What grad students in the social sciences can teach us about refugee crises
As World Refugee Day draws near (June 20, 2017), why not take a moment to glance over at what our graduates students think of the interdisciplinary issues raised by global refugee crises.
Indeed, graduate work that looks at the myriad aspects of a refugee crisis continues to send shockwaves across academia, thanks to relevant, unique and often personal inquiries into a domain that remains of utmost relevance to Canadian society. Some graduate students are inspired by their own experiences as refugees, while others might have cultivated an interest in the challenges faced by individuals in the very communities in which they live and work, compelling them to bring together knowledge, academic inquiry and a characteristic desire to make the world a better place.
In the social sciences, the themes of education and refugees often intersect. Whether by trying to remove the barriers to education that refugees experience, or by exploring how civil society is actively seeking information to better understand a refugee crisis, this interdisciplinary issue is now a mainstream topic in Canada. Through their research, social scientists at the University of Ottawa have played, and continue to play, an important role in shaping policies, creating programs and offering the Canadian public a different perspective on the issue and its many complementary themes, which range from immigration and economic policy, to social work, post-traumatic stress, and human rights.
Related article : In April 2017, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the University of Ottawa recognized the ground-breaking work of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai and of her father Ziauddin Yousafzai by granting them both honorary doctorates for their courage and commitment to the education of girls and refugees.
Have a quick read-through, and show that you stand #WithRefugees:
With arms wide shut: Canada's approach to refugees arriving by boat
Jean-Michel Genest, a Master’s student in Public and International Affairs, share his investigation of the Canadian government’s response to refugees arriving by boat since the year 1986.
How Canadian medias view Syrian refugees
Jessica Anne Déry, a Master’s student in Sociology supervised by Elke Winter, is asking the big questions when it comes to national identity. Her idea? Explore the construction of Franco-Quebecois and Canado-English identities at the heart of the country.
Fighting human smuggling or criminalizing refugees?
Alongside criminology Professor David Moffette, Master's student Nevena Aksin is working on a study which explores the treatment of asylum seekers who enter Canada through irregular means, as well as the criminalization of individuals who assist them.
The well-being of women refugees
After her MA in Women’s Studies, Nasim Khatibsemnani started her doctoral research to examine the impact of immigration on the health and well-being of women refugee.
Belonging, without papers
Political Science PhD candidate Fiorella Rabuffetti hopes to further our understanding of the relationship between the state and people.
Filling the gaps in Canadian research on refugeehood and youth
Magdalena Baczkowska, a PhD candidate at the School of Social Work, has been reviewing the life stories of refugees through a comprehensive and critical lens in order to fill an important knowledge gap in Canadian research on refugees and youth.
Syrian refugee crisis, the aftermath in canadian legislation
Globalization and International Development masters student Gloria Botero questions the changes put in place to “fix” the refugee system thought to be broken.
The impact of immigrant language skills on Canadian wages
Seda Gunduz, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics, looks at the impact of immigrant language skills on Canadian wages.
2nd generation immigrants and their dual cultural identities
Clinical psychology student Jacky Chan, under the supervision of Professor Marta Young, focuses on how second generation immigrants negotiate their cultural identities inside and outside of their homes.