"You Can Do So Much Better Than What They Expect": An Arts-Based Engagement Ethnography on School Integration With Newcomer Youth.

Newcomer adolescents make up a large minority of Canada's population and their positive integration experiences with education systems across the country are critical for both their development and the country's long-term success. The current study examined newcomer adolescents' (n = 4, between 16 and 18 years old) integration experiences using an arts-based engagement ethnography to understand what influences their positive integration into the school system. Artifacts, interview, and focus group data were analyzed systematically using ethnographic research guidelines. Five structures were identified: (1) barriers to advancement at individual, school, and macro levels, (2) fluctuating relationship with cultural identity, (3) limited trust in systems, (4) resilience through independent learning, and (5) facilitating factors to positive integration experiences at the family and school level. In keeping with a relational developmental systems theory framework, each structure accounts for multiple inter- and intra-individual factors at multiple environmental levels. These findings outline considerations for systemic issues in academic institutions and offer suggestions for how institutions can better support newcomer adolescents.

"Falling in love with me means that she can never go back": a case study exploring the cumulative costs of multiple migrations.

This case study centers on the narrative accounts of a lesbian couple in a binational relationship (i.e., two women from different countries) who left the United States (U.S.) at a time when immigration laws did not recognize their union. Given that they could not legally stay in the U.S. together, they immigrated to the Netherlands and subsequently to Canada. When DOMA was overturned and the couple was eligible to apply for immigration to the U.S., they opted to remain in Canada, in part due to the strain of multiple migrations. This concept has been described as the complex process that accompanies more than one immigration experience and the cumulative effect that this can have on couples and families over time, particularly when multiple resettlements have taken place. A descriptive case study methodology was employed to investigate the perceptions of multiple migrations of this lesbian binational couple, focusing mainly on their experiences in Canada. Specifically, individual interviews were conducted with each woman to explore their lived experiences of multiple migration and the impact this has had on various aspects of their lives, including those occurring at the intersection of privilege and oppression. A description of each woman is presented, followed by the significant themes that emerged from this study, including immigration difficulties and the centrality of relationship. Implications for psychological training, practice, research, policy were presented.

Access to Support Services for Newcomer Youth Through the Process of School Integration: A Critical Narrative Literature Review.

While the numbers of newcomer youth continue to grow in Canada, few studies have sought to critically capture experiences of school integration and access to school-based psychosocial support services during their transition. Guided by a critical social justice lens, this research seeks to investigate issues of inequity due to the marginalization of newcomer youth in schools. The intent of this critical narrative review is to summarize, interpret, critique, and synthesize what is currently known about the ways newcomer youth access and experience school-based psychosocial support services (S-BPSS) throughout the process of school integration. This paper presents the critical narrative literature review process, a discussion of the themes that emerged from the review, and a discussion of the literature within the context of school integration. The following themes that underscore the experiences of newcomer youth accessing school-based psychosocial support services were identified: (a) underutilization/discrimination, (b) culture shift, (c) transition planning, and (d) lived experience. Important directions for future research, including the importance of studies that prioritize the perspectives of newcomer youth themselves and the implications of their lived experience for S-BPSS are provided.

Living in Exile: The Experiences of Individuals in Same-Sex Binational Relationships in Latin America.

While migration is a global phenomenon, laws and policies privilege certain groups of migrants over others. For example, at the time of this study, same-sex couples did not have the right to spousal immigration sponsorship in the U.S. Same-sex binational couples faced numerous legal challenges and some migrated in order to remain together legally. It is likely that where same-sex binational couples are living will have an impact on their well-being and their relationships. Thus, a descriptive phenomenology (n = 6) was employed to examine the following research question: What are the experiences of individuals in same-sex binational relationships who live in Latin America in order to be with their partner? The following predominant structures emerged: (a) differential access to immigration; (b) financial and career impact; (c) lack of social support; (d) laws and policies; (e) emotional impact; (f) impact on relationship; and (g) plans for the future.

Being in-between: A model of cultural identity negotiation for emerging adult immigrants.

This qualitative study explored the cultural identity negotiation of young adult immigrants. Using a grounded theory research design, 10 semistructured interviews were conducted with emerging adult immigrants (EAI), ages 19-27. Results yielded a substantive model of cultural identity negotiation (MCIN) for EAI and posited that One's Motivation and Sense of Agency to Negotiate Cultural Identity is at the core of how participants navigate their cultural identities. This model included 6 major categories: (a) Family Cultural Rigidity; (b) Connections Specific to Canada; (c) Connection to a Same Cultured Community; (d) Sense of Permanency; (e) Desire to Preserve Culture of Origin; (f) Desire to Fit in to Canadian Culture, as well as 2 overarching factors (Dimension of Time and Dimension of Age), which were found to be influential on participants' cultural identity negotiation. The model also included the identification of 4 approaches to cultural identity negotiation: (a) Blended; (b) Dual; (c) Disconnected; and (d) Intermediate. The MCIN for EAI is discussed in terms of the current literature on cultural identity formation as well as implications for counseling psychology training and practice. Recommendations for further research are also suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record

Positioning of Weight Bias: Moving towards Social Justice.

Weight bias is a form of stigma with detrimental effects on the health and wellness of individuals with large bodies. Researchers from various disciplines have recognized weight bias as an important topic for public health and for professional practice. To date, researchers from various areas have approached weight bias from independent perspectives and from differing theoretical orientations. In this paper, we examined the similarities and differences between three perspectives (i.e., weight-centric, non-weight-centric (health-centric), and health at every size) used to understand weight bias and approach weight bias research with regard to (a) language about people with large bodies, (b) theoretical position, (c) identified consequences of weight bias, and (d) identified influences on weight-based social inequity. We suggest that, despite differences, each perspective acknowledges the negative influences that position weight as being within individual control and the negative consequences of weight bias. We call for recognition and discussion of weight bias as a social justice issue in order to change the discourse and professional practices extended towards individuals with large bodies. We advocate for an emphasis on social justice as a uniting framework for interdisciplinary research on weight bias.