Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Problemformulering: Hur skulle demokratisk lobbyism kännetecknas? Syfte: Utgångspunkten i denna uppsats har sin grund i teoretiska kriterier för hur lobbyism önskas fungera ur ett demokratiskt perspektiv. Syftet är att verka för att fylla en del av kunskap som finns gällande lobbying. Metod: Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ studie. Fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med beslutsfattare på lokal nivå har genomförts. Teoretisk referensram: Avsnittet ger en beskrivning av begreppet lobbyism samt vilka delar som ingår i fenomenet. Empirisk studie: I empirin presenteras materialet från intervjuerna. Respondenterna ger sin syn på lobbyism på lokal nivå samt sin inställning till fenomenet. Detta presenteras i tre delar. Slutsats: Studien leder fram till slutsatsen att lobbying möjligen kan vara ett hot mot demokratin om den inte genomförs på ett planerat och transparent sätt. Beslutsfattarna är positivt inställda till lobbying som de menar är en del av ett demokratiskt samhälle. / Question: How would democratic lobbying be characterized? Purpose: The starting point in this essay is based on theoretical criteria for how lobbying is desired to function from a democratic perspective. The purpose is to work to fill some of the knowledge that exists regarding lobbying. Method: The thesis is a qualitative study. Four semi-structured interviews with policymakers at the local level have been conducted. Theoretical framework: The section provides a description of the concept of lobbying and the parts that are included in the phenomenon. Empircal studies: The empirical material presents the material from the interviews. The respondents give their views on lobbying at the local level as well as their attitude to the phenomenon. This is presented in three parts. Conclusion: The study leads to the conclusion that lobbying may be a threat to democracy if it is not carried out in a planned and transparent manner. Policymakers are positive about lobbying, which they believe is part of a democratic society. / <p>2022-05-25</p>

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Advocacy is a foundational skill that contributes to professional development and enhances the mission of occupational therapy (McKinnon, 2015; Jacobs, 2012). Despite the requirement of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) for advocacy education, students report minimal understanding of advocacy, lack of understanding to the connection to practice, and minimal tools and resources to support advocacy and political action strategies during school (Lyons et al., 2015; Restall & Ripat, 2008). Without advocacy education for students, there will be less involvement in the promotion of the occupational therapy thus decreasing strength and expansion of services for the profession and the populations we serve and making it a focus of this doctoral project. L.E.A.P. or Learning to Engage in Advocacy Participation, is a theory and evidence-based on-line learning educational platform designed to address the gap in knowledge and skills for advocacy participation for occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. The self-guided interactive platform is accessible and available free-of-charge at www.OTadvocacy.com. L.E.A.P. describes the distinct value of advocacy participation. Unique characteristics of the platform include the choice of learning materials which provides participants the opportunity to access resources to support their own learning styles and an opportunity to apply concepts to participant’s interest at the end of each module, achieving a greater connection between new knowledge and one’s own context. The content and construct of the three modules L.E.A.P. are based on recommendations following a thorough literature review which identified meaningful frameworks that guide adult learners, elicit communication related to advocacy, and support constructs of online education. These theories include: Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2011), Situational Theory of Publics (Grunig, 1997), and the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison et al., 2010). Understanding the value of advocacy, knowledge of priorities and skill development for advocacy in occupational therapy contributes to disseminating the distinct value of occupational therapy to stakeholders. Therefore, advocacy has significant value on strengthening the occupational therapy profession and influencing change at the national and international levels and L.E.A.P. provides an opportunity to enhance these skills for students and clinicians.

This research explores the subjective experiences of women with mental health challenges residing in a supportive housing building in Southern Ontario. Drawing on principles of Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR), five women were brought together to engage in an arts-based workshop meant to provide the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, express themselves through alternative means, and connect with peers over shared experiences. Over six meetings, participants have been invited to contribute to group discussions by taking and analyzing photos that represent their journey while living in supportive housing. Drawing on a critical feminist and Mad Study scholarship, this project used intersectionality as its theoretical lens. This choice intends to emphasize the interconnected and compounded system of oppression that women experience when their identity intersects across various dimensions such as gender, gender expression, race, mental health status, class, and more. This research is essential because of the pervasiveness of discrimination, disempowerment and oppression of people diagnosed with a ‘serious mental illness’ and how these infiltrate relationships and social systems. However, little empirical data exists to explore the in-depth perspective of these individuals, who lack power and voice in society. In particular, women with a psychiatric diagnosis live at the intersection of multiple oppressive factors. Thus, to counterbalance oppression, it is essential to recognize these women as the experts in their lives. Moreover, women’s active participation in research and their photographs and stories offered a nuanced understanding of issues affecting them. From the photographs (visual data) and the meaning given by participants through their stories (narrative data), issues emerged related to stigmatization, gender-based violence, economic limitations, inadequate support, and various forms of discrimination. Furthermore, participants expressed their insights into desired changes within and beyond the supportive housing program. The relevance of this research is threefold: 1) it gave agency to women living in supportive housing to outline their unique needs and wants; 2) it contributed to the paucity of qualitative research situated at the intersection of gender and ‘mental illness’; 3) through KTE activities, it has the potential to inform housing and helping professionals on ways to improve housing projects, design activities, and foster residents’ engagement for this population group. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The occurrence of colorectal cancer among those over the age of 50 is decreasing; conversely, the rate of diagnosis for those under 50 years old is increasing. While medical researchers scramble to identify the cause for this increase, young onset colorectal cancer (YOCC) patients and survivors are left to navigate a new normal. This new normal often includes awkward and troublesome concerns such as scarring, colostomy bags, and bowel problems. Contrary to those diagnosed with colorectal cancer later in life, those that are diagnosed at a younger age are forced to deal with these issues for many years. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify privacy issues surrounding YOCC. Because of the significant increase in diagnoses, YOCC is now being researched independently from colorectal cancer in general. The topic of privacy has been researched in academic disciplines, including medicine. Privacy issues surrounding cancer have been researched, as well. Yet, the topic of privacy concerns facing YOCC patients/survivors has been overlooked. It is important to identify privacy concerns specific to YOCC patients/survivors as the information could help health care providers, communication scholars, and caregivers. Patient narratives were analyzed employing thematic analysis to identify privacy concerns of YOCC patients/survivors through the lens of Communication Privacy Management theory (CPM theory). Results indicated that participants discussed disclosure of their YOCC journey as a process. Within this disclosure process, YOCC patients/survivors identified specific privacy issues that influenced the way they disclosed or concealed information specific to their illness. There is a growing need for more research into the YOCC community due to the increase in diagnosis rates and their unique privacy concerns. Potential topics for future research include the impact of COVID-19, patient desire to help others, social media influence on disclosure, how patient disclosure could impact provider training, dating with YOCC, and specific demographic research.

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This qualitative study sought to understand how access, or lack of access, to a local community college can affect the self-identity of immigrant students living in southeastern Pennsylvania (PA). The primary sources of data included formal and informal interviews. Interview transcriptions, field notes, and subsequent short essay responses from participants were the primary sources of data used in evaluating their experiences. A year was spent observing and interacting with participants in a variety of settings, at home or at a nearby restaurant. Data was analyzed using triangulation matrices, coding and constant comparison methods to generate categories showing patterns and relationships of meaning. A narrative inquiry that employs the use of counterstories gives voice to the human dignity of immigrant students in the United States and their right to be acknowledged as intelligent, capable human beings with the capacity to learn and pursue their goals. An unexpected finding in this study was how the immigrant student’s struggle is amplified by racism in the form of microaggressions from classmates and employers. / Educational Leadership / Accompanied by one .pdf file: Experiences of Immigrant Students.