Farah Islam, Kashmala Qasim, Amal Qutub, Saamiyah Ali-Mohammed, Munira Abdulwasi, Yogendra Shakya, Michaela Hynie and Kwame McKenzie
The purpose of this study was to understand the unique mental health concerns and access barriers experienced by South Asian Muslim youth populations living in the Peel Region of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to understand the unique mental health concerns and access barriers experienced by South Asian Muslim youth populations living in the Peel Region of Toronto, Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
For this qualitative exploratory study, interviews (n = 15) were conducted with mental health professionals, educators and spiritual leaders (n = 11) who work with South Asian Muslim youth living in Peel Region, as well as with South Asian Muslim youth themselves (n = 4, aged 20–23). Interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings
Four primary themes emerged from the data: challenges and stressors, barriers, facilitators and hope and recovery. South Asian Muslim youth navigate a number of unique stressors related to the domains of culture, religion and family dynamics, as well as the impact of migration.
Practical implications
The findings stress the necessity of creating culturally safe, multilevel strategies to meet the nuanced challenges and diverse needs of South Asian Muslim youth communities.
Originality/value
This is one of the few papers to the knowledge that addresses the mental health needs and service access barriers of youth populations at the intersections of South Asian diasporic community belonging and Muslim faith in Canada.
Details
Keywords
Michaela Hynie, Krista Jensen, Michael Johnny, Jane Wedlock and David Phipps
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether unstructured graduate student research internships conducted in collaboration with community agencies build capacity and knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether unstructured graduate student research internships conducted in collaboration with community agencies build capacity and knowledge for students and community.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports the results of four semi‐structured interviews and 20 pre‐ and post‐internship surveys of students' perceptions of their internship activities; whether participation built research capacity in students and community resulted in the creation of new knowledge and promoted ongoing partnerships and relationships.
Findings
Students reported generating concrete outcomes for community partners, the acquisition of new research and professional skills, plus an increased understanding of theoretical knowledge. Many students also maintained ongoing relationships with their organizational partners beyond the terms of their internship.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations to this study are the relatively small sample size and reliance on self‐report measures.
Practical implications
The paper describes a model for student‐community engagement that benefits both community and students.
Social implications
As universities explore their relationships with their local communities, graduate student internships have tremendous potential for supporting research and knowledge‐based needs of local communities, while providing valuable skills and training to a cohort of students in bridging academic research to real world solutions. These students may go on to be community engaged scholars, or research trained personnel in the community.
Originality/value
The results presented in this paper demonstrate the benefits to graduate students in scholarship of engagement programs that prioritize true partnership between students, universities and communities.
Details
Keywords
Michaela Hynie, Krista Jensen, Michael Johnny, Jane Wedlock and David Phipps
The aim of this paper is to report on student perceptions of 24 graduate student internships funded in 2007‐2008 by York University's Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit. These…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to report on student perceptions of 24 graduate student internships funded in 2007‐2008 by York University's Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit. These internships provided opportunities for students to engage in research with community agencies around real world problems.
Design/methodology/approach
The principal sources of data were semi‐structured student interviews, conducted as part of an overall evaluation of the unit by an evaluation team, and student responses to surveys administered by KMb staff.
Findings
The significant findings were that students reported acquiring research and professional skills, plus a new understanding of theoretical knowledge, and that projects generated concrete outcomes for their community partners. Several students maintained ongoing relationships with their organizational partners beyond the terms of their internship, creating opportunities for ongoing benefits to both students and community partners. Students also identified areas of potential improvement, notably, there is an opportunity to strengthen the experience through integration into a formal curriculum.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations to this study are the relatively small sample size (n=20) and reliance on self‐report measures.
Practical implications
As universities explore their relationships with their local communities, graduate student internships appear to have tremendous potential for supporting research and knowledge‐based needs of local communities, while providing valuable skills and training to a cohort of students in bridging academic research to real world solutions.
Originality/value
This article makes an original contribution by focusing on benefits to graduate students in scholarship of engagement programs that prioritize true partnership between students, universities and communities.
Details
Keywords
Juliet Millican and Tom Bourner
The purpose of this Editorial is to introduce key themes in the area of student‐community engagement (SCE) and the papers included in this special issue.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this Editorial is to introduce key themes in the area of student‐community engagement (SCE) and the papers included in this special issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper discusses dominant trends in the current context.
Findings
The selection of papers in this issue represent the range of programmes that have been developed over the past five or so years and indicate what they have, and have not been able to achieve. However, the recent context indicates an acceleration of the expectations placed on higher education to develop socially responsible citizens and to create graduates who will be able to solve the complex problems of an increasingly complex world.
Originality/value
The paper provides a background to SCE and the changing role and context of higher education.