Vappu Tyyskä

A Critical Reflection on the Use of Translators/Interpreters in a Qualitative Cross-Language Research Project

Based on experiences from a qualitative research project on immigrant womens English language acquisition, we critiqued the traditional positivist model, and identified a number of issues related to the engagement of translators/interpreters in feminist and community-based research. The issues that we identified amount to serious questions about ambiguities and ownership of translated language content; assumptions about community familiarity and cultural similarity between researchers, translators, and participants; negotiation of power and authority in the research process; and the risks faced by translators. In the end, though individual research team members bear responsibility over these shortcomings and need to strive to make our research practices more inclusive and equitable, the institutional context of research imposes severe limitations on the ideal alternative model of working with translators and interpreters as co-researchers.

Factors associated with intimate partner violence by a former partner by immigration status and length of residence in Canada

PURPOSE We examined intimate partner violence (IPV) by a former partner among Canadian-born and immigrant women by length of residence in Canada. METHODS Data from a 2009 national, population-based, telephone survey were used to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with any type of IPV (emotional, financial, physical, and/or sexual) by a former partner with whom there had been contact in the previous 5 years among immigrant women 0 to 19 years in Canada, 20 or more years or longer in Canada, and Canadian-born women (n = 1681). RESULTS Of immigrant women in Canada for 0 to 19 years, 41.6% had experienced IPV by a former partner; for immigrant women in Canada for 20 or more years or longer, 60.6%, and Canadian-born women, 61.5% (P = .0423). In a logistic regression model adjusted for age and other sociodemographic characteristics, immigrant women in Canada for 0 to 19 years were less likely than Canadian-born women to experience any IPV (odds ratio, 0.266; 95% confidence interval, 0.130-0.544). There was no difference in the occurrence of any IPV between immigrant women in Canada 20 or more years or longer and Canadian-born women. CONCLUSIONS High rates of any IPV by a former partner were found for both Canadian-born and immigrant women. Within immigrant communities, specific prevention campaigns should address the high risk of experiencing IPV at later stages of resettlement.

Communication Brokering in Immigrant Families: Avenues for New Research

Customarily, communication brokering and cultural brokering center on the activities of specific members of immigrant families who mediate between other family members and the receiving society. The most typical example is immigrant children and youth acting as brokers for their parents. Based on research of immigrant families in Toronto, Canada, the aim here is to widen the phenomenon of communication brokering to address patterns of mediation inside immigrant families. These studies lead to three propositions, namely, that (1) the separation from extended family results in the development of new communication brokering patterns in immigrant families, (2) changes in customary age- and gender-based power relations may not necessarily result in shifts in traditional communication brokering patterns, and (3) a disruption of the traditional male breadwinner role may result in withdrawal of these men from direct communication and supports the “deficit model” of immigrant fatherhood.

Where We Have Come and are Now Trapped: Views of Victims and Service Providers on Abuse of Older Adults in Tamil and Punjabi Families

This paper contributes to the literature on the intersections of age, generation, immigrant status, and racialization. In particular, it will bring into the discussion: (1) the perspectives of victims and service providers on the causes of, barriers to, and alleviation of abuse of older adults; and (2) continuities and changes in the social meanings of age, including the intersectionalities between age and other social hierarchies, such as immigrant status and membership in a racialized group. Using data obtained from a study consisting of interviews of service providers, and older adult abuse victims in the Toronto Punjabi and Tamil communities, this paper seeks to answer questions regarding the causes of family violence, barriers to obtaining services, and proposed solutions. The main themes arising from the respondents’ views fall within structural and cultural categories, with language barriers, the role of culture, and stigmatization among others emerging as key factors. Importantly, the data suggests that there exists a disconnect between victims and service providers, with the majority of victims supporting an anti-racist approach, while the majority of service providers fall within the multicultural model. This study suggests that the problem of abuse of older adults is compounded by deficient service provision and government policy. The recommended solution is to reach beyond culturally and linguistically specific services toward full engagement with immigrant communities, to prevent further harm toward older immigrant adults. Cet article contribue à la recherche menée aux points de croisement de l’âge, de la génération, du statut d’immigré et de la racialisation. Il enrichit particulièrement le débat portant sur : 1) les perspectives des victimes et des fournisseurs de services sur ce qui cause, entrave ou réduit les abus envers les personnes âgées, et 2) la continuité et les changements au sens social de la vieillesse, y inclus les intersectionalités entre l’âge et d’autres hiérarchies sociales, telles que le statut d’immigré ou l’appartenance à un groupe racialisé. Nous nous fondons sur les données recueillies dans une étude menée à partir d’entrevues avec des prestataires de services et des aînés victimes d’abus dans les communautés punjabies et tamiles de Toronto, pour tenter ici de répondre aux questions sur les causes de la violence familiale, les obstacles à l’obtention de services et les solutions proposées. Les principaux thèmes soulevés du point de vue des répondants tombent dans des catégories structurelles et culturelles, dont les facteurs clés qui émergent parmi d’autres sont la barrière de la langue, le rôle de la culture et la stigmatisation. Il est important de souligner que les données indiquent un fossé entre les victimes et les pourvoyeurs de services, la majorité des unes supportant une approche antiraciste, alors que les autres s’inscrivent en majorité dans le modèle multiculturel. Cette étude donne à penser que le problème de l’abus de personnes âgées est aggravé par une offre de services et une politique gouvernementale déficientes. La solution recommandée est d’aller au-delà de services spécifiquement culturels et linguistiques pour s’engager totalement auprès des communautés immigrées afin d’éviter que les torts envers leurs aînés continuent.