Research - CRC ReParE

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:

To trace the paths taken by young trans and non-binary people in their quest to access gender-affirming medical care.
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.
To trace how trajectories of care affect their experiences of gender affirmation in various dimensions of their lives.
Understand how their well-being evolves as a result

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.

From practices to discourses on "de-transition":

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.

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.