What's in a Name? Name Choice, Agency, and Identity

This qualitative study addresses name choice among Chinese/Chinese-heritage students at two Ontario universities by asking if identity perception impacts the decision to maintain/change a name and who has agency in these naming choices. Ten out of the 11 participants opted for name change. Six participants attributed English name change to their teachers/education system in China; four asserted full agency in name choice; five were told to choose an English name, but selected their own; and two participants claimed no agency in either change or choice. Based on a grounded theory analysis, social and cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1992), Chinese naming habitus within a Canadian field (Bourdieu, 1984), and agency emerged as strong themes. Through these themes, participants’ negotiation of the third space (Bhabha, 1994) became apparent. This study suggests a need for teachers to gain cultural onomastic awareness so as to respect naming choices and agency of students in Canadian classrooms

Closing the Employment Standards Enforcement Gap, An Agenda for Change

Precarious employment is increasing in Ontario. A growing share of Ontario’s private sector employees earns low wages while a shrinking portion belongs to unions. These trends are fueled by changes in the structure of Ontario’s labour force. In many industries, including accommodation and food services, administrative services, and cleaning, workplaces are being transformed through greater use of contracting out, franchising, and extended supply chains. These ways of structuring work contribute to driving working conditions downward

Attitudinal and Demographic Predictors of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine (MMR) Uptake during the UK Catch-Up Campaign 2008–09: Cross-Sectional Survey

Background and Objective Continued suboptimal measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine uptake has re-established measles epidemic risk, prompting a UK catch-up campaign in 2008–09 for children who missed MMR doses at scheduled age. Predictors of vaccine uptake during catch-ups are poorly understood, however evidence from routine schedule uptake suggests demographics and attitudes may be central. This work explored this hypothesis using a robust evidence-based measure. Design Cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire with objective behavioural outcome. Setting and Participants 365 UK parents, whose children were aged 5–18 years and had received <2 MMR doses before the 2008–09 UK catch-up started. Main Outcome Measures Parents' attitudes and demographics, parent-reported receipt of invitation to receive catch-up MMR dose(s), and catch-up MMR uptake according to child's medical record (receipt of MMR doses during year 1 of the catch-up). Results Perceived social desirability/benefit of MMR uptake (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.09–2.87) and younger child age (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.68–0.89) were the only independent predictors of catch-up MMR uptake in the sample overall. Uptake predictors differed by whether the child had received 0 MMR doses or 1 MMR dose before the catch-up. Receipt of catch-up invitation predicted uptake only in the 0 dose group (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.18–10.05), whilst perceived social desirability/benefit of MMR uptake predicted uptake only in the 1 dose group (OR = 9.61, 95% CI = 2.57–35.97). Attitudes and demographics explained only 28% of MMR uptake in the 0 dose group compared with 61% in the 1 dose group. Conclusions Catch-up MMR invitations may effectively move children from 0 to 1 MMR doses (unimmunised to partially immunised), whilst attitudinal interventions highlighting social benefits of MMR may effectively move children from 1 to 2 MMR doses (partially to fully immunised). Older children may be best targeted through school-based programmes. A formal evaluation element should be incorporated into future catch-up campaigns to inform their continuing improvement

Changes to the Ontario Standards Act Leave Workers in Precarious Jobs Prone to Exploitation

Reforms to employment standards cause disadvantages for vulnerable workers.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Observed Engagement in Community Implemented Evidence-Based Practices for Children and Adolescents: Implications for Practice Delivery

ObjectiveThis observational study characterizes youth and caregiver behaviors that may pose challenges to engagement within a system-driven implementation of multiple evidence-based practices (EBPs). We examined links between Engagement Challenges and therapist EBP implementation outcomes.MethodCommunity therapists (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;102) provided audio recordings of EBP sessions (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;666) for youth (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;267; 71.54%, Latinx; 51.69%, female; Mage&nbsp;=&nbsp;9.85, Range: 1-18). Observers rated the extent to which youth and/or caregivers engaged in the following behaviors: Caregiver and/or Youth Expressed Concerns about interventions, and Youth Disruptive Behaviors. Multilevel modeling was used to identify predictors of observable Engagement Challenges, and examine associations between Engagement Challenges, and therapist-reported ability to deliver planned activities, and observer-rated extensiveness of EBP strategy delivery.ResultsAt least one Engagement Challenge was observed in 43.99% of sessions. Youth Engagement Challenges were not associated with outcomes. Caregiver Expressed Concerns were negatively associated with therapist-reported ability to carry out planned session activities (B&nbsp;= -.21, 95% CI[-.39-(-.02)], p &lt;&nbsp;.05). However, Caregiver Expressed Concerns were positively associated with extensiveness of EBP Content strategy delivery (B&nbsp;= .08, 95% CI[.01-.15], p &lt;&nbsp;.05).ConclusionsResults suggest that Youth Engagement Challenges have little observed impact on EBP delivery. In contrast, although therapists perceive that Caregiver Expressed Concerns derail their planned activities, Caregiver Expressed Concerns are associated with more extensive delivery of content about therapeutic interventions. Community therapists' implementation of EBPs appear unaffected by common youth in-session behavioral challenges, but future research is needed to clarify whether caregivers' concerns about interventions prompt, or are prompted by, more intensive therapist EBP content instruction

The Employment Standards Enforcement Gap and the Overtime Pay Exemption in Ontario

Employment Standards (es) legislation sets minimum terms and conditions of employment in areas such as wages, working time, vacations and leaves, and termination and severance. es legislation is designed to provide minimum workplace protections, particularly for those with little bargaining power in the labour market. In practice, however, es legislation includes ways in which legislated standards may be avoided, including through exemptions that exclude specified employee groups, fully or partially, from legislative coverage. With a focus on the Ontario Employment Standards Act, this article develops a case study of exemptions to the overtime pay provision of the act and regulations and examines in closer detail three specific areas in which exemptions apply. Through this study of the overtime pay exemption, the system of exemptions is presented as a contradictory approach to the regulation of es that, in effect, reduces es coverage, contributes to the avoidance of key legislated standards, and undermines the goal of providing protection for workers in precarious jobs

The Employment Standards Enforcement Gap and the Overtime Pay Exemption in Ontario

Employment Standards (es) legislation sets minimum terms and conditions of employment in areas such as wages, working time, vacations and leaves, and termination and severance. es legislation is designed to provide minimum workplace protections, particularly for those with little bargaining power in the labour market. In practice, however, es legislation includes ways in which legislated standards may be avoided, including through exemptions that exclude specified employee groups, fully or partially, from legislative coverage. With a focus on the Ontario Employment Standards Act, this article develops a case study of exemptions to the overtime pay provision of the act and regulations and examines in closer detail three specific areas in which exemptions apply. Through this study of the overtime pay exemption, the system of exemptions is presented as a contradictory approach to the regulation of es that, in effect, reduces es coverage, contributes to the avoidance of key legislated standards, and undermines the goal of providing protection for workers in precarious jobs.La Loi sur les normes d’emploi fixe des conditions minimales d’emploi dans des domaines tels que les salaires, la durée du travail, les vacances et les congés, ainsi que les licenciements et les indemnités de départ. Cette loi vise à fournir une protection minimale sur le lieu de travail, en particulier pour ceux qui ont un faible pouvoir de négociation sur le marché du travail. Cependant, dans la pratique, la Loi sur les normes d’emploi comprend des moyens pour éviter les normes législatives, notamment par le biais d’exemptions excluant totalement ou partiellement certains groupes d’employés de la couverture législative. En mettant l’accent sur la Loi sur les normes d’emploi de l’Ontario, cet article élabore une étude de cas sur les exemptions à la disposition de la loi et de ses règlements sur la rémunération des heures supplémentaires et examine plus en détail trois domaines spécifiques dans lesquels les exemptions s’appliquent. Dans cette étude sur l’exemption des heures supplémentaires, le système d’exemptions est présenté comme une approche contradictoire de la réglementation de la Loi sur les normes d’emploi qui, en réalité, réduit sa couverture, contribue à éviter les normes clés définies par la loi et sape l’objectif de protection des travailleurs qui occupent des emplois précaires

Closing the Employment Standards Enforcement Gap, An Agenda for Change

Precarious employment is increasing in Ontario. A growing share of Ontario’s private sector employees earns low wages while a shrinking portion belongs to unions. These trends are fueled by changes in the structure of Ontario’s labour force. In many industries, including accommodation and food services, administrative services, and cleaning, workplaces are being transformed through greater use of contracting out, franchising, and extended supply chains. These ways of structuring work contribute to driving working conditions downward

Closing the Employment Standards Enforcement Gap: An Agenda For Change

Precarious employment is increasing in Ontario. A growing share of Ontario’s private sector employees earns low wages while a shrinking portion belongs to unions. These trends are fueled by changes in the structure of Ontario’s labour force. In many industries, including accommodation and food services, administrative services, and cleaning, workplaces are being transformed through greater use of contracting out, franchising, and extended supply chains. These ways of structuring work contribute to driving working conditions downward. </p