Open Access (28)
VIUSpace (28)
28 Research products, page 2 of 3
Arm candy activism : barriers and opportunities for women leading social movement organizations in Canada
Lake, Chris-Ann;
This qualitative study explores and documents the lived experiences of women who are leading social movement organizations in Canada. It gives context to their work within the established sectors and broader movements they are a part of, while highlighting the barriers and opportunities they are currently facing in their work. Their experiences also shed light on the unique barriers that have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the unique opportunities made visible because of the current political climate in Canada and beyond.
Kalith Nanayakkara introduces the concept of student co-ops in Canada
Nanayakkara, Kalith;
Publisher: Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University
Building equitable, accessible and affordable campuses through Co-operatives. Webinars discussing co-operatives, what they are and how they could make for more equitable and accessible campus communities. Co-op webinar 1. This video is part of the first webinar in the webinar series on "COVID-19 Response: Building Higher Learning Resilience in the Face of Epidemics". Webinar occurred on February 24th, 2021.
The work of the blade : why the practice of FGM continues in Nigeria?
Adewale-Olaniru, Boluwaji;
Female genital mutilation, also known as FGM, is a traditional cultural ceremony that has been practiced for hundreds of years in Africa, Asia, South Asia, and some parts of Europe. Girls from infancy to marriage or motherhood have been subjected to the partial or total removal of female genitalia as a rite of passage to ensure protection of purity and cleanliness. FGM is an ongoing cultural practice in Nigeria because of social conditioning. The results of the research show that the involvement of community members (victims of FGM, elders, and medical professionals) and leaders (spiritual, cultural, and political) will play a big role in reducing the practice of FGM in Nigeria. This portfolio synthesis includes methodology, methods, components, theoretical framework, knowledge of dissemination, and plan transfer. I explore why FGM is still an accepted practice in Nigeria and how social norm practices actively contribute to the ongoing practice of FGM. I had originally planned to travel to Nigeria to collect the data for this portfolio by dissertation. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, I was unable to travel and instead resorted to using different social media platforms such as WhatsApp to collect my data. This portfolio synthesis presents an overview of the following three components of the dissertation by portfolio: 1) a journal article submitted to African Studies Quarterly journal detailing the results and answers to the FGM research questions through 30 WhatsApp phone interviews of participants in Nigeria; 2) a 3D animation documentary of the real-life experience of a victim of FGM and its harmful effects; and 3) a peer reviewed conference presentation published in the proceedings at the Royal Roads University Social Engaging Applied Research Conference (August, 2021) comprised of a literature review defining FGM and outlining why it is continued.
Dr. Heidi Janz on making co-operatives accessible for people with disabilities
Janz, Heidi;
Building equitable, accessible and affordable campuses through Co-operatives. Webinars discussing co-operatives, what they are and how they could make for more equitable and accessible campus communities. Co-op webinar 2. This video is part of the second webinar in the webinar series on "COVID-19 Response: Building Higher Learning Resilience in the Face of Epidemics: Co-operatives and Campuses". Webinar occurred on March 17th, 2021.
Turning on a dime during COVID : a Canadian healthcare coalition's process of integrating e-Learning into leadership development
Schmaltz, Karen Irene;
This research examined the function and value of a coalition in identifying and mobilizing novel solutions to health organizations across Canada in an environment of forced disruption (i.e., COVID-19). More specifically, the study used a naturalistic inquiry methodology to understand the process of how the Canadian Health Leadership Network (CHLNet) coalition responded to the need to integrate e-Learning—an unfamiliar delivery practice for leadership development—into leadership development for its member partners and was hastened by the pandemic. The CHLNet case study results suggested that the coalition was a valuable setting upon which to identify and mobilize knowledge across Canada, despite the many challenges the pandemic brought. Further, the findings suggested that for CHLNet, key process elements contributed to their success that included using an adaptive leadership approach, taking advantage of an opportunity, selecting the right people to work on the project, actively managing the project, and allowing iterative journey processes that mirrored those of design thinking to emerge. Out of this study came three recommendations that address gaps in knowledge and suggest new lines of inquiry, namely: to look for patterns of successful project initiatives in coalitions; to explore a possible correlation between design thinking and coalition project initiatives; and to study the mindset, motivation, and empowerment of coalition project members. Overall, this study illustrated the significant value a coalition could have on identifying and mobilizing divergent practice knowledge on a national scale during a chaotic time of forced disruption across health organizations.
Digital belonging : the role of social network sites in establishing a sense of belonging among first-year undergraduate males in an online-only setting
Howlett, Matthew;
A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need, especially important for first-year undergraduates since it is directly related to their overall success and experience with the institution they attend (Ahn & Davis, 2020; Freeman et al., 2007; Tinto, 2017). This need drives individuals to seek mutually beneficial relationships (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Over, 2016; Taormina & Gao, 2013), underscoring the need for ongoing, positive interactions between the students and their instructors—and the university as a whole—as well as between the students themselves (Tinto, 2017). For the 2020-2021 school year, however, first-year students at traditional universities in Canada faced a new and unexpected reality: an online-only experience—along with restricted in-person contact in general—due to policies enforced by the Canadian government in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic (CBC, 2020; CDC, 2020; Government of Canada, 2020). At the University of British Columbia (UBC), specifically, on-campus activities and related events were cancelled, limited, or offered solely online, the requirement to live locally was removed—removing the dormitory or shared housing experience for most students—and all courses (except a select few within visual arts, music, and theatre) were delivered online (UBC Service Desk, personal communication, April 4, 2022). This combination of restricted in-person contact and digital course delivery highlights the importance of understanding the students' need for belonging—specifically, whether and how it is met in the online-only context—as well as the roles played by the communicative tools involved.
Dr. Cilla Ross, Principal of Cooperative College, talks about the history of co-ops
Ross, Cilla;
Enhancing capacity of the coalition of African, Caribbean, and Black nurses to support Black nurses in British Columbia to achieve greater psychological health in the workplace
Clarke, Tasha-Marie;
This thesis, "Enhancing Capacity of the Coalition of African, Caribbean, and Black Nurses (CACBN) to Support Black Nurses in British Columbia to Achieve Greater Psychological Health in the Workplace" utilizes the methodological frameworks of the Action Research Engagement model, Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality, Participatory Action Research and Appreciative Inquiry to answer the following question: How can the CACBN support Black nurses to achieve greater psychological health in the workplace? The African, Caribbean, and Black nurse participants were predominantly from CACBNs membership, held various nursing designations, and came from different practice environments. Data collection methods included a survey, interviews, and reflective journaling. Several sub-themes emerged from five overarching themes: Relational Connection: "Fitting In", Factors that Contribute to Safety in the Workplace, System Level Supports Needed from Health Care Organizations, CACBN Supports for ACBNs, and Impacts of COVID-19 on ACBNs. Study recommendations for health organizations include developing workplace anti-racism policies and providing career supports and leadership opportunities, while recommendations for CACBN include providing anti-Black racism education to health authorities and schools, offering mentorship, and creating safe spaces for dialogue.
Always for the animals : findings and recommendations for organizational governance and regenerative practices in the animal advocacy movement as informed by the stories of women vocational animal activists
Hiddema, Krista Valerie;
In response to the severity and tenacious nature of COVID-19, the United Nations (UN) identified the cessation of intensive animal agriculture as one of three foci necessary to prevent another pandemic as well as to bring human society and the planet back on a healthful course. Animal health, human health, and environmental health were deemed to be the three critical factors, and the UN stressed that all three need to be addressed collaboratively as an integrated whole. The Farmed Animal Advocacy Movement (FAAM or Movement), is a social justice movement working on behalf of farmed animals used for food. Currently, the majority of the work undertaken in Canada and the United States to combat intensive animal agriculture is undertaken by women. Numerous measures, however, assert that the FAAM is failing. A core cause is the troubled state of many FAAM organizations, and the impact this is having on the women employed as vocational animal activists. This qualitative approach to research sought to explore the experiences and recommendations of these women through their stories as a means to deepen the understanding of the FAAM's organizational practices, and suggest tools for sustainability. A reflexive thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 33 FAAM vocational activists was conducted. Ubiquitously, the interviews revealed a pervasive culture of oppressive 'isms', including racism and sexism, as well as significant illegal employment-based activities. Participants were also queried as to their suggested recommendations in regard to employment and organizational practices. One significant result of these recommendations was the creation of a proposed, practical, reasonable, and abundantly actionable checklist of practices, that, if implemented, may be instrumental in assuring a positive, highly engaging, highly ethical and more sustainable work culture able to perform the essential labour of protecting animals, and by extension, supporting the proposal by the UN to protect society from another pandemic.
Crisis Communication by School Leaders during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
Braun, Simon;
Schools are not immune to crises. Whether it be earthquakes, wildfires, shootings, or global pandemics, schools will always be required to react quickly and efficiently to crises (Liou, 2015, p. 248). One large component of this reaction is communication. Therefore, school leaders need to be prepared to communicate quickly, efficiently, and effectively both internally and with the broader community during times of crisis. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 created an exceptional urgency for schools to practice and refine their crisis communication as they dealt with the ongoing pandemic (Government of Canada, 2022). In British Columbia, the pandemic caused a state of emergency that has lasted nearly a year and a half (Lawson et al., 2021). During this time, schools went through many different situations of crisis, including short-term emergencies and long-term sustained stress. Schools also needed to react quickly to changing government guidelines, community exposures and public health directives (BC Ministry of Health, 2021). The purpose of this study is to examine the opportunities and challenges that arose as school leaders attempted to develop best practices, processes and procedures that amounted to effective communication during an unprecedented international health emergency.