Complaint handling is an effective tool for public sector governance. Effective complaint handling improves relationships between organizations and citizens by fostering trust and accountability, helps address gaps in public service delivery, and supports innovation in public service design. Despite these benefits, complaint handling practices at the local government level in British Columbia (BC) is often ad hoc, poorly designed, or non-existent. This thesis asks: what are the drivers and barriers for effectively handling complaints at the local government level in BC? The thesis argues that complaint handling occurs within a context of limited resources, which informs the drivers and barriers for effectively handling complaints. The thesis explores the drivers and barriers of complaint handling through a reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with senior-level local government administrators. The analysis revealed that operating in a context of limited resources led to the emergence of creative practices for handling complaints, including preventing complaints before they arise and handling complaints informally. Additionally, complaint handling is characterized by a tension between its private sector roots and public sector values like equality and fairness. The thesis concludes by making recommendations to improve complaint handling at the BC local government level. / Graduate

Recent literature suggests that LGBTQ+ women of color are more likely to raise children or have children in the home compared to White LGBTQ+ women (Gates, 2013, 2015). Most of the LGBTQ+ motherhood research has focused narrowly on one domain of queer motherhood, lesbian mothers' experience of mothering (Bible et al., 2018) and centered on the experiences of White, middle-class, cisgender mothers (Brainer et al., 2020; Manley and Ross, 2020; Reczek, 2020). The interlocking nature of multiple marginalized identities places Black queer mothers at a unique intersection of oppression (Crenshaw, 1991). Exploring the complexity of lived experience among Black mothers who identify with a plurisexual identity (i.e., bi, queer, pan, or fluid; Galupo, 2018) provides family scientists and scholar-practitioners an opportunity to analyze the internal, relational, and institutional influences that reinforce or challenge racism, sexism, and homophobia. The present study sought to understand how Black queer mothers experience motherwork as queer mothers, how they build and navigate networks of support, and how they use community resources. The study was guided by intersectionality rooted within the theoretical framework of Black Feminist Thought, as well as an emphasis on motherwork as both a theoretical framework and a concept explored. Using reflexive thematic analysis, semi- structured interviews (Mtime = 79.63 minutes), photovoice submissions, and photovoice interviews (Mtime = 38.32 minutes) were conducted with 10 participants (8 of the 10 participants completed photovoice). Four key themes were identified (a) Attentiveness and Resistance to Discrimination (subtheme: Active Reflectivity in Parenting Strategies); (b) Promoting Openness of Self-Expression in Child(ren) (subtheme: Queer Identity Helps Foster Acceptance and Intentionality); (c) Negotiating Informal Support (three subthemes: Barriers to Support, Desiring Like-Minded Social Groups, and Boundaries in Close Relationships Are Critical); and (d) Emphasis on Finding the "Right" Environment to Meet Family Needs (subtheme: Utilizing Individual or Couples Therapy). Findings have implications for the family science literature by providing an in-depth, Black feminist understanding of how Black queer mothers engage in queer motherwork, navigate informal support, and strategically access community resources. / Doctor of Philosophy / Recent literature suggests that LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer) women of color are more likely to raise children or have children in the home compared to White LGBTQ+ women (Gates, 2013, 2015). Most of the LGBTQ+ motherhood research has focused narrowly on one domain of queer motherhood, lesbian mothers' experience of mothering (Bible et al., 2018) and centered on the experiences of White, middle-class, cisgender mothers (Brainer et al., 2020; Manley and Ross, 2020; Reczek, 2020). Exploring the complexity of lived experience among Black mothers who identify with a plurisexual identity (i.e., bi, queer, pan, or fluid; Galupo, 2018) provides researchers and clinicians an opportunity to consider the internal, relational, and institutional influences that reinforce or challenge marginalization. The present study sought to understand how Black queer mothers experience motherwork (e.g., identity, survival, and power) as queer mothers, how they build and navigate networks of support, and how they use community resources. The study was guided by intersectionality rooted within the theoretical framework of Black Feminist Thought, as well as an emphasis on motherwork as both a theoretical framework and a concept explored. I analyzed data from two individual interviews (including a photo-elicited interview) with 10 participants (8 of the 10 participants completed the second interview) (Braun and Clarke, 2022; Wang and Burris, 1997). Four key themes were identified (a) Attentiveness and Resistance to Discrimination (subtheme: Active Reflectivity in Parenting Strategies); (b) Promoting Openness of Self-Expression in Child(ren) (subtheme: Queer Identity Helps Foster Acceptance and Intentionality); (c) Negotiating Informal Support (three subthemes: Barriers to Support, Desiring Like-Minded Social Groups, and Boundaries in Close Relationships Are Critical); and (d) Emphasis on Finding the "Right" Environment to Meet Family Needs (subtheme: Utilizing Individual or Couples Therapy). Findings have research and clinical implications for how Black queer mothers engage in queer motherwork, navigate informal support, and strategically access community resources.

In the last 20 years, the number of incidents involving police use of force (UOF) has nearly doubled in Canada (Marcoux & Nicholson, 2018). There have been at least 460 documented fatal police encounters across Canada between the years 2000 and 2017 and at least 1,860 police UOF investigations specifically in Ontario (Dunn, 2018; Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2018). According to a 2019 annual report by Ottawa Police Service (OPS, 2019), a municipal police service in Ontario, between the years 2018 and 2019, OPS reported a 21% decrease (from 767 to 607) of applications of force among officers and a 15% increase (from 529 to 609) of UOF reports. Although the latter data is relevant to Ottawa, to better understand and potentially minimize negative police-civilian encounters, both specifically and on a larger scale, this Canadian-focused study centers on policing as well as the context at OPS and explores the extent to which professional education (PE) influences professional practice (PP). It does so by reviewing OPS’s UOF training and gathering perspectives from patrol officers and UOF educators. Using a qualitative instrumental case study (QICS) research design, the study analyzes the UOF training materials that OPS used to certify and recertify officers between the years 2010 and 2021. It also incorporates semi-structured interviews with officers and educators to gather insights on how participants define UOF, their perspectives on their pre-service and in-service training, as well as how they relate their PE to their police-civilian encounters, particularly when they used or did not use force. A document analysis of the data revealed that OPS’s UOF training uses both traditional as well as progressive and collaborative approaches to educate and relate to officers. Such approaches also aim to promote appropriate communication and de-escalation skills. At the same time, the learning objectives found in the lesson plans lack the detail needed to signify that officers have achieved the intended goal of the training. Among the important themes that emerged from the interviews were 1) the differences in priorities, between the officers and educators, concerning UOF training, 2) the value that officers place on their instructors’ experiences, 3) the challenges that educators face while adhering to provincial expectations, and 4) the integral role that training and life experiences play during police-civilian encounters. The relevance of social media was another significant theme that emerged within the study, particularly considering the participants’ views on the current social climate of policing (i.e., how the public perceives the police as well as the contentious debate about defunding the police). With limited research on police perspectives and issues specific to policing in Canada, the present study, by virtue of access to OPS’s training materials, patrol officers and UOF instructors, seeks to initiate rich and meaningful discussions about PE and PP. It also aims to encourage reflection among educators, policy-makers and society so as to address and deepen our understanding of issues related to education.

Flersamhet är ett svenskt begrepp som beskriver personer som lever polyamoröst, i öppna relationer eller på andra sätt har icke-monogama relationer med samtycke. Vårt samhälle har en väldigt stark monogaminorm som ofta påverkar personer som lever utanför den på ett negativt sätt. Den aktuella studien ämnade att ta reda på vilka erfarenheter personer som jobbar med psykologisk behandling (psykologer, psykoterapeuter och kuratorer eller liknande) har av att ha flersamma klienter i terapi eller behandlande samtal, samt vilka erfarenheter som är viktiga och betydelsefulla i behandling med flersamma klienter. Fyra psykologer intervjuades och data analyserades med reflexiv tematisk analys. Deltagarnas berättelser tyder på att utmaningen som behandlare står inför när det träffar flersamma klienter oftast gäller sig själva och sitt eget arbete, snarare än klienterna. De behöver förhålla sig till ideal kopplat till flersamhet, behandlarrollens ideal och hur de påverkas av samhällsnormer i stort och monogaminormen specifikt. Kunskap beskrivs som en av de viktigaste aspekterna och psykologerna behöver förhålla sig till vem som har ansvar över att tillräcklig och rätt kunskap ska finnas hos behandlarna. Det beskrivs även som en viktig aspekt att förhålla sig till sin professionella roll som behandlare och att reflektera över vad som är ett bra bemötande gentemot flersamma klienter. Resultatet visar att psykologens identitetsarbete är ett övergripande tema som deltagarna behöver förhålla sig till på ett eller annat sätt. / Consensual non-monogamy, CNM, describes people who are polyamorous, have open relationships or other non-monogamous relationships with consent. Our society has a strong monogamy-norm that often will affect people who do not conform to it, often in a negative way. The current study aimed to explore what experiences people who work with psychological treatment (psychologists, psychotherapists and counselors and the like) have of therapy with CNM clients, and which experience they deem important and meaningful in therapy with CNM clients. Four psychologists were interviewed, and the data was analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. The participants' descriptions suggest that the challenge faced by psychologists primarily revolves around themselves and their own work, rather than the clients. They need to navigate ideals associated with CNM, the ideal role of the psychologist, and how they are influenced by societal norms at large, and monogamy in particular. Knowledge is identified as one of the crucial aspects and they need to navigate questions and concerns regarding who has responsibility that sufficient and appropriate knowledge is held by the psychologists. Another important aspect is to navigate their own professional role as psychologists and reflect on what constitutes positive treatment towards CNM clients. The findings indicate that the psychologist’s process of identity work is an overarching theme which the participants need to navigate in one way or another.

Begreppet psykologisk trygghet har visat sig vara en faktor som påverkar om personal trivs och stannar på arbetsplatsen. Begreppet innebär hur tryggt det upplevs att visa sig sårbar i en grupp och vad det får för konsekvenser. Forskning om poliskultur har visat att den karaktäriseras av tradition och rigida normer, vilket påverkar beteenden i gruppen. Den aktuella studien syftade till att undersöka hur nyblivna poliser upplever psykologisk trygghet i sin arbetsgrupp, samt hur de beskriver normer i förhållande till detta. Åtta deltagare intervjuades med en semistrukturerad intervjuguide baserad på Edmondsons teori om psykologisk trygghet samt forskning på poliskultur. Datat analyserades med reflexiv tematisk analys. Majoriteten av deltagarna upplevde att humor var ett framträdande sätt att hantera svåra upplevelser, men det fanns även behov av annat typ av stöd. De flesta deltagare upplevde att det var viktigt att visa sårbar för att lära sig yrket, samt att det påverkade relationerna i arbetsgruppen positivt, men flera upplevde det även som skrämmande och skamfyllt. Deltagarnas beskrivningar av arbetsgruppens normer, och deras förhållande till dem, verkade påverka upplevelsen av psykologisk trygghet. Normbrytande beteende sanktionerades, vilket avskräckte från framtida normbrytande. Resultaten stärker teorierna om att psykologisk trygghet är förenat med lärandebeteende och att poliskulturen är traditionsbunden. Psykologisk trygghet kan vara en bidragande faktor till att få poliser att trivas och stanna inom yrket. / Psychological safety has been shown to affect employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intention. The term “psychological safety” means how safe one feels in showing vulnerability in a group and the consequences it might bring. Research has shown that police culture is characterized by traditionality and rigid norms, which affects group behaviour. The present study aimed to examine how new police officers’ experience psychological safety within their work group. Eight police officers were interviewed with a semistructured interview guide based on Edmondson’s theory of psychological safety and literature on police culture. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Most participants found humour to be a pronounced coping strategy for negative experiences, but there was a need for alternative ways of coping. Most participants found showing vulnerability to be essential for learning the police role, and that these behaviours had a positive effect on relationships within the work group, even though several found showing vulnerability frightening and shameful. The participants’ descriptions of the norms within the work group, and how well you fit into them, affected their experience of psychological safety. Breaking norms in the group was often followed by sanctions, which disencouraged similar future behaviour. The findings in this study support existing research on the link between psychological safety and learning behaviour and on police culture being governed by traditions. Psychological safety could be a contributing factor to keeping police officers satisfied so that they might stay within their line of work.

There has been little research conducted in general that explores the impact of sexualized violence on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. There is even more limited qualitative research, and almost none of it from a therapeutic perspective. This led me to engage with the fictionalized stories of LGBTQ youth characters who have survived sexualized violence to learn how these stories might inform the work of helping professionals. This thesis provides a reflexive thematic analysis of three novels written by queer authors. Through the lens of response-based therapy, intersectional feminism, and queer theory, it considers the ways in which the characters are impacted by their experiences with sexualized violence and their responses to it. Findings indicate that the characters were affected by childhood sexual abuse at a time in their lives when their sexual identities were on the cusp of being formed. Their experiences with sexualized violence impacted the ways that the characters learned to live with contradictions; experienced ambivalence in the relationships with the adults who caused them harm; and engaged in small acts of resistance against the impact of sexualized violence in their lives to create futures in which they could thrive. The characters’ experiences with casual sex and sex work are shown as an act of resistance against violence. This research aims to queer the discourses on LGBTQ youth who have experienced sexualized violence, expose the small acts of resistance that they perform against the impacts of sexualized violence, and transform the ways that child and youth care workers, therapists, social workers, and other helpers understand the resilience and experiences of LGBTQ survivors. / Graduate