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Design thinking for social change: Exploring stakeholder collaboration in poverty alleviation
Get PDFThis article was originally published as: Pira, M., Fleet, G., & Moir, R. (2024). Design thinking for social change: Exploring stakeholder collaboration in poverty alleviation. Journal of Sustainability Research, 6(3), Article e240037. https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20240037Design thinking, recognized for its potential in addressing intricate challenges, has been applied to the complex issue of poverty reduction in the city of Saint John, New Brunswick. This paper delves into the innovative application of design thinking by engaging stakeholders and exploring their perspectives within a poverty-reduction framework. The study employs mixed qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including surveys, secondary data analysis, and qualitative coding techniques, to comprehensively investigate the potential of design thinking in poverty alleviation efforts. Through this rigorous examination, the research reveals the efficacy of involving beneficiaries and intermediaries in the design thinking process, culminating in the development of Canada’s first food bank platform and demonstrate the potential for design thinking to successfully address complex social issues
The Experiences of Professional Muslim Women in the Canadian Workplace
Get PDF2024This dissertation investigates the experiences of professional Muslim women in Canada. It examines the intricate interplay of religion, race/ethnicity, sect, and gender along with various other facets of identity within this diverse community. This study focuses on Canadian-born and immigrant Muslim women, recognizing their unique experiences and challenges in various organizational settings. Moreover, it considers visible identity markers, such as wearing the hijab, and their influence on workplace dynamics. Drawing upon the frameworks of Social Identity Theory, Intersectionality Theory, and the Critical Ecological Model, the research explores themes such as media discourse, identity construction, discrimination, workplace accommodations, and the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Muslim women. This study aimed to contribute to existing scholarship by systematically examining the societal context through a mixed methods approach which involved a content analysis of Canadian media outlets and 20 one-on-one interviews with professional Muslim women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The findings hold implications for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within Canadian organizations. By highlighting gaps between diversity rhetoric and reality and addressing persistent issues of discrimination and Islamophobia, the research underscores the importance of inclusive workplace cultures
Digital Literacy and Resilience: How Can Professional Development Prepare Instructors to Succeed in Changing Times?
Get PDF2024Digital literacy is essential for societal participation, making it a crucial aspect of an educator’s role. The importance of digital literacy corresponds with the rising demand for postsecondary digital education in Canada, alongside numerous changes from COVID-19, demographic shifts, and technological advancements, requiring educators to be resilient. However, there is a lack of data to inform decisions about instructor professional development. In this qualitative study, I investigated how digital literacy professional development can enhance the digital resilience of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) instructors in British Columbia. The technology acceptance model provides a context for understanding instructors’ motivation to enhance digital pedagogy. I collected data through ten semi-structured interviews with faculty developers and instructors. Thematic analysis resulted in four key themes: the breadth of instructors’ needs and competencies, TVET-specific professional development, critical digital literacy, and meaningful connections for resilience. The findings include recommendations and strategies for instructors, institutions, and provincial accreditation bodies to consider for future TVET instructor professional development initiatives
Intensive spatiotemporal characterization of the tire wear toxin 6PPD quinone in urban waters
Get PDFThis article was originally published as: Jaeger, A., Monaghan, J., Tomlin, H., Atkinson, J., Gill, C.G., & Krogh, E.T. (2024). Intensive spatiotemporal characterization of the tire wear toxin 6PPD quinone in urban waters. ACS EST Water, 4(12), 5566-5574. DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c006146PPDQ is a tire-derived contaminant toxic to coho salmon (LC50 = 41–95 ng/L) found widely distributed in urban environments. Most monitoring efforts have relied on relatively few discrete samples collected at select locations across rain events. Early work has revealed that 6PPDQ concentrations vary widely over time and space, raising questions about when and where to collect samples. Here, we employ condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry, a high-throughput analysis approach to characterize spatiotemporal variability of 6PPDQ in urban streams. Analytical method detection limits of 0.3–8 ng/L and a duty cycle of 2.5 min/sample enabled high-throughput adaptive sampling. Temporal sampling revealed dynamic 6PPDQ concentrations, with significant changes occurring over minutes during peak rainfall. Spatial variability was characterized at multiple sites along three watercourses during the first significant precipitation of autumn 2023 on central Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. Site-specific concentrations suggest attenuation of 6PPDQ after point source inputs by some combination of physical (dilution, sorption) or chemical (degradation) processes. This is the first report of an intensive sampling campaign describing the spatiotemporal distribution of 6PPDQ, highlighting the need for careful consideration of sampling strategies to evaluate the risk and impact of 6PPDQ in urban waterways.This work was supported by funding provided by NSERC Discovery (RGPIN-2022-05349), Mitacs Accelerate (IT27105), and BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF_2022_389)
Beyond the underground: Planning strategies to improve music culture and nightlife in Nanaimo
No full textAs an emerging topic in planning practice, this research explores the perspectives of those involved with the facilitation of nightlife perceive the City of Nanaimo, British Columbia, and explores how current policy may have shaped the nightlife landscape. By exploring academic perspectives of normative concepts which have facilitated positive governing attitudes of nightlife, this research applies the theoretical framework of advocacy planning to conceptualize how the City of Nanaimo and the planning profession should understand when considering policy support for nightlife activity.Thesis/major project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vancouver Island University
A Case Study of the Federal Lands Initiative
No full text2024The Federal Lands Initiative was created as a one time $200-million fund which supports the transfer of surplus federal lands and buildings to eligible proponents. The program makes these lands available at significantly discounted or no cost, in order for them to be developed or renovated for use as affordable housing. Being that these sites were historically used for various operations within the federal government, local municipalities typically have the areas zoned for institutional land uses and as such, rezoning the property is a common requirement. This can present significant challenges depending on the local context and politics as well as negative stereotypes surrounding affordable housing. Potential proponents of the program are also charged with producing premium housing outcomes in energy efficiency and accessibility while maintaining below market rates amidst economic pressures. This research uses the Federal Lands Initiative as an exploratory case study to investigate the interplay between municipal, provincial and federal governance structures. It examines the frameworks that affect the success of the program and it explores the political and structural pressures surrounding the development of affordable housing in Canada
Pollinator Abundance at Solar Farms in Alberta, Canada
No full text2024Solar farms within the Alberta, Canada agricultural landscape could function as sources of essential pollinator habitat to support pollinator abundance. Some solar farms opt for a vegetated substrate beneath solar panels and target mowing to beneath panels. Edges of solar sites experience less frequent vegetation control which could create an edge effect and influence how bees assemble within a solar site. Four solar farms in Alberta, Canada were sampled using pan and vane traps to collect bee abundance data along transects at three distances from site edge. Bees caught were identified to species and sites were evaluated for their capacity to support bee abundance. Results showed that depth did not have as strong influence on bee abundance, and rather site-to-site variation was more influential. Regardless of vegetation management techniques are used, solar sites in Alberta still appear to provide some measure of habitat and support pollinator abundance
Stabilizing selection and mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Get PDFThis article was originally published as: Forbes, K.J., Barrera, M.A., Nielsen-Roine, K., Hersh, E.W., Janes, J.K., Harrower, W.L., & Gorrell, J.C. (2024). Stabilizing selection and mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Genome, 67(12), 493-502. https://doi.org/10.1139/gen-2023-0094Mitochondrial DNA is commonly used in population genetic studies to investigate spatial structure, intraspecific variation, and phylogenetic relationships. The control region is the most rapidly evolving and largest non-coding region, but its analysis can be complicated by heteroplasmic signals of genome duplication in many mammals, including felids. Here, we describe the presence of heteroplasmy in the control region of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) through intra-individual sequence variation. Our results demonstrate multiple haplotypes of varying length in each lynx, resulting from different copy numbers of the repetitive sequence RS-2 and suggest possible heteroplasmic single nucleotide polymorphisms in both repetitive sequences RS-2 and RS-3. Intra-individual variation was only observed in the repetitive sequences while inter-individual variation was detected in the flanking regions outside of the repetitive sequences, indicating that heteroplasmic mutations are restricted to these repeat regions. Although each lynx displayed multiple haplotypes of varying length, we found the most common variant contained three complete copies of the RS-2 repeat unit, suggesting copy number is regulated by stabilizing selection. While genome duplication offers potential for increased diversity, heteroplasmy may lead to a selective advantage or detriment in the face of mitochondrial function and disease, which could have significant implications for wildlife populations experiencing decline (e.g., bottlenecks) as a result of habitat modification or climate change.This project was funded by Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada to JKJ (RGPIN-2020-04475) and JCG (RGPIN-2018-
06764) and a grant from the Northwest Boreal Landscape Conservation Cooperative to WLH. KJF and MAB were supported by NSERC undergraduate student research awards, while EWH was supported by a Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship
Police Officer Perceptions of Diversity-Focused Recruitment in Ontario, Canada
No full text2024This study was designed to bring about an understanding of police officer perceptions of diversity-focused recruitment in Ontario, Canada. Though the need to have police services that are reflective of the communities they serve has been legislated for decades, all of Ontario’s police services fall short in various respects and to various degrees. This study aims to improve professional practice by examining the perceptions of a small group of officers surrounding diversity-focused recruitment and its various permutations. Throughout the province’s numerous police services, officers are in key positions to influence the recruitment, selection, and retention of diverse candidates into their ranks, therefore an understanding of how they perceive this phenomenon is essential. Using a qualitative research methodology, this study drew on semi-structured interview data from a convenience sample of 15 police officers serving in nine different police services in Ontario. They represent a variety of demographics, levels of policing experience, and areas worked in policing. This study was theoretically guided by standpoint and intersectional frameworks. Thematic analysis guided the data analysis and produced themes and recommendations for improved practice. Data analysis led to the emergence of six main themes that focused on participants’ perceptions which ranged from positive and optimistic to cautious or negative regarding diversity recruitment. The participants’ perceptions are captured in their narratives, which are presented in the form of extensive direct quotations. Positive perceptions primarily pointed to the ability for diversity-focused recruitment targeted groups to connect with their peers and community to achieve some diversity-related goals in the policing profession. Negative perceptions focused on fears that these type of recruitment strategies may lead to a lowered hiring standard which places diversity recruitment above what some describe as objective, non-diversity-focused metrics of competence. The intersecting identity/demographic analysis of the participants gave no indication that diverse or non-diverse officers feel a particular way about the concept.
The perceptions gathered from this small but in-depth sample indicate that there is much work to be done within Ontario police services to create an understanding of the philosophy and methods behind their diversity recruitment strategies. The sample group of this study represents possible actors within their organizations’ recruitment team (i.e. though only some officers in the sample have worked in a recruitment branch, all have potential to end up as recruiters, selectors, coaches, etc.), and the definite end users/coworkers of the candidates who are hired in the current recruitment climate. This study can be used by police services to better strategize diversity-focused recruitment and to create better EDI/recruitment buy-in internally. Scholars can use this study to dig deeper into the perceptions officers have of diversity-focused recruitment and the role of perception influence on diversity recruitment in policing.
Key Words: Police Diversity Recruitment, Intersectionality Theory, Standpoint Theory, Police Officer Perceptions, Ontario Police Diversity-focused Recruitmen
Gender Minorities in GBMSM Sexual Health: Client Interpersonal Communication Experiences
No full text2024There is a dearth of knowledge in transgender communication studies about the interpersonal communication experiences of transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex, gender diverse (TNBGQIGD) and Two-Spirit people accessing gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) sexual health and HIV prevention, education, research, and treatment programs and services. This study addresses this dearth by surveying TNBGQIGD and Two-Spirit people. Participants were TNBGQINB and Two-Spirit people aged 18 years or more who accessed Canadian GBMSM sexual health and HIV programs and services within the last 5 years. Survey recruitment employed voluntary response sampling with results analyzed through the lens of queer theory. Results highlight existing methods that are working and areas in need of improvement. While the findings suggest some GBMSM services are serving TNBGQIGD and Two-Spirit people well, the overall quality and availability of these services in Canada need improving to disrupt the gender binary and to decentre cisnormativity