Research symposium looks at social change and social justice

York’s School of Social Work will hold its annual research symposium, Research for Social Change and Social Justice, on Friday, looking at topics such as anti-oppression in child welfare and supporting psychiatric survivor movements.

The symposium will take place April 16, from 9am to 6pm at the Kinsmen Building, Keele campus.

Other research topics that will be explored by York faculty and graduate students include advocacy in Canada’s voluntary sector, race in demographic spaces, and housing and community-based research.

Right: Nick Mulé

York social work Professor Amy Rossiter, also part of the School of Women’s Studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, will present “Ethics Before Knowledge: Applying Levinasian Ethics to Supervision”, while master of social work student Nicole Penak will present “(y)our stories: for an anti-colonial academia”. PhD student Melanie Carrington will examine “To What End? Intervening on Families with Children At Risk for Criminality”.

Two PhD students will examine the effect of race on a country and a city. Sulaimon Giwa will look at Obama, Global Politics and Race: A Fraserian Analysis of the Election of the First Black President of the United States of America and its Transnational Effect on White/Black Relations” and Shana Almeida will present Race in Democratic Spaces: The Politics of Racial Embodiment in the City of Toronto”.

Social work Professor Nick Mulé will examine “The Dirty Word of ‘Advocacy’ in Canada’s Voluntary Sector: Implications for Social Work”, while PhD student Daniel Kikulwe will present Anti-Oppression in Child Welfare: Laying the Foundation for Change” and PhD student Ameil Joseph will explore “Empowering Alliances in Pursuit of Social Justice: Social Workers Supporting Psychiatric-Survivor Movements”.

Some of the other presentations will look at the well-being of families as they wait for housing, the effects of policing tactics on illegal drug users in the homeless population in Toronto and food security in India.

For more information, visit the School of Social Work Web site.

To join the waiting list for the symposium, e-mail your contact information to Professor Anna O’Connell at aoconnel@yorku.ca.