Anucha, Uzo School of Social Work, University of Windsor
Community partner: The Well-Come Centre / Well-Come Home Shelter, Housing Information Services, Central Housing Registry
Domains: Housing and Neighbourhoods, Community

A Community Dialogue on Homelessness among Immigrants and Refugees in the Windsor/Essex Region

This research proposal seeks to examine and understand immigrants’ and refugees’ experiences of homelessness and the processes that facilitate, hinder or obstruct their access to housing.  This study will also explore how migrant status interacts and interweaves with other interlocking oppressions such as ethnicity, race, gender, religion, age and language difficulties to impact one’s housing options.  The geographic location is the Windsor/Essex region, an area that Census Canada Data names as the second fastest growing community in Ontario after Toronto (mainly due to immigration not birth) and as constituting Canada’s fourth largest proportion of foreign-born population. The findings from this study will be used to develop an action plan for an effective community response that delineates policies and practices that better meet the housing needs of immigrants and refugees. 

Hare, Francis G. School of Child and Youth Care, Ryerson University
Community partner: Pape Adolescent Resource Centre
Domain: Community

Unaccompanied Refugee Youth in Transition from the Child Welfare System

Canadian child welfare authorities are responsible for supporting unaccompanied or separated children who arrive in Canada as refugees, and ultimately for facilitating their transition from care.  Relatively little is known about the dimensions of this challenge or the best practices for agencies.  This proposal addresses these issues in collaboration with an agency with extensive experience assisting youth in transition from care.  Components include pilot database development to determine the number of children and youth involved, a review of practices in other jurisdictions, and the compilation of current practices and recommendations drawn from the experience of workers currently assisting such youth.

Hyman, Ilene The Centre for Research in Women's Health, University of Toronto
Community partner: Ethiopian Association in Toronto
Domain: Health

Gender, violence and health - The role of gender relations in the Ethiopian community in Toronto

Little research has been devoted to identifying risk and protective factors associated with partner abuse in immigrant populations nor the most appropriate methods of intervention.  Recognizing this problem, the Ethiopian Association in Toronto partnered with the Centre for Research in Women’s Health to investigate the role of changing gender relations as a risk factor for partner abuse.  Preliminary findings suggested that Ethiopian men and women adapt to ‘new’roles in different ways and that there is a major role for community and religious institutions to play in prevention.  We will build on and extend this research.

Sakamoto, Izumi Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Community partner: Chinese Canadian National Council
Domain: Community

Negotiating Canadianness, Navigating Cultural Currents: Chinese Skilled Immigrants in Toronto

Canada needs skilled immigrants for maintaining continued economic growth to counterbalance the aging population.  Our future as a nation is strongly tied to how we treat skilled immigrants.  In addition to researching structural barriers (e.g. foreign credential discounting), research is needed on the subjective psycho-social experiences of immigrants as this relates specifically to the multiple cultural contexts in which these individuals lead their lives.  The proposed qualitative project aims to enhance theoretical and practical understandings on both intra- and inter-group adaptation experiences among diverse Chinese skilled immigrants in order to explore effective service provision and policy planning for this population.

Tyyskä, Vappu Department of Sociology, Ryerson University
Community partner: Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre (Can TYD)
Domain: Community

Parent-Teen Relations in the Toronto Tamil Community

Among immigrants, the Tamil are identified among those with poor educational and economic status, rooted in discrimination.  Negative outcomes on youth flow from these circumstances, accompanied with excessive media attention to youth "gangs".  Family context (as "social capital" or "active capital") directly influences young people’s social, educational, and career outcomes.  This study examines intergenerational relations between parents and adolescents (aged 13-19) in the Tamil community in Toronto.  Central aspects of teens’ relationship with their parents will be identified through 20 interviews with Tamil youth (10 males and 10 females), based on the model of "intergenerational solidarity" developed by Bengtson et. al. (1976-1986, in Rosenthal, 1987).  Data will be used to identify areas of strength and weakness, and to suggest mechanisms through which community groups can facilitate intergenerational communications and relations.

Verma, Anil Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto
Community partner: Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
Domain: Economic

The Career Progression of Immigrants, Women and Visible Minorities in the Canadian Labour Market

The proposed study will explore the possibility that immigrants, visible minorities and women face barriers to their advancement within organizations, irrespective of disadvantages faced at the time of first employment.  We aim to investigate how the lack of human capital acquisitions, measured by continuing education and work assignment, creates barriers to the career progression of these groups.  Longitudinal data is imperative for this study since cross-sectional data may produce biased results.  Therefore, data from SLID will be used.  Findings of this study will help policymakers focus on the sources of disadvantage during the period that people are employed.

Wright, Cynthia Institute for Women's Studies and Gender Studies, University of Toronto
Community partner: Community Social Planning Council, Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre, Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre, INTERCEDE for the Rights of Domestic Workers
Domain: Community

Non-Status Immigrants: Exploring Models of Regularization

Non-status immigrants constitute one of the most marginalized groups in Canada.  While there are no official statistics, estimates suggest that as many as 200,000 non-status immigrants reside in Canada with 50% in Toronto.  The Canadian government is currently considering strategies to regularize non-status immigrants.  Despite this emerging issue, there are no studies that have analyzed various regularization models.  Using archival research, focus groups and interviews, this project will analyze models currently being advocated and from the past.  This study will provide excellent student training opportunities, make a significant contribution to the policy debate, and inform the development of regularization strategies.