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Long Road to Freedom: An Investigation Into the Sexual and Gender Discrimination of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Minority Asylum Seekers in Seeking Refugee Status in Canada (abstract)
Get PDFThis study investigates the sexual and gender discrimination experienced by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) asylum seekers in claiming refugee status in Canada. The author conducts a literature review of critiques of the refugee determination process in Canada, and reviews reports from service providers helping SOGI asylum seekers in Toronto. Historically, Canada has demonstrated an understanding that is ahead of the curve for LGBTQI refugees; however, much has changed under the current Conservative Government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Changes to the refugee determination system through the passing of Bill C-31 (2012) have made the situation for SOGI refugees particularly precarious. The designation of so-called “safe” countries of origin, as outlined in Bill C-31, shortens the time allotted to submit an application for asylum, making it more difficult to gather and prepare the documentation required for a successful case. The author pays particular attention to South Africa, as it is considered to be Africa’s gay haven. As a gender-queer person of colour pursuing hir Bachelor of Social Work at York University, the author describes the unique needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersexed (LGBTQI) refugee claimants. This study demonstrates the need for efficient and effective social services to meet the needs of SOGI claimants, needs that will surely increase due to changes to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Act incurred with the passing of Bill C-31
Dreams of Today: Analyzing the American Dream on Film in the Context of Contemporary America
Get PDFThe American Dream is a central component of American culture and image; its frequent exploration in popular culture means the concept is familiar to domestic and global audiences. However, in the context of a profound economic recession and internal social and political struggles, the American Dream is met with increasing skepticism, both within the United States’ borders and abroad. In this paper, I investigate how contemporary representations of the American Dream on film are reflecting and dealing with this remarkable historical period when the Dream is in decline. I examine the concept’s origins, exploring how it has evolved to mean domestic felicity and economic security. I discuss how it has been interpreted in popular culture, with a focus on more recent interpretations, and in particular a close reading of the 2011 film The Descendants. Employing textual analysis, personal observations, and an analysis of the film’s wider cultural meaning in light of its box office performance, awards, and reviews, I argue that the film represents a reworking of the American Dream, emphasizing land and domestic felicity over economic security and the “good life.” I suggest that this conception is likely a result of the current state of the Dream, particularly the impossibility of achieving the “economic security” component
Military Intervention from a Global South Perspective: A TWAIL Analysis
Get PDFThis paper aims to present the Global South’s perspective on military intervention by applying a TWAIL analysis. The main focus areas will be the social, political, and economic consequences of military intervention for the states of the Global South and their citizens. The paper argues that current international laws, and in particular international practices in relation to military intervention, are based on an unjust, inequitable, and hierarchical international system that continually seeks to subordinate the Global South and its population for the advancement of the Global North’s economic and political hegemony over the “developing world.” The paper will analyze what role the practices of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), and the United Nations (UN) play in applying military interventions in the Global South under the guise of promoting democracy, human rights, and progressive standards of living. The paper maintains that there persists what TWAIL scholars have termed a “legitimacy deficit” in the current international system. Legitimacy awards international rules and practices their viability and therefore is crucial for the future of international law, insofar as the survival of the international system and its institutions and rules depend on legitimacy. Thus, to address the “legitimacy deficit” and restore faith in international law, this paper, in line with TWAIL scholars, proposes the revision of the current international system to adopt anti-hierarchal, post-hegemonic, and pluralistic practices that promote equity and embrace the diversity of the multiple nation-states. To this end, the works of renowned TWAIL scholars such as Orford, Okafor, Mutua, and Fidler, in addition to specific case studies and examples such as those from Rwanda and Yugoslavia, have proven invaluable
Indigenous Rights: A Mapuche’s Right to Land (abstract)
No full textThe Mapuche are South American indigenous people in what is now part of Argentina and Chile. Since colonial independence, the Mapuche have struggled for the right to land. This essay chronicles the rise and evolution of a particular organization within the Mapuche social movement. In the Chilean context, years of frustration from dealing with the Chilean government has led to the creation of more radical Mapuche indigenous social movements such as the Coordinadora de Comunidades Mapuche en Conflicto Arauco (CAM), which adopts a more aggressive approach than previous indigenous movements. The CAM provides a new perspective on the authorized Indian versus insurrectionary Indian dynamic and challenges the concept of neoliberal multiculturalism. It views the Chilean government as trespassers on Mapuche territory. Yet the rise of the CAM has also resulted in the re-introduction of the infamous (Pinochet style) Terrorist Law and the militarization of the southern region by the Chilean government. To research this paper, I gathered extensive data on Mapuche organizations in Argentina and Chile and on Chile’s CAM organization from books on indigenous movements, journal and newspaper articles in English and in Spanish, the CAM organization’s various websites, and news sources pertaining to the CAM and recent events in Chile
Whose Streets? Representations of the G20 Protests in the Toronto Star
Get PDFThe following excerpti employs content and critical discourse analyses to investigate the Toronto Star’s representation of the protests that took place during the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit. Through the theoretical lens of Antonio Gramsci’s notion of hegemony, it assesses the inclusion and representation of protesters and their motivations for protesting.Cumulatively, the findings of this research point toward a hegemonic narrative in which the ideological status quo and those who support it are presented as legitimate and natural, whereas dissenters are depicted as illegitimate and socially harmful. These findings are generally consistent with previous analyses of corporate media coverage of other protests in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom
The Sanctioning of Rape Myths: Problematizing Sexual Assault (abstract)
No full textIn this paper, I explore the complexities associated with sexual assault in Canadian law and society by analyzing significant or sensationalized sexual assault cases, including: the leading Supreme Court of Canada case R v Ewanchuk (1999) on sexual assault and implied consent; the murder trial of British Columbia serial killer Robert Picton (2003); and assaults occurring on the campus of York University (Toronto). The concept of Implied consent is central to the assumptions underpinning many rape myths that blame victims for the violent actions of perpetrators (e.g., a woman who is deemed to be dressed inappropriately is held to be responsible, in some way, for her own assault). I situate my arguments within feminist socio-legal studies and contend that rape myths unduly sanction discrimination against victims. Hegemonic masculinity, which is based on a mythical norm, emerges as problematic in (re)constructing sexual violence. Hegemonic femininity also engages in a process of “othering,” which locates specific women as more “rapable” than others. Moreover, these gendered constructions are heightened by and interconnected with race and class inequalities. The use of sexual assault litigation as a tool for justice is debatable, at best, given the issue of reasonable doubt in criminal law and the re-traumatization of victims. Both Canadian law and society can be implicated in the problems associated with the trying of sexual assault cases, problems which cannot be adequately addressed without a deeper, contextualized analysis of discrimination as well as further activism