This research examines settlement services and their ability to provide assistance with social inclusion for newcomer youth in the Peel Region, Ontario. Focus groups are used to examine the experiences and perceptions of settlement services and their ability to enhance social inclusion among 44 newcomer youth. The findings indicate that newcomer youth have positive perceptions of settlement services. Furthermore, there are five arenas in which settlement services are assisting with social inclusion for newcomer youth. These include relational inclusion, labour market inclusion, spatial inclusion, educational inclusion, and socio-political inclusion. Additional research is required to examine the social inclusion impacts that settlement services have on newcomer youth over the life-course. Moreover, reconsidering government initiatives and policies involving funds for settlement services and community organizations is necessary.

This thesis focuses on Chinese immigrant women’s experiences of household work and leisure in Canada. Socialist feminist perspective is used for an analysis of in-depth conversations with ten Chinese immigrant women with children. Results show that Chinese immigrant women experienced a significant increase of household work and a dramatic decrease on leisure pursuits after immigration and/or the birth of their children, implying that gender inequalities are reproduced and reinforced. Chinese immigrant women encounter and negotiate forms of tension resulted from the striking difference of being in China and being in Canada, their change in social status and their changed gender status. This thesis may contribute background knowledge for the practitioners in recreational programs and social works specialized in immigrant settlement services. Future research could be the motives for immigration, the actual experiences of immigration; a comparative study between Chinese immigrant women and women of other ethnicities is also suggested.

The objective of this study was to understand the adaptation challenges and solutions experienced by immigrant coaches relocated to Canada. Ten high performance immigrant coaches were recruited, each completing a demographic questionnaire and partaking in an individual interview, providing insight into their experiences and cultural challenges. Results of the study were presented under two central themes: a) communication (language barriers and coach-athlete negotiations), and b) socialization (Canadian sport backdrop and views of sport in the immigrant coach’s home versus host country). A common adaptation solution was the importance of social support resources, with the immigrant coaches adjusting with less acculturative stress when a reciprocal relationship was developed between themselves and those they worked with. From this preliminary project there is an indication that sport psychology consultants (SPCs) should work with immigrant coaches, and coaches and athletes of the host country to foster this bi-directional learning processes, facilitating the coaches’ transition.

Abstract The purpose of this practicum project was to facilitate access to mental health services and those health services that address issues causing emotional distress for new Francophone non English-speaking arrivals in the City of Winnipeg. The objectives were 1) to uncover Francophone mental health and specialized health resources in the city of Winnipeg, 2) to identify barriers, attitudes, and access issues pertaining to Francophone services, 3) to develop a directory of Francophone resources and links for health care professionals and other essential providers, and 4) to develop recommendations for future study and consideration. The project was implemented through telephone interviewing of 24 administrators and direct providers in 19 agencies that provided mental health and specialized health services, as well as refugee and immigration agencies. The study used qualitative methods and a semi-structured survey interview design. Via analysis of the results, the project presents an argument that language barriers are indeed preventing access to care for Francophone immigrants, refugees and international students in the City of Winnipeg. This was widely stated by participants from key organizations that work with this aggregate population on an occasional to a frequent basis. It is also evident that, with use of Bachrach’s Continuity of Care Dimensions/Principles, continuity of care for this population is equally compromised because of language barriers, lack of culturally sensitive providers, and lack of Francophone providers.

This study examines the use of language learning strategies by a group of adult immigrant learners of English attending government-funded classes in Australia. It attempts to identify the language learning strategies reported by the learners and the particular factors which are influential on their use. / The study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on language learning strategy use. The quantitative data comprised the responses of 154 learners to the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, 1990), while protocols such as classroom observation, stimulated recall and think-aloud protocols, and individual and group interviews with the investigator were employed to gather qualitative data on strategy use from nineteen of the original 154 learners. / The subjects’ response scores to two of the six SILL subscales, Compensation and Affective, were discarded after analyses of reliability revealed that those quantitative data were not reliable. The remaining four subscales were then analysed using SPSS. Coding and analyses of the qualitative data were conducted using the computer software Non numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching and Theory-building (NUD*IST). / Results of the analysis of subjects’ responses to the SILL indicated a ‘high-medium’ use of the majority of SILL items and an overall preference for the use of Social strategies. Little effect was found for independent variables on reported strategy use. Analysis of the qualitative data, using NUD*IST, confirmed some of the SILL responses and also revealed additional strategies and factors, particularly of motivation, which were important and influential to the language learning of the immigrant adult subjects. / The conclusion is reached that, in the case of the immigrant ESL learners involved in the study, the use of strategies is an individual choice and is consequent on the motivation which the learner brings to the learning situation. This motivation had been shaped by interacting internal and external factors, by the learner’s past experience and current life context. / The thesis discusses the significance and limitations of the study, together with the theoretical, methodological and pedagogical implications which arise from the findings and suggests areas for further research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2008. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-123). Also available in ProQuest, free to University of Oregon users.

The diploma thesis is named Integration of Ukrainians in České Budějovice. The first chapter explains the basic concepts related to the topic of integration of foreigners, such as migration, immigrant or refugee. The second section refers to the concept of integration, which is defined in detail. The third chapter describes the integration policy in the Czech Republic. The fourth chapter is dedicated to legislation and two basic laws governing this issue. The fifth chapter concerns foreigners in the Czech Republic in terms of numbers and statistics and sixth chapter includes basic characteristic of Ukrainian immigrants in the country. The last chapter is devoted to organizations aimed at helping foreigners in the České Budějovice. The aim is to find out what the positives and negatives are in the integration of Ukrainians in the České Budějovice. They were provided the following two research questions: 1. What are the positives and negatives in the integration of Ukrainians living in the České Budějovice? 2. Do Ukrainians attend some organization focused on helping foreigners in the České Budějovice? Results related to the first research question revealed some positives and negatives that occur in the integration of Ukrainians in the České Budějovice. The main negatives were revealed in language skills - Problems with the pronunciation of certain letters (ř), incomprehensibility of laws and more technical texts, writing diacritics over letters or filling out forms. The interviews revealed some positives. For example, what can helps informants or could help the negatives be reduced or removed. They do not recommend settling down only with Ukrainians, but should find Czech friends and communicate with them and participate in the work process. It also helps to watch Czech TV and listen to radio. In the field of economic and social self-sufficiency, I focused on two areas - Employment and housing. In the field of employment there exist several serious problems. For the vast majority of informants their job does not correspond to the education acquired in the Ukraine. It is connected with young immigrants with university degree, who try to get a job. They met with discrimination at the interview because of their origin. The positive thing is the less-educated immigrants do not find it difficult to get a job and that all the informants are also satisfied with the salary. Several negatives were also shown in the housing sector, but informants were not talking about their own experiences, but the experiences of their friends. These are mainly problems with landlords who refuse to issue a certificate of accommodation for immigrants from the Ukraine. Informants are satisfied with their housing, and they say that is not a problem for them to get adequate housing, which are clear positives. According to informants in the field of society and culture is a major downside of poor orientation of immigrants in the law, in rights and duties and employee access at offices. Culture is, according to them, similar, but they see major differences on important matters such as the family and family life, how they lead children to education and they do not like celebrating festivals at a different time. Another part of research were relations between the majority and the minority. Negatives also occur in the form of shyness in Ukrainians when making conversation with Czechs, they also bothers them little activity from the government to promote good relations between nations and the lack of interest of the Czechs in establishing conversations and friendly relations with Ukrainians. Positives could be a multicultural event that the government could organize to improve relations between Czechs and other cultures and promoting inter-cultural education in elementary schools. The second research question concerns the organizations that are trying to help them. It turned out, immigrants do know about these organizations they do not attend them that much.

abstract: The Arizona legislature has enacted a number of anti-immigrant policies which negatively impact Latino immigrant families. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Latino parents on how anti-immigration policies emotionally impact their children and how they believe they can protect their children from the harmful effects of such policies. Secondary data analysis was conducted based on in-depth semi structured interviews completed with a sample of 54 Latino immigrant parents residing in the state of Arizona. Grounded theory methods informed the analysis process. A constant comparative approach was used to complete initial and focused coding. Findings indicate that Latino immigrant parents observed a range of behavioral changes in their children following the passage of anti-immigrant legislature. Parents reported that the emotional impact they observed stemmed from children's social interactions in their home, school, and community environments as well as through their exposure to the media. Latino youth experienced emotional impact is summarized in the following themes, concern and sense of responsibility; fear and hypervigilance; sadness and crying; and depression. Findings further demonstrated that parents protected Latino youth from anti-immigration policies directly and indirect ways by focusing on children's safety and well-being (let children live their childhood, be prepared, send messages), building parents capacity (pursue education, obtain papers), and engaging in change efforts at the community level (be proactive). Parents indicated that by engaging in these efforts they could protect their children, and counter the negative effects of anti-immigrant policies. Implications for social work practice to better advocate and serve Latino youth at the individual, family, and community level are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Work 2015

abstract: ABSTRACT Students who drop out of high school experience lower incomes and greater unemployment and are at higher risk of becoming part of the adult corrections system and of needing public assistance. Historically, Latino/a youth, particularly Mexican American youth, have been at particularly high risk for underachievement and dropping out of high school. Because Latino/as are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, their struggle in education means a larger, undereducated work force. In spite of demographic factors such as poverty, language barriers, and discrimination that potentially can adversely impact the success of the children of Mexican immigrant parents, some of these parents are taking steps to help their children succeed in high school and to enter college. While parental involvement has been generally linked to improving students' outcomes and attitudes toward school, few studies have focused on minority parents, particularly Latino/as. Even fewer have conducted qualitative studies to develop a deeper understanding of parents' beliefs, values, and actions taken to help their children. Through semi-structured interviews and grounded theory analysis, this qualitative study investigated how and why Mexican immigrant parents help their children succeed in school. Six themes emerged from the data: 1) parents' motivations stem from childhood adversity, the belief that there are opportunities in the U.S. for people who succeed academically, and unrealized dreams to pursue their own education; 2) parents' actions primarily included behaviors at home; 3) the influence of "La Familia" (the protective force of the family); 4) the influence of discipline; 5) the influence of teachers and principals who recognized and supported their children's academic success; and 6) the influence of the children themselves. Despite variations in educational attainment and income levels, the parents' values, beliefs, and actions were similar to each other and reflect their Mexican cultural upbringing. By developing a deeper understanding of the parents' beliefs, values, and actions, more culturally informed and strength-based, parent-involvement approaches can be developed for similar Mexican immigrant parents. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are explored. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.C. Counseling Psychology 2014

This thesis aims to address the following key question: “What affects immigrants to acquire capital and how is it generated?” This can be addressed by the following: (1) identifying micro-level determinants of immigrant language acquisition and integration; (2) assessing macro-level effects and micro-macro joint effects on immigrant language acquisition; and (3) reassessing the overall empirical findings based on theoretically derived micro-macro interactive mechanisms in the integration process. The research literature concerned with the determinants of immigrant/second language acquisition is reviewed to bring classic theories and models from economics and psychology together and initiate the construction of an economic-psychological modeling frame for immigrant language acquisition. Based on the modeling frame, an empirically testable model of immigrant language acquisition is formulated to identify the determinants of destination language proficiency. Furthermore, conceptually locating immigrants’ integration outcomes as the consequences of their language acquisition in a theoretical modeling framework, a model of immigrant integration is devised with three sub-models: (1) a model of immigrant economic integration; (2) a model of immigrant citizenship acquisition; and (3) a model of immigrant political integration. The models are tested using OLS regression and data from the Multicultural Democracy and Immigrants’ Social Capital in Europe: Participation, Organisational Networks, and Public Policies at the Local Level (LOCALMULTIDEM). Analysis results suggest that the economic model is robust in predicting immigrant language acquisition and integration outcomes. Educational attainment is found to be the most critical and consistent predictor of outcomes across cities and empirical models. Although the psychological model has relatively weak power in explaining the variation in language proficiency, the presumed mediating effect via attitudinal factors is detected in some cases. However, such mediation effect is barely identified in the sub-models of immigrant integration with an exception of political integration. Destination language proficiency is found to be the most consistent mediator that positively influences all of the integration outcomes. In the concluding chapters, further analyses and (re)interpretations are conducted as an overarching summary of the multivariate regression analyses to examine the role of institutions and propose a micro-macro integrative model that could suggest options for institutional design and directions for future research. / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished