Making Change on Gender-Based Violence: Assessing Shifting Political Opportunities in Canada

Feminist anti-violence organizations provide much needed services and advocate for changes to culture and policy. However, their ability to continue with this work is jeopardized by fraught and changing relations with governments. This is especially the case for state-funded feminist service organizations which, through their ties to state funders, risk their ability to engage in advocacy. While scholars and activists warn of the challenges associated with state funding, situating funding relationships within particular social, historical, geographic, and political contexts can illuminate both the threats facing feminist service organizations, as well as openings in the political opportunity structure. Using the Canadian province of Ontario as a case study, this paper highlights changes to funding for anti-violence work between 1990 and 2015 and considers the implications of shifts in the funding regime. My findings indicate that while state resources for anti-violence initiatives have expanded over time in both the province of Ontario and at the federal level, neoliberal governance has altered the distribution of government funding which has contributed to heightened competition between organizations. I conclude by offering reflections on existing political opportunities for the feminist anti-violence movement in Canada

Engaging with the State: Considering the "Progressive Potential" of Feminist Service Provision

Citing the possibility of co-optation, some activists and scholars argue that feminist organizations should avoid a funding relationship with the state. This article explores the implications of such engagement. I argue that feminist organizations must continue to pressure the state to support the third sector in a meaningful way. Résumé Citant la possibilité de la cooptation, certaines activistes et certaines érudites font valoir que les organismes féministes devraient éviter une relation de financement avec l'état. Cet article explore les implications ce genre d'engagement crée. Je soutiens que les organismes féministes doivent continuer à faire des pressions sur l'état pour appuyer le troisième secteur de façon efficace

Negotiating A Neoliberal Funding Regime: Feminist Service Organizations and State Funding

ABSTRACT This dissertation examines shifts in state funding for feminist service organizations in Canada. Specifically, it focuses on the implications of a neoliberal funding regime for these organizations. I argue that feminist service organizations should be understood as both social movement and nonprofit organizations. Examining their connections to both the nonprofit sector and the feminist movement provides deeper insight into the ways feminist service organizations’ are impacted by changes to funding. I contend that because of their dual positioning, feminist service organizations experience a neoliberal funding regime in multiple and complex ways. Under neoliberalism, nonprofit organizations have experienced cuts to core funding, an increase in short-term project based funding and a strict accountability regime. The democratic function of the nonprofit sector is no longer recognized as legitimate. This has been especially significant for feminist service organizations because their role as advocates for women was historically acknowledged by provincial and federal governments in Canada. However, this work has become increasingly stigmatized. I undertook a comparative analysis of two feminist service organizations in Ontario, Elizabeth Fry Toronto and Interval House Hamilton, to explore how these organizations experience a neoliberal funding regime. In particular, I considered how the funding relationship affects daily organizational work, advocacy and anti-racist, anti-oppressive (ARAO) practice. I also examined how feminist service organizations respond to the challenges posed by their political and funding climate. In addition to my research with these organizations, I examined policy documents produced by Status of Women Canada (SWC) and the Ontario Women’s Directorate (OWD), as well as the provincial and federal Public Accounts. This allowed me to analyse shifts in approaches to the nonprofit sector and government priorities. My research indicates that there is a shrinking space for social justice work. In particular, it is increasingly difficult for organizations to advocate, build community and engage in the more radical aspects of an ARAO framework. Despite this, my findings indicate that feminist service organizations can find ways to negotiate the challenges in their environments

Exploring opportunities in rural, primary care nursing: The student nurse perspective.

Abstract: Exploring opportunities in rural, primary care nursing: The student nurse perspective. Background: The demand for primary care services is outpacing the number of primary care providers in practice. This gap in primary care is projected to increase significantly within the next decade. Local Problem: The enhanced primary care RN role is a progressive role that optimizes the role of the RN within an interprofessional care team. Page County is a health professional shortage area, and until 2019 did not have RNs working in primary care settings. Purpose: This project aims to describe an innovation in nursing education and the outcomes of student engagement in the UPCARE program. Methods: The Undergraduate Primary Care and Rural Education (UPCARE) Project is a federally funded program focused on giving student nurses the opportunity to immerse themselves in rural primary care settings within Page County. Interventions: Student nurses in this program work side by side with RNs in the delivery of primary care nursing services. Scholars also participate in a variety of enriching clinical and co-curricular learning activities. Results: There are 25 student scholars participating in the UPCARE Project. The preliminary impact of the project demonstrated new revenue of over $78,000 for services generated by the primary care RNs. Through this collaboration, student scholars participating in UPCARE are able to help improve patient outcomes while gaining valuable experiences and education. Conclusion/Implications: UPCARE is a promising academic-practice partnership that can build on existing BSN curriculum, and leverage the strength of RNs practicing at the fullest scope of their license to provide holistic care to patients in primary care settings

Azithromycin Treatment Alters Gene Expression in Inflammatory, Lipid Metabolism, and Cell Cycle Pathways in Well-Differentiated Human Airway Epithelia

Prolonged macrolide antibiotic therapy at low doses improves clinical outcome in patients affected with diffuse panbronchiolitis and cystic fibrosis. Consensus is building that the therapeutic effects are due to anti-inflammatory, rather than anti-microbial activities, but the mode of action is likely complex. To gain insights into how the macrolide azithromycin (AZT) modulates inflammatory responses in airways, well-differentiated primary cultures of human airway epithelia were exposed to AZT alone, an inflammatory stimulus consisting of soluble factors from cystic fibrosis airways, or AZT followed by the inflammatory stimulus. RNA microarrays were conducted to identify global and specific gene expression changes. Analysis of gene expression changes revealed that the AZT treatment alone altered the gene profile of the cells, primarily by significantly increasing the expression of lipid/cholesterol genes and decreasing the expression of cell cycle/mitosis genes. The increase in cholesterol biosynthetic genes was confirmed by increased filipin staining, an index of free cholesterol, after AZT treatment. AZT also affected genes with inflammatory annotations, but the effect was variable (both up- and down-regulation) and gene specific. AZT pretreatment prevented the up-regulation of some genes, such as MUC5AC and MMP9, triggered by the inflammatory stimulus, but the up-regulation of other inflammatory genes, e.g., cytokines and chemokines, such as interleukin-8, was not affected. On the other hand, HLA genes were increased by AZT. Notably, secreted IL-8 protein levels did not reflect mRNA levels, and were, in fact, higher after AZT pretreatment in cultures exposed to the inflammatory stimulus, suggesting that AZT can affect inflammatory pathways other than by altering gene expression. These findings suggest that the specific effects of AZT on inflamed and non-inflamed airway epithelia are likely relevant to its clinical activity, and their apparent complexity may help explain the diverse immunomodulatory roles of macrolides

VAMP8 is a vesicle SNARE that regulates mucin secretion in airway goblet cells

Mucin secretion in the lung is regulated by the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) exocytotic core, which has not been defined in airway goblet cells. In this study, the SNARE vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8) was found to be expressed in human airway epithelial goblet cells. VAMP8 knockdown by RNA interference techniques reduced airway epithelial mucin secretion induced by PAR agonists, neutrophil elastase and ATP. Basal (non-agonist elicited) mucin secretion was also reduced as a result of VAMP8 knockdown. Importantly, mucin secretion was reduced in the lungs of VAMP8 knockout mice compared to wild-type littermates. Our data suggest that VAMP8 is an essential SNARE in airway mucin granule exocytosis. Reduction of VAMP8 activity/expression may provide a novel therapeutic target to ameliorate airway mucus obstruction in lung diseases

X-Box–Binding Protein 1 and Innate Immune Responses of Human Cystic Fibrosis Alveolar Macrophages

Rationale: Alveolar macrophages (AMs) play a key role in host defense to inhaled bacterial pathogens, in part by secreting inflammatory mediators. Cystic fibrosis (CF) airways exhibit a persistent, robust inflammatory response that may contribute to the pathophysiology of CF. Recent findings have linked endoplasmic reticulum stress responses mediated by inositol-requiring enzyme 1α–dependent messenger RNA splicing (activation) of X-box–binding protein-1 (XBP-1s) to inflammation in peripheral macrophages. However, the role of XBP-1s in CF AM function is not known

"It's Like the Pieces of a Puzzle That You Know": Research Interviews With People Who Inject Drugs Using the VidaviewTM Life Story Board

Bei dem Life Story Board (LSB) handelt es sich um ein visuelles Tool, das in therapeutischen Kontexten zum Einsatz kommt, um die Lebenswelt zu ko-konsturieren, die die persönlichen, relationalen und zeitlichen Aspekte individueller gelebter Erfahrung umfasst. In unserer Studie zu Drogennutzung und Schadensreduzierung interviewten wir Menschen, die Drogen injizieren unter Einsatz des LSB, um herauszufinden, ob sich hieraus Potenziale für eine verbesserte qualitative Forschung ergeben könnten. In unserem Forschungsteam arbeiteten neben Akademiker*innen auch frühere oder aktuelle Drogenkonsument*innen mit. Interviews wurden von jeweils zwei Personen geführt: eine agierte als Interviewer*in, die andere war für das LSB zuständig.Entlang der Ergebnisse war nachvollziehbar, dass Interviewende und Interviewte in unterschiedlicher Weise mit dem LSB interagierten: Während die Interviewer*innen es nutzten, um sich im Leitfaden zu orientieren, half es den Befragten, die eigene Lebensgeschichte mittels einer Vielzahl an emotionalen und kognitiven Äußerungen zu validieren oder zu unterstreichen. Das LSB erlaubte, sich an spezifische Situationen oder Vorfälle zu erinnern, Perspektiven hinzuzugewinnen und der eigenen Geschichte zusätzlichen Sinn zu verleihen. Insoweit arbeiteten Interviewte und Interviewende unter jeweils unterschiedlichen Vorzeichen mittels des LSB gemeinsam an einer (Re-)Präsentation der jeweiligen Lebensgeschichte.The Life Story Board (LSB) is a visual tool used in therapeutic circumstances to co-construct a lifescape that represents the personal, relational and temporal aspects of a person's lived experiences. We conducted a study of the drug use and harm reduction experiences of people who inject drugs through research interviews using the LSB to determine whether it has the potential to enhance qualitative research. Our team included community researchers who were current or former drug users and academic researchers. Interviews were conducted by two community researchers: an interviewer and a storyboarder who populated the LSB.Results showed that interviewers and participants interacted with the LSB in different ways. The board functioned to situate the interviewers in the interview schedule, whereas participants often used the board as a way to validate or reinforce their life story. Participants expressed a variety of emotional and cognitive responses to the board. Overall, the LSB helped participants focus on their life story to recall specific occasions or incidents and enabled them to gain perspective and make greater sense of their lives. Both participants and interviewers engaged with the LSB in nuanced ways that enabled them to work together to represent the participant's life story