The purpose of this current study was to determine the role of acculturation, ethnic identity, and religious fatalism regarding attitudes towards seeking psychological help among Coptic (Egyptian Christian) Americans. In addition, differences between groups of gender and generational status, first-generation adult immigrants versus U.S.-born second-generation Copts, were analyzed. The study had a total sample of 91 individuals that self-identified as Coptic by race and/or Coptic Orthodox by religion, who voluntarily completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Results indicate that ethnic identity and acculturation are strong predictors of religious fatalistic beliefs, and those who identified as having more Arab ethnic identity and less assimilation to dominate culture have stronger religious fatalistic beliefs than those who identified with more western culture and an American ethnic identity. However, religious fatalism and ethnic identity were not significant predictors of attitudes towards seeking psychological help, and other variables such as stigma, language barriers, and skepticism of western psychology may be better predictors of attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Between groups comparisons identified subtle differences between males and females, and between first and second-generation Coptic Americans on acculturation, ethnic identity, and religious fatalism, but the groups were not statistically significant from one another. Clinical implications and directions for future research will also be discussed.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of first-generation, highly educated Iranian women who came to Canada to pursue further education in a ‘just’, ‘safe’, and ‘peaceful’ place. The research has revealed that these women who were fleeing from an ‘oppressive’ and ‘unjust’ Iranian regime face new challenges and different forms of oppression in Canada. This dissertation examines some of the challenges that these women face at their place of work and/or at graduate school. The research findings are based on narratives of eleven Iranian women who participated in in-depth interviews in the summer of 2008. These women, whose ages range from 26 to 55 and are of diverse marital status, all hold an academic degree from Iran. They were also all enrolled in different graduate schools and diverse disciplines in Ontario universities at the time of the interviews. The research findings indicate that their presence in Canada became more controversial after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade centers in New York. Historically, the social images imposed on Middle Eastern women derive from the Orientalism that arose following the colonization of the Middle East by Western imperialists. The perpetuation of such images after the 9/11 attack has created a harsh environment for the participants in this research. After 9/11 most immigrants from the Middle East were assumed to be Muslim and Arab, which many North Americans came to equate with being a terrorist. In order to analyze the participants’ voices and experiences, I have adopted a multi-critical theoretical perspective that includes Orientalism, anti-colonialism and integrative anti-racist feminist perspectives, so as to be equipped with the tools necessary to investigate and expose the roots of racism, oppression and discrimination of these marginalized voices. The findings of this research fall under six interrelated themes: adaptation, stereotyping, discrimination, being silenced, strategy of resistance, and belonging to Canadian society/ graduate school. One of the important results of this research is that, regardless of the suffering and pain that the participants feel in Canadian graduate school and society, they prefer to stay in Canada because of the socio-political climate in Iran.

Harming the dignity of the learner; refusing to hear his side of the story; neglecting to help him retrieve his stolen property : such are the unfortunate occurrences at many South African schools, and such are the experiences that have led to this research. Dedicated educators sometimes default, leaving their wronged learners out m the cold. The questions are therefore: • What causes this conduct of educators and why does it recur? • Is it ignorance of their legal position? • Is it insensitivity to common law principles and statutory provisions? • Is it sheer carelessness? Mindful of the introduction of the South African Constitution Act 108 of 1996, wh1ch contains the long-awaited Bill of Fundamental Rights, this study has been undertaken to give an educational-juridical perspective of the educator-learner relationship 1n South African public schools by means of a literature study and an elementary legal comparative study. Various legal terms which influence the educator-learner relationship significantly are defined. In conjunction with the private law status of the learner, the position of the learner within the school system, and the fundamental rights of the learner in the context of the administration of justice are identified and dealt with in so far as they have any bearing on the educator-learner relationship, Moreover, the legal determinants of the educator-learner relationship and the educator's duty of care are pinpointed to determine their significance in an accountable, responsive and open educator-learner relationship, A comparative school law perspective of the sources of school law, the duties and responsibilities of educators, the fundamental rights and legal obligations of the learner, the educator's duty of care, discipline and legal liability in England and Wales, Canada, Japan, and South Africa is presented in terms of similarities and differences, Attention is paid to the necessity of informing educators and learners concerning their respective rights and duties, in order to develop accountable, responsive and open educator-learner relationships in South African schools, / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000

Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of first-generation, highly educated Iranian women who came to Canada to pursue further education in a ‘just’, ‘safe’, and ‘peaceful’ place. The research has revealed that these women who were fleeing from an ‘oppressive’ and ‘unjust’ Iranian regime face new challenges and different forms of oppression in Canada. This dissertation examines some of the challenges that these women face at their place of work and/or at graduate school. The research findings are based on narratives of eleven Iranian women who participated in in-depth interviews in the summer of 2008. These women, whose ages range from 26 to 55 and are of diverse marital status, all hold an academic degree from Iran. They were also all enrolled in different graduate schools and diverse disciplines in Ontario universities at the time of the interviews. The research findings indicate that their presence in Canada became more controversial after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade centers in New York. Historically, the social images imposed on Middle Eastern women derive from the Orientalism that arose following the colonization of the Middle East by Western imperialists. The perpetuation of such images after the 9/11 attack has created a harsh environment for the participants in this research. After 9/11 most immigrants from the Middle East were assumed to be Muslim and Arab, which many North Americans came to equate with being a terrorist. In order to analyze the participants’ voices and experiences, I have adopted a multi-critical theoretical perspective that includes Orientalism, anti-colonialism and integrative anti-racist feminist perspectives, so as to be equipped with the tools necessary to investigate and expose the roots of racism, oppression and discrimination of these marginalized voices. The findings of this research fall under six interrelated themes: adaptation, stereotyping, discrimination, being silenced, strategy of resistance, and belonging to Canadian society/ graduate school. One of the important results of this research is that, regardless of the suffering and pain that the participants feel in Canadian graduate school and society, they prefer to stay in Canada because of the socio-political climate in Iran.

The focus of this practical theological study is the analysis of the life and worship of the Perth Asian Christian Community in the New Life City Church, where we note fast maturation of Christians with a desire to complete the Great Commission. As participant observer using the qualitative method, I was able to identify how the NLCC is wall-less by interviewing different groups within the church and two Western sample groups. To accomplish this, Chapter two analyses the Western and Asian churches’ understanding of the concepts ‘church’ and ‘church growth’. The evaluations showed a difference in understanding. This prompted an inquiry in chapter three into their understanding of the Great Commission from the Western and Asian viewpoint against the Biblical understanding thereof. The intention of NLCC groups interviewed in Chapters four to eight was to detect what they perceived as helping them mature as Christians, considering many are first-generation Christians. The groups interviewed included founder members, first-generation Christians, youth group leaders, returned NLCC missionaries and the pastor. By Chapter nine it was established that the Asian Christian understood worship in a broader context. Chapter ten summarises the interpreted data of the groups interviewed and identifies stimulants for maturation of individual Christians in a post-Christian environment. The broader understanding of worship is discussed. These guidelines form the building blocks for a practical theological theory of church growth. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This study sought to explore the lived experiences of five female, first-generation, low-income students who attend a metropolitan commuter university, and investigate how a structured undergraduate research experience exerts influence on the women's academic and social involvement. A qualitative case study with a narrative and grounded theory analysis was selected as the most appropriate approach for exploring this topic and addressing the guiding research questions. Interview and journal data were collected and analyzed to identify significant themes. The importance of finding an academic home, the significance of interacting with faculty and peers, and the validation of a metropolitan commuter university education through a scholar development process emerged as significant findings. Implications and recommendations on programmatic and institutional levels are included, as well as suggestions for future research.

Un grand nombre des nouveaux immigrants au Canada, âgés de 15 à 44 ans, envisagent de poursuivre leurs études ou leur formation au postsecondaire puisque, pour eux, la formation et la connaissance des langues officielles du Canada constituent la clé de la réussite sur le marché du travail (Bonikowska, Green et Riddell, 2008 ; Statistique Canada, 2003, 2005). Or, des recherches démontrent que bien qu’ils aient accès aux études postsecondaires, leur niveau de performance scolaire est plus faible que la moyenne des étudiants natifs du pays où ils se sont établis (Bonikowska, Green et Riddell, 2008 ; La Cité collégiale, 2005 ; Marmolejo, Manley-Casimir et Vincent-Lancrin, 2008 ; Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques [OCDE], 2006). De plus, des difficultés d’ordres linguistique, scolaire et socioculturel font obstacle à leur apprentissage et à leur intégration au milieu scolaire (Gaudet et Loslier, 2009). Ces difficultés freinent la réussite scolaire et l’intégration à la communauté d’accueil et risquent même de décourager les immigrants au point de les voir quitter la communauté francophone en milieu minoritaire au profit de la majorité anglophone (Quell, 2008). Pourtant, bien que le taux de décrochage soit élevé chez cette portion de la population immigrante (Statistique Canada, 2008) et malgré les difficultés rencontrées durant leur parcours scolaire, plusieurs obtiennent leur diplôme de fin d’études et certains le font avec mention de succès (Proulx et Duchesne, 2012). Dans ce contexte, nous avons étudié les expériences étudiantes des immigrants de première génération inscrits au collégial et tenté de comprendre leur processus d’intégration sociale et scolaire au milieu francophone en situation minoritaire en Ontario. À partir de leur expérience, la visée de cette recherche était de répondre à la question de recherche suivante : Quelles expériences étudiantes d’intégration sociale et scolaire réussie vivent les étudiants immigrants de première génération au collégial en milieu scolaire francophone minoritaire en Ontario ? Cette recherche visait notamment à répondre aux sous-questions de recherche suivantes : a) Comment les étudiants immigrants de première génération au collégial définissent-ils une intégration réussie au milieu scolaire francophone en situation minoritaire ?, b) Quel(s) processus d’intégration vivent-ils ? et finalement c) Comment contribuent-ils à leur nouvelle communauté scolaire et sociale francophone en situation minoritaire ? Pour y arriver, cinq grands concepts constituaient notre cadre conceptuel afin de délimiter notre espace de recherche et de mieux saisir les enjeux de notre sujet : l’intégration scolaire et l’intégration sociale de Tinto (1993, 2012), le métier d’étudiant de Coulon (2005), l’expérience étudiante de Dubet (1994) et la représentation sociale de Jodelet (2009). Nous avons également conduit une recherche qualitative interprétative par l’application de la méthode descriptive phénoménologique de Giorgi (1997, 2012) pour recueillir et analyser les données recueillie au cours d’entretiens semi-dirigés auprès de quinze étudiants immigrants âgés de 20 à 39 ans. Tous les répondants étaient inscrits dans un programme technique d’une institution d’enseignement collégiale à Ottawa (Ontario) en contexte francophone minoritaire. Notre étude nous a permis d’élaborer les définitions de l’intégration scolaire et sociale réussie découlant des représentations des participants. Nous avons été en mesure de proposer un modèle interdépendant de leurs processus d’intégration scolaire et sociale réussie. Ensuite, les récits de leur expérience étudiante suivis des défis rencontrés par les participants et des stratégies qu’ils ont mises en place pour surmonter ceux-ci ont été exposés. Enfin, les résultats de notre recherche ont offert une description des principales contributions que les participants ont pu apporter à leur communauté. Tous les résultats ont également été discutés à l’aide de la recension des écrits et du cadre conceptuel.

Using factors of low income, parents' levels of education, and family composition as determinants of educationally at-risk status, study investigated differences between first generation, undergraduate college students from families in lowest quintile of income in the U.S, One group consisted of students from single-parent households and the other of students from two-parent households. Data were from CIRP 2003 College Student Survey (CSS) and its matched data from the Freshman Survey (Student Information Form - SIF). Differences examined included student inputs, involvements, outcomes, and collegiate environments. Included is portrait of low income, first generation college students who successfully navigated U.S. higher education. The number of cases dropped from 15,601 matched SIF/CSS cases to 308 cases of low income, first generation college students (175 from single-parent households and 133 from two-parent households). Most of the 308 attended private, 4-year colleges. Data yielded more similarities than differences between groups. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) existed in 9 of 100 variables including race/ ethnicity, whether or not English was first language, and concern for ability to finance education as freshman. Data were not generalizable to all low income, first generation college students because of lack of public, 4-year and 2-year colleges and universities in dataset. Graduating seniors' average expected debt in June 2003 was $23,824 for students from single-parent households and $19,867 for those from two-parent households. 32% from single-parent households and 22% from two-parent households expected more than $25,000 of debt. Variables used on SIF proved effective tools to develop derived variables to identify low income, first generation college students from single-parent and two-parent households within CIRP database. Methodology to develop derived variables is explained.

Immigration is a common phenomenon in contemporary society and results in challenges withmaintaining cultural identity while integrating with a new culture. This is particularlyimportant in the family unit, where first-generation immigrant communities may havedifferent levels of experience and cultural values compared to their offspring (Secondgeneration immigrants). Integration in second-generation immigrants is often related tobilingualism and the concept of a dual social identity, embracing elements of host and nativeculture. The aim of this study was to explore the perspective of parents on the role ofbilingualism on integration and identity in their children. A sample of five families, originallyfrom Afghanistan and now living in Sweden, was purposively selected to complete semistructured interviews exploring bilingualism, social identity and integration. The findings ofthese interviews revealed three key themes relating to the adoption of Swedish identity bychildren, the loss of Afghani identity, and the role of the school and society in facilitatingthese identities.Overall, the interview data suggested that children living in Sweden identified as Swedish andengaged in cultural and social activities consistent with integration. Bilingualism was animportant aspect of holding a largely Swedish identity, although parents valued dual identityof children. Often, immersion in Swedish culture and limited opportunities to socialise as anAfghani cultural unit were viewed as threats to maintaining or developing a clear Afghaniidentity. The role of schools, parents and society in general is considered important in theseprocesses, particularly with regards to supporting cultural and religious values of the familyunit, while promoting successful integration. Bilingualism was universally viewed as apositive tool that could facilitate integration and dual identity, where suitable opportunitiesarose. / <p>Grade A</p>

Nontraditional college student enrollment in the United States is rapidly growing and is predicted to continue to increase. Similarly, female students are currently the majority student population on college campuses. Although numerous studies document college student experiences, few focus on first-generation Latinas who are student-mothers at community colleges. The purpose of this study was to explore the educational experiences of first-generation Latina nontraditional student-mothers enrolled at a community college in California to identify the ways in which grit (ganas) and mindsets influenced their success. This inquiry followed Moustakas’s (1994) transcendental phenomenology research process. Individual interviews of five Latinas were analyzed using Moustakas’s modification of the Van Kaam method of analysis. The findings indicate that each woman had a similar yet unique story based upon their intersectional identities and the space in which they lived in at the time of this study. These stories collectively echoed a phenomenon rooted in cultural pervasiveness and generational continuity, an urgency to break cultural norms, and the grasp on ganas and mindsets that each participant held onto while striving to reach their educational goals. The participants’ stories illuminated an unanticipated connection to my own story as a Latina student-mother in search of a higher education. This connection provided me with a deeper understanding of my educational path and the realization that ganas and mindsets also influenced my educational experiences. The implications from this study offer ways to support this specific group of students both collectively and individually. La inscripción de estudiantes del colegio no tradicionales en los Estados Unidos está creciendo rápidamente y se prevé que continúe aumentando. Del mismo modo, las alumnas son actualmente la población estudiantil mayoritaria en los colegios. Aunque numerosos estudios documentan experiencias de estudiantes de colegio, pocos se centran en latinas de primera generación que son estudiantes-madres en colegios comunitarios. El propósito de este estudio fue explorar las experiencias educativas de las madres Latinas que son estudiantes no tradicionales de primera generación inscritas en un colegio comunitario en California para identificar las maneras en que sus ganas y mentalidades influyeron en su éxito. Este estudio siguió al proceso de investigación de fenomenología trascendental de Moustakas (1994). Las entrevistas individuales de cinco Latinas fueron analizadas utilizando la modificación de Moustakas del método de análisis de Van Kaam. Los hallazgos indican que cada mujer tenía una historia similar pero única basada en sus identidades interseccionales y el espacio en el que vivían en el momento de este estudio. Estas historias hicieron eco colectivamente de un fenómeno arraigado en la omnipresencia cultural y la continuidad generacional, la urgencia de romper las normas culturales y la comprensión de las ganas y las mentalidades que cada participante aferró mientras se esforzaba por alcanzar sus metas educativas. Las historias de los participantes iluminaron una conexión imprevista con mi propia historia como estudiante-madre Latina en busca de una educación superior. Esta conexión me proporcionó una comprensión más profunda de mi camino educativo y la comprensión de que las ganas y las mentalidades también influyeron en mis experiencias educativas. Las implicaciones de este estudio ofrecen maneras de apoyar a este grupo específico de estudiantes tanto colectiva como individualmente.