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The cessation of coal-fired power plants in Ontario: Costs, benefits, and alternatives
No full textDuring the 1960s, the desire to provide cheap electricity for industrialization in Southern Ontario, when the economy was booming from post-war development, led Ontario to build six coal-fired power plants; however, as the economy changed and Ontario began to deindustrialize in the 1980s, the province was producing an excess of electricity, thus leading to a fall in electricity prices. This drop led to the financial collapse and privatization of Ontario Hydro. In 2001, former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty proposed an ambitious plan to close all six coal-fired power plants in Ontario, and completely shift Ontario’s electricity industry toward zero-carbon generation. This study explores in depth whether the closure of all coal-fired power plants in Ontario meets the definition of energy sustainability proposed by Mark Jaccard, and how the Government of Ontario was successful in closing all coal-fired plants. It explores the costs and benefits of closing these plants by analyzing future health-care costs caused by pollution, and environmental costs such as smog days in summer; furthermore, this paper discusses how the Government of Ontario replaced the electricity produced by coal-fired power plants by investing in nuclear energy, increasing capacity of hydroelectricity, and increasing investment in renewable energy such as wind. Finally, the author weighs the negative upstream and downstream effects of electricity generation from alternatives in Ontario, such as nuclear and hydropower, to discern whether closing coal-fired plants was financially and environmentally feasible. After analysis, the author concludes that closing all coal-fired power plants in Ontario led to energy sustainability, saved the Government of Ontario billions in health-care costs, and aided Ontario in mitigating climate change
Security sector reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The limitations of “Europeanization”
Get PDFSecurity sector reforms (SSR) generally refer to a process in Western-based international development and democratization to make changes to the security sector of a state toward good governance and its principles, such as freedom of information and the rule of law. SSR has become a vital part of the European Union’s (EU) efforts to transform the Western Balkans from a conflict-ridden area into a stable and democratic region of Europe. This paper focuses on SSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereafter, Bosnia) as a case study of the multidimensional and complex Europeanization policies employed by the EU in the region. The research examines the changes in two sectors of Bosnia’s security system with the aim of providing an understanding of the EU’s impact on the domestic conditions of candidate states. The main argument is that the EU used police and intelligence reforms in Bosnia (both of which were part of the SSR efforts in the country) as state-building tools. However, due to Bosnia’s lack of domestic competence and the inexperience of the EU to properly and effectively implement SSR, the reforms have had very little success and reveal the limitations of the state’s Europeanization
How Is Africa a Neoliberal Utopia? An Analysis of God Complexes, Eden, and Development
Get PDFThis paper explores the different ways that Africa is a neoliberal utopia for the Global North. On the one hand, the introduction of neoliberal ideologies into African society was assisted historically by the transatlantic slave trade and by the subsequent period of European colonialization and, on the other hand, these neoliberal ideologies are now the reason that neo-colonialism thrives in Africa. This paper uses both Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972) and William Darity’s “Africa, Europe, and the Origins of Uneven Development: The Role of Slavery” (2005) as its theoretical foundations. Within this framework, I analyze the formation of Africa as a neoliberal paradise, from the historical ‘original sin’ of enslaving people to the political, social, and economic implications, both in historical and contemporary contexts. Most importantly, I offer two primary theoretical interventions to the discussion of neo-colonialism and neoliberalism in Africa today. They are the analogy of ‘original sin’ and a phenomenon I term ‘race to the baton.’ These interventions show the distinctions between the overtness of historical processes of colonialism and the contemporary covertness of neo-colonial processes that define the relationship between the Global South and the Global North
Religious responses to cultural Issues: Sikhism and its response to Indo-Canadian gang violence in the lower mainland, British Columbia, Canada
No full textThis article looks at gang prevention initiatives geared to second-generation Punjabi male youth in Surrey, British Columbia. Using a semi-structured interview method, I interview a community activist and co-chair of a community coalition to better understand social work responses to gang violence. I conduct a literature review of scholarly articles to critique the advocacy response and reveal sites of contradiction between generations of Punjabi Sikhs. The community coalition understands gang violence as male youths’ alienation from Sikh religious institutions such as the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple). Using secondary sources, I uncover contradictions between first-generation and second-generation Punjabi immigrants about the use of religious responses to solve gang violence. On one hand, first-generation Punjabi immigrants believe Gurdwaras are the central hub of the community and must be included in a gang prevention response. On the other hand, second-generation Punjabi immigrants understand Gurdwaras as rigid spaces that lack strong leadership. I investigate a specific advocacy response by the community coalition held in collaboration with second-generation Punjabi youth, Sikh leaders, police agencies, and a collaborative community-university project. During a two-day residential summit, a collaborative gang-prevention action plan is created, with a recommendation to create an accessible resource booklet titled “Understanding Youth in Gangs,” made available to Punjabi youth and families. However, I critique the funding process of this resource booklet, which is embedded in racist and political discourses dismissing Punjabi ways of family life and reinforcing Eurocentric ideologies of family, and call on second-generation Punjabi male youth to exert their voices and power to build gang prevention strategies that support their visions and imaginings
Looking on the bright side: Comparing long-distance relationships and geographically close relationships
Get PDFLong-distance relationships (LDRs) are increasingly popular (McCoy, Hjelmstad, & Stinson, 2013). Approximately 35–40% of college students and 1 million American adults report being in a long-distance relationship at any given time (Belus, Pentel, Cohen, Fischer, & Baucom, 2018; Du Bois et al., 2015; Lee & Pistole, 2012). As relationship and sexual satisfaction is an important aspect of personal well-being and a common reason for seeking therapy, counsellors and college counsellors need to know how to deal with LDRs (Kelmer, Rhoades, Stanley, & Marman, 2013; Lee & Pistole, 2012). Previous research on relationship satisfaction in LDRs compared to geographically close relationships is examined and found to be contradictory. This paper explores the challenges and benefits of LDRs and reviews current theoretical literature and potential therapeutic applications. The paper identifies gaps in current literature and proposes a study analyzing sexual frequency and satisfaction in long-distance relationships compared to geographically close relationships. Understanding more about sexuality in LDRs could help couples cope with and prepare for the unique challenges presented by this type of relationship (Dargie et al., 2015)
The dimensions of sex work and human trafficking
Get PDFThis research explores how Canadian legislation, societal norms, and the criminalization of sex work are all factors resulting in unequal treatment and safety risks of sex workers in Canada. Sex workers became more vulnerable under Bill C-36, which became law in 2014 and prohibits the purchase of sexual services; it also prevents sex workers from practicing in a safe environment and without the prejudice from powerful institutions such as the police and the law. Sex work and human trafficking are seen as interchangeable, and the bias associated with sex work has left many negative effects on women sex workers. Sex workers experience discrimination, abuse, harassment, and life-threatening situations. By means of a literature review and analysis of a court case, a bill, and a parliamentary debate, I explore how Canadian legislation poorly interprets sex work by criminalizing it and risking the safety of sex workers by isolating them legally and socially
Comparing psychology and non-psychology student attitudes toward care seeking
Get PDFDespite evidence that counselling and other forms of psychotherapy are critical to mental health recovery (Corrigan, 2014), fewer than one third of people living with mental illness seek treatment (Maranzan, 2014). Stigma surrounding mental health deters people from seeking help. Our 2018 study found that York University (Toronto, Canada) students implicitly associate care-seeking activities with negative personal attributes. Exposure, in the form of contact and education about psychological support, reduces stigma and negative biases (O’Brien et al., 2010; Rudman et al., 2001). We hypothesize that students studying psychology should have fewer negative associations toward seeking treatment. Using the implicit associations task (IAT), we assessed whether this is the case. Twenty-nine psychology students and 29 non-psychology students from York University completed the IAT. First, participants classified different activities (e.g., counselling) as being related to care seeking or daily living, and different personality traits (e.g., antisocial) as being positive or negative. Second, they classified these activities and traits into paired categories of either congruent (care-seeking/negative and daily living/positive) or non-congruent (care seeking/positive and daily living/negative) stereotyped associations. The reaction times to classify each item into the congruent and incongruent categories were evaluated. While all students were faster in the congruent associations, the results showed an interaction between areas of study and association pairs. Being exposed to incongruent pairs—i.e., care seeking and positive personality traits—slows down non-psychology more than psychology students. These results suggest that exposure to psychology courses does contribute to reducing negative biases against mental health care
Colonialism and the Failure of Retribution in the Canadian Justice System: How to Support Indigenous Offenders
Get PDFI am proposing intersectional policy solutions that favour a restorative justice approach over the retributive approach that currently exists in the Canadian justice system to ensure that Indigenous inmates’ needs are adequately met. I introduce recommendations for the Canadian penitentiary system to address significant cases of mistreatment against Indigenous inmates; declining physical and mental health rates; and overall losses of cultural identity that Indigenous inmates experience. My objectives address: the exploitation of solitary confinement in prisons; the disproportionate lack of support available to Indigenous offenders compared to non-Indigenous offenders; and the cycle of colonialism that Indigenous prisoners experience from ineffective criminal justice policies. The goal of these suggestions is to combat the intergenerational trauma from residential schools and other vestiges of colonialism that continues in Canadian prisons. Secondary data were analyzed through two research strategies: 1) qualitative analyses of academic journals, Canadian laws, comparable cases from New Zealand’s prison system, and previous cases of mistreatment and Indigenous inmates’ deaths; and 2) quantitative analyses on statistics of Indigenous inmates in Canada. The findings support promoting reintegration with Indigenous communities and implementing mental health, educational, and cultural workshops to lower mental health concerns like suicide and the possibility of recidivism. Thus, the proposed policy solutions challenge the use of retribution and encourage rehabilitation to improve Indigenous offenders’ mental and physical health, educational background, and cultural identity
Are there subtypes of gamers, more at risk of developing pathologies?
No full textVideo gaming is a common hobby among people of all ages. However, when enjoyed in excess, it can lead to disordered behaviours. Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a disorder characterized by pathological gaming habits that last for at least twelve months (WHO, 2018; DSM-5, 2013). Little research distinguishes high- from low-risk gamers regarding the development of other disordered behaviours or comorbidity with mental health issues. The current study, an exploratory data analysis, assesses the risk of gamers’ developing other pathological behaviours and comorbidity with mental health issues such as social anxiety, depression, ADHD, problematic gambling, or substance dependence. The study is a secondary analysis of an existing data set. We identified three different subtypes of gamers, with only one group showing significant emotionality, gaming habits, and addictive behaviours. The other two subtypes were a normative class and a class of gamers with high levels of pathological emotionality but no addictive behaviours other than the diagnosis of IGD