A Logistic Regression Analysis of Life Satisfaction amongst African Immigrants in Hamilton, Canada

Many minority immigrants currently face severe human rights violation through discrimination and racism, influencing how they rate their life satisfaction in their host destinations. This paper examines the factors that affect African immigrants’ life satisfaction in a mid-sized Canadian city. Using a combination of descriptive and multivariate methods applied on a sample survey (n=236) conducted in Hamilton, Ontario, this article investigates socio-demographic and health-related factors that predict life satisfaction amongst African immigrants, specifically, Ghanaians and Somalis. Findings suggest that Ghanaian immigrants reported greater life satisfaction than their Somali counterparts. People with residency in Canada over 10 years are more likely to report higher life satisfaction than those with length of residence from zero to ten years. Older individuals (i.e., age 25-54) are more likely to express higher life satisfaction compared to younger individuals (i.e., 18-24). The findings indicate that socio-demographic conditions matter for immigrants’ life satisfactio

Neighbourhood characteristics and the labour market experience: A qualitative analysis of the second generation Ghanaian-Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Neighbourhood characteristics pose challenge in labour market participation for immigrants and their children in many immigrants receiving countries, including Canada. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods on labour market participation amongst the second generation youth. Grounded in focus groups and in-depth interviews, our analysis underscores the importance of understanding neighbourhood characteristics and implication on labour market participation amongst the second generation Ghanaian-Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area, specifically, Jane-Finch and Brampton. Our findings reveal several areas where neighbourhood characteristics impact on labour market participation of the second generation youth: neighbourhood’s reputation, inefficient transit system and inadequate jobs in neigbourhoods. Based on our findings, we offer recommendations that may be of interest to decision-makers in government, social services and health agencies in urban centres.des Caractéristiques du voisinage présentent des défis liés à la participation au marché du travail pour les immigrants et leurs enfants dans de nombreux immigrants Pays d’accueil, y compris le Canada. Le but de cette étude était d’étudier l’effet de vivant dans les quartiers défavorisés sur la participation au marché du travail parmi les jeunes de deuxième génération. Ancré dans les groupes de discussion et des entrevues en profondeur, notre analyse montre bien l’importance de bien comprendre les caractéristiques du voisinage et l’incidence sur la participation au marché du travail parmi les Ghanaian-Canadians de deuxième génération dans la région du Grand Toronto, plus précisément, Jane-Finch et Brampton. Nos résultats révèlent plusieurs domaines où Neighborhood caractéristiques influeront sur la participation au marché du travail des jeunes de deuxième génération : la réputation du voisinage, l’inefficacité et l’insuffisance transit system emplois dans un voisinage. Sur la base de nos résultats, nous offrons des recommandations qui peuvent être d’intérêt pour les décideurs du gouvernement, les services sociaux et les organismes de santé dans les centres urbains

Public Libraries: enacting “public spaces” for community development and lifelong learning

Public libraries in Hamilton provide countless services to different users, particularly older immigrants. The library system proves to be an inclusive learning space, promoting lifelong learning for all. The paper explores the relationship between public library use, lifelong learning and community development. In addition, it demonstrates the function of the library in the provision of equal and universal access to information and learning. This paper focuses on a qualitative interview materials. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 participants (13 females and 12 males) in six public libraries in Hamilton, Ontario. In addition, we interviewed six library staff in the six public libraries (three in the lower Hamilton and three in the suburban Mountain) and conducted observations of the day-to-day practices in the six public libraries. Purposive sampling was used to ensure diversity in library use. Using the grounded theory (GT) method, interviews were transcribed, coded, categorised, and analysed using NVivo 10. The interviews explored the viewpoints of participants accessing public libraries in Hamilton. The findings reveal that public libraries are sources of educational, informational, and well-being – providing lifelong learning through library activities and programmes. Specifically, the acquisition of new skills and new friendship through the library space is a vibrant resource for developing the adult learner’s capacity for social development in the community and the world at large. The study would be one of a kind to deploy library users’ narrations for interrogating public library spaces as a tool for understanding spaces of lifelong learning in Ontario, Canada. It highlights the many ways in which social relationships through library use shape perception, attitude and learning.  Different users of public libraries attain a sense of accomplishment for different reasons. This paper, therefore, calls for a policy approach in which the diverse experiences of public libraries are more widely recognized and nurtured

Sustainable Energy Transition in Russia and Ghana Within a Multi-Level Perspective

Received 5 April 2023. Accepted 30 August 2023. Published online 6 October 2023.This paper is a case study based on a critical review of existing literature and primary data through interviews to investigate energy transition framing and manifestation in the Global South. It provides critical insights into sustainable energy transition in Ghana and Russia within a multi-level perspective (MLP). We argue that whereas Ghana’s energy transition concepts and policies are mirrored by landscape, regime, and niche, practical transitioning has been slow due to inadequate resources and incentives, limited historical culpability in global greenhouse gas, and the country being locked-in to existing hydrocarbon socio-technical systems. The MLP approach is useful in describing energy technologies, markets, and consumption practices. But in Russia, social policy at distinct levels is united by centralised energy law and technical systems, as well as institutional rules and differences based on costs in economic regions. This paper contributes to the energy transitioning discourse within the Global South using Russia and Ghana as cases to highlight how transition policies and practices differ from country to country, driven by economic, political, social, cultural, and historical elements with global frameworks serving as guides. Rigid application of landscape, regime, and niche concepts is challenged in describing and analysing the context-specific nuances in sustainable energy transition policy across spaces. There is a fundamental challenge of mechanically fusing a one-fits-all approach to sustainable energy transitioning in developing countries and societies due to differences in historical contributions to climatic issues and inequality of access to resources and technologies. Energy transition processes and practices should be compatible with social justice.The fieldwork and data analysis for the Russian case was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under Grant No. 22-28-00392 “Waste production and disposal in the megalopolises of Russia: multisectoral and interdisciplinary analysis”. The Ghana section wish to acknowledge the funding support for the literature review and writing from the University of Ghana, through the Institute of African Studies (IAS) annual research support fund for research fellows at IAS

A Logistic Regression Analysis of Life Satisfaction amongst African Immigrants in Hamilton, Canada

Many minority immigrants currently face severe human rights violation through discrimination and racism, influencing how they rate their life satisfaction in their host destinations. This paper examines the factors that affect African immigrants’ life satisfaction in a mid-sized Canadian city. Using a combination of descriptive and multivariate methods applied on a sample survey (n=236) conducted in Hamilton, Ontario, this article investigates socio-demographic and health-related factors that predict life satisfaction amongst African immigrants, specifically, Ghanaians and Somalis. Findings suggest that Ghanaian immigrants reported greater life satisfaction than their Somali counterparts. People with residency in Canada over 10 years are more likely to report higher life satisfaction than those with length of residence from zero to ten years. Older individuals (i.e., age 25-54) are more likely to express higher life satisfaction compared to younger individuals (i.e., 18-24). The findings indicate that socio-demographic conditions matter for immigrants’ life satisfactio

Effects of Spatial Characteristics on Non-Standard Employment for Canada’s Immigrant Population

Using microdata from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Population Census, this paper explores how spatial characteristics are correlated with temporary employment outcomes for Canada’s immigrant population. Results from ordinary least square regression models suggest that census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations (CMAs/CAs) characterized by a high share of racialized immigrants, immigrants in low-income, young, aged immigrants, unemployed immigrants, and immigrants employed in health and service occupations were positively associated with an increase in temporary employment for immigrants. Furthermore, findings from principal component regression models revealed that a combination of spatial characteristics, namely CMAs/CAs characterized by both a high share of unemployed immigrants and immigrants in poverty, had a greater likelihood of immigrants being employed temporarily. The significance of this study lies in the spatial conceptualization of temporary employment for immigrants that could better inform spatially targeted employment policies, especially in the wake of the structural shift in the nature of work brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Siting Sewer Treatment Plants in Muscat, Oman

Sewer Treatment Plants (STPs) are essential pieces of infrastructure given the growing scarcity of water sources due to the challenges of urbanization. The positioning of STPs is a complex multidimensional process that involves integrative decision-making approaches that consider multiple sustainability criteria to ensure their optimal placement. The Multi-Criteria Decision Method (MCDM) is a suite of approaches available to decision-makers when making systematic and scientifically informed decisions on siting wastewater treatment plants. Although MCDM methods have manifold applications in different geographic contexts, there is a paucity of studies employing MCDM models for the siting of STPs within the context of Oman. In this study, we assessed the locations of existing STPs and identified suitable locations for future STPs within the Muscat Governorate of Oman using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analytic Hierarchy Process (MCDM-AHP) model in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Eight factors were considered in the MCDM-AHP model: slope, elevation, proximity to built-up areas, airports, valleys, road networks, the sea, parks, and golf courses. Each factor was assigned priority weights based on its importance using the AHP method. Thematic maps were generated to categorize the potential sites into different suitability levels. The results showed that the coastal areas of A’Seeb and Bowsher were the most suitable locations for STPs, representing only 1.19% of the total study area. The novelty of this study stems from the perspective of an original application within the context of Oman, which has generated novel results and interpretations. This has significant implications for urban policy and planning with respect to better informing decision-makers with a systematic framework for efficient wastewater treatment

Diverse gut pathogens exploit the host engulfment pathway via a conserved mechanism

Macrophages clear infections by engulfing and digesting pathogens within phagolysosomes. Pathogens escape this fate by engaging in a molecular arms race; they use WxxxE motif-containing "effector" proteins to subvert the host cells they invade and seek refuge within protective vacuoles. Here, we define the host component of the molecular arms race as an evolutionarily conserved polar "hot spot" on the PH domain of ELMO1 (Engulfment and Cell Motility protein 1), which is targeted by diverse WxxxE effectors. Using homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we show that a lysine triad within the "patch" directly binds all WxxxE effectors tested: SifA (Salmonella), IpgB1 and IpgB2 (Shigella), and Map (enteropathogenic Escherichia coli). Using an integrated SifA-host protein-protein interaction network, in silico network perturbation, and functional studies, we show that the major consequences of preventing SifA-ELMO1 interaction are reduced Rac1 activity and microbial invasion. That multiple effectors of diverse structure, function, and sequence bind the same hot spot on ELMO1 suggests that the WxxxE effector(s)-ELMO1 interface is a convergence point of intrusion detection and/or host vulnerability. We conclude that the interface may represent the fault line in coevolved molecular adaptations between pathogens and the host, and its disruption may serve as a therapeutic strategy