Our Research

Theoretical Approach

We will apply four major frameworks: a) interculturalism; b) intersectionality; c) resiliency; and d)
organizational collaboration to fully understand the intermediary role that cultural brokers play between immigrant and refugee families and child welfare workers. 

Interculturalism is relevant for this study because cultural brokers nurture social relations that are defined by mutuality, reciprocity, and equality (Massing et al., 2013; Vélez-Ibáñez & Greenberg, 2005). Cultural brokers empower newcomers and expect that they will contribute their unique gifts to strengthen family and community, and Canadian society in general. At the same time, they operate on the assumption that Canadian society and institutions are responsive to the needs of immigrant and refugee families. From an intercultural perspective, we understand that culturally-appropriate collaborative child welfare programs have the potential to contribute to decreasing immigrants and refugees’ entering or re-entering provincial protective care. These programs may both aid these communities in understanding child welfare systems’ rules and regulations and teach child welfare providers to have a better understanding of the perspectives that immigrant and refugee communities have. Families may be more open to collaborate with child protection workers if they feel that their cultural beliefs are not ignored by the workers.

Intersectionality informs this study because cultural brokers have witnessed the multiple intersecting factors that affect the experiences of immigrant and refugee families, children, and youth with child welfare workers and how those experiences are influenced by factors owing to racialization, class, gender, ability, sexualisation, sexual diversity, age, and immigration status in Canada and across international spaces (Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women 2006; Purkayastha 2012; Torres, Spitzer et al., 2012; Torres, Balcazar et al., 2017). From an Intersectional perspective, we understand that immigrant and refugee families experience differential treatment based on the above factors, which may lead to or hinder the entry and re-entry of immigrant and refugee children and youth into provincial care.

Resiliency informs this study because it acknowledges cultural brokers and immigrant and
refugee families’ efforts to have a harmonious transition to Canada. At the family level, resiliency
involves validating positive parenting practices that are a source of strength for families, and eradicating those child raising practices that are not considered acceptable in Canada. At the societal level, resiliency includes the work cultural brokers do to support families dealing with lack of publicly-funded daycare spaces (MCHB Co-op, 2007); stress linked to low socio-economic status; work in menial or entry-level jobs; living in isolation, a lack of knowledge of English as well as lack of information about Canada’s customs and norms (Liebenberg, Ungar et al., 2013). From a Resilience perspective, we understand that the continuum of support cultural brokers offer to families through community development strategies, ranging from organizing parenting groups to holistic family support and accompaniment, build family and community capacity and resiliency, and address underlying causes of violence and abuse against children.

Collaboration is important because it will allow an in-depth understanding of resources such as institutional and interagency systems (He & Phillips, 2017) available to support immigrant and refugee communities. In the case of the Culturally-Responsive Collaborative Family Intervention Program, these include: a joint casework protocol illustrating the roles of each partner (agency, worker, family); cross- staff training and support as well as referrals between agencies. From a collaboration perspective, we understand that improved linkages between immigrant and refugee community-based organizations and the child welfare system —supported by a provincial child intervention framework that promotes collaborative work — have a direct impact in reducing the number of children and youth from these populations taken into provincial care.