Open Journals at Memorial University
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On Trampled Ground: Unsettling Critical Social Work in Un/Sanctioned Safe Consumption Sites
No full textIn her work, Rossiter (2011) considered the violence inherent in representation and called for a critical social work that is committed to an unsettled practice. In following Rossiter’s call to action , this article works to unsettle the trampled ground on which I walk to draw out the unsettled nature that is critical social work within the slippery and often unknowable parameters of grassroots and professional social work spaces. In utilizing my own experience in the unsanctioned Moss Park Overdose Prevention Site and the sanctioned Toronto Safe Consumption Site, I ask, What is critical social work? How is it tied to resistance and subversion? What happens when radical roots are co-opted by the state? In three sections, Grassroots, Professional, and Positionality, I assert that social work must always be unsettled in order to resist oppressive practices within. Using harm reduction and safe consumption services to discuss an unsettled practice, I conclude that social work must always be unsettled and continuously work to decentre itsel
Uvvatuq Naluallangniaqtugut (I Humbly Hope We Run Into Game): An Iñupiaq Research Process
Get PDFUvvatuq naluallangniaqtugut (I humbly hope we run into game) is a phrase an Iñupiaq person would say before going out hunting in the Selawik dialect. We believe all things have a spirit, including animals. If a hunter announces they are going out hunting, the animal spirits will hear that and the hunter may have bad luck. Another phrase said in English is “I am going out for a ride.” The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation. The name of the project is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Teaching in Rural Areas using Cultural Knowledge Systems (TRACKS). The UAF team, known as the UAF Development Team, is working with the Northwest Arctic Borough School District to develop STEM lessons utilizing Iñupiaq knowledge systems and university research for middle school-age students in three villages. The UAF participating programs humbly reached out to local community members to establish a TRACKS Team. However, the UAF participating programs wanted the TRACKS Team to identify what is important to teach their children. The community were the ones to identify the research topic, utilizing an analogy Uvvatuq naluallangniaqtugut (I humbly hope we run into game) for an Iñupiaq research process
A history of Preparing Teachers for Northern Labrador
Get PDFThis article explores the history of Indigenous teacher education in Labrador, Canada. The focus is on Memorial University’s involvement in this area from the 1970s to the present, including the Teacher Education Program in Labrador (TEPL), the Native and Northern Bachelor of Education, and the community-based Inuit Bachelor of Education. The authors examine contributions, strengths and weaknesses of these programs and conclude with some thoughts on possible future directions. To our knowledge, there has not been a published history of Memorial University’s role in teacher education in Labrador in recent years. Thus, this article contributes to knowledge about this history
Concrete Ceilings: African Canadian Women and the Pursuit of Leadership in the Public Sector
No full textThis research consisted of qualitative interviews with 21 Black women who currently held, had held, or were qualified for managerial-level positions in the public service sector. The research questions were as follows: (1) What internal and external supports contribute to Black women obtaining leadership positions in the public sector in Canada? (2) What internal and external barriers have Black women faced in obtaining leadership positions in the Canadian public sector? The researchers conclude that Black women experience various forms of discrimination, racism, oppression and typecasting, which have been prevalent in their journeys through public sector employment. Participants identified many barriers to being successful in the workplace, most of which can be attributed to racism. In spite of these barriers, a number of Black women identified internal and external supports and strengths that had enabled them to obtain these positions. The most prevalent supports found in this study include self-determination, faith, colleagues and mentors, community supports, friends and family. Many participants identified these supports as helping them to be successful in the public sector, in spite of the systematic racism that exists. By participating in this study, Black women reported feeling heard and validated. Three recommendations arose: the establishment of a formal support system for Black women interested in public-sector employment; commitment from public-sector leaders to assist in system-wide changes; and a call to action for African Canadian women to engage in activities that promote ongoing self-advocacy and self-empowerment
Canadian Wraparound: Measuring Implementation Fidelity for Youth in Care
No full textFor youth in the care of child welfare, the need for a greater emphasis on service integration and youth-centered approaches is widely agreed. This case study examined an implementation of the Wraparound approach, which focuses on coordinated service delivery and youth-centred care, as delivered by an intervention team at a Canadian urban community health centre with 12 youths in care. Wraparound is a philosophy of care and a process that facilitates the provision of integrated support for individuals with complex needs. The high-fidelity implementation of this approach has been identified as critical to improvements in life outcomes. The Wraparound Fidelity Index Short Version (WFI-EZ), which measures adherence to the guiding principles and primary activities of Wraparound was administered with team members, facilitators, caregivers, and a youth. The Team Observation Measure (TOM-2), which measures facilitation skills and team work as observed during Wraparound meetings, was administered with a sample of four Wraparound teams. Overall fidelity scores at this site, though below average, are encouraging considering the complex profiles and multi-system needs of the youths. Intensive training and ongoing coaching of Wraparound facilitators contributed to high ratings, while success was limited by narrow definitions of family and by system-level constraints such as high turnover among social workers. Future research should explore the value of peer support for youth and caregivers, training for all team members in the Wraparound approach, and adapting the fidelity assessment tools to better account for family, community, and system-level constraints.