all people living with HIV/AIDS (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2012). Every year, thousands of new infections significantly increase the toll that HIV/AIDS takes on queer men and their communities. With this epidemiological reality as context, I set out to explore how my subjectivity (as a gay, HIV-positive man) was and is shaped, specifically with respect to the following HIV/AIDS-related, socio-cultural phenomena: activism, community service, ‘safer’ sex, diagnosis and criminalization. These five phenomena provide focal points (or themes) for the presentation and analysis of my experience of living with HIV/AIDS, both before and after becoming infected. Through insider knowledge, my research examines three decades of personal stories, using critical reflexivity to increase my awareness (as well as my reader’s) of the myriad challenges and complexities of living one’s life in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. / Thesis / Master of Social Welfare (MSW)

This research explored the experiences of lesbian and queer-identified women who are actively grandparenting in the context of a same-sex relationship. Most research investigating the experiences of grandparents takes a heteronormative focus and fails to acknowledge the possibility that grandparenting can take place within the context of a queer family structure. Thus, this study attempted to initiate a discussion among feminist, queer, and gerontological researchers to fill a gap in the literature on grandparenting within a same-sex context. A qualitative study of four lesbian/queer-identified couples was conducted. In semi-structured interviews, couples were interviewed together and asked questions about their involvement in the everyday lives of their grandchildren, how homophobia and heterosexism impacts their relationships with their grandchildren, and how these experiences vary (if at all) with the nature of the grandmothers’ relational ties (e.g., biologically related or non-biologically related). While the sample included some variation in terms of incomes, backgrounds and cultures, all four couples are linked into informal lesbian/ queer community networks and live in large or mid-size urban areas in southern Ontario – a relatively progressive jurisdiction with respect to same sex marriage and human rights legislation. Findings suggest that there are differences in the experiences of lesbian grandmothers based on varying relational ties and that non-biological women are particularly affected by changes in the socio-legal context and by homophobia and heterosexism within the extended family. Non-biologically related grandmothers consider their role as a grandmother to be ‘chosen;’ that is, they made a conscious decision to identify as a grandmother. Non-biologically related grandmothers also did not anticipate becoming grandmothers because they were not biological mothers; thus, the opportunity to become a grandmother contributed to a life course journey that they did not expect to have. By grandparenting openly and honestly within the context of a same-sex relationships, participants strive to prepare their grandchildren for an increasingly diverse Canadian demographic by modeling a healthy and loving ‘non-traditional’ family and by demonstrating the importance of accepting differences. With respect to implications, the findings suggest that supporting non-biological parents and grandparents will be a critical step for service providers and policy makers who are working with LGBTQ families. At the level of direct practice, these family experiences underscore the importance of recognizing and affirming these non-traditional family forms. In many settings, social work practitioners have and can seize opportunities to question, confront and revisit organizational and professional practices that fail to acknowledge them. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW) / This research explored the experiences of lesbian and queer-identified women who are actively grandparenting in the context of a same-sex relationship. Most research investigating the experiences of grandparents takes a heteronormative focus and fails to acknowledge the possibility that grandparenting can take place within the context of a queer family structure. Thus, this study attempted to initiate a discussion among feminist, queer, and gerontological researchers to fill a gap in the literature on grandparenting within a same-sex context. A qualitative study of four lesbian/queer-identified couples was conducted. In semi-structured interviews, couples were interviewed together and asked questions about their involvement in the everyday lives of their grandchildren, how homophobia and heterosexism impacts their relationships with their grandchildren, and how these experiences vary (if at all) with the nature of the grandmothers’ relational ties (e.g., biologically related or non-biologically related). While the sample included some variation in terms of incomes, backgrounds and cultures, all four couples are linked into informal lesbian/ queer community networks and live in large or mid-size urban areas in southern Ontario – a relatively progressive jurisdiction with respect to same sex marriage and human rights legislation. Findings suggest that there are differences in the experiences of lesbian grandmothers based on varying relational ties and that non-biological women are particularly affected by changes in the socio-legal context and by homophobia and heterosexism within the extended family. Non-biologically related grandmothers consider their role as a grandmother to be ‘chosen;’ that is, they made a conscious decision to identify as a grandmother. Non-biologically related grandmothers also did not anticipate becoming grandmothers because they were not biological mothers; thus, the opportunity to become a grandmother contributed to a life course journey that they did not expect to have. By grandparenting openly and honestly within the context of a same-sex relationships, participants strive to prepare their grandchildren for an increasingly diverse Canadian demographic by modeling a healthy and loving ‘non-traditional’ family and by demonstrating the importance of accepting differences. With respect to implications, the findings suggest that supporting non-biological parents and grandparents will be a critical step for service providers and policy makers who are working with LGBTQ families. At the level of direct practice, these family experiences underscore the importance of recognizing and affirming these non-traditional family forms. In many settings, social work practitioners have and can seize opportunities to question, confront and revisit organizational and professional practices that fail to acknowledge them.

Front-line service-providers are finding it challenging to address trauma-related issues within the confines of a shrinking neo-liberal environment. With larger case loads and increased focus on time and efficiency measures, front-line staff have less time available to address the more ambiguous aspects of practice, including trauma. To explore the challenges front-line staff face, a small qualitative study was conducted in which five service-providers took part. The study findings revealed that in working environments that have adopted managerial practices, the implications of 'quantity over quality' are experienced as frustrating and have various implications for the ways in which trauma is addressed. Participants in this study, expressed a deep investment in their working roles which generally has positive implications for service-users, however, the compounding results of a deep personal investment and a prescriptive case-management role may intensify the experience of working with trauma. Finally, while service-providers believe that trauma is something all service-users live with, there is a sense that the issue remains under-recognized in the mental health agency setting. This study suggests that increased trauma-focused education is essential for front-line workers, as is trauma-informed models of practice in the agency. Furthermore, there is a greater need for trauma advocacy and awareness as the issues remains stigmatized, even within the mental healthcare system. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

This study explores the subjective experiences of mothers living with HIV from Southeastern Ontario when accessing health and social services. Drawing on principles of feminist participatory action research, 5 MLWH were brought together in order to share their stories of accessing health and social services and to participate in the creation of a collage as part of the storytelling process. Intersectional feminist theory was chosen as a theoretical lens for this project to highlight the ways women’s multiple identities intersect and contribute to HIV-stigma. Emerging from the storytelling and arts based process were stories about the women’s interactions with the criminal justice system, Children’s Aid Societies, social welfare programs and women-specific supports. The key concerns that the women raised in connection to these interactions included having to re-tell their story, concerns about confidentiality and disclosure and experiencing a loss of control as a result of depending on a myriad of health and social services. In addition, the participants identified changes they would like to see within health/social services including more opportunities for peer support and an increase in services available to support the unique psychosocial challenges of MLWH. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

The institution of sport has an extensive history of heterosexism, and homophobia, making sport a problematic and unsafe space for gay-identified males. The lack of representation of gay athletes in professional sports highlights the risks associated with openly identifying one’s sexual identity within athletic settings, as gay-identified players often are faced with discrimination and harassment. As a result, gay-identified athletes may choose not to be open about their sexual identity or leave sports altogether as a way to avoid being subjected to discrimination and marginalization within athletics. Grounded in queer theory, and engaging in phenomenology and arts-informed inquiry, this study seeks to explore the ways in which gay-identified males involved in sport negotiate their identies and masculinities. After each participant was interviewed, he wrote a letter to his past self as a way to share what he had come to learn about his process of coming into his own identity and negotiating masculinity. The study interrogates how gay males experience team-based competitive sports differently than individually-based sports and personal fitness activities. Additionally, it explores the personal process of defining and embracing masculinity. Deconstructing the definition of hegemonic masculinity, this study explores how masculinity can be understood in multiple ways. Changing the heterosexist and homophobic discourse that informs the organization of sport on multiple levels creates more opportunities for gay-identified athletes to be welcomed into the arena of sport and safely access the benefits associated with competitive sports and healthy active living activities. This study brings light to the emotional and psychosocial consequences that stem from homophobia and heterosexism’s dominance in our society. The perpetual discrimination and marginalization faced by those who identify as gay males highlights the need for social work’s involvement in justice-oriented research and practice as a way to bring greater equality and equity into our communities. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Little attention has been paid in Canadian Child Welfare research to the role that training plays in engaging new workers as they enter the complex role of child protection. Focusing on learning principles such as child neglect and working with an ethno-racial Other, it was important to understand what workers took away from their engagement in training and how this was implemented in practice. A mixed methods approach using critical analysis of the OACAS Handouts was used to inform the Semi Structured Interviews conducted with frontline C.A.S. workers. Critical Race Analysis provides theoretical foundation to understand how the ethno-racial other is perceived and enacted in discourse that workers take away into practice. Findings suggest that C.A.S. workers have a conflicted view of training due to the nature and context in which they practice. Aside from the benefits of training, workers have a lot to say about how it could be structured in order to benefit practice. Workers also have complex and conflicting views on neglect, some of which are learned through training and then exacerbated through practice. Workers practice principles on engaging with an ethno-racial other was not influenced through training, but through their own learning processes as influenced by practice and earlier education. These factors relating to child welfare workers can help influence future training within C.A.S. organizations across Canada. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)