The issue of honour killings has become a prominent topic of discussion in the Western discourse of violence against immigrant women. In Canada, particularly, the recent high-profile cases of honour killings have drawn increased attention from the media, academics and the public. The prevalent discussion links these murders to the broader issues of immigration, multiculturalism, and violence against immigrant women. In this thesis, I examine the nature of honour killings, their components, and the discourse of honour killings in its Canadian context. In doing so, I conduct a textual analysis of the representation of three recent honour killings in two major Canadian newspapers; The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. Results suggest that honour killings touched a nerve in Canadian media leading to the use of culturalist approaches to understand and represent these killings. This culturalist approach to the debate created serious obstacles for clarifying or explaining this form of violence against women. It further hindered any constructive public debate about ending these killings. The consequences of the culturalist approach to honour killings as well as recommendations for future research and theoretical developments in this area of violence against women are suggested. / UOIT

The United Nations Population Fund has identified gender inequality and gender-based violence as two of the main threats to women's reproductive health. In fact, researchers have estimated that between one quarter and one half of all women with sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, have abusive partners. Given the pervasiveness and far-reaching effects of these phenomena, it is essential to take steps to mitigate the possible negative consequences on women's reproductive health, including HIV status. This exploratory qualitative research study was designed to gain further insight into the contextual factors and personal experiences of HIV positive African immigrant women, with the goal of informing the development of contextually-tailored HIV risk reduction strategies. This study, guided by a theoretical framework based on Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory and the Theory of Gender and Power, utilized in-depth interviews with six HIV positive African immigrant women. Narrative analysis was used to explore the women's narratives on the role of gender-based violence and inequality on their disease status. The main overarching theme revealed in the women's narratives was that marriage is a vulnerable status that can actually put women at risk for contracting HIV. This vulnerability is based on social norms that state once women are married, they: 1) should not say "No" to sex with their husbands, 2) should not ask their husbands to use a condom, and 3) should not divorce husbands for having concurrent sexual partners. The women's narratives showed how the gender norms and decision-making process they observed in their families of origin, and in the larger community, affect their sexual decision making in their intimate relationships. Their narratives also introduced us to their experiences of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, as well as physical and emotional neglect. Finally, listening to the narratives of HIV positive African immigrant women educated us on the stigma and silence around HIV in their community, in addition to paving the way for recommendations on preventing the spread of HIV in their communities in the United States, as well as abroad. Implications for social work practice and policy, as well as future research are discussed. / text

Nigerian women who migrate to the United States are faced with complex social challenges as they acculturate to a new society. Stressful conditions and acculturation experiences may threaten the overall mental health of these immigrant women. The purpose of this study was to explore the acculturation experiences of Nigerian immigrant women living in the United States, identify stressors associated with the process, and highlight the coping strategies they employed. Stress and coping theory provided the theoretical framework for the study and phenomenological inquiry guided the research questions and method. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews. Content analysis and coding were utilized to find relevant themes. Participants described their immigration experiences as being difficult although they reported their lives are â??much better nowâ??. The women adopted a positive, hard working attitude; relied on their faith in God; and sought mentors and a supportive community. Most participants reported being unaware of the resources available to them and more than half reported not having access to any resources. Participants reported receiving support from their friends, family members, and communities of faith. Research on the acculturative experiences of these women would be useful in developing gender specific programs that would support the integration process and reduce mental health issues that may arise as a result of acculturation stressors. In an advocacy effort towards social change, results from this study may inform service providers of Nigerian immigrant women's unique cultural needs as they acculturate to living in the United States.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

The process of creating and using participatory photonovels can empower immigrant ESL speaking women and also act as a tool to educate these women about a specific health topic. This was a qualitative case study that was conducted at an immigrant society in an urban center in British Columbia. The ESL speaking immigrant women in this study created a photonovel called From Junk Food to Healthy Eating: Tanya’s Journey to a Better Life. The findings of this research reveal some of the health experiences of ESL speaking immigrant women in Canada. The results also contribute to the growing body of knowledge that discusses effective or ineffective means to educate ESL speakers about health by improving their health literacy. Most notably, however, the photonovel project engaged the women in an educational process that raised their critical consciousness.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 412-432). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNR11614

The process of creating and using participatory photonovels can empower immigrant ESL speaking women and also act as a tool to educate these women about a specific health topic. This was a qualitative case study that was conducted at an immigrant society in an urban center in British Columbia. The ESL speaking immigrant women in this study created a photonovel called From Junk Food to Healthy Eating: Tanya’s Journey to a Better Life. The findings of this research reveal some of the health experiences of ESL speaking immigrant women in Canada. The results also contribute to the growing body of knowledge that discusses effective or ineffective means to educate ESL speakers about health by improving their health literacy. Most notably, however, the photonovel project engaged the women in an educational process that raised their critical consciousness.

The purpose of this study was to explore the pregnancy related experiences of Bangladeshi immigrant women living in a major American metropolitan area: New York City. The study was conducted using an in-depth interview based qualitative research design in which data were collected from ten mothers through semi-structured interviews. Additionally, data were collected through researcher<&rsquo>'s observation; informal interviews with hospital administrators, healthcare personnel, non governmental agency executives; and documents analysis. The study and the design of the interview guide were influenced by the theoretical framework of the PEN-3 Model (Airhihenbuwa, 1995). A combination of purposeful and snowball sampling technique was used to select 10 women from three boroughs of New York City. The study came up with six major findings. They are as follows: 1. The trauma caused by transition into a new land is adversely affecting pregnancy experiences. 2. Interaction of culture and religion is shaping the health behavior and decision making process of the immigrant mothers and their ability to access quality healthcare. 3. Mothers living in joint family establishments are getting more social support than their single family counterparts 4. Language appears to be a big barrier in communication between study participants and healthcare professionals 5. Healthcare professionals<&rsquo>' lack of understanding of cultural/ethnic diversity are hindering the proper delivery of healthcare services 6. Social stigma, physicians<&rsquo>' lack of understanding of contextual factors keep the mental health problem under reported by immigrant women

abstract: By drawing from six oral histories of Mexican immigrant women living in Phoenix, Arizona, this thesis builds on the current literature on Mexican immigrant women living in the United States. Through an analysis of U.S. policies that spur Mexican migration to the U.S. and its simultaneous policies that dissuade and criminalize immigrant presence in the U.S., I highlight the increased level of migration through Arizona and the ensuing anti-immigrant politics in the state. By centering women in this context, I demonstrate the obstacle Mexican immigrant women face in the crossing and upon arrival in Phoenix, Arizona. In sharing the stories of Mexican immigrant women who overcome these obstacles, I challenge the portrayal of Mexican immigrant women as victims of violence and use the work of Chicana feminist theorists and oral history methodology to highlight the experiences of Mexican immigrant women adapting to life in the U.S. in order to expand literature of their unique lived experiences and to also contribute the stories of resiliency of Mexican immigrant women in the contentious anti-immigrant city of Phoenix, Arizona. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Social Justice and Human Rights 2012

abstract: Objective: Migration to the United States (U.S.) has been associated with food insecurity and detrimental changes in diet quality. How these changes affect women in context of their neighborhood food environment has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to assess if food security is associated with diet quality and to explore if perceived food availability moderates this purported association in a sample of Mexican immigrant women. Methods: Mexican-born women (n=57, 41±7 years) residing in the U.S. for more than 1 year self-reported food security status, monthly fast-food frequency, and their perception of fruit, vegetables, and low-fat product availability within their neighborhood via survey. Diet was assessed using the Southwest Food Frequency Questionnaire to estimate intake of fruit, vegetables, salty snacks, sugar, and healthy eating index (HEI)-2015 score. Bivariate correlations assessed the relationships between study variables. Independent samples t-tests compared dietary outcomes between women classified as food secure (n=41; high or marginal food security) and food insecure (n=16; low or very low food security). A moderation analysis assessed the effect of the perception of the neighborhood food environment on the relationship between food security and HEI-2015 score. Results: Fifty four percent of participants worked full time and 42% had a monthly household income <$2,000. Time residing in the U.S. was 20±9 years. Relative to women classified as food secure, participants experiencing food insecurity had lower HEI-2015 (61±8 vs. 66±6; p=0.03). Albeit not significantly different, women experiencing food insecurity reported lower intake of fruit (236±178 vs. 294±239 g), vegetables (303±188 vs. 331±199 g), and salty snacks (6±5 vs. 8±10 g), as well as higher intake of sugar (99±55 vs. 96±56 g) and fast food (2.5±2.5 vs. 1.8±1.7 times per month); p>0.05 for all. Among women experiencing food insecurity, there was a trend for a lower perception of neighborhood fruit, vegetable and low-fat product availability being associated with lower HEI-2015 scores (54±6) relative to those who perceived moderate (63±6) or high (65±8) neighborhood availability of those foods (p=0.07). Conclusions: HEI-2015 scores were associated with participants’ food security status. Findings suggest a need for better understanding of how neighborhood food availability may affect diet quality among Mexican immigrant women experiencing food insecurity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2020