The Timing of Pregnancy: Women’s Interpretations of Planned and Unplanned Pregnancy

In this paper, we apply the concept of timing to explore the meaning that women attach towards planned and unplanned pregnancy. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 42 Canadian women who were pregnant or recently gave birth to examine how they experience the transition to motherhood. We contend that the timing of pregnancy is a socially constructed norm that impacts women through a complex range of life events and circumstances. Participants’ accounts suggest a gamut of compliance, ambivalence, and defiance towards the “timing of pregnancy” standards. Situating women’s decisions on childbearing within the continuum of their life trajectories and societal expectations surrounding pregnancy allows for better understanding of the interplay between women’s personal choices and the social norms informing these decisions

Constructing Masculinity in Women’s Retailers: An Analysis of the Effect of Gendered Market Segmentation on Consumer Behavior

While gender-based differences in consumer behavior have been previously investigated within the context of gender-neutral or unisex retailers, men’s behavior in women’s retailers remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, most studies frame the retail environment as a passive platform through which essential gender differences yield setting-specific bifurcated behavior, and do not address the role the commercial establishment and men’s shopping habits play in gender identity formation and maintenance. To address this gap, we analyzed men’s behavior in women’s retailers using interactionist and social constructionist theories of sex/gender. Data were collected through non-participatory observation at a series of large, enclosed shopping malls in South-Western Ontario, Canada and analyzed thematically. We found that men tend to actively avoid women’s retailers or commercial spaces that connote femininity, while those who enter said spaces display passivity, aloofness, or reticence. We suggest the dominant cultural milieu that constitute hegemonic masculinity— disaffiliation with femininity, an accentuation of heterosexuality, and a prioritization of homosocial engagement—nform the dialectical relationship between individual and institutional gender practice that manifests through consumption

Scoping review about the professional integration of internationally educated health professionals

Sources retained for data extraction and charting. (PDF 352 kb

“My pharmacist”: Creating and maintaining relationship between physicians and pharmacists in primary care settings

The final publication is available at Elsevier via https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.03.144. © 2019. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Background Pharmacists and physicians are being increasingly encouraged to adopt a collaborative approach to patient care, and delivery of health services. Strong collaboration between pharmacists and physicians is known to improve patient safety, however pharmacists have expressed difficulty in developing interprofessional working relationships. There is not a significant body of knowledge around how relationships influence how and when pharmacists and physicians communicate about patient care. Objectives This paper examines how pharmacists and primary care physicians communicate with each other, specifically when they have or do not have an established relationship. Methods Thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with nine primary care physicians and 25 pharmacists, we examined how pharmacists and physicians talk about their roles and responsibilities in primary care and how they build relationships with each other. Results We found that both groups of professionals communicated with each other in relation to the perceived scope of their practice and roles. Three emerging themes emerged in the data focusing on (1) the different ways physicians communicate with pharmacists; (2) insights into barriers discussed by pharmacists; and (3) how relationships shape collaboration and interactions. Pharmacists were also responsible for initiating the relationship as they relied on it more than the physicians. The presence or absence of a personal connection dramatically impacts how comfortable healthcare professionals are with collaboration around care. Conclusion The findings support and extend the existing literature on pharmacist-physician collaboration, as it relates to trust, relationship, and role. The importance of strong communication is noted, as is the necessity of improving ways to build relationships to ensure strong interprofessional collaboration.TelusHealth and the Canadian Institute for Health Research for grant suppor

A Mixed Blessing? Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives about Off-Task Technology Use in the Academic Classroom

The widespread use of technological devices in an academic classroom brought with it many learning opportunities, but also posed a challenge of handling the off-task technology use in class. The literature on this topic is growing, but we still know relatively little about students’ and instructors’ perceptions regarding the off-task technology use in class. This paper addressed this gap by examining (1) how do students and instructors perceive technology in the classroom, and (2) who do they believe should be responsible for minimizing off-task technology use in class? Analyzing data from a mixed-method study with students and instructors in a Canadian university, we show that while students acknowledged that the off-task technology use can be distracting, they considered it a matter of personal autonomy, which can only be regulated when it creates distractions for others. The instructors had a more complex view and posed some challenging questions about the relationship between student engagement and technological distractions, the impact of technology on learning process, and the responsibility of educators in higher education. In conclusion, we reflect on some of the questions that ought to be considered when handling the off-task technology in an academic classroom.L’utilisation généralisée d’outils technologiques dans les salles de classe universitaires a engendré de nombreuses occasions d’apprentissage, mais elle a également posé un défi, celui de gérer l’utilisation dans la salle de classe de la technologie non centrée sur la tâche. La documentation sur cette question est en croissance, mais nous connaissons toujours bien peu de choses sur les perceptions des étudiants et des enseignants concernant l’utilisation inappropriée de la technologie dans la salle de classe. Cet article vient combler ce vide, puisque nous y examinons (1) la manière dont les étudiants et les enseignants perçoivent l’utilisation de la technologie dans la salle de classe, et (2) qui, selon eux, devrait avoir la responsabilité de minimiser l’utilisation inappropriée de la technologue dans la salle de classe? Nous avons analysé les données d’une étude à méthodologie mixte avec des étudiants et des enseignants dans une université canadienne et nous montrons que, alors que les étudiants reconnaissent que leur utilisation inappropriée de la technologie peut entraver leur concentration, ils considèrent qu’il s’agit d’une question d’autonomie personnelle qui ne peut être réglementée que si elle empêche les autres de se concentrer. Les enseignants ont eu des opinions plus complexes et ont posé des questions difficiles sur la relation entre la participation des étudiants et les distractions apportées par la technologie, l’impact de la technologie sur le processus d’apprentissage et la responsabilité des éducateurs dans l’enseignement supérieur. En conclusion, nous réfléchissons à certaines des questions qui devraient être prises en considération quand il s’agit de savoir comment gérer l’utilisation inappropriée de la technologie dans les salles de classe universitaires

Podcast 7. Shades of care: Understanding the needs of racially and ethnically diverse paediatric patients, their families, and health care providers in North America.

A podcast discussing this paper

Self-employment, illness, and the social security system: a qualitative study of the experiences of solo self-employed workers in Ontario, Canada

Abstract Background Today’s labor market has changed over time, shifting from mostly full-time, secured, and standard employment relationships to mostly entrepreneurial and precarious working arrangements. Thus, self-employment (SE) has been growing rapidly in recent decades due to globalization, automation, technological advances, and the recent rise of the ‘gig’ economy, among other factors. Accordingly, more than 60% of workers worldwide are non-standard and precarious. This precarity profoundly impacts workers’ health and well-being, undermining the comprehensiveness of social security systems. This study aims to examine the experiences of self-employed (SE’d) workers on how they are protected with available social security systems following illness, injury, and income reduction or loss. Methods Drawing on in-depth interviews with 24 solo SE’d people in Ontario (January – July 2021), thematic analysis was conducted based on participants’ narratives of experiences with available security systems following illness or injury. The dataset was analyzed using NVIVO qualitative software to elicit narratives and themes. Findings Three major themes emerged through the narrative analysis: (i) policy-practice (mis)matching, (ii) compromise for a decent life, and (iii) equity in work and benefits. Conclusions Meagre government-provided formal supports may adversely impact the health and wellbeing of self-employed workers. This study points to ways that statutory social protection programs should be decoupled from benefits provided by employers. Instead, government can introduce a comprehensive program that may compensate or protect low-income individuals irrespective of employment status