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Programming

CRC ReParE's projects focus on the dynamics of oppression experienced by vulnerable young people, as well as their empowerment. The Chair's work focuses on three areas:

Axis 1: Confronting oppression and developing empowerment through research.
This axis seeks to observe and understand the dynamics of oppression, and how these are maintained by power structures, individual and institutional actions and processes, whether voluntary or not, in order to maintain a position of domination over discriminated groups. Living at the intersection of several factors of oppression amplifies the prejudice experienced by individuals. Faced with these situations, people often develop individual and collective strategies of resistance, which fosters a sense of empowerment. The Chair aims to observe and amplify these processes of resistance, notably by involving communities in research so that its projects can have a real impact on them.
Axis 2: Developing empowerment through partnership research.
Involvement in research is one of the ways in which young people confront the oppression and exploitation experienced by their communities. In this way, research can help them regain the power to act, confront social inequalities and oppressions, and ultimately bring about social change, especially when conducted from a social work perspective. The Chair mobilizes methodologies aimed at empowering participants, such as social action research, the self-managed approach, and collaborative autoethnography. Other methodologies may be employed, but they must include communities at every stage of the research.

Axis 3: Research challenges for vulnerable populations.
Few writings specifically examine the methodological processes to be put in place with the groups concerned to foster their empowerment. The CRC-ReParE therefore aims to initiate ethical and methodological reflections on partnership research and the inclusion of participants in research. The projects carried out will provide an opportunity to question the positional stakes of researchers in relation to the populations studied, for example by reflecting on the implications of an "insider" position (the researcher is concerned by the research object) compared with an "outsider" position (the researcher is not concerned by the research object).

Financed Projects

Growing up as a trans youth:

An international longitudinal qualitative survey of young trans people's access to care, self-affirmation and well-being

 

Researchers : Annie Pullen Sansfacon, Denise Medico, Sabra Katz-Wise, Damien Riggs, Matthew Carlile, Jason Schaub, Anne-Emmanuelle Ambresin, Manvi Arora. Research assistant and coordinator : Charles-Antoine Thibeault, , Naomie-Jade Ladry, Samuel Champagne, Morgane A. Gelly, Chase Staras, Eli Godwin, 'Kork' Korkodilos, Salem Skelton, Patrick Schmitt.   Advisors : Shuvo Ghosh, Nicholas Chadi, Lyne Chiniara, Edward Ou Jin Lee In collaboration with Organisme Jeunes Identités Créatives; Mermaids; Transcend; SAYFTEE; Fondation Agnodice ; The Association for Transgender Health in India (ATHI);  funded by  Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

The aim of this project is to produce longitudinal, prospective and contextualised knowledge about the experiences of trans and non-binary young people and the changes in their gender identity, affirmation and medical needs, paying particular attention to their relationships with family and social dynamics. The aims of the study are:

  1. To trace the paths taken by young trans and non-binary people in their quest to access gender-affirming medical care.
  2. Produce a nuanced and contextualised understanding of the factors that facilitate or constrain young trans and non-binary people's process of accessing gender-affirming medical care.
  3. To trace how trajectories of care affect their experiences of gender affirmation in various dimensions of their lives.
  4. Understand how their well-being evolves as a result
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Becoming oneself through surgeries:

Citizen exploration in transaffirmative research

Researchers: Claude Amiot, Annie Pullen Sansfacon. Employees: Morgane A. Gelly, Georges Alain Tchango Ngalé, Félix Bélanger et Gabrielle Manzano. Funded by the Fond de Recherche du Québec (FRQ)

The Fonds de recherche du Québec's engagement project (also known as question citoyenne) is an initiative rooted in a training approach by citizen researcher Claude Amiot to answer her research question, which is to better understand the types of medical interventions prioritized by young and not-so-young trans and non-binary (TNB) people who are currently undergoing medical transition or who have questions about it. To date, research has focused mainly on one type of surgery only, and the literature on this subject deserves to be expanded. The project is also supported by Annie Pullen-Sansfaçon, holder of the Canada Research Chair on Transgender Children and their Families (CRCetf). Through duo meetings between Ms. Amiot and Ms. Pullen-Sansfaçon, the first phase of the project introduced Ms. Amiot to scientific research and familiarized her with the environment that needed to be put in place to answer her research question, and bring to fruition this project that fascinates her. Drawing on her vast experiential knowledge, Ms. Amiot's research project is intended to guide the medical interventions that should be prioritized for young trans people throughout Quebec, as well as eventually guiding other research projects to be carried out within the CRC-ReParE.

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(De)trans Discourses:

For a trans-affirmative understanding of the phenomena of discontinuous gender transitions among young people with trans and non-binary gender backgrounds

Researchers : Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (UdeM), Denise Médico (UQAM), Alexandre Baril (UOttawa), Mélanie Millette (UQAM), Olivier Turbide (UQAM). Coordonator : Morgane Gelly (UdeM). Employees : Tommly Planchat (UdeM), Edith Paré-Roy (UQAM), Élio Gravel (UdeM), Elya Chartrand-Deschamps (UQAM), Sidonie Atgé-Delbays (UdeM), Marielle Aithamon (UdeM). Collaborators : Françoise Susset (Meraki Health Center), August Paradis (Consultant), Gender Creative Kids Organization. Funded by SSHRC.

Over the past decade, we've heard more and more about young people who self-identify as trans (whose gender does not correspond to the one assigned at birth). In order to live in accordance with their gender identity, some young people make a legal, social or medical transition. While most young people seem to be continuing with these transitions, a small proportion say they have or want to "de-transition" or discontinue the transitions they have begun. This phenomenon, although poorly documented in scientific research, is widely reported in social media, blogs and press articles. Rooted in a fluid and intersectional trans-affirmative approach, the study offers a fresh look at the notion of detransition, taking into account the dynamic and fluid aspect of the gender affirmation process, as well as the multiple factors of oppression that can interweave and interact with the experience of young trans people.

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Pathways to resilience:

A longitudinal prospective examination of trans and nonbinary youth who are questioning their transition and considering a detransition

Researchers: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Kinnon MacKinnon, June Sing Hong Lam ; Collaborators: John Strang, Wren Ariel Gould, Morgane A. Gelly, August Paradis, Madeline Sunshine Rosen ; Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) ; Research Assistant: Lou Chavanat

This longitudinal and prospective research project focuses on the experiences and trajectories of trans and non-binary youth aged 16 to 30 who have undertaken a gender transition (social, legal and/or medical) and who, at some point in their journey, question their transition or consider detransitioning. Led by Professor Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (Université de Montréal), in collaboration with Canadian and American researchers, this study aims to produce nuanced, longitudinal and contextualised knowledge on the processes of identity questioning, reassessment of needs, decision-making, resilience and well-being among youth navigating complex gender journeys. Rooted in a life course approach, the research adopts a conceptual framework that examines how youth make sense of their doubts, experiences and identity transformations in a social context often marked by stigmatisation and misinformation. Through annual interviews conducted over three years, the project documents changes in participants' perceptions of gender, well-being and forms of resilience over time. Its aim is to understand how youth construct meaning around their experiences and adapt their trajectories according to their family, medical and social environments. By producing unprecedented data on the contemporary realities of gender transitions and detransitions, Pathways to Resilience aims to fill a major scientific gap and contribute to evidence-based clinical policies and practices in order to better support the diversity of trans and non-binary youth's journeys in a changing social context.

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Trans-LINK Canada Network:

Partnering to Create and Exchange Knowledge on Supporting Transgender and Gender Diverse Survivors of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence 

The CRC ReParE is co-leading the French arm of the trans-LINK Canada Network interview study focused on examining TGD survivors of gender-based violence access to services and supports across Canada. Researchers : Janice Du Mont (director) ; Sarah Daisy Kosa (Research Lead) ; Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (co-researcher ; and 40 other co-investigators and collaborators. Employees: Morgane Gelly ; Tommly Planchat ; Chadi-Ace Matni-Bergeron ; funded by SSHRC Partnerships.

The CRC ReParE is co-leading the research projet " Improving access to inclusive and equitable support for survivors of trans and gender-diverse violence". Through interviews with trans and gender-diverse survivors of intimate partner violence and/or sexual assault, the study aims to gain a better understanding of their service needs, the barriers they face in accessing services, and their experiences with these services. The findings will be used to develop recommendations aimed at improving the accessibility and relevance of services and support.

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IVADO:

Protective Optimization Technologies for Responsible Artificial Intelligence

Principal Investigator : Ulrich Aïvodji ; Co-Investigator and Collaborator : Annie Pullen Sansfaçon ; Elliot Creager ;Students : Mina Alfaghih ; Meghana Bhange ; Rushabh Solanki ; Kira London-Nadeau. The principal investigator has received funding from the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO) to carry out this research project.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can sometimes produce unfair or discriminatory outcomes that negatively affect certain individuals or social groups. To address this issue, protective optimization technologies (POTs) are particularly promising tools that help affected individuals better defend themselves. POTs allow users to better understand and respond to potentially discriminatory AI systems by controlling and adapting the data they provide. We are therefore conducting an online survey to assess public awareness of these issues and their sense of empowerment regarding AI-based decisions, specifically among LGBTQIA2+ populations. To carry out this project, we will recruit 1,000 participants aged 18 and over who identify as members of LGBTQIA2+ communities.

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Memoir & Thesis

Ethos or aitun. A reflective study of responsible action in Indigenous research.
Mathieu Boivin, doctoral student in applied human sciences
Directed by : Nicole Gombay, Geography Department - Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, School of Social Work

Although scientific research on Indigenous people, communities, practices and territories has been carried out in Canada for over a hundred years, it was not until the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1996 that research principles specific to Indigenous contexts were finally considered (CREPA 1996: Appendix E). Since then, protocols have been developed by various Indgenous interest groups and adopted by research teams and governing bodies (Smith 1999; Wilson 2008; Kovach 2009). These protocols generally call for greater participation by indigenous people in research, which should now be carried out BY and FOR them, rather than ON them or to their detriment. 
In 2010, the Canadian government, through the three major national research councils, recognised the principles of ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP) as a code of ethics to be observed when required by Indigenous communities (TCPS-2 2010: Chapter 9). The Tri-Council also suggests that communities may require compliance with other principles.However, the bioethical protocols advocated by the Tri-Council remain the default protocols to be followed by research groups. In other words, Indigenous principles are simply superimposed on Euro-Canadian ethics when communities so request.A threefold problem is thus emerging. Firstly, the dominant white ontology is still struggling to open up and really make room for other ways of doing things. Secondly, only one complementary path is clearly defined in Canada, even though it is not universally recognised by the people concerned. Moreover, the OCAP principles are strongly criticised by certain Indigenous groups, and the CARE-FAIR principles are increasingly used as flagship principles outside Canada. Finally, the power struggle in research encourages latency and inaction to the detriment of the positive co-construction of a collective work ethic.
A threefold problem is thus emerging. Firstly, the dominant white ontology is still struggling to open up and really make room for other ways of doing things. Secondly, only one complementary path is clearly defined in Canada, even though it is not universally recognised by the people concerned. Moreover, the OCAP principles are strongly criticised by certain Indigenous groups, and the CARE-FAIR principles are increasingly used as flagship principles outside Canada. Finally, the power struggle in research encourages latency and inaction to the detriment of the positive co-construction of a collective work ethic.
Research question: Are Canadian bioethical standards compatible with Indigenous ethical paradigms?
Gender studies in secondary schools: exploring the state of the school gender climate and the academic adjustment of trans and non-binary young people
Félix Bélanger, doctoral student in psychoeducation
Directed by : Isabelle Archambault, Psychoeducation Department 
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, School of Social Work

The aim of this exploratory thesis project is to gain a better understanding of the gender-related school climate construct among trans and non-binary secondary school students. This includes the main and important dimensions to be evaluated according to the scientific literature on this subject (i.e. gender norms at school, quality of interpersonal relations in relation to gender identity or expression, perception of social justice in relation to gender expression and identities, feeling of belonging to the community in relation to gender identity or expression, climate of safety towards young people from gender minorities). We also wanted to look at a number of aspects of school life that might contribute to students' perception of the climate (e.g. rules about dress, layout of toilets and changing rooms, presence of spaces or clubs promoting the inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ people, classroom education about 2SLGBTQIA+ people, classroom education about men and women). Semi-structured interviews with 15 trans and non-binary young people and observations in secondary schools of the school gender climate will be carried out in order to achieve our research objectives.
Conference replay
Relationships with the body in people who are detrans
Élio Gravel, étudiant au doctorat en psychologie
Dirigé par: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, École de travail social

In recent years, there has been a growing discourse on detransition, both in the media and in scientific literature. Among the ideas conveyed by the mass media is the narrative of people detransitioned as mutilated and physically ruined by a journey of transition (MacKinnon, Expósito-Campos, et al., 2023). A number of recent studies have also identified the salience of bodily discomfort among detrans people and the needs associated with it (Hildebrand-Chupp, 2020; A. Pullen Sansfaçon, Gelly, et al., 2023; Vandenbussche, 2022). However, few studies have looked into the subject and the literature does not currently allow us to understand these people's experience of their bodies or to situate this experience within the gender trajectory. As a result, healthcare professionals lack knowledge on this subject, resulting in unmet needs among this marginalised and vulnerable population. The aim of this article is to describe how people who are transgender experience their bodies in the course of their transition and detransition, and to identify the strategies they use to navigate their body-related needs.

Recruitment in progress

Protective Optimization Technologies for Responsible Artificial Intelligence
Project description
This research project aims to explore the potential of Protective Optimization Technologies (POTs) and critical pedagogies to address ethical challenges in AI and promote responsible practices. We seek to evaluate both their effectiveness and social acceptability across different use cases. 

Participation
To participate, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about algorithmic harms and your sense of empowerment when using POTs to influence AI-based decisions.
Participation time: approximately 20 minutes

Who can participate?
Inclusion criteria:
-Be 18 years of age or older
-Identify as LGBTQIA2+*

Exclusion criteria:
-Under 18 years of age
-Do not identify as LGBTQIA2+*

*Gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, and all other sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions included under this umbrella.

For any questions, please contact:
Urich Aïvodji, Principal Investigator: ulrich.aivodji@etsmtl.ca
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Co-Principal Investigator: a.pullen.sansfacon@umontreal.ca

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Board of the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS REB), which will oversee its ethical compliance.
© 2023 CRC-ReParE, All rights reserved.
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