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Campus-Community Partnerships to Reduce Poverty . Karen Schwartz, Carleton University Mary Mackeigan, Opportunities Waterloo Regena Farnsworth, UNBSJ Polly Leonard, Carleton University . CF:ICE Research Question .
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Campus-Community Partnerships to Reduce Poverty Karen Schwartz, Carleton University Mary Mackeigan, Opportunities Waterloo Regena Farnsworth, UNBSJ Polly Leonard, Carleton University
CF:ICE Research Question How can community-campus engagement, including community service learning (CSL) and community-based research (CBR), be designed and implemented in ways that maximize the value created for non-profit community-based organizations?
Poverty Reduction Hub Partners Hub Co-Leads Liz Weaver, Vibrant Communities Canada Karen Schwartz, Carleton University
Living Wage Campaign Background: Living Wage Hamilton Campaign • Multi-sector committee developing engagement strategies to dialogue with: public institutions, private employers, and small – medium businesses. • Living Wage Hamilton has its roots in a University-Community partnership: School of Labour Studies, Social Planning and Research Council, and HRPR
Year One Results • McMaster Community Poverty Initiative’s Dr. Don Wells (Labour Studies) presents to Hamilton’s City Council about the research supporting becoming a Living Wage Employer
Year One Results: Hamilton • Hamilton Wentworth District School Board approves Living Wage Policy – first school board in Ontario, and first elected body in Ontario to do so. • City of Hamilton currently developing strategy to become Living Wage employer • Next steps: engage small-medium businesses
Year One Results: Partnerships • HRPR & MCPI develop new partnership with DeGroote School of Business at McMaster • Dr. Benson Honig & doctoral student Elly Zang • Develop best practice guide and handbook for small-medium businesses implementing a LW • Conduct focus group and key informant interviews with Hamilton employers
Year One Results: Timeline • Timeline: • May 2013: Received approval from McMaster Board of Ethics • June 30, 2013: Complete Literature Review • July – August 2013: Talk with employers re: LW • Sept – October 2013: Develop handbook
Year One Results: Benefits Benefits: • New partnership with traditionally uninvolved Faculty (on this issue) • With research conducted by School of Business, credibility with community business increases • Dialogue with businesses as part of research design hopes to increase buy-in
Shifting Societal Attitudes 2008 - present Background • Engaged national partners • Representatives for 26 organizations from across Canada • Working group met to develop a plan • www.shiftingattitudes.pbworks.com
Shifting Societal Attitudes 2008 - present May, 2009 - finalized a concept paper Attitudes and beliefs affect behaviour. Collective behaviour affects public policy decisions. Goal: Identify current deep-seated societal attitudes towards Canadians living in poverty, and to “shift” those attitudes. Why: Only after shifting current attitudes, can we collectively begin to engage in new behaviour that will direct our policy makers and politicians to enact legislation to significantly reduce the poverty level in Canada
Shifting Societal Attitudes 2008 - present PHASE 1:Research and examine current Canadian deep-seated attitudes.PHASE 2: Research and examine “best practices” related to shifting attitudes and behaviours. PHASE 3: Design and launch a comprehensive, long-term, multi-faceted national initiative.
Community – University Partnership 2008 - present
Researching AttitudesRelationships and Context 162 2nd year student participantsWLU • 4th year students • WLU Mary Opportunities Waterloo Region • Terry • WLU • Colleen • WLU • Literature review Mixed methods study: Qualitative and Quantitative 20
Study 1 Materials: Projective Test Relative Absolute Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) • Shown photos (10 in total) • Given 5 minutes to write a story answering the 4 questions 21
Qualitative Results Summary Limited awareness of poverty Acceptance of poverty Conditional compassion Gender MacKeigan, M., Mitchell, T., Wiese, J., Stovold, A., & Loomis, C. (2013). It's not a Canadian Thing: Researching attitudes toward poverty.
Measures: Characterizing Self & Others and Social Dominance • Word associations (Semantic Differential Scale; Osgood, 1969) • Complete a measure of implicit attitudes toward… • The self • An average university student • A parent with child at a food bank • Relative poverty • A street person • Absolute poverty • Higher scores = More derogation • Social Dominance questionnaire • Happy__:__:__:__:__:__:_Sad • Trustworthy__:__:__:__:__:__:__Dangerous • Clean__:__:__:__:__:__:__Dirty • Intelligent_:__:__:__:__:__:_Unintelligent • Responsible_:__:__:__:__:__:_Irresponsible • Moral _:__:__:__:__:__:_Immoral • Hard Working_:__:__:__:__:__:_ Lazy • Reliable_:__:__:__:__:__:_Unreliable • Careless_:__:__:__:__:__:_ Careful • Not frightening_:__:__:__:__:__:_ Frightening • Worthy_:__:__:__:__:__:_ Unworthy • Respectful_:__:__:__:__:__:_Disrespectful • Lucky_:__:__:__:__:__:_Unlucky • Good_:__:__:__:__:__:_Bad • Strong_:__:__:__:__:__:_Weak • Polite_:__:__:__:__:__:_ Rude • Honest _:__:__:__:__:__:_ Dishonest • Kind____:__:__:__:__:__:_ Cruel • Helpful _:__:__:__:__:__:_ Unhelpful • Active_:__:__:__:__:__:_Passive
Overall Summary • People distance themselves from those in poverty • Distancing is a protective strategy allows people to: • maintain the belief that the world is fair and just • absolve themselves of responsibility for their inaction • manage their negative emotions (e.g., guilt, hopelessness) • Assumptions matter • Ascribed/external sources of poverty • Associated with more empathy and understanding • Hope? • Education and awareness
Education as Intervention 4th year students focused on poverty as a societal issue • All students admitted that previous to the course, they viewed poverty as an individual problem and they also applied common stereotypes to those living in poverty. • Following the course all students reported that their understanding of why people are living in poverty had dramatically changed as they are now aware of the numerous variables that impact one living in poverty and their inability to escape.
Community Conversations Series - Season 10 May 28, 2013 It’s not a Canadian Thing: Researching attitudes towards poverty PRESENTERS: Mary MacKeigan, Terry Mitchell, Jessica Wiese, Alexa Stovold and Colleen Loomis TABLE DISCUSSIONS • NEXT STEPS • publications • Completing the analysis of the 2nd year project qualitative data • Planning the 3rd project for September, 2013 • New tool
Reflection on C-U Partnership • Commitment • Responsive to community needs Community first!
Our Research Team Dr. Robert Mackinnon Tracey Chiasson - Erin Bigney - Kathryn Asher Steven Morrisson - Ashlie Jewell Dr. Regena Farnsworth and Barry Galloway
Year One Results:Impact of Mentoring The University of New Brunswick Saint John’s (UNB Saint John) Promise Partnership is a community-based and university-run academic enrichment and poverty reduction initiative focused primarily on the priority neighbourhood of Crescent Valley, Saint John, New Brunswick.
Promise Partnership Programs • Student Mentoring Club • Backyard Book Club • Discovery Nights • Book’n It Tutoring Program
Mentor Research Questions 1a) What has been the impact for UNB Saint John students who volunteer as mentors? 1b) How do the mentors feel about their mentor mentee relationship and about the program in general?
Parent Research Questions • 2a) What are the parents perceptions of the Promise Partnership? • 2b) What are the parents perceptions on education/university?
Participants • Target Populations • Mentors (56) • Parents of children involved in our programs (55) • Control Populations • University students who do not mentor (56) • Parents of school-aged children from another priority neighbourhood who have not had access to our programs (55)
Results from the Mentor Questionnaire Packet • Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire • Mentors scored higher than controls on civic action, leadership skills, and social justice. • Feagin Poverty Scale/Attitudes Towards Poverty • Mentors where significantly less likely than controls to adhere to the individualistic causes of poverty and more positive views on people who live in poverty.
Highlights from the Mentor Survey • 80.5% reported a close relationship with mentee • 94.1% reported a successful relationship with mentee • 70.6% reported mentoring was what they expected • 86.3% reported their intention to continue with the program when the new semester starts
Highlights from the Parent Segment • 85% reported that they felt the Promise Partnership had a positive impact on the Crescent Valley community and that it improved their child's: • Interest in school (80.5% ) • Reading skills (75.6%) • Confidence in social settings (70.7%) • Ability to work independently (68.3%) • Confidence in their ability to do school work (67.5%) • Writing skills (65.9%)
Highlights from the Parent Segment • 48.8% indicated that their child's involvement with the Promise Partnership has changed their perceptions/opinions about university • The control parents wrote significantly more negative opinions about university compared to the HWSF parents
Highlights from the Parent Segment • The HWSF parents showed significantly more parental support than controlsfor children to attend university. • 56.1% believed their child could obtain a university degree • 4% believed their child would drop out of high school • Control Parents • 30.2% believed their child could obtain a university degree • 16.3% believed their child would drop out of high school
Models of Collaboration Polly Leonard, Carleton University School of Social Work Does community engagement with University/Colleges have an impact on poverty reduction? • What types of partnerships are occurring? • What are the challenges and benefits to these engagements?
Project Description • Partnership between Vibrant Communities Canada and Carleton University • Online survey • Measure impact of engagement on community and campus • Best practices
Research Methodology • Online survey created using Fluid Surveys – Canadian-based survey tool with 18 questions • Social media recruitment • Participants from across Canada affiliated with Vibrant Communities and their partner organizations, as well as universities and colleges • Analysis • Simple descriptive statistics • Thematic analysis for the qualitative responses
Questions Themes: 1. demographics 2. poverty reduction 3. partnerships Sample questions: • In the space below please tell us how you define poverty reduction. • Poverty reduction strategies can take on many different approaches that occur at many different levels within the community. From the list below, please tell us what kind of work you do within the community to reduce poverty. • For each of the above collaborative work, we would like to know who initiated the partnership between the community and the university/college.
