Susan Brigham | Mount Saint Vincent University (original) (raw)

Papers by Susan Brigham

Sexuality & culture, Apr 16, 2024

Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were con... more Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were convened at four predominantly white postsecondary institutions to discuss university sexual violence policies and services. We present qualitative data relating to participant perspectives on how campus sexual violence responses should address race, racism, ethnicity, or ethnocentrism shared by students belonging to five racialized cultural communities. All participants cited demonstrated concern about racial or ethnic bias, however their views about the institutional or interpersonal practices that would signal fair rather than biased treatment varied. Practices associated with cultural responsiveness, including ethnocultural matching, were widely advocated. Some participants favoured explicitly race-aware communication from sexual violence responders, consistent with currently dominant anti-racism. In contrast, others preferred that responders not introduce topics of race or racism, instead practicing what might be referred to as colour-blindness. Suggestions linked to the African philosophy of Ubuntu and to cultural humility were also advanced. In conclusion, to address students’ concerns about racism and ethnocentrism, we outline a toolkit approach to the intercultural communication that occurs in the implementation of campus sexual violence policy.

Sexuality & Culture, 2024

Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were con... more Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were convened at four predominantly white postsecondary institutions to discuss university sexual violence policies and services. We present qualitative data relating to participant perspectives on how campus sexual violence responses
should address race, racism, ethnicity, or ethnocentrism shared by students belonging to five racialized cultural communities. All participants cited demonstrated concern about racial or ethnic bias, however their views about the institutional or
interpersonal practices that would signal fair rather than biased treatment varied.
Practices associated with cultural responsiveness, including ethnocultural matching, were widely advocated. Some participants favoured explicitly race-aware communication from sexual violence responders, consistent with currently dominant anti-racism. In contrast, others preferred that responders not introduce topics of
race or racism, instead practicing what might be referred to as colour-blindness. Suggestions linked to the African philosophy of Ubuntu and to cultural humility were also advanced. In conclusion, to address students’ concerns about racism and ethnocentrism, we outline a toolkit approach to the intercultural communication that occurs in the implementation of campus sexual violence policy.

Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies

This symposium is concerned with understanding the forces that shape and influence curriculum in ... more This symposium is concerned with understanding the forces that shape and influence curriculum in international contexts. The study of curriculum in international contexts reveals the insidious impacts of colonial, ideological and neoliberal influences on contemporary curriculum development in a variety of geo-cultural, political and economic contexts (Kumar, 2019). Four theoretical responses—Indigenous, critical, autobiographical and meditative—that provide thoughtful perspectives to challenge these negative influences will be explored in the symposium. The impact of intellectual movements such as Marxism and postmodernism on curriculum theory in varied political and economic settings will also be underscored. The symposium invites and initiates a complicated conversation around the internationalization of curriculum studies by inviting panelists from posthuman, Indigenous, black feminist, critical discursive and foundational perspectives to respond to the aforementioned colonial, i...

This paper addresses the ways in which Africentricity contributes to adult education's goal of cr... more This paper addresses the ways in which Africentricity contributes to adult education's goal of creating a socially just world and specifically to a graduate adult education/lifelong learning degree program within a Nova Scotian university context.

Palgrave Macmillan eBooks, Nov 29, 2013

Asian Development Bank eBooks, 1999

Teaching and Teacher Education, Apr 1, 2011

In this paper, we consider the difficulties that a group of internationally educated female teach... more In this paper, we consider the difficulties that a group of internationally educated female teachers (female IETs) encountered in the process of seeking certification in the Canadian Maritimes. We read their experiences in the context of neoliberalism, in particular how they are positioned in the labour force and also the teaching profession. We consider the material effects of differences such as gender, race, ethnicity, and regional location for the female IETs. Further, we underscore implications for teacher education.

Canadian Ethnic Studies, 2010

This book fills a gap in research that focuses specifically on one of the largest racialized grou... more This book fills a gap in research that focuses specifically on one of the largest racialized groups in Canada, African Canadians. The authors define the term “African Canadian” as a diverse group which includes Canadian-born Blacks (i.e., third generation and more), firstor second-generation Blacks of Caribbean descent, and firstor second-generation Black immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The research data were gathered in three cities: Halifax, Calgary, and Toronto, a small, medium, and large city, respectively. The key research questions addressed in the book are:

Emerald Publishing Limited eBooks, Jun 5, 2020

Photography is used in research because of its appeal for communicating, expressing feelings, sha... more Photography is used in research because of its appeal for communicating, expressing feelings, sharing experiences, raising new awareness of participants and potential audiences, clarifying social issues, and framing plans for action. Taking and sharing photos has become easier particularly because of ready access to devices with cameras. Yet, using photographs in research can undermine anonymity and confidentiality (Noland, 2006), and unanticipated unauthorised dissemination of digital images raises ethical concerns for researchers using photography in their research methods (Brigham, Baillie Abidi, & Calatayud, 2018). In this chapter, the authors discuss the participatory photography method and provide practical suggestions for carrying out ethical research using participatory photography. The authors highlight the cultural, social, and contextual situatedness of ethics by drawing on our own research project with youth with refugee experience.

Résumé: Keywords/Mots-clefs: 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de docum... more Résumé: Keywords/Mots-clefs: 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle INTRODUCTION Current Canadian demographics indicate an increasingly aged population and a low birth rate; immigration is a crucial source of current and future population and economic growth. The influx of people from countries worldwide is a rich source of linguistic, religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity, and also a challenge to Canada’s claims of being a welcoming multicultural society. While the student population in Canadian schools is increasingly diverse, 1 particularly in large urban centres, the overall Canadian teaching profession is relatively homogeneous in terms of race (White) and class (middle class). A largely untapped source of ‘diverse’ teachers is people who have immigrated to Canada and who have teaching qualifications from their countries of origin. Professionals who have immigrated to Canada, including those who were teachers, are on average more highly educated and skilled than ever before. Many times, however, they encounter numerous challenges as they seek work in Canada commensurate with their qualifications. This research report, Internationally educated teachers and teacher education programs in Canada: Current practices, is phase two of a three-part research project. 2 The main purpose of phase two is to document current practices in Canadian teacher education programs that are relevant to internationally educated teachers. A major aspect of this phase of the research was to distribute a questionnaire to the director/chair/dean of 41 teacher education programs across Canada. Of 41 questionnaires sent, we received 27 responses. In this report, we describe our research method and present our major findings. We also provide a brief review of the literature, primarily in relation to immigration, changing demographics, and current research about internationally educated teachers in Canada. Finally, we present recommendations pertinent to teacher education. The information and findings in this report will be of specific interest to faculty in teacher education programs and other stakeholders (such as government departments of education, teachers’ associations/unions, provincial associations for internationally educated teachers) who are developing initiatives for internationally educated teachers. It 1 The words “diverse” and “diversity” in educational literature include, but are not limited to, discussions about teachers and students in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexuality, able-bodiedness, language, and intellectual, emotional, psychological and/or physical exceptionalities. Inevitably, words that stand for such a wide range of experiences become increasingly ineffectual. In this report, we focus primarily on issues of “diversity” that refer to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and sometimes religion because these are the primary issues that we have encountered thus far in our own research. 2 Phase one of our research with internationally educated teachers (2005-2006) involved an arts-informed research inquiry entitled, Re-symbolizing the experiences of immigrant women who have been involved with teaching, funded by the Atlantic Metropolis Centre of Excellence (AMA) (Brigham & Walsh, in press; Walsh & Brigham, 2005, 2007a). We are currently working on phase three (2006-2009), the purpose of which is to further investigate the experiences of internationally educated female teachers. Phase three, funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is an arts-informed study entitled, Experiences of female teachers who are immigrants to Atlantic Canada: Implications for Canadian teacher education programs (Walsh & Brigham, 2007b). 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle will also be of interest more generally to policy-makers involved with the immigration, integration, and recertification of immigrants who were professionals in their countries of origin. We also believe that the report will be of significance to those concerned with issues of difference, diversity, and marginality in teacher education. We recognize that practices relevant to…

Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 2009

Given the economic, political, and social conditions in the world today and the increased diversi... more Given the economic, political, and social conditions in the world today and the increased diversity in Canadian classrooms, schools require teachers who have a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of global issues. This article is based on empirical research involving preservice teachers from an Atlantic Canadian university. The preservice teachers did six weeks of teaching practicum in Africa. We draw on the theories of Africentricity and transformative learning to inform our analysis. Our findings suggest that preservice teachers who did their practicum in Africa increased their self-awareness, and enhanced their personal efficacy and understanding of cross-cultural, diversity, and globalization issues, which has informed their subsequent teaching practice in public school systems. We conclude with recommendations for teacher education programs. Compte tenu des conditions économiques, politiques et sociales actuelles à l'échelle de la planète, et de la diversité accrue dans les salles de classe au Canada, les écoles ont besoin d'enseignants avec une bonne connaissance de soi et une conscience des enjeux mondiaux. Cet article repose sur une recherche empirique auprès de stagiaires dans une université du Canada atlantique. Les stagiaires ont complété un stage de six semaines en Afrique. Nous puisons dans les théories sur l'afrocentrisme et l'apprentissage transformateur pour alimenter notre analyse. Nos résultats donnent à penser que les stagiaires ayant complété un stage en Afrique en sont sortis avec une meilleure connaissance de soi, une efficacité personnelle accrue et plus de connaissances sur les enjeux liés à la transculturalité, la diversité et la mondialisation, ce qui a influencé leurs pratiques pédagogiques subséquentes dans les systèmes scolaires publics. Nous concluons en offrant des recommandations pour des programmes de formation d'enseignants. Bosire Monari Mwebi is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education. He started his teaching career in Kenya, where for five years he taught economics and history in public schools. He also served for 10 years as an education administrator in the Ministry of Education in Kenya. His research interests include health promotion in schools, peer education, youth and HIV/AIDS, gender and school leadership, global education, and narrative inquiry. He is also co-author with

Today close to half of the world’s migrants are women and their numbers are rising (Morrison et a... more Today close to half of the world’s migrants are women and their numbers are rising (Morrison et al., 2007). Indeed ‘women are on the move as never before in history’ (Ehrenreich & Hochschild, 2002, p. 2). In 2010, the female migration flow was estimated to comprise over 104 million women out of the total estimated 213 million international migrants (UN, 2008). Many women follow a migration flow that their country folk have taken over time, and others are forging new paths—clandestine and legal. Like those who migrated before them, they hope that migration will provide opportunities for education and employment, and allow them to support their families financially, and in some cases escape the hierarchical structures and discriminatory practices and policies in their post-independence home countries.

The International journal of diversity in organisations, communities and nations, 2010

International journal of qualitative methods, Sep 1, 2007

This research/performance text emerged from a study involving internationally educated female tea... more This research/performance text emerged from a study involving internationally educated female teachers who have immigrated to Atlantic Canada. The text features the words and artwork of the research participants as well as excerpts from newspapers, academic writing, and documents about immigration in Nova Scotia juxtaposed so as to foreground the complexity of the women's immigration and integration experiences. Introductory comments provide contextual information about the research project, the participants, and the evolution of, as well as rationale for, the text as performance piece.

In this paper we explore the lifelong learning experiences of students who graduated from a uniqu... more In this paper we explore the lifelong learning experiences of students who graduated from a unique two year Master of Education (M.Ed) cohort program in studies of lifelong learning with a focus on Africentric Leadership. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 graduates of the program to explore the role Africentricity and Critical Race Theory play in adult education in higher education institutions. Our findings draw attention to several key points about adult education in post secondary education institutions that have the potential to transform the culture of adult education.

Routledge eBooks, Apr 19, 2022

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being

Sexuality & culture, Apr 16, 2024

Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were con... more Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were convened at four predominantly white postsecondary institutions to discuss university sexual violence policies and services. We present qualitative data relating to participant perspectives on how campus sexual violence responses should address race, racism, ethnicity, or ethnocentrism shared by students belonging to five racialized cultural communities. All participants cited demonstrated concern about racial or ethnic bias, however their views about the institutional or interpersonal practices that would signal fair rather than biased treatment varied. Practices associated with cultural responsiveness, including ethnocultural matching, were widely advocated. Some participants favoured explicitly race-aware communication from sexual violence responders, consistent with currently dominant anti-racism. In contrast, others preferred that responders not introduce topics of race or racism, instead practicing what might be referred to as colour-blindness. Suggestions linked to the African philosophy of Ubuntu and to cultural humility were also advanced. In conclusion, to address students’ concerns about racism and ethnocentrism, we outline a toolkit approach to the intercultural communication that occurs in the implementation of campus sexual violence policy.

Sexuality & Culture, 2024

Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were con... more Forty-two ethnoculturally and gender-matched student focus groups in Nova Scotia Canada were convened at four predominantly white postsecondary institutions to discuss university sexual violence policies and services. We present qualitative data relating to participant perspectives on how campus sexual violence responses
should address race, racism, ethnicity, or ethnocentrism shared by students belonging to five racialized cultural communities. All participants cited demonstrated concern about racial or ethnic bias, however their views about the institutional or
interpersonal practices that would signal fair rather than biased treatment varied.
Practices associated with cultural responsiveness, including ethnocultural matching, were widely advocated. Some participants favoured explicitly race-aware communication from sexual violence responders, consistent with currently dominant anti-racism. In contrast, others preferred that responders not introduce topics of
race or racism, instead practicing what might be referred to as colour-blindness. Suggestions linked to the African philosophy of Ubuntu and to cultural humility were also advanced. In conclusion, to address students’ concerns about racism and ethnocentrism, we outline a toolkit approach to the intercultural communication that occurs in the implementation of campus sexual violence policy.

Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies

This symposium is concerned with understanding the forces that shape and influence curriculum in ... more This symposium is concerned with understanding the forces that shape and influence curriculum in international contexts. The study of curriculum in international contexts reveals the insidious impacts of colonial, ideological and neoliberal influences on contemporary curriculum development in a variety of geo-cultural, political and economic contexts (Kumar, 2019). Four theoretical responses—Indigenous, critical, autobiographical and meditative—that provide thoughtful perspectives to challenge these negative influences will be explored in the symposium. The impact of intellectual movements such as Marxism and postmodernism on curriculum theory in varied political and economic settings will also be underscored. The symposium invites and initiates a complicated conversation around the internationalization of curriculum studies by inviting panelists from posthuman, Indigenous, black feminist, critical discursive and foundational perspectives to respond to the aforementioned colonial, i...

This paper addresses the ways in which Africentricity contributes to adult education's goal of cr... more This paper addresses the ways in which Africentricity contributes to adult education's goal of creating a socially just world and specifically to a graduate adult education/lifelong learning degree program within a Nova Scotian university context.

Palgrave Macmillan eBooks, Nov 29, 2013

Asian Development Bank eBooks, 1999

Teaching and Teacher Education, Apr 1, 2011

In this paper, we consider the difficulties that a group of internationally educated female teach... more In this paper, we consider the difficulties that a group of internationally educated female teachers (female IETs) encountered in the process of seeking certification in the Canadian Maritimes. We read their experiences in the context of neoliberalism, in particular how they are positioned in the labour force and also the teaching profession. We consider the material effects of differences such as gender, race, ethnicity, and regional location for the female IETs. Further, we underscore implications for teacher education.

Canadian Ethnic Studies, 2010

This book fills a gap in research that focuses specifically on one of the largest racialized grou... more This book fills a gap in research that focuses specifically on one of the largest racialized groups in Canada, African Canadians. The authors define the term “African Canadian” as a diverse group which includes Canadian-born Blacks (i.e., third generation and more), firstor second-generation Blacks of Caribbean descent, and firstor second-generation Black immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The research data were gathered in three cities: Halifax, Calgary, and Toronto, a small, medium, and large city, respectively. The key research questions addressed in the book are:

Emerald Publishing Limited eBooks, Jun 5, 2020

Photography is used in research because of its appeal for communicating, expressing feelings, sha... more Photography is used in research because of its appeal for communicating, expressing feelings, sharing experiences, raising new awareness of participants and potential audiences, clarifying social issues, and framing plans for action. Taking and sharing photos has become easier particularly because of ready access to devices with cameras. Yet, using photographs in research can undermine anonymity and confidentiality (Noland, 2006), and unanticipated unauthorised dissemination of digital images raises ethical concerns for researchers using photography in their research methods (Brigham, Baillie Abidi, & Calatayud, 2018). In this chapter, the authors discuss the participatory photography method and provide practical suggestions for carrying out ethical research using participatory photography. The authors highlight the cultural, social, and contextual situatedness of ethics by drawing on our own research project with youth with refugee experience.

Résumé: Keywords/Mots-clefs: 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de docum... more Résumé: Keywords/Mots-clefs: 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle INTRODUCTION Current Canadian demographics indicate an increasingly aged population and a low birth rate; immigration is a crucial source of current and future population and economic growth. The influx of people from countries worldwide is a rich source of linguistic, religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity, and also a challenge to Canada’s claims of being a welcoming multicultural society. While the student population in Canadian schools is increasingly diverse, 1 particularly in large urban centres, the overall Canadian teaching profession is relatively homogeneous in terms of race (White) and class (middle class). A largely untapped source of ‘diverse’ teachers is people who have immigrated to Canada and who have teaching qualifications from their countries of origin. Professionals who have immigrated to Canada, including those who were teachers, are on average more highly educated and skilled than ever before. Many times, however, they encounter numerous challenges as they seek work in Canada commensurate with their qualifications. This research report, Internationally educated teachers and teacher education programs in Canada: Current practices, is phase two of a three-part research project. 2 The main purpose of phase two is to document current practices in Canadian teacher education programs that are relevant to internationally educated teachers. A major aspect of this phase of the research was to distribute a questionnaire to the director/chair/dean of 41 teacher education programs across Canada. Of 41 questionnaires sent, we received 27 responses. In this report, we describe our research method and present our major findings. We also provide a brief review of the literature, primarily in relation to immigration, changing demographics, and current research about internationally educated teachers in Canada. Finally, we present recommendations pertinent to teacher education. The information and findings in this report will be of specific interest to faculty in teacher education programs and other stakeholders (such as government departments of education, teachers’ associations/unions, provincial associations for internationally educated teachers) who are developing initiatives for internationally educated teachers. It 1 The words “diverse” and “diversity” in educational literature include, but are not limited to, discussions about teachers and students in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexuality, able-bodiedness, language, and intellectual, emotional, psychological and/or physical exceptionalities. Inevitably, words that stand for such a wide range of experiences become increasingly ineffectual. In this report, we focus primarily on issues of “diversity” that refer to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and sometimes religion because these are the primary issues that we have encountered thus far in our own research. 2 Phase one of our research with internationally educated teachers (2005-2006) involved an arts-informed research inquiry entitled, Re-symbolizing the experiences of immigrant women who have been involved with teaching, funded by the Atlantic Metropolis Centre of Excellence (AMA) (Brigham & Walsh, in press; Walsh & Brigham, 2005, 2007a). We are currently working on phase three (2006-2009), the purpose of which is to further investigate the experiences of internationally educated female teachers. Phase three, funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is an arts-informed study entitled, Experiences of female teachers who are immigrants to Atlantic Canada: Implications for Canadian teacher education programs (Walsh & Brigham, 2007b). 2007 Working Papers Series Atlantic Metropolis Centre Série de documents de recherche 2007 Centre Métropolis Atlantique Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration, Integration and Cultural Diversity Le Centre d’excellence pour la recherche sur l’immigration, l’intégration et la diversité culturelle will also be of interest more generally to policy-makers involved with the immigration, integration, and recertification of immigrants who were professionals in their countries of origin. We also believe that the report will be of significance to those concerned with issues of difference, diversity, and marginality in teacher education. We recognize that practices relevant to…

Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 2009

Given the economic, political, and social conditions in the world today and the increased diversi... more Given the economic, political, and social conditions in the world today and the increased diversity in Canadian classrooms, schools require teachers who have a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of global issues. This article is based on empirical research involving preservice teachers from an Atlantic Canadian university. The preservice teachers did six weeks of teaching practicum in Africa. We draw on the theories of Africentricity and transformative learning to inform our analysis. Our findings suggest that preservice teachers who did their practicum in Africa increased their self-awareness, and enhanced their personal efficacy and understanding of cross-cultural, diversity, and globalization issues, which has informed their subsequent teaching practice in public school systems. We conclude with recommendations for teacher education programs. Compte tenu des conditions économiques, politiques et sociales actuelles à l'échelle de la planète, et de la diversité accrue dans les salles de classe au Canada, les écoles ont besoin d'enseignants avec une bonne connaissance de soi et une conscience des enjeux mondiaux. Cet article repose sur une recherche empirique auprès de stagiaires dans une université du Canada atlantique. Les stagiaires ont complété un stage de six semaines en Afrique. Nous puisons dans les théories sur l'afrocentrisme et l'apprentissage transformateur pour alimenter notre analyse. Nos résultats donnent à penser que les stagiaires ayant complété un stage en Afrique en sont sortis avec une meilleure connaissance de soi, une efficacité personnelle accrue et plus de connaissances sur les enjeux liés à la transculturalité, la diversité et la mondialisation, ce qui a influencé leurs pratiques pédagogiques subséquentes dans les systèmes scolaires publics. Nous concluons en offrant des recommandations pour des programmes de formation d'enseignants. Bosire Monari Mwebi is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education. He started his teaching career in Kenya, where for five years he taught economics and history in public schools. He also served for 10 years as an education administrator in the Ministry of Education in Kenya. His research interests include health promotion in schools, peer education, youth and HIV/AIDS, gender and school leadership, global education, and narrative inquiry. He is also co-author with

Today close to half of the world’s migrants are women and their numbers are rising (Morrison et a... more Today close to half of the world’s migrants are women and their numbers are rising (Morrison et al., 2007). Indeed ‘women are on the move as never before in history’ (Ehrenreich & Hochschild, 2002, p. 2). In 2010, the female migration flow was estimated to comprise over 104 million women out of the total estimated 213 million international migrants (UN, 2008). Many women follow a migration flow that their country folk have taken over time, and others are forging new paths—clandestine and legal. Like those who migrated before them, they hope that migration will provide opportunities for education and employment, and allow them to support their families financially, and in some cases escape the hierarchical structures and discriminatory practices and policies in their post-independence home countries.

The International journal of diversity in organisations, communities and nations, 2010

International journal of qualitative methods, Sep 1, 2007

This research/performance text emerged from a study involving internationally educated female tea... more This research/performance text emerged from a study involving internationally educated female teachers who have immigrated to Atlantic Canada. The text features the words and artwork of the research participants as well as excerpts from newspapers, academic writing, and documents about immigration in Nova Scotia juxtaposed so as to foreground the complexity of the women's immigration and integration experiences. Introductory comments provide contextual information about the research project, the participants, and the evolution of, as well as rationale for, the text as performance piece.

In this paper we explore the lifelong learning experiences of students who graduated from a uniqu... more In this paper we explore the lifelong learning experiences of students who graduated from a unique two year Master of Education (M.Ed) cohort program in studies of lifelong learning with a focus on Africentric Leadership. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 graduates of the program to explore the role Africentricity and Critical Race Theory play in adult education in higher education institutions. Our findings draw attention to several key points about adult education in post secondary education institutions that have the potential to transform the culture of adult education.

Routledge eBooks, Apr 19, 2022

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being

A Feminist Adult Educator’s Guide to Aesthetic, creative and disruptive strategies in museums and community. , 2020

Photographs have the power to arouse emotions, promote deep reflection, and communicate feelings,... more Photographs have the power to arouse emotions, promote deep reflection, and communicate feelings, ideas, and experiences (Brigham et al., 2018). They can be powerful tools to raise awareness of various issues and spark social activism. That is why I value participatory photography. Participatory photography is a collaborative method in which research participants are actively involved in taking photographs to document their lived experiences, tell their stories, explore community needs, and create awareness of their experiences and circumstances within a group, and possibly with a wider audience (Brigham & Kharbach, 2020). I have used participatory photography as a teaching process and as a research approach. The method gives people, who are often not heard in society, a means to express their perspectives, circumstances and the situations they encounter in the world (Brigham et al., 2018). With its reliance on visuals, it crosses language barriers allowing participants to communicate without relying solely on words or a common language. For these reasons, it is a valuable research method when working with refugees and immigrants, including youth.
I share some steps for using the method while reflecting on my own experiences using participatory photography. I have been involved in five participatory photography projects over the past 8 years involving immigrant and refugee women and youth in Atlantic Canada with funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) / Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition (CYRRC) and internal grants from Mount Saint Vincent University. The steps I discuss include ethical considerations, building your team, recruiting and building a supportive trusting community, photo training and taking photos, and sharing the participants’ perspectives in public events.

University of Alberta, 2002

This study has sought to understand and critically analyse the role education has played in the l... more This study has sought to understand and critically analyse the role education has played in the lives of twelve participants who have served as ODWs in various countries. Specifically, I addressed the following research questions: What has been or could be the role of education in its various modes (formal, nonformal and informal) in constructing the identities and influencing the lives of Filipino ODWs before, during and after their ODW experience? How might the needs, concerns and rights of ODWs be better met through the transformation of relationships between the educational and the economic, social, political and cultural sectors of the Philippine society and/or the host countries of ODWs?

In my analysis I drew on Critical Feminist Pedagogy (CFP) to understand the ways in which the educational experiences were empowering or disempowering to the participants. I also used the CFP framework to understand how the needs, concerns and rights of ODWs would be better met through the transformation of relationships between the educational and the economic, social, political and cultural sectors of the Philippine society and/or the host countries of ODWs.

Adult education and lifelong learning in Canada: Advancing a critical legacy, 2021