Objective – This paper is based on a national survey conducted in late 2013 by the authors, then co-moderators of the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) Network of the Canadian Library Association (CLA). It is a first survey of its kind, aiming to capture a snapshot of the demographics of the visible minority librarians working in Canadian institutions. The authors hoped that the data collected from the survey and the analysis presented in this paper would help identify the needs, challenges and barriers of this group of librarians and set future directions for ViMLoC. The authors also hoped that the findings would be useful to library administrators, librarians, and researchers working on multicultural issues, diversity, recruitment and retention, leadership, library management, and other related areas. Methods – An online survey questionnaire was created and the survey invitation was sent to visible minority librarians through relevant library association electronic mail lists and posted on ViMLoC’s electronic mail list and website. The survey consisted of 12 questions: multiple-choice, yes/no questions, and open-ended. The survey asked if the participants were visible minority librarians. If they responded “No,” the survey closed for them. Respondents who did not identify themselves as minority librarians were excluded from completing the survey. Results – Of the 192 individuals that attempted, 120 who identified themselves as visible minority librarians completed the survey. Of these, 36% identified themselves as Chinese, followed by South Asian (20%) and Black (12%). There were 63% who identified themselves as first generation visible minorities and 28% who identified themselves as second generation. A total of 84% completed their library degree in Canada. Equal numbers (38% each) identified themselves as working in public and academic libraries, followed by 15% in special libraries. Although they are spread out all over Canada and beyond, a vast majority of them are in British Columbia (40%) and Ontario (26%). There were 38% who identified themselves as reference/information services librarians, followed by “other” (18%) and “liaison librarian” (17%). A total of 82% responded that they worked full time. The open-ended question at the end of the survey was answered by 42.5% of the respondents, with responses falling within the following broad themes: jobs, mentorship, professional development courses, workplace issues, general barriers, and success stories. Conclusions – There are at least 120 first, second, and other generation minority librarians working in (or for) Canadian institutions across the country and beyond. They work in different kinds of libraries, are spread out all over Canada, and have had their library education in various countries or in Canada. They need a forum to discuss their issues and to have networking opportunities, and a mentorship program to seek advice from other librarians with similar backgrounds who have been in similar situations to themselves when finding jobs or re-pursuing their professional library degrees. Getting support from and working collaboratively with CLA, ViMLoC can be proactive in helping this group of visible minority librarians.

Although Canada is internationally known for its multicultural practices, the work life experiences of visible minority female school principals are unheard and absent from educational leadership research in Canada. In light of the fact that the student population in Canadian schools is increasingly diversifying, it is important to examine the experiences of visible minority female school principals from their own perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of their work life in the education system across Canada.<p> This research is a qualitative case study of the administrative work life experiences of five visible minority female school principals in five selected Western Canadian public schools. The purpose of the research was to examine and describe the administrative work life experiences of the selected visible minority female principals, with a particular focus on the path they took to become principals, the challenges they faced, and the strategies they used to foster inclusive schools. In-depth interviews were the main research method used in this study, supplemented by document and record analyses and the researchers reflective journal. Each of the five participants was interviewed three times in order to provide an in-depth analysis of their work experiences. The data were analyzed by using narrative and inductive analysis to let the participants tell their stories first and analyze the research questions inductively second. The results of this study revealed that the path to the principalship for visible minority female principals is influenced by multi-factors, personal abilities and strengths, challenges, supports, and preparatory and training programs. Each of the participants went through different processes to achieve their goal based on their own unique situations. This study also revealed the participants in their principal positions faced personal, professional, and organizational challenges related to gender, race, and accent. However, the participants regarded these challenges as opportunities for them to learn and to grow.<p> The strategies used to build inclusive schools by the five participants stemmed from the participants personal attributes, skills, support systems, and the contribution of their minority status. In their leadership positions, individuals set a clear mission, varied leadership styles, used reciprocal empowerment, demonstrated an ethic of care, acted as mentors, pursued networking, and mastered necessary positional knowledge.<p> This study provides recommendations for other visible minority female principals and visible minority female teachers who aspire to principal positions by identifying steps needed to prepare for the principalship; recommendations for Boards of Education on policy making and action as well as recommendations for professional development. Implications for future research are also set out. This study, while confirming the findings of the research done by other scholars, also has its own unique findings, and the five participants work life experiences provided five pictures of successful visible minority female school principals in Western Canadian public schools

Although Canada is internationally known for its multicultural practices, the work life experiences of visible minority female school principals are unheard and absent from educational leadership research in Canada. In light of the fact that the student population in Canadian schools is increasingly diversifying, it is important to examine the experiences of visible minority female school principals from their own perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of their work life in the education system across Canada.<p> This research is a qualitative case study of the administrative work life experiences of five visible minority female school principals in five selected Western Canadian public schools. The purpose of the research was to examine and describe the administrative work life experiences of the selected visible minority female principals, with a particular focus on the path they took to become principals, the challenges they faced, and the strategies they used to foster inclusive schools. In-depth interviews were the main research method used in this study, supplemented by document and record analyses and the researchers reflective journal. Each of the five participants was interviewed three times in order to provide an in-depth analysis of their work experiences. The data were analyzed by using narrative and inductive analysis to let the participants tell their stories first and analyze the research questions inductively second. The results of this study revealed that the path to the principalship for visible minority female principals is influenced by multi-factors, personal abilities and strengths, challenges, supports, and preparatory and training programs. Each of the participants went through different processes to achieve their goal based on their own unique situations. This study also revealed the participants in their principal positions faced personal, professional, and organizational challenges related to gender, race, and accent. However, the participants regarded these challenges as opportunities for them to learn and to grow.<p> The strategies used to build inclusive schools by the five participants stemmed from the participants personal attributes, skills, support systems, and the contribution of their minority status. In their leadership positions, individuals set a clear mission, varied leadership styles, used reciprocal empowerment, demonstrated an ethic of care, acted as mentors, pursued networking, and mastered necessary positional knowledge.<p> This study provides recommendations for other visible minority female principals and visible minority female teachers who aspire to principal positions by identifying steps needed to prepare for the principalship; recommendations for Boards of Education on policy making and action as well as recommendations for professional development. Implications for future research are also set out. This study, while confirming the findings of the research done by other scholars, also has its own unique findings, and the five participants work life experiences provided five pictures of successful visible minority female school principals in Western Canadian public schools

The principle of democratic governance is a defining feature of co-operative organizations. Members of the board of directors are the elected representatives of the membership, and as democratic organizations, there is an expectation that co-operatives should have adequate representation of member groups on their boards. However, empirical evidence indicates that many Canadian co-operative boards embody a diversity problem: there is little diversity in board representational characteristics. The main objective of this study is to identify key barriers and facilitators of representational diversity in co-operative leadership structures. To this end, two core research questions are posed. First, how do boards achieve diversity? Second, how do diverse boards maintain their diversity? Board diversity is defined as at least 30 per cent female representation on the board. Factors in four key areas believed to affect board diversity levels are identified: problem recognition; formal diversity policies; proactive recruitment strategies; and responsive governance. For each area, two specific theoretical propositions are posited and examined.<p>Two credit union boards of directors are selected as case studies. The first case is the Surrey Metro Savings Board of Directors between 1995 and 2002, which was homogenous in terms of its demographic composition. The second case is the Coast Capital Savings Board of Directors between 2001 and 2006, which was diverse in terms of its demographic composition. In view of the theoretical propositions that fall under the four main areas of inquiry, each case is examined separately, after which a cross-case analysis is conducted. <p>The case study findings support the view that, to achieve diversity, boards must recognize representational homogeneity as problematic, make diversity a priority issue, and take deliberate action towards increasing their diversity levels. These findings also support the view that, to maintain their diversity, diverse boards must have an inclusive governance approach and provide all board members with meaningful opportunities to participate in decision making processes. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how co-operative organizations can rectify the under representation of key groups within their own organizations and communities, and empower those who typically sit on the margins of economic, social and political power.

Societies in the developed world are becoming increasingly diverse as they experience growth in the number and size of minority groups, including visible minorities, immigrants, and, in some countries, Indigenous peoples. Societys institutions, including the health care system and its professional groups, are increasingly challenged to enhance their understanding of and respect for such societal diversity in providing services, and to work to reflect this diversity in the makeup of their membership. While many of the health care professions, including nursing, have acknowledged the importance of inclusion of individuals from diverse groups, their successes in meeting targeted increases have been limited. The purpose of this research was to elicit stories of nursing leadership that successfully promoted diversity and enhanced inclusiveness within the profession. The research problem was stated as follows: What were the experiences and stories of nurse leaders who successfully provided leadership to increase diversity and inclusion within the profession? The study used modified narrative inquiry research methods. The research was built on a conceptual framework consisting of three major concepts: diversity, critical leadership, and professional closure. The study focused on the stories of five Canadian nurse leaders who described and explained through their stories their leadership characteristics and challenges. Their stories of promoting diversity and inclusion were explored from a critical perspective, using literature found primarily in the fields of nursing and education to guide the exploration.<p> These leaders stories revealed their understanding that the nursing profession currently expected its members to represent the norm-- white middle class females. The stories showed that the participating nurse leaders generally had views of diversity that were broader than culture, ethnicity and race, the views that were most commonly addressed in the mainstream nursing literature. Their broad views of diversity included difference based on gender, sexual orientation, and ability. These views often arose from personal experiences of difference related to ethnicity, language, country of origin, gender, presence of an accent, or family circumstances. The leaders interviewed indicated that they saw a lack of tolerance for difference within the profession, but not simply in relation to cultural or physical difference. They described a lack of acceptance within the profession of different ways of thinking and beingreferred to in the study as diversity of thought. They reported that the profession expected and reinforced conformist thinking and tended to support the status quo.<p> The study findings contributed to an expanded understanding of the conceptual approach of critical leadership as a process to support diversity and promote inclusion in the profession. A conceptual framework for critical leadership, based on the work of Foster (1986; 1989) and Ryan (2006a; 2006b) was enhanced and expanded as a result of the study findings. Critical leadership involved critique, transformation, education, ethics, and inclusion. The study findings supported the view that the profession of nursing, perhaps inadvertently, limited access to the profession by marginalized groups. This process was called professional closure, and occurred as a result of increasing entrance requirements, inconsistent language requirements, and segmenting minority groups in lower paid practical nurse and front line positions, with little opportunity for advancement.<p> These findings about diversity and leadership, and about leadership for diversity, challenged the nursing profession to look beyond its day-to-day busyness, and to move beyond its current locked-down, controlled, risk-averse practices. The study findings challenged the profession to embrace the possibilities of increasing its diversity and inclusiveness, with the ultimate goal of building a better, stronger, more just profession and a better, stronger, more just society.<p> The study has significant implications for theory, practice, research and policy in the profession. From a theoretical perspective, the study pointed to the need for the nursing profession to contemplate its social obligations with respect to promoting social justice in society. The study findings suggest that the profession might engage in national level policy discussions committed to increasing the diversity of the profession in order to reflect the community it serves. This study suggests the need for additional qualitative and quantitative studies on critical leadership to further develop the conceptualizations that evolved in this study. Policy discussions are implicated to address approaches to difference, inclusion, culture, cultural competence, cultural safety, affirmative action and inclusive policy in nursing, nursing education and health care institutions.

The principle of democratic governance is a defining feature of co-operative organizations. Members of the board of directors are the elected representatives of the membership, and as democratic organizations, there is an expectation that co-operatives should have adequate representation of member groups on their boards. However, empirical evidence indicates that many Canadian co-operative boards embody a diversity problem: there is little diversity in board representational characteristics. The main objective of this study is to identify key barriers and facilitators of representational diversity in co-operative leadership structures. To this end, two core research questions are posed. First, how do boards achieve diversity? Second, how do diverse boards maintain their diversity? Board diversity is defined as at least 30 per cent female representation on the board. Factors in four key areas believed to affect board diversity levels are identified: problem recognition; formal diversity policies; proactive recruitment strategies; and responsive governance. For each area, two specific theoretical propositions are posited and examined.<p>Two credit union boards of directors are selected as case studies. The first case is the Surrey Metro Savings Board of Directors between 1995 and 2002, which was homogenous in terms of its demographic composition. The second case is the Coast Capital Savings Board of Directors between 2001 and 2006, which was diverse in terms of its demographic composition. In view of the theoretical propositions that fall under the four main areas of inquiry, each case is examined separately, after which a cross-case analysis is conducted. <p>The case study findings support the view that, to achieve diversity, boards must recognize representational homogeneity as problematic, make diversity a priority issue, and take deliberate action towards increasing their diversity levels. These findings also support the view that, to maintain their diversity, diverse boards must have an inclusive governance approach and provide all board members with meaningful opportunities to participate in decision making processes. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how co-operative organizations can rectify the under representation of key groups within their own organizations and communities, and empower those who typically sit on the margins of economic, social and political power.

Societies in the developed world are becoming increasingly diverse as they experience growth in the number and size of minority groups, including visible minorities, immigrants, and, in some countries, Indigenous peoples. Societys institutions, including the health care system and its professional groups, are increasingly challenged to enhance their understanding of and respect for such societal diversity in providing services, and to work to reflect this diversity in the makeup of their membership. While many of the health care professions, including nursing, have acknowledged the importance of inclusion of individuals from diverse groups, their successes in meeting targeted increases have been limited. The purpose of this research was to elicit stories of nursing leadership that successfully promoted diversity and enhanced inclusiveness within the profession. The research problem was stated as follows: What were the experiences and stories of nurse leaders who successfully provided leadership to increase diversity and inclusion within the profession? The study used modified narrative inquiry research methods. The research was built on a conceptual framework consisting of three major concepts: diversity, critical leadership, and professional closure. The study focused on the stories of five Canadian nurse leaders who described and explained through their stories their leadership characteristics and challenges. Their stories of promoting diversity and inclusion were explored from a critical perspective, using literature found primarily in the fields of nursing and education to guide the exploration.<p> These leaders stories revealed their understanding that the nursing profession currently expected its members to represent the norm-- white middle class females. The stories showed that the participating nurse leaders generally had views of diversity that were broader than culture, ethnicity and race, the views that were most commonly addressed in the mainstream nursing literature. Their broad views of diversity included difference based on gender, sexual orientation, and ability. These views often arose from personal experiences of difference related to ethnicity, language, country of origin, gender, presence of an accent, or family circumstances. The leaders interviewed indicated that they saw a lack of tolerance for difference within the profession, but not simply in relation to cultural or physical difference. They described a lack of acceptance within the profession of different ways of thinking and beingreferred to in the study as diversity of thought. They reported that the profession expected and reinforced conformist thinking and tended to support the status quo.<p> The study findings contributed to an expanded understanding of the conceptual approach of critical leadership as a process to support diversity and promote inclusion in the profession. A conceptual framework for critical leadership, based on the work of Foster (1986; 1989) and Ryan (2006a; 2006b) was enhanced and expanded as a result of the study findings. Critical leadership involved critique, transformation, education, ethics, and inclusion. The study findings supported the view that the profession of nursing, perhaps inadvertently, limited access to the profession by marginalized groups. This process was called professional closure, and occurred as a result of increasing entrance requirements, inconsistent language requirements, and segmenting minority groups in lower paid practical nurse and front line positions, with little opportunity for advancement.<p> These findings about diversity and leadership, and about leadership for diversity, challenged the nursing profession to look beyond its day-to-day busyness, and to move beyond its current locked-down, controlled, risk-averse practices. The study findings challenged the profession to embrace the possibilities of increasing its diversity and inclusiveness, with the ultimate goal of building a better, stronger, more just profession and a better, stronger, more just society.<p> The study has significant implications for theory, practice, research and policy in the profession. From a theoretical perspective, the study pointed to the need for the nursing profession to contemplate its social obligations with respect to promoting social justice in society. The study findings suggest that the profession might engage in national level policy discussions committed to increasing the diversity of the profession in order to reflect the community it serves. This study suggests the need for additional qualitative and quantitative studies on critical leadership to further develop the conceptualizations that evolved in this study. Policy discussions are implicated to address approaches to difference, inclusion, culture, cultural competence, cultural safety, affirmative action and inclusive policy in nursing, nursing education and health care institutions.

Immigrants to Canada report better health status than the Canadian-born population when they first arrive in Canada, a phenomenon called the Healthy Immigrant Effect. However, by the fourth year after immigration, immigrants report a health status that is worse than that of the Canadian-born population. Visible minority immigrant women report the largest deterioration in health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of visible minority immigrant women with encounters with the Canadian healthcare system to examine the multiplicative impact of gender, ethnicity, and immigration on their health. This phenomenological study, guided by Crenshaw's feminist intersectionality framework, explored the perspectives of a purposive sample of 8 immigrant women in Ottawa, Canada, about their encounters with the healthcare system. Data were collected through individual interviews. These data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis following the process outlined by Smith et al. for interpretative phenomenological analysis. Key findings of the study revealed that immigrant women define health more holistically and have expectations of the encounters with healthcare that are not met due to barriers that impact them accessing healthcare services, experiencing healthcare services, and following the recommended options. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations for public health to consider immigration and racism as determinants of health; and for Health Canada to undertake system-level lines of inquiry to shed light on the ways structural discrimination and racism have had an impact on immigrant women's social and health trajectory.

<p>Interrogating the concept of power is ethical social work practice. This research aims to investigate the manner in which visible minority women social service providers perceive the concept of power as non-managerial employees in the women’s shelter system. Therefore, the necessity to delineate the ongoing challenges and contradictions that shape the work experiences of visible minority women social service providers contributes and furthers our understanding of social justice, critical social work practice, and strategies to enhance workplace equity. In addressing the phenomenon of power from the viewpoint of those affected, this ultimately helps to broaden the understanding how as social workers it remains pivotal to raise awareness about the ongoing power imbalances in social services settings. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with visible minority women employed in the women’s shelter system in southern, Ontario were conducted and complement the author’s own personal reflections as a visible minority woman previously employed in the Violence Against Women’s shelter system. This research suggests that due to ongoing power differentials, neoliberal restructuring and discriminatory incidents, continued attention is required in order to address social inequality and enhance workplace equity.</p> / Master of Social Work (MSW)

This qualitative research used the Long Interview method to study cultural and gender influences on mental health, health beliefs, health behaviour, help-seeking and treatment expectations for mental health problems in newcomers to Canada who are members of an ethnocultural, visible minority population - the Sri Lankan Tamils. The study employed a comparative design and analyzed data from interviews with Tamil men (N=8) and Tamil women (N=8) who self-identified as having been diagnosed with depression, and service providers (N=8) who provide frontline mental health and related services to the Sri Lankan Tamil community. The objectives were to a) understand cultural and gender factors inherent in the Sri Lankan Tamil community; b) investigate how these cultural and gender factors impact mental health and influence the trajectory of help-seeking and treatment for depression in the Sri Lankan Tamil community; c) explore the intersection of culture and gender as it relates to health behaviour; and d) explore service providers’ perceptions of the influence of culture and gender in relation to help-seeking for mental health problems and the application of this understanding to service delivery. The study found that the respondents equated social function with health and that this concept informed help-seeking and treatment expectations. Socially appropriate functioning was seen as an indicator of health, and this differed by gender. Gender-differentiated social stressors contributed to depression. Women played a role as enablers of care, both for family members and acquaintances. Men were more resistant to help-seeking and tended to disengage from care. There was a distinct preference for service providers who understood the culture and spoke Tamil. Religious groups served a social support function. Family physicians and Tamil service providers in the social service sectors were identified as key players in the pathways to care. Service providers did not appear to understand the community’s holistic view of health; however, they did use their knowledge of the community to make adaptations to practice. Recommendations that result from these findings include health promotion and prevention strategies beyond the traditional health care system, targeted culture and gender-informed interventions, and the need for multisectoral collaborations.