Books by Helen Vallianatos
Papers by Helen Vallianatos
University of Toronto Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2016
ABSTRACT Migration to a new country often results in a variety of social and economic challenges,... more ABSTRACT Migration to a new country often results in a variety of social and economic challenges, often reflected in foodways. Food is of central importance in maintaining connections to home, and signifying ethnic identity among diasporic community members. Alternatively, new opportunities may be represented by the incorporation of new food elements into consumption patterns. Focus group interviews conducted with Arabic and South Asian immigrant women residing in a smaller Canadian city reveal the meanings women imparted to their own and their families' food choices and dietary habits. Women shared their struggles of maintaining ethnic cuisine as a marker of community affiliation while to varying degrees, integrating new foods, usually at their children's request. Experiences were not uniform, yet comparisons within and across these two communities suggest the importance of local social factors and politico-economic context in shaping commonly shared food and migration experiences and such shared realities highlight areas for advocacy.
University of British Columbia Press eBooks, Nov 15, 2014
Food, Culture, and Society, Sep 1, 2008
ABSTRACT Migration to a new country often results in a variety of social and economic challenges,... more ABSTRACT Migration to a new country often results in a variety of social and economic challenges, often reflected in foodways. Food is of central importance in maintaining connections to home, and signifying ethnic identity among diasporic community members. Alternatively, new opportunities may be represented by the incorporation of new food elements into consumption patterns. Focus group interviews conducted with Arabic and South Asian immigrant women residing in a smaller Canadian city reveal the meanings women imparted to their own and their families' food choices and dietary habits. Women shared their struggles of maintaining ethnic cuisine as a marker of community affiliation while to varying degrees, integrating new foods, usually at their children's request. Experiences were not uniform, yet comparisons within and across these two communities suggest the importance of local social factors and politico-economic context in shaping commonly shared food and migration experiences and such shared realities highlight areas for advocacy.
Al-Raida Journal, 1970
Birth is more than physical reproduction; through reproductive traditions and birthing processes,... more Birth is more than physical reproduction; through reproductive traditions and birthing processes, social reproduction is manifested. In other words, these traditions and ceremonies highlight the values of social life. Migration to a new country may affect the ability of women and their families to perform reproductive rituals; hence, examination of women's birth stories may demonstrate the tensions between the challenges and benefits of migration. This shifting ground of multiple identities in turn contextualizes the process of acculturation as migrants strive to adapt to their new country while maintaining cultural and ethnic identities. In this article, we study experiences of reproduction to examine how Arab immigrant women shape their Canadian identities while balancing connections with their families "back home" and their ethnic/cultural identities.
Berghahn Books, Dec 31, 2022
Berghahn Books, Dec 31, 2022
Food choices and practices during pregnancy of immigrant women with high-risk pregnancies in cont... more Food choices and practices during pregnancy of immigrant women with high-risk pregnancies in context, and so on. Higginbottom et al. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2014, 14:370
Family Relations, 2020
ObjectiveTo examine the factors that influence parent–child relationships in African immigrant fa... more ObjectiveTo examine the factors that influence parent–child relationships in African immigrant families in Alberta, Canada.BackgroundAfrican immigrants are increasingly migrating to high‐income countries, including Canada, in search of a better life. These immigrants often face several challenges, including parenting their children in new sociocultural contexts. We present findings from a critical ethnographic study of parent–child relationships among African immigrants in Alberta, Canada.MethodInformed by transnational feminist theory, we conducted interviews with 14 African immigrant community leaders, 31 African immigrant parents, and 12 service providers and policymakers.ResultsWe found that conflicting cultural practices and value systems, shifting power relations, low socioeconomic status, and gender relations exert both beneficial and strenuous influences on parent–child relations.ConclusionThe determinants of parenting practices and parent–child relationships include the int...
Journal of Migration and Health, 2021
The health of migrant children is a pressing issue. While most African migration takes place with... more The health of migrant children is a pressing issue. While most African migration takes place within Africa, a significant number of African migrants travel to outside of the continent. This article reports findings from a scoping review on the health of African immigrant children from sub-Saharan Africa now living outside of Africa. A systematic search for studies published between 2000 and 2019 resulted in only 20 studies reporting on the health of children up to 18 years of age migrating from sub-Saharan Africa. Data from these articles were thematically analyzed, highlighting concerns related to the children's nutrition status (n = 8), mental health (n = 7), and physical health (n = 5). Study participants were primarily from Somali and Ethiopia, and most studies were conducted in Australia or Israel. The review highlights several gaps related to the scope, range, and nature of evidence on the health of African immigrant children living outside of Africa. In particular, most focus on children's nutritional and mental health, but pay little attention to other health concerns this specific population may encounter or to the benefits associated with effective responses.
Global Qualitative Nursing Research
Natural disasters affect the health and well-being of mothers with young children. During natural... more Natural disasters affect the health and well-being of mothers with young children. During natural disasters, this population is at risk of discontinuation of their breastfeeding practices. Pakistan is a middle-income country that is susceptible to natural disasters. This study intended to examine sociocultural factors that shape the breastfeeding experiences and practices of internally displaced mothers in Pakistan. This critical ethnographic study was undertaken in disaster-affected villages of Chitral, Pakistan. Data were collected utilizing multiple methods, including in-depth interviews with 18 internally displaced mothers and field observations. Multiple sociocultural factors were identified as either barriers or facilitators to these mothers’ capacities to breastfeed their children. Informal support, formal support, breastfeeding culture, and spiritual practices facilitated displaced mothers to sustain their breastfeeding practices. On the other hand, lack of privacy, cultural...
Global maternal and child health, 2022
"Through a fusion of personal experience and art, the contributors help us understand the li... more "Through a fusion of personal experience and art, the contributors help us understand the lived realities of individuals with head and neck cancer. Featuring original art from Ingrid Bachmann, Sean Caulfield, Jude Griebel, Jill Ho-You, Heather Huston, and Bradley Necyk, this collaborative, interdisciplinary exploration draws together the voices of patients, health care practitioners, researchers, and artists to offer a more holistic—more human—understanding of cancer treatment and its aftermath." -- Publisher's website
Migration Studies
In this article, we explore temporary foreign workers’ (TFWs) access to and experiences with form... more In this article, we explore temporary foreign workers’ (TFWs) access to and experiences with formal and informal supports in Canada. Our study utilized a participatory action research design and four overlapping phases of data collection: individual interviews with current and former TFWs, focus groups, individual interviews with settlement service agencies, and a cross-sectional survey with current and former TFWs. We used an intersectional theoretical framework to analyze these data and explore ways that TFWs interact with formal and informal sources of support for navigating their precarious immigration status and integration in Canada. Our findings show these supports have the potential to both benefit and harm TFWs, depending on their social positioning and availability of institutional resources. The benefits include information that aids settlement and integration processes in Canada, while the harms include misinformation that contributes to status loss. Future research and ...
Poor and Pregnant in New Delhi, India, 2017
The objective of our review is to synthesize the literature on post-secondary transition interven... more The objective of our review is to synthesize the literature on post-secondary transition interventions for youth/young adults with mental illness and/or problematic substance use.
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Books by Helen Vallianatos
Papers by Helen Vallianatos