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Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies: Critical Actors in the Settlement System Presented By: John Biles* (Int

Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies: Critical Actors in the Settlement System Presented By: John Biles* (Integration Branch) Prairie Metropolis and Beyond November 4-5, 2011 (Edmonton).

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Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies: Critical Actors in the Settlement System Presented By: John Biles* (Int

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  1. Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies: Critical Actors in the Settlement System Presented By: John Biles* (Integration Branch) Prairie Metropolis and Beyond November 4-5, 2011 (Edmonton) * Opinions expressed are those of the presenter, and do not necessarily reflect those of Integration Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the Government of Canada.

  2. Contents • Pulling Strands Together • Settlement System • Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies • History • Hypotheses • Early Findings • Questions

  3. Pulling Strands Together • Settlement / Integration • Social Work • Role of Religion in Public Life • Social Capital • “Voluntary” Sector • “Ethnic” Organizations • Transnationalism / Diaspora

  4. Settlement / Integration Service Provider Organizations – agencies that have CIC contribution agreements to deliver settlement services (Biles 2008) Immigrant Serving Agencies “deliver services to newcomers that are not offered by other institutions, advocate change to discriminatory policies and practices, and assist mainstream organizations in adapting their models of education, service delivery and development within ethno-racial communities” (Beyene et al. 1996 in George et al. 2007). Immigrant groups, organizations and service providers fulfill several important functions (Cordero-Guzman 2005; Holder 1998): • fill key service gaps in their communities • Increase access to “mainstream services” • articulate needs and extend welfare provisions to newcomers • involved in all stages of the immigration and adaptation process • play a central role in all aspects of community formation and development (including building pride and identity) • provide representation in politics and policy discussion/formulation/implementation • manage relationships with elected officials and flow of resources to local communities. “Studying immigrant organisations enables us to make better sense of the complex and dynamic developments that take place within immigrant communities” (Schrover and Vermeulen 2005). Need to consider a partnership model with “mainstream” and “ethno-racial” family services delivering culturally sensitive services to diverse clientele (Bridgman 1993).

  5. Rough SPO Distribution

  6. Social Work • To the extent that diversity has been featured in social work volumes in Canada, it has been primarily through a multicultural lens, albeit with some contributions that did focus on newcomers. There is no Canadian equivalent to American and International examples of social work collections focused on newcomers (Valtonen 2008, Potocky-Tripodi 2002). • “Despite this long history [settlement houses], there is a notable scarcity of social work research focused explicitly on newcomers to Canada and the specific challenges they may face” (Biles et al. 2010). • “. . . we cannot help but reflect on how the very fact of being new in Canada, and the attendant stresses and strains of the migration process itself—not to mention the difficult waters of the various immigration statuses—means that social workers seeking to assist newcomers need to know more about their particular circumstances in order to help them effectively. It will entail learning about immigration and forging partnerships with those organizations that already provide a wide range of services to newcomers” (Biles et al. 2010).

  7. Role of Religion in Public Life “Religion is a blind spot for public policy in Canada” (Biles and Ibrahim 2005). “. . . we must include religion in theories of contemporary international migration. The ways in which migrants actively make use of existing cultural institutions, such as the church and religious practices, throughout various stages of the migration process, from the decision to migrate to the development of transnational communities, are critical to understanding contemporary international migration (Hagan and Ebaugh 2003). “It is now becoming increasingly commonly accepted in public and academic discourse that religious groups have been at the forefront of settlement initiatives for decades, even centuries” (Bramadat and Biles 2005). “While religious communities and religion per se now play minor roles in the setting of immigration levels, agreement on the mix, and definition of selection criteria, they continue to have a significant involvement in settlement and integration” (Biles and Ibrahim 2005). Religious institutions can and do challenge the Canadian state (Lippert 2005, Biles 2005b) “Surprisingly little has been written on the role of ethnicity in shaping Canada’s Christian churches” (Bramadat and Seljak 2008)

  8. Social Capital “Ethnic” Organizations Participation in ethnic organizations facilitates political participation in Amsterdam (Fennema and Tillie 1999) Not replicable in Brussels, although cross-cultural membership did correlate with increased political participation (Jacobs et al. 2004). Religiosity Overall religious affiliation does encourage voluntary group involvement (Lam 2002) Religiously active are more active in volunteer work and demonstrate a strong spillover effect, suggesting that religious citizens also volunteer for more secular organizations (Ruiter and De Graaf 2006). Religion’s influence on civic engagement goes beyond personal religiosity (Lam 2006) “Volunteering to help others solve community problems is more likely among members of churches that emphasize this-worldy social concerns”; social pressure works (Wilson and Janoski 1995; Bekkers and Schuyt 2008) Protestants/ “Other” / No religion are more likely to be members of voluntary associations than Catholics and Jews (Lam 2006, 2002) To some degree religious organizations compete with secular organizations for the time and energy of members; attendance at religious services has a small negative effect on voluntary sector membership, except for Catholics where the reverse is true (Lam 2002; Becker and Dhingra 2001; Wilson and Janoski 1995).

  9. “Voluntary” Sector What is it called? Voluntary, Not-for-Profit, Third Sector What is it? • Five features: Organized; Private; Non-profit-distributing; self-governing; voluntary (Banting 2000) What Does it Do? Twelve groupings: culture and recreation; education and research; health; social services; environment; development and housing; law, advocacy and politics; philanthropic intermediaries and voluntarism; international; religion; business and profession associations; groups not elsewhere classified (Banting 2000) How Does it Function? “the election of the Conservative government under Stephen Harper has prompted civil society actors to strengthen their ties to their own members and to make alliances across sectors” (Holly 2009). Capacity “The harsh reality – the real elephant in the room – is that while all agree on the value of a vibrant voluntary sector, the practice of several federal governments of cutting back capacity further over the past decade and a half has begun the process of systematically killing the sector by eliminating funding sources, adding administrative burdens to reduce project risk to zero, and transferring transaction costs to a sector ill-equipped to take them up” (Graham 2009, Banting 2000).

  10. “Ethnic Organizations”: Still Here, Still Relevant • “It was predicted that, with the rise of the welfare state in the 1960s, ethnic associations dealing with the individual adjustment and advancement of immigrants would become less important (Moodley 1983). The function of these associations, Moodley insists would be largely assumed by a host of state-directed social agencies” (Guo 2007). • “On the whole, ethnic organizations act as social service providers, maintain ethnic identities, and promote integration. In addition, they function as the ‘link’ or ‘broker’ between newcomers and formal service providers” (Jenkins 1988 in Guo 2007, Fennema 2004). • “immigrants’ associations are poorly organised and play a marginal role in the local decision-making process . . . Local governments seem in general to prefer Italian pro-immigrant associations, especially as far as access to funding and running for public contracts is concerned” (Caponio 2005)

  11. “Ethnic” Organizations: Connections to Settlement? • In 1996 the CEC surveyed members on priorities: multiculturalism, labour issues, racism, youth issues, national unity, immigration, health care, social services, education and language issues (Kobayashi 2000). • Burstein (2010) sees ethno-specific organizations as allies of settlement sector • Biles et al. (2011) ethno-specific organizations providing assistance to newcomers to navigate CIC systems • Sadiq’s “two-tier immigrant settlement sector” (2004) • Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism / Multi’s move to CIC / Integrated Society Work

  12. Transnationalism / Diaspora “Access to new transnational opportunities for migrants’ organised action is therefore not independent from the opportunities they have at the national level. . . For all the under-exploitation, it can therefore be claimed that a progressive movement towards a multi-levelled and multi-spacial [sic] participation and representation of migrants does appear to be already under way” (Danese 1998). “In today’s post-modern era, religious communities have become vigorous creators of an emergent transnational society” (Rudolph 1997). Bramadat’s concern that this terminology is exclusionary (2005). Today immigrant associations are considered as likely to be a continuation of pre-migration experience as a desire to assimilate (Moya 2005). “Recent research shows that the claims of the transnationalists are exaggerated” (Fennema 2004).

  13. Settlement System Source: Agnes Meinhard and her team currently undertaking a research project funded under the National Metropolis Research Competition.

  14. Organizing the Ingredients INSERT Calgary Model Source: City of Calgary 2011

  15. Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies in Alberta • Catholics • Calgary Catholic Immigration Society • Brooks and County Immigration Services • Foothills Community Immigrant Services • Catholic Social Services (Edmonton, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Red Deer) • Mennonites • Centre for Newcomers • Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers • Mennonite Central Committee of Alberta • Jews • Jewish Family Services (Calgary and Edmonton) • Anglicans • Anglican Dioceses (Calgary and Edmonton) • Baptists • Canadian Baptists of Western Canada • Sikhs • Sikh Women’s Association of Edmonton • Other • YMCA Wood Buffalo • C.A.R.E? / SAAMIS?

  16. History • Religious communities have been (are) particularly active on refugee issues: • Chileans (Simalchik) • Ugandans (Lalani 1997) • Indo-chinese “boat people” (Beiser 1999) • Jews (Troper and Abella 1983) • Sanctuary (Lippert 2005, Biles 2005b) • Involvement pre-dates contemporary government funded settlement services.

  17. Hypotheses • Most focused on refugees and non-permanent residents • More stable • governance, finances, H.R., volunteer-base • Less controlled by/beholden to “the state” • Impact probability of uptake (+/-) • Impact on ability to leverage “mainstream” programming • Enhanced access to decision-makers

  18. Preliminary Findings • Modest support for 5/6 hypotheses • Support for those ineligible for govt. funded programs • Religious connections have contributed to stability • Advocacy position is supported • Some felt affiliation contributed to uptake of services • Affiliation assisted in connection to other services • Inconclusive on enhanced access to decision-makers

  19. Questions • Current Project • Other Agencies? • Other Hypotheses? • Contrary Findings? • Other Relevant Studies? • Future Project • Comfort of prospective clients? • Comfort of (potential) funders?

  20. Bibliography Abella, Irving and Harold Troper. 1991. None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948. Toronto: Lester Publishing. Aliweiwi, Jehad and Rachel laforest. 2009. “Citizenship, Immigration and the Conservative Agenda” in Laforest, Rachel ed. 2009. The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 137-154. Bach, Robert L. 1993. “Recrafting the Common Good: Immigration and Community” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science: 155-170. Bai, D.H. 1992. "Canadian immigration policy and the voluntary sector: the case of the Edmonton Immigrant Services Association" Human Organizations 51(1): 23-34. Banting, Keith G. ed. 2000. The NonProfit Sector in Canada: Roles and Relationships. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Becker, Penny Edgell and Pawan H. Dhingra. 2001. “Religious Involvement and Volunteering: Implications for Civil Society” Sociology of Religion 62(3): 315-335. Beiser, Morton. 1997. Strangers at the Gate: The ‘Boat People’s’ First ten Years in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Bekkers, Rene and Theo Schuyt. 2008. “And Who is Your Neighbour? Explaining Denominational Differences in Charitable Giving and Volunteeringf in the Netherlands” Review of Religious Research 50(1): 74-96. Beyene, D., Butcher, C., Joe, B. and Richmond, T. 1996. “Immigrant service agencies: A fundamental component of anti-racist social services” in C.E. James ed. Perspectives on Racism and the Human Services Sector: A Case for Change. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Biles, John, Meyer Burstein, James Frideres, Erin Tolley and Robert Vineberg eds. 2011. Integration and Inclusion Across Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Biles, John, Glenn Drover, Humera Ibrahim, Colleen Lundy and Mui Chung Yan. 2010 “Introduction” Canadian Social Work 12(1): 5-15. http://integration-net.ca:81/infocentre/2011/002e.pdf (accessed 2 November 2010).

  21. Bibliography (Cont.) Biles, John. 2008. “Integration Policy in English-Speaking Canada” in Biles, John, Meyer Burstein and James Frideres eds. Immigration and Integration in Canada in the Twenty-first Century. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 139-186. Biles, John and Humera Ibrahim. 2005. “Religion and Public Policy: Immigration, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in Paul Bramadat and David Seljak eds. 2005. Religion and Ethnicity in Canada. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc.: 154-177. Biles, John. 2005b. <<Le modele de la diversitecanadienne>> peut-ilrendre justice au fait religieux? In SolangeLefebrve ed. La religion dans la sphere publique. Montreal: Les presses de l”universite de Montreal:41-69. Bloemraad, Irene. 2005. “The Limits of de Tocqueville: How Government Facilitates Organisational Capacity in Newcomer Communities” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 31(5): 865-887 Bouman, Stephen and Ralston Deffenbaugh. 2009. They Are Us: Lutherans and Immigration. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress. Bramadat, Paul and Susie Fisher. 2010.”Religiously Organizations and the Integration of Immigrants, Refugees and Temporary Foreign Workers: An Annotated Bibliography and List of Community Organizations” http://mbc.metropolis.net/assets/uploads/files/wp/2010/WP10-01.pdf (accessed 2 November 2011). Bramadat, Paul and David Seljak eds. 2008. Christianity and Ethnicity in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Bramadat, Paul. 2005 “Beyond Chirstian Canada: Religion and Ethnicity in a Multicultural Society” in Paul Bramadat and David Seljak eds. 2005. Religion and Ethnicity in Canada. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc.: 1-29. Bramadat, Paul and John Biles eds. “The re-emergence of religion in international public discourse.” Special Issue of Journal of International Migration and Integration 6(2): 171-176.

  22. Bibliography (Cont.) Brettell, Caroline. 2005. “Voluntary Organizations, Social Capital, and Social Incorporation of Asian Indian Immigrants in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex” Anthropologicaal Quarterly 78(4): 853-882. Bridgman, Gail T. 1993. “The Place of Mainstream and Ethno-racial Agencies in the Delivery of Family Services to Ethno-Racial Canadians” Unpublished MSW, York University. Burstein, Meyer. 2010.”Reconfiguring Settlement and Integration: A Service Provider Strategy for Innovation and Results” http://integration-net.ca:81/infocentre/2010/007_1e.pdf (accessed 2 November 2011). Caponio, Tiziana. 2005. “Policy Networks and Immigrants’ Associations in Italy: The Cases of Milan, Bologna and Naples” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 31(5): 931-950. City of Calgary. 2011. “Welcoming Community Policy: Framework and Implementation Plan” http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Documents/Social-research-policy-and-resources/welcoming-community-policy.pdf (accessed 26 September 2011). Cordero-Guzman, Hector R. 2005. “Community-Based Organisations and Migration in New York City” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 31(5): 889-909. Danese, Gaia. 1998. “Transnational collective action in Europe: the case of migrants in Italy and Spain” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 24(4): 715-733. Elson, Peter R.2009. “A Short History of Voluntary Sector-Government Relations in Canada” The Philanthropist 21(1): 36-74. Fennema, Meindert. 2004. “The Concept and Measurement of Ethnic Community” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 30(3): 429-447. Fennema, Meindert and Jean Tillie. 1999. “Political participation and political trust in Amsetrdam. Civic communities and ethnic networks” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 25(4): 703-26. George, Usha, FerzanaChze and Robyn Doyle. 2007. Immigration and Settlement in Canada.BookSurge Publishing.

  23. Bibliography (Cont.) George, Usha and Joseph H. Michalski. 1996. “A Snapshot of Service Delivery in Organizations Serving Immigrants” A Study funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Graham, Andrew. 2009. “Examining Means to Build a Financial Sustainable Capacity in Canada’s Voluntary Sector” in Laforest, Rachel ed. 2009. The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 35-60. Guo, Shibao. 2007. “SUCCESS: A Chinese Voluntary Association in Vancouver” BC Studies 154: 97-119. Hagan, Jacqueline and Helen Rose Ebaugh. 2003. “Calling Upon the Sacred: Migrants’ Use of Religion in the Migration Process” International Migration Review 37(4): 1145-1162. Handy, Femida and Ram A. Cnaan. 2000. “Religious Nonprofits: Social Service Provision by Congregations in Ontario” in Banting, Keith G. ed. 2000. The NonProfit Sector in Canada: Roles and Relationships. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 69-106. Holder, Saddeiqa. 1998. “The Role of Immigrant Serving Organizations in the Canadian Welfare State: A Case Study” PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto. Holly, Grant. 2009. “Shifting Political Opportunities and Strategies: The Case of Childcare Advocacy in 2004-2006” in Laforest, Rachel ed. 2009. The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 109-136. Jacobs, Dirk, Karen Phalet and Marc Swyngedouw. 2004. “Associational Membership and Political Involvement Among Ethnic Minority Groups in Brussels” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 30(3): 543-559. Jenkins, Shirley ed. 1988. Ethnic Associations and the Welfare State. New York: Columbia University Press. Joselit, Jenna Weissman. 2008. Parade of Faiths: Immigration and American Religion. New York: Oxford University Press. Kobayashi, Audrey. 2000. “Advocacy from the Margins: The Role of Minority Ethnocultural Associations in Affecting Publi Policy in Canada” in Banting, Keith G. ed. 2000. The NonProfit Sector in Canada: Roles and Relationships. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 229-266.

  24. Bibliography (Cont.) Ku, Jane. 2011. “Ethnic activism and multicultural politics in immigrant settlement in Toronto, Canada” Social Identities 17(2): 271-289. Laforest, Rachel ed. 2009. The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Lalani, Z. ed. 1997. Ugandan Expulsion: 90 Days and Beyond Through the Eyes of the International Press. Tampa: Expulsion Publications. Lam, Pui-Yan. 2006. “Religion and Civic Culture: A Cross-National Study of Voluntary Association Membership” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 45(2): 177-193. Lam, Pui-Yan. 2002. “As the Flocks Gather: How Religion Affects Voluntary Association Participation” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41(3): 405-422. Lee, Jo-Anne and Cheryl Harrison. 1999. “Immigrant Settlement and Multiculturalism Programs for Immigrant, Refugee, and Visible Minority Women: A Study of Outcomes, Best Practices and Issues” http://jo-annelee.com/documents/immigrantsettlementj_lee_final_report.pdf (accessed 1 November 2011). Lippert, Randy. 2005 Sanctuary, Sovereignty and Sacrifice: Canadian Sanctuary Incidents, Power and the Law. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. Moodley, Kogila. 1983. “Canadian Multiculturalism as Ideology” Ethnic and Racial Studies 6(3): 320-31. Moya, Jose C. 2005. “Immigrants and Associations: A Global and Historical Perspective” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 31(5): 833-864. Musick, Marc A., John Wilson and William B. Bynum Jr. 2000. “Race and Formal Volunteering: The Differential Effects of Class and Religion” Social Forces 78(4): 1539-1571. Ng, Roxana. 1996. The Politics of Community Services: Immigrant Women, Class ad State. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing.

  25. Bibliography (Cont.) Orum, Anthony M. 2005. “Cicrcles of Influence and Chains of Command: The Social Processes Whereby Ethnic Communities Influence Host Societies” Social Forces 84(2): 921-939. Owusu, Thomas Y. 2000. “The Role of Ghanaian Immigrant Associations in Toronto, Canada” International Migration Review 34(4): 1155-1181. Phillips, Susan D. 2009. “The Harper Government and the Voluntary Sector: Whither a Policy Agenda?” in Laforest, Rachel ed. 2009. The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 7-34. Potocky-Tripodi, M. 2002. Best Practices for Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants. New York: Columbia University Press. Reitz, Jeffery. 1995. “A Review of the Literature on Aspects of Ethno-Racial Access, Utilization and Delivery of Social Services.” Richmond, Ted and John Shields. 2007. “Settlement Services and the Public Good” Paper prepared for the LINC07 Administrators Conference, Toronto. Rudolph, Susanne Hoeber. 1997. “Introduction: Religion, States and Transnational Society” in Susanne Hoeber Rudolph and James Pescatori eds. Transnational Religion and Fading States. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press: 1-26. Ruiter, Stijn and Nan Dirk De Graaf. 2006. “National Context, Religiosity, and Volunteering: Results from 53 Countries” American Sociological Review 71: 191-210. Sadiq, Kareem D. 2004. “The Two-tier Settlement System: A Review of Current Newcomer Settlement Services in Canada” CERIS Working Paper No. 34. Sardinha, Joao. 2009. Immigrant Associations, Integration and Identity. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Schrover, Marlou and FlorisVermeulen. 2005. “Immigrant Organisations” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 31(5): 823-832. Simalchik, Joan. 1993. “Part of the Awakening: Canadian Churches and Chilean Refugees, 1970-1979” Unpublished Master’s Thesis, University of Toronto.

  26. Bibliography (Cont.) Simich, Laura, Morton Beiser, Miriam Stewart, and Edward Mwakarimba. 2005. “Providing Social Support for Immigrants and Refugees in Canada: Challenges and Directions” Journal of Immigrant Health 7(4): 259-268. Valtonen, K. 2008. Social Work and Migration: Immigrant and Refugee Settlement and Integration. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing. Vertovec, Steve. 1999. “Minority associations, networks and public policies: re-assessing relationships” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 25(1): 21-42. Wickberg, Edgar. 1979. “Some Problems in Chinese Organizational Development in Canada, 1923-1937” Canadian Ethnic Studies 11: 88-98. Wilson, John and Thomas Janoski. 1995. “The Contribution of Religion to Volunteer Work” Sociology of Religion 56(2): 137-152. Wright, Robert G. 1981. “Voluntary Agencies and the Resettlement of Refugees” International Migration Review 15(1/2): 157-174. Wuthnow, Robert. 1993. Christianity in the 21st Century. New York: Oxford University Press.

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