The Social Geographies of Adult Immigrants with Disabilities in Canada
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THE SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIES OF ADULT IMMIGRANTS WITH DISABILITIES IN CANADA THE SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIES OF ADULT IMMIGRANTS WITH DISABILITIES IN CANADA By: STINE HANSEN, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the SChool of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy McMaster University© Copyright by Stine Hansen, March 2019 i MCMaster University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2019) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: The Social Geographies of Immigrants with Disabilities in Canada AUTHOR: Stine Hansen B.A. (University of Lethbridge), M.A. (MCMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor Robert D. Wilton & Professor K. Bruce Newbold PAGES: 200 ii Lay Abstract Limited research has been done on adult immigrants with disabilities in Canada. Adopting a mixed-methodology, the thesis explores the interseCtion of immigrant status and disability from both a quantitative and qualitative perspeCtive. Quantitative methods examine and Compare the reCeipt and need of support serviCes between immigrants and the Canadian born population with disabilities. Building on the quantitative findings, the qualitative research adopts a feminist disability theory and an interseCtional framework to explore the lived experience of immigrants with physiCal disabilities from the Middle East and South Asia, living in Canada. The qualitative Chapter examines how different Categories, for example disability, gender Culture, religion, and immigrant status Can interseCt to Create unique lived experiences that Changes over time and plaCe. The quantitative and qualitative findings were evaluated to further the knowledge of immigrants with disabilities and future research direCtions are suggested. iii Abstract Limited research has been done on adult immigrants with disabilities in Canada. Adopting a mixed-methodology, the thesis explores the interseCtion of immigrant status and disability from both a quantitative and qualitative perspeCtive. Previous research on immigrants with disabilities has primarily focused on parents with disabled Children. Little is therefore known about the lived experiences of adult immigrant with disabilities and how these experiences are negotiated and Can Change aCross time and plaCe. The quantitative seCtion of the thesis utilized the PartiCipation and ACtivity Limitation Survey (PALS) from 2006 to examine the reCeipt of and need for serviCes based on gender, immigrant status, income, education, and age. Quantitative results identified that immigrant women as reCeiving the least amount of serviCes Compared to any group, potentially resulting in them being more vulnerable Compared to any other group. The qualitative part of the research Consisted of two studies. First, Community leaders and disability aCtivists from Middle Eastern and South Asian Communities were interviewed to examine the understandings of disability within their Communities. Building on key informant findings, the seCond part explored the lived experiences of physiCally disabled adult immigrants from the Middle East and South Asia through in-depth interviews. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative results it was identified that plaCe, gender, Culture, and poliCy signifiCantly influence the lived experiences of immigrants with disabilities. Overall, the research highlighted the need for further research on larger serviCe organizations and their provision of serviCes to immigrants. The findings also identified the need for a greater understanding and provision of Culturally appropriate serviCes. iv Acknowledgements An old AfriCan proverb has famously said that it takes a village to raise a Child, writing a thesis is no different. While I am the one who has written the thesis and the one who will ultimately be awarded a degree, I Could not have done it without my village. First off, I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. Robert Wilton and Dr. Bruce Newbold. Without your support, guidance, knowledge, and patience I would not have been able to finish my thesis. I truly benefitted from having you both as supervisors and being able to draw on your different expertise to help me produce the best thesis that I Could. I appreCiate the quiCk turn arounds of drafts, the time you devoted to make Changes along the way, and most of all, your optimism. I also wish to thank my Committee members, Dr. Olive Wahoush and Dr. Vera Chouinard, for their support, guidance, and ideas. A speCial thank you goes out to Waad Khogali who was my Cultural informant and offiCe mate. Without Waad the research would not have been Completed and I Can’t thank him enough for helping me when it looked like it was never going to happen. Your friendship and eternal optimism will never be forgotten and I know that I wouldn’t be defending this thesis if it wasn’t for you. To my other offiCe mates, thank you for your endless support over the years and for lending an ear when I needed talk. I really appreCiate the way that we have been able to be there for eaCh other to support, guide, and give a hug when needed. I also want to thank my friend MiChelle for her eternal support and belief in my abilities in terms of what I Can aCComplish. Without you, I still wouldn’t believe that I would ever get a job after the PhD. Thank you for seeing my potential and helping me reaCh it. I also wish to thank my thesis boot Camp and writing group friends. The majority of my thesis was written at boot camp and your friendship helped make those hard writing days better. Most importantly I need to thank my family, the most signifiCant members of my village. To Julie, thank you for being supportive of this journey and being willing to listen to all my grad sChool Complaints over the last 6+ years. Thank you for being a great mom to our son and taking extra “parenting shifts” when I needed to write. To Anders, thank you for being a great son who has helped me understand the meaning of work - life balance. You put a smile on my faCe every day and your hugs are the best. To my mom and dad, thank you for supporting me through this journey and Coming to visit when I Could not make it home to see you. To Louise and Company, thank you for bringing a smile to my faCe and making vaCations full of fun! To Mo and Rod, thank you for listening to all my Complaining over the years and supporting me, as well as Coming to help us out when we needed it. I Could not have done this without my village, and I will forever by grateful for all of their support! v Table of Contents Lay AbstraCt ...................................................................................................................... iii AbstraCt ............................................................................................................................. iv ACknowledgements ............................................................................................................ v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... x DeClaration of ACademiC AChievement ............................................................................. xi Chapter One ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BaCkground ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study Focus .............................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Study Themes and Aims ........................................................................................... 6 1.4 Thesis Structure ........................................................................................................ 8 Chapter Two ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Immigrant health ..................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Health serviCes and culture .............................................................................. 13 2.3.1 Disability ......................................................................................................... 15 2.3.2 Geographies of disability and the built environment ....................................... 17 2.3.4 Disability and immigrants in Canada ............................................................... 20 2.4. Disability, culture, and religion in the Developing World ..................................... 22 2.4.1 ACCess to serviCes ............................................................................................ 23 2.4.2 Global understandings of disability ................................................................. 23 2.4.3 Disability and Religion .................................................................................... 25 2.4.4 Disability in South Asia and Middle East ........................................................ 26 2.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 34 Chapter Three