Magister Artium - MA / This project was born after the researcher, a practicing social worker at a psychiatric facility, observed the presence of high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders among transgender patients. These patients were often also abandoned by their family or primary caregivers. This research was part of a larger National Research Foundation (NRF) project in the Western Cape and Gauteng, which explored LGBT older persons’ care needs. It differed from the main project in that it focused on the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people. The project was funded by the NRF and the researcher was allocated funding from that project to explore LGBT aging and care in the marginalised areas. LGBT discrimination has been indicated as a key factor in the onset of mental health issues later in adulthood. Older adults are generally at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The older transgender community with mental health care needs thus often suffers multiple forms of oppression within a heteronormative society. The aim of the research was to determine the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape. Objectives to reach this aim included exploring and describing the unique challenges faced by older transgender people, their experiences when accessing mental health care, and describing strategies of addressing their mental health care needs. The research methodology entailed a qualitative approach. Snowball sampling was applied for selecting five older transgender participants and five key informants. Photo voice, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, was used. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and photo journaling. Themes were developed from the data utilising Thematic Analysis, aided by Atlas.ti software. Ethics and trustworthiness were certified through guidance by the research supervisor. This research was classified as high risk, since it involved marginalised individuals from the aged LGBT community. Anxiety in the group was anticipated and dealt with by providing further counselling where needed. The findings indicate that older transgender people experience minority stress across all racial and age cohorts. They suffer heightened anxiety when accessing healthcare services, as they anticipate transphobia and oppression. In addition, the intersectional socio-economic status of age and gender identity seems to contribute to building resilience within the participants. Lastly, substance use and social and professional support were identified as coping strategies in the face of on-going discrimination.

Colonization has had a detrimental impact on Indigenous peoples and communities. Colonization has and continues to remove Indigenous peoples from full participation in Canadian society, which has forced some Indigenous men to search out other avenues in order to gain power, respect, and economic capital to survive. It is the direct result of colonial-shaped socio-political histories and ideologies that have led to the creation and proliferation of urban Indigenous street gangs. This dissertation examines 16 Indigenous male ex-gang members and their perceptions of masculinity, identity, and how this is supported through their involvement within a street gang. Relational accountability was the methodology utilized to engage and support the men through the course of the research process. It was from the focal point of relational accountability that photovoice methods could be modified to accommodate the lived realities of the men during the time of the study. Overall, fifteen individuals participated in the study, with nine engaging in photovoice methods to document and explain how they understood and practiced masculinity. The nine men, who completed photovoice, had their photographs and narratives brought together to create Brighter Days Ahead, to give back to the organization STR8 UP and help inform the broader community about the multiple issues that Indigenous youth face in the Canadian Prairies. The role of masculinity was integral for the men’s inclusion into street gangs. Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity and Bourdieu’s concept of habitus helped to create a framework to understand why some Indigenous men see street gangs as a viable option to practice masculinity. By examining the men’s histories, with a focus on their relationships’ with parents, siblings, family, peers, and social institutions, a more robust understanding the linkages to street gang involvement is created. The street gang epitomized the ideal “man”— tough, independent, emotion-less, and powerful, as it were these individual’s whom they would target for their recruitment. Analysis of the men’s narratives and photographs revealed how violence and trauma impacted their notions of maleness. It was through violent and traumatic experiences that the men would create a “mask” that they would wear to help them engage in hyper-violent behaviours within multiple fields and protect them from further victimization. This study directs our attention to focus future research on: 1) the impacts of colonization as both a historical and contemporary factor in the lives of Indigenous peoples; 2) the importance of relational accountability within the research process; 3) the potential of photovoice methods in expanding street gangs research; and 4) the need for gang prevention and intervention programming to focus on the concept of masculinity in order to deter gang involvement amongst Indigenous males and build healthier stronger communities.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / This project was born after the researcher, a practicing social worker at a psychiatric facility, observed the presence of high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders among transgender patients. These patients were often also abandoned by their family or primary caregivers. This research was part of a larger National Research Foundation (NRF) project in the Western Cape and Gauteng, which explored LGBT older persons’ care needs. It differed from the main project in that it focused on the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people. The project was funded by the NRF and the researcher was allocated funding from that project to explore LGBT aging and care in the marginalised areas. LGBT discrimination has been indicated as a key factor in the onset of mental health issues later in adulthood. Older adults are generally at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The older transgender community with mental health care needs thus often suffers multiple forms of oppression within a heteronormative society. The aim of the research was to determine the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape. Objectives to reach this aim included exploring and describing the unique challenges faced by older transgender people, their experiences when accessing mental health care, and describing strategies of addressing their mental health care needs. The research methodology entailed a qualitative approach. Snowball sampling was applied for selecting five older transgender participants and five key informants. Photo voice, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, was used. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and photo journaling. Themes were developed from the data utilising Thematic Analysis, aided by Atlas.ti software. Ethics and trustworthiness were certified through guidance by the research supervisor. This research was classified as high risk, since it involved marginalised individuals from the aged LGBT community. Anxiety in the group was anticipated and dealt with by providing further counselling where needed. The findings indicate that older transgender people experience minority stress across all racial and age cohorts. They suffer heightened anxiety when accessing healthcare services, as they anticipate transphobia and oppression. In addition, the intersectional socio-economic status of age and gender identity seems to contribute to building resilience within the participants. Lastly, substance use and social and professional support were identified as coping strategies in the face of on-going discrimination.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University / BACKGROUNDS: Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face important health disparities, and are underrepresented in research. There is a particular lack of research from the perspective of members of this population. However, adults with ID are living longer than ever before, and, after a long history of institutionalization, are aging in the community. Aging adults with ID face important support gaps and challenges as pioneers in aging in the community. Aging women with ID are further marginalized by gender and age. This qualitative, participatory study explores lived experiences of aging and elderly women with intellectual disabilities. METHODS: In order to maximize voice for participants with ID, this study used qualitative, participatory methods including individual interviewing and Photo Voice, a participatory technique where participants are given cameras and become co-researchers on the project as they document their worlds. RESULTS: Important themes emerged including: The experience of aging with ID is a gendered phenomenon, anticipation of increased independence and community participation as a result of aging, community inclusion and the importance of relationships and belonging. Discussion: While further research is needed to quantify the experiences described by participants, the importance of community inclusion and relationships suggests that policy level supports for aging in place and individualized planning with be important for this generation of adults with ID. This thesis concludes with recommendations as to how adults with ID can best be supported in achieving healthy aging from a systems perspective.

The overall aim of the thesis was to explore everyday functioning in six year-old children born preterm, from the children’s perspectives and from their parents’ perspectives. The relation between everyday functioning and neonatal risk factors, behavioural characteristics was studied with descriptive and correlational statistics, ANOVA and multiple linear regression (I). Patterns of everyday functioning were explored in a cluster analysis following a person-oriented approach (II). In a mixed method approach, the children’s and their parents’ perceptions on children’s competence in everyday activities were explored with a pictorial instrument and analysed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis (III). The children’s perceptions of meaningful everyday life situations were explored in a photo voice study, analysed with qualitative content analysis. In total, 144 children born preterm and 222 children born at term and their parents were involved. The results indicated that from the parents’ perspective most children born preterm and full-term were perceived with strong everyday functioning featuring strong motor, process and communication skills, a positive interaction pattern and low levels of behaviour problems. As a group, the children born very preterm were perceived weaker in their everyday functioning than the full-term group but the pattern of performance skills, interaction and behaviour varied similar to that of children born full-term. Further, it was found that preterm birth was not the main predictor, instead hyperactivity had most influence on everyday functioning. Moreover, the children born preterm perceived themselves to be overall strong performers of everyday activities. They wanted to be active and do things and for that they wanted to have skills and significant others i.e. siblings, parents, friends and pets to interact with and to feel safe and loved. Further, the children born preterm expressed a will to develop, improve and gain new skills and to have more opportunities to do meaningful things. In conclusion, the results in this thesis indicate that young children born preterm are able to reflect on their everyday functioning, and express needs and desires for their participation in meaningful everyday life situations. Moreover, preterm birth is not the sole predictor of everyday functioning more critical is the interaction of individual, behavioural and contextual factors.