This study explores one of the most interesting and least studied issues in Brazil: the consequen... more This study explores one of the most interesting and least studied issues in Brazil: the consequences of complex and contradictory experiences by replacing the traditional drinks by cachaça, introduced through interethnic contact. Given the rarity of the study of Maxakali alcohol consumption in research, this study aims to understand, from the native's point of view, the negative aftereffect of alcohol consumption. Although anthropological studies emphasize functions of traditional and contemporary drinking as social "lubricants", social perceptions of the Maxakali highlight the problems of cachaça bought through interethnic contact. Symbols and meanings of these consequences were interpreted through their daily life histories, recorded by 21 leaders in focus group. Through the interethnic contact, some adaptations have occurred in the Maxakali alcohol use, with negative consequences for those who drink, their families, their villages and their community. In the world-of-life, these changes these changes can be seen through accidents, insults, marital disharmony, neglects, violent behavior, illness and death. This study's findings highlight the importance of producing comprehensive and in-depth knowledge in search of to identify vulnerable groups and to develop participatory solutions.
Knowledge Transfer Statement: Mixed methods are increasingly being used in research studies on co... more Knowledge Transfer Statement: Mixed methods are increasingly being used in research studies on complex oral health issues. Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, this methodology produces in-depth results of great relevance to researchers, clinicians, managers, and policy makers at each level of the oral health care system. A 5-day training program in applying oral health mixed methods research can be replicated by other institutions and contribute to capacity building and training faculty, students, and research professionals.
Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in r... more Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in recent years. Being culturally competent means taking into account the culture of patients in order to provide high-quality services. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to better understand how oral illness was perceived by the largest visible minority group in Canada: Chinese immigrants. We conducted qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada. The participants had a high level of education and had lived in Canada for thirteen years or less. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analyses were then performed. Among the participants, traditional beliefs coexisted with scientific dental knowledge. On the one hand, the subjects had a fairly good understanding of dental caries in terms of etiology, process, prevention, and treatment. On the other hand, they held strong traditional beliefs concerning gingival swelling a...
Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living... more Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living on welfare is crucial to the therapeutic success of the relationships dental professionals establish with this clientele. Despite growing attention to the importance of cultural competence and communication skills training in dentistry, very few initiatives have been documented in relation to serving low-income populations. Following discussions at a 2006 Montreal-based colloquium on access to dental care, academics, dental association administrators, and public health agency and antipoverty coalition representatives began collaborating to develop innovative pedagogy designed to increase providers' competence in interacting with their underprivileged patients. The group's first round of workshops (November 2006-October 2007) resulted in the creation of an original video-based tool containing testimonies from six individuals living currently or formerly on welfare. The videotaped...
OBJECTIVE To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigran... more OBJECTIVE To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. METHODS An ethnographic study based on 12 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews was conducted among low-income Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada, from January to June 2005. Data about their dental health care-seeking pathways, barriers to the use of professional dental health care services and attitudes to dental health care were collected and coded, and resulting themes analyzed. RESULTS Dental health care pathways include self-treatment and consulting a dentist in Canada or during a return visit to China. The pathways vary, depending on the circumstances. For dental caries and other acute dental diseases such as toothache, Chinese immigrants preferred to consult a dentist. For chronic diseases, some of them relied on self-treatment. Financial problems, and language and cultural barriers were the main factors that affected Chinese immigrants' access to dental care...
Les auteur(e)s, ayant des experiences et des savoirs tres differents, ont participe a une recherc... more Les auteur(e)s, ayant des experiences et des savoirs tres differents, ont participe a une recherche action inspiree de la methode du croisement des savoirs et des pratiques1. Pendant trois ans, ils ont cherche ensemble comment ameliorer les soins dentaires offerts aux personnes recevant les minimas sociaux au Quebec. Cet article presente des extraits d’un texte co-ecrit au terme d’une cinquantaine de rencontres de travail, parfois en commun, parfois en groupe de pairs.
ABSTRACT This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm i... more ABSTRACT This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular. Qualitative interviews of women who have undergone excision of the clitoris and women who have not form the core of my data. My analysis indicates that female orgasm in diverse societies is problematized and controlled, causing me to postulate numerous similarities between women despite cultural and physical differences. One of the most significant findings is that similar attitudes toward the clitoris might be invoked to explain both its removal, in excising societies, and clitoral-vaginal theoretical bifurcations in non-excising ones. The originality of my theoretical approach is to examine various types of social constructionism. I demonstrate its pertinence to an understanding of the literal construction of the body through social practices or social imperatives which determine physical reality. My use of the term constructionism as anti-essentialism also enables me to identify common components of drive theory in diverse cultures, and to demonstrate their lack of correlation with sexual behavior. Finally, constructionism is a crucial element to my analysis of subjective beliefs concerning female orgasm. Interpretation of physiological response supports a belief in clitoral-vaginal opposition in defiance of the interdependence of these two organs, thereby reflecting the constructionist insistence upon reality as socially defined. The originality of this research lies in its comparative perspective and resulting emphasis on similarities in culturally diverse groups. Female sexuality and orgasm are filtered through social existence. A physiological response can thus be denied or substantiated by social means.
Resumo Este artigo explora um dos aspectos mais interessantes e menos estudados no Brasil: as con... more Resumo Este artigo explora um dos aspectos mais interessantes e menos estudados no Brasil: as consequências das experiências complexas e contraditórias da substituição total de bebidas tradicionais indígenas pela cachaça, introduzida pelo contato interétnico. Contribui com a carência de ampliação de estudos na temática, analisando as consequências negativas do uso de álcool Maxakali. Enquanto estudos antropológicos enfatizam funções do beber tradicional e contemporâneo como “lubrificantes” sociais, as percepções sociais Maxakali ressaltam consequências negativas do uso da cachaça vendida ou trocada no contato interétnico. Interpretou-se no cotidiano, símbolos e significados dessas consequências, narradas por 21 lideranças em grupos focais. Com a substituição da Kaxmuk pelos Maxakali, ocorreram adaptações surgidas pelo contato interétnico, com relações negativas para quem bebe, suas família, aldeia e comunidade. No mundo-da-vida, as consequências negativas apresentaram-se em forma de...
Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 2016
Primary care practitioners are frequently unprepared to take into account the effects of social d... more Primary care practitioners are frequently unprepared to take into account the effects of social determinants on underprivileged patients' health and health management. To address this issue among dental professionals, an original onsite continuing education (CE) course on poverty was co-developed by researchers, dental professionals, and community organizations. Integrating patient narratives and a short film, course material aims to elicit critical reflection and provide coaching for practice improvements. A qualitative case study conducted with a large Montreal Canada dental team reveals CE course participants' newfound understandings and increased sensitivity to the causes of poverty and the nature of life on welfare. Participants also describe revised interpretations of certain patient behaviors, subtle changes in communication with patients and improved equity in appointment-giving policy. Unintended outcomes include reinforced judgment and a tendency to moralize certai...
Background: Front line providers of care are frequently lacking in knowledge on and sensitivity t... more Background: Front line providers of care are frequently lacking in knowledge on and sensitivity to social and structural determinants of underprivileged patients' health. Developing and evaluating approaches to raising health professional awareness and capacity to respond to social determinants is a crucial step in addressing this issue. McGill University, in partnership with Université de Montréal, Québec dental regulatory authorities, and the Québec anti-poverty coalition, co-developed a continuing education (CE) intervention that aims to transfer knowledge and improve the practices of oral health professionals with people living on welfare. Through the use of original educational tools integrating patient narratives and a short film, the onsite course aims to elicit affective learning and critical reflection on practices, as well as provide staff coaching. Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted, in Montreal Canada, among members of a dental team who participated in this innovative CE course over a period of four months. Data collection consisted in a series of semi-structured individual interviews conducted with 15 members of the dental team throughout the training, digitally recorded group discussions linked to the CE activities, clinic administrative documents and researcher-trainer field notes and journal. In line with adult transformative learning theory, interpretive analysis aimed to reveal learning processes, perceived outcomes and collective perspectives that constrain individual and organizational change. Results: The findings presented in this article consist in four interactive themes, reflective of clinic culture and context, that act as barriers to humanizing patient care: 1) belief in the "ineluctable" commoditization of dentistry; 2) "equal treatment", a belief constraining concern for equity and the recognition of discriminatory practices; 3) a predominantly biomedical orientation to care; and 4) stereotypical categorization of publically insured patients into "deserving" vs. "non-deserving" poor. We discuss implications for oral health policy, orientations for dental education, as well as the role dental regulatory authorities should play in addressing discrimination and prejudice. Conclusion: Humanizing care and developing oral health practitioners' capacity to respond to social determinants of health, are challenged by significant ideological roadblocks. These require multi-level and multi-sectorial action if gains in social equity in oral health are to be made.
This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular.... more This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular. Qualitative interviews of women who have undergone excision of the clitoris and women who have not form the core of my data. My analysis indicates that female orgasm in diverse societies is problematized and controlled, causing me to postulate numerous similarities between women despite cultural and physical differences. One of the most significant findings is that similar attitudes toward the clitoris might be invoked to explain both its removal, in excising societies, and clitoral-vaginal theoretical bifurcations in non-excising ones. The originality of my theoretical approach is to examine various types of social constructionism. I demonstrate its pertinence to an understanding of the literal construction of the body through social practices or social imperatives which determine physical reality. My use of the term constructionism as anti-essentialism also enables me to identify comm...
To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. An eth... more To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. An ethnographic study based on 12 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews was conducted among low-income Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada, from January to June 2005. Data about their dental health care-seeking pathways, barriers to the use of professional dental health care services and attitudes to dental health care were collected and coded, and resulting themes analyzed. Dental health care pathways include self-treatment and consulting a dentist in Canada or during a return visit to China. The pathways vary, depending on the circumstances. For dental caries and other acute dental diseases such as toothache, Chinese immigrants preferred to consult a dentist. For chronic diseases, some of them relied on self-treatment. Financial problems, and language and cultural barriers were the main factors that affected Chinese immigrants' access to dental care services in Canada. Under...
Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living... more Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living on welfare is crucial to the therapeutic success of the relationships dental professionals establish with this clientele. Despite growing attention to the importance of cultural competence and communication skills training in dentistry, very few initiatives have been documented in relation to serving low-income populations. Following discussions at a 2006 Montreal-based colloquium on access to dental care, academics, dental association administrators, and public health agency and antipoverty coalition representatives began collaborating to develop innovative pedagogy designed to increase providers' competence in interacting with their underprivileged patients. The group's first round of workshops (November 2006-October 2007) resulted in the creation of an original video-based tool containing testimonies from six individuals living currently or formerly on welfare. The videotaped...
Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in r... more Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in recent years. Being culturally competent means taking into account the culture of patients in order to provide high-quality services. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to better understand how oral illness was perceived by the largest visible minority group in Canada: Chinese immigrants. We conducted qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada. The participants had a high level of education and had lived in Canada for thirteen years or less. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analyses were then performed. Among the participants, traditional beliefs coexisted with scientific dental knowledge. On the one hand, the subjects had a fairly good understanding of dental caries in terms of etiology, process, prevention, and treatment. On the other hand, they held strong traditional beliefs concerning gingival swelling a...
International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 2009
In mixed methods studies, novice researchers need to know that qualitative and quantitative data ... more In mixed methods studies, novice researchers need to know that qualitative and quantitative data or results sometimes diverge. However, few studies focus on this aspect of mixed methods research. The present paper aims to review the literature on divergence of qualitative and quantitative evidence, and describe examples. The prior literature reveals four strategies for taking divergence into account: reconciliation, initiation, bracketing and exclusion. Nine examples derived from empirical studies were found, and they are described. Then, a detailed example is given of how divergence was identified and explored in a pilot study of the implementation of one electronic knowledge resource on handheld computer in an academic family medicine clinic. Finally, this worked example is described in the context of a teaching exercise for novice researchers.
Our goal is to explore the practices of female genital excision and infibulation as they relate t... more Our goal is to explore the practices of female genital excision and infibulation as they relate to gender identity and the acculturation process in Canada. We examined relevant research on these issues and share the results of a nationwide project conducted in 1997-1999 among 162 Canadian immigrants from regions in Africa where practices of excision and infibulation are still in effect. Our discussion of gender identity is inextricably linked to notions about the ways in which girls, women, and virginity are socially constructed. The complexity of the acculturation process along with the integration within a host society is highlighted and the conflicting identities available to women are brought to the fore.
This study explores one of the most interesting and least studied issues in Brazil: the consequen... more This study explores one of the most interesting and least studied issues in Brazil: the consequences of complex and contradictory experiences by replacing the traditional drinks by cachaça, introduced through interethnic contact. Given the rarity of the study of Maxakali alcohol consumption in research, this study aims to understand, from the native's point of view, the negative aftereffect of alcohol consumption. Although anthropological studies emphasize functions of traditional and contemporary drinking as social "lubricants", social perceptions of the Maxakali highlight the problems of cachaça bought through interethnic contact. Symbols and meanings of these consequences were interpreted through their daily life histories, recorded by 21 leaders in focus group. Through the interethnic contact, some adaptations have occurred in the Maxakali alcohol use, with negative consequences for those who drink, their families, their villages and their community. In the world-of-life, these changes these changes can be seen through accidents, insults, marital disharmony, neglects, violent behavior, illness and death. This study's findings highlight the importance of producing comprehensive and in-depth knowledge in search of to identify vulnerable groups and to develop participatory solutions.
Knowledge Transfer Statement: Mixed methods are increasingly being used in research studies on co... more Knowledge Transfer Statement: Mixed methods are increasingly being used in research studies on complex oral health issues. Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, this methodology produces in-depth results of great relevance to researchers, clinicians, managers, and policy makers at each level of the oral health care system. A 5-day training program in applying oral health mixed methods research can be replicated by other institutions and contribute to capacity building and training faculty, students, and research professionals.
Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in r... more Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in recent years. Being culturally competent means taking into account the culture of patients in order to provide high-quality services. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to better understand how oral illness was perceived by the largest visible minority group in Canada: Chinese immigrants. We conducted qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada. The participants had a high level of education and had lived in Canada for thirteen years or less. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analyses were then performed. Among the participants, traditional beliefs coexisted with scientific dental knowledge. On the one hand, the subjects had a fairly good understanding of dental caries in terms of etiology, process, prevention, and treatment. On the other hand, they held strong traditional beliefs concerning gingival swelling a...
Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living... more Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living on welfare is crucial to the therapeutic success of the relationships dental professionals establish with this clientele. Despite growing attention to the importance of cultural competence and communication skills training in dentistry, very few initiatives have been documented in relation to serving low-income populations. Following discussions at a 2006 Montreal-based colloquium on access to dental care, academics, dental association administrators, and public health agency and antipoverty coalition representatives began collaborating to develop innovative pedagogy designed to increase providers' competence in interacting with their underprivileged patients. The group's first round of workshops (November 2006-October 2007) resulted in the creation of an original video-based tool containing testimonies from six individuals living currently or formerly on welfare. The videotaped...
OBJECTIVE To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigran... more OBJECTIVE To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. METHODS An ethnographic study based on 12 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews was conducted among low-income Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada, from January to June 2005. Data about their dental health care-seeking pathways, barriers to the use of professional dental health care services and attitudes to dental health care were collected and coded, and resulting themes analyzed. RESULTS Dental health care pathways include self-treatment and consulting a dentist in Canada or during a return visit to China. The pathways vary, depending on the circumstances. For dental caries and other acute dental diseases such as toothache, Chinese immigrants preferred to consult a dentist. For chronic diseases, some of them relied on self-treatment. Financial problems, and language and cultural barriers were the main factors that affected Chinese immigrants' access to dental care...
Les auteur(e)s, ayant des experiences et des savoirs tres differents, ont participe a une recherc... more Les auteur(e)s, ayant des experiences et des savoirs tres differents, ont participe a une recherche action inspiree de la methode du croisement des savoirs et des pratiques1. Pendant trois ans, ils ont cherche ensemble comment ameliorer les soins dentaires offerts aux personnes recevant les minimas sociaux au Quebec. Cet article presente des extraits d’un texte co-ecrit au terme d’une cinquantaine de rencontres de travail, parfois en commun, parfois en groupe de pairs.
ABSTRACT This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm i... more ABSTRACT This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular. Qualitative interviews of women who have undergone excision of the clitoris and women who have not form the core of my data. My analysis indicates that female orgasm in diverse societies is problematized and controlled, causing me to postulate numerous similarities between women despite cultural and physical differences. One of the most significant findings is that similar attitudes toward the clitoris might be invoked to explain both its removal, in excising societies, and clitoral-vaginal theoretical bifurcations in non-excising ones. The originality of my theoretical approach is to examine various types of social constructionism. I demonstrate its pertinence to an understanding of the literal construction of the body through social practices or social imperatives which determine physical reality. My use of the term constructionism as anti-essentialism also enables me to identify common components of drive theory in diverse cultures, and to demonstrate their lack of correlation with sexual behavior. Finally, constructionism is a crucial element to my analysis of subjective beliefs concerning female orgasm. Interpretation of physiological response supports a belief in clitoral-vaginal opposition in defiance of the interdependence of these two organs, thereby reflecting the constructionist insistence upon reality as socially defined. The originality of this research lies in its comparative perspective and resulting emphasis on similarities in culturally diverse groups. Female sexuality and orgasm are filtered through social existence. A physiological response can thus be denied or substantiated by social means.
Resumo Este artigo explora um dos aspectos mais interessantes e menos estudados no Brasil: as con... more Resumo Este artigo explora um dos aspectos mais interessantes e menos estudados no Brasil: as consequências das experiências complexas e contraditórias da substituição total de bebidas tradicionais indígenas pela cachaça, introduzida pelo contato interétnico. Contribui com a carência de ampliação de estudos na temática, analisando as consequências negativas do uso de álcool Maxakali. Enquanto estudos antropológicos enfatizam funções do beber tradicional e contemporâneo como “lubrificantes” sociais, as percepções sociais Maxakali ressaltam consequências negativas do uso da cachaça vendida ou trocada no contato interétnico. Interpretou-se no cotidiano, símbolos e significados dessas consequências, narradas por 21 lideranças em grupos focais. Com a substituição da Kaxmuk pelos Maxakali, ocorreram adaptações surgidas pelo contato interétnico, com relações negativas para quem bebe, suas família, aldeia e comunidade. No mundo-da-vida, as consequências negativas apresentaram-se em forma de...
Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 2016
Primary care practitioners are frequently unprepared to take into account the effects of social d... more Primary care practitioners are frequently unprepared to take into account the effects of social determinants on underprivileged patients' health and health management. To address this issue among dental professionals, an original onsite continuing education (CE) course on poverty was co-developed by researchers, dental professionals, and community organizations. Integrating patient narratives and a short film, course material aims to elicit critical reflection and provide coaching for practice improvements. A qualitative case study conducted with a large Montreal Canada dental team reveals CE course participants' newfound understandings and increased sensitivity to the causes of poverty and the nature of life on welfare. Participants also describe revised interpretations of certain patient behaviors, subtle changes in communication with patients and improved equity in appointment-giving policy. Unintended outcomes include reinforced judgment and a tendency to moralize certai...
Background: Front line providers of care are frequently lacking in knowledge on and sensitivity t... more Background: Front line providers of care are frequently lacking in knowledge on and sensitivity to social and structural determinants of underprivileged patients' health. Developing and evaluating approaches to raising health professional awareness and capacity to respond to social determinants is a crucial step in addressing this issue. McGill University, in partnership with Université de Montréal, Québec dental regulatory authorities, and the Québec anti-poverty coalition, co-developed a continuing education (CE) intervention that aims to transfer knowledge and improve the practices of oral health professionals with people living on welfare. Through the use of original educational tools integrating patient narratives and a short film, the onsite course aims to elicit affective learning and critical reflection on practices, as well as provide staff coaching. Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted, in Montreal Canada, among members of a dental team who participated in this innovative CE course over a period of four months. Data collection consisted in a series of semi-structured individual interviews conducted with 15 members of the dental team throughout the training, digitally recorded group discussions linked to the CE activities, clinic administrative documents and researcher-trainer field notes and journal. In line with adult transformative learning theory, interpretive analysis aimed to reveal learning processes, perceived outcomes and collective perspectives that constrain individual and organizational change. Results: The findings presented in this article consist in four interactive themes, reflective of clinic culture and context, that act as barriers to humanizing patient care: 1) belief in the "ineluctable" commoditization of dentistry; 2) "equal treatment", a belief constraining concern for equity and the recognition of discriminatory practices; 3) a predominantly biomedical orientation to care; and 4) stereotypical categorization of publically insured patients into "deserving" vs. "non-deserving" poor. We discuss implications for oral health policy, orientations for dental education, as well as the role dental regulatory authorities should play in addressing discrimination and prejudice. Conclusion: Humanizing care and developing oral health practitioners' capacity to respond to social determinants of health, are challenged by significant ideological roadblocks. These require multi-level and multi-sectorial action if gains in social equity in oral health are to be made.
This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular.... more This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular. Qualitative interviews of women who have undergone excision of the clitoris and women who have not form the core of my data. My analysis indicates that female orgasm in diverse societies is problematized and controlled, causing me to postulate numerous similarities between women despite cultural and physical differences. One of the most significant findings is that similar attitudes toward the clitoris might be invoked to explain both its removal, in excising societies, and clitoral-vaginal theoretical bifurcations in non-excising ones. The originality of my theoretical approach is to examine various types of social constructionism. I demonstrate its pertinence to an understanding of the literal construction of the body through social practices or social imperatives which determine physical reality. My use of the term constructionism as anti-essentialism also enables me to identify comm...
To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. An eth... more To better understand the dental health care pathways of Montreal-based Chinese immigrants. An ethnographic study based on 12 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews was conducted among low-income Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada, from January to June 2005. Data about their dental health care-seeking pathways, barriers to the use of professional dental health care services and attitudes to dental health care were collected and coded, and resulting themes analyzed. Dental health care pathways include self-treatment and consulting a dentist in Canada or during a return visit to China. The pathways vary, depending on the circumstances. For dental caries and other acute dental diseases such as toothache, Chinese immigrants preferred to consult a dentist. For chronic diseases, some of them relied on self-treatment. Financial problems, and language and cultural barriers were the main factors that affected Chinese immigrants' access to dental care services in Canada. Under...
Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living... more Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living on welfare is crucial to the therapeutic success of the relationships dental professionals establish with this clientele. Despite growing attention to the importance of cultural competence and communication skills training in dentistry, very few initiatives have been documented in relation to serving low-income populations. Following discussions at a 2006 Montreal-based colloquium on access to dental care, academics, dental association administrators, and public health agency and antipoverty coalition representatives began collaborating to develop innovative pedagogy designed to increase providers' competence in interacting with their underprivileged patients. The group's first round of workshops (November 2006-October 2007) resulted in the creation of an original video-based tool containing testimonies from six individuals living currently or formerly on welfare. The videotaped...
Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in r... more Providing culturally competent care has been a growing concern for health care professionals in recent years. Being culturally competent means taking into account the culture of patients in order to provide high-quality services. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to better understand how oral illness was perceived by the largest visible minority group in Canada: Chinese immigrants. We conducted qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese immigrants in Montreal, Canada. The participants had a high level of education and had lived in Canada for thirteen years or less. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analyses were then performed. Among the participants, traditional beliefs coexisted with scientific dental knowledge. On the one hand, the subjects had a fairly good understanding of dental caries in terms of etiology, process, prevention, and treatment. On the other hand, they held strong traditional beliefs concerning gingival swelling a...
International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 2009
In mixed methods studies, novice researchers need to know that qualitative and quantitative data ... more In mixed methods studies, novice researchers need to know that qualitative and quantitative data or results sometimes diverge. However, few studies focus on this aspect of mixed methods research. The present paper aims to review the literature on divergence of qualitative and quantitative evidence, and describe examples. The prior literature reveals four strategies for taking divergence into account: reconciliation, initiation, bracketing and exclusion. Nine examples derived from empirical studies were found, and they are described. Then, a detailed example is given of how divergence was identified and explored in a pilot study of the implementation of one electronic knowledge resource on handheld computer in an academic family medicine clinic. Finally, this worked example is described in the context of a teaching exercise for novice researchers.
Our goal is to explore the practices of female genital excision and infibulation as they relate t... more Our goal is to explore the practices of female genital excision and infibulation as they relate to gender identity and the acculturation process in Canada. We examined relevant research on these issues and share the results of a nationwide project conducted in 1997-1999 among 162 Canadian immigrants from regions in Africa where practices of excision and infibulation are still in effect. Our discussion of gender identity is inextricably linked to notions about the ways in which girls, women, and virginity are socially constructed. The complexity of the acculturation process along with the integration within a host society is highlighted and the conflicting identities available to women are brought to the fore.
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Papers by Alissa Levine