YorkSpace

YorkSpace is York University's Institutional Repository. It supports York University's Senate Policy on Open Access by providing York community members with a place to preserve their research online in an institutional context.

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Recent Submissions

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    Strengthening food security policy and practice: can systems approaches improve surveillance data?
    (2026-05-01) Lee, Kirsten; Zaman, Danisha; Hasdell, Rebecca; Hatch, Janelle; Niimi-Burch, Seri; Stillwagon, Ryan; Penney, Tarra L
    Background: Household food insecurity is commonly used as a surveillance indicator to inform policy and practice in Canada. However, this indicator does not capture the complex array of social (e.g., housing, education, income) and structural (e.g., climate change, globalization, conflict) causes of food security, which ultimately limits the scope and reach of policy and programming decisions for food security. Governance structures and processes for surveillance systems will need to be highly coordinated across sectors to develop a shared understanding of the complex drivers of food insecurity in communities. Systems approaches have the potential to model complex problems and expand governance systems in ways that better addresses data needs and improves how data is collected and analyzed to inform policy and practice for complex social issues such as food insecurity. Objective and methods: Through a collaborative partnership with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, this project explored the practical application of systems thinking to governance systems of data and evidence that inform food security policy and practice. A knowledge synthesis approach was co-developed to develop guidance and best practices on the application of systems approaches and methods to food security surveillance. Initial discussions were held with key informants to understand governance gaps of food security surveillance systems in British Columbia. A broad evidence search was conducted to identify case study examples of applying systems approaches and methods to surveillance of any complex social or public health issue. Informed by these case study examples, dialogue sessions were conducted with knowledge users to gather their perspectives and experiences on the potential application of systems approaches and methods to food security surveillance systems in British Columbia. Findings from the evidence search and dialogue session were synthesized using thematic analysis. Results: The evidence search identified a range of systems approaches and methods that were applied to surveillance systems to either: (1) improve their overall structure and design; or (2) support modelling of a complex problem using surveillance data. Among knowledge users of food security data in British Columbia, these methods were viewed as an opportunity to improve cross-sectoral engagement across sectors and communities relevant to food security (e.g., health, agriculture, rural, underserved groups), provide an inclusive data approach to better understand interconnections of social and structural determinants of food security, and made complex data more accessible and understandable to diverse audiences. Potential barriers of implementing systems approaches to food security surveillance systems in British Columbia were also identified, including: data fragmentation, limited capacity and resources to support the sustainability of current surveillance systems, institutional knowledge and relationship losses due to role turnover, and poor collaborative mechanisms for cross-sectoral partnerships. Implications and significance: A systems-informed approach to governance that embeds data on the social and structural drivers of food security, alongside existing knowledge of economic determinants, will help to expand the current scope of food security policy and practice. For government and non-government organizations, this report shares practical guidance for assessing whether the strengths of systems approaches and methods can support their own surveillance activities. A decision aid is provided to guide organizations in selecting a systems method based on their needs related to food security surveillance. Future research is needed to examine the long-term impact of governance changes to surveillance systems that have been informed by systems approaches.
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    Role of the arts and culture in addressing the health impacts of climate change
    (World Health Organization, 2026-04-27) Sajnani, Nisha; Shaheed, Ameer; Fietje, Nils; C. de Araújo-Jorge, Tania; Bailey, Christopher; Bahr, Elisabeth; Banerjee, Sanchayan; Bilodeau, Chantal; Brinza, Tessa; Garrett, Ian; Schieffelin-Gersie, Alida; Honti, Pal; Minkoff, Marla; Moula, Zoe; Munson, Samantha; Norn, Annesofie; Owokotomo, Kofoworola; Stapleton, Stephen; Wright, Tarah
    Climate change is a growing public health emergency whose impacts extend beyond physical illness to mental, social and cultural well being. Technical solutions alone are insufficient: effective climate–health action also requires cultural transformation that addresses the values, behaviours and social norms driving environmental harm. This policy brief synthesizes evidence from a rapid literature review, an international expert survey and global case studies to examine how arts and culture can strengthen climate–health responses. Findings show that arts based approaches make climate–health links more tangible, improve risk communication and enhance public understanding by translating complex science into accessible, emotionally resonant forms. Participatory and community based arts activities support adaptation and resilience by providing spaces to process eco anxiety, trauma and loss, strengthening social connection and enabling collective agency. Emerging examples also highlight contributions to mitigation through shifts in norms, practices and sustainable cultural production. Despite growing public demand and increasing recognition in global frameworks, arts and culture remain underutilized in climate–health policy. The brief outlines priority actions for integrating cultural approaches into mitigation, adaptation and communication efforts and calls for coordinated investment, partnership and research to scale effective, equitable and culturally grounded climate–health strategies.
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    Research-Based Drama: A Method for Exploring Children’s Rights Issues
    (Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators, 2026-05-01) Shabtay, Abigail
    This article showcases how drama can be used as a tool to examine children’s rights issues and build greater awareness and understanding of these rights. The piece explores an activity in which university students created dramatic performances based on their research explorations of children’s rights topics. I begin by sharing some background on Canada’s commitments to children’s rights education. Following this, I discuss the activity process and share photographs from some of the performances. The article concludes with thoughts on the importance of drama as a tool for supporting children’s rights education.
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    Do Morality Policy Debates Involve Morality? A Framing Analysis of Medical Assistance in Dying and Cannabis Legalization in Canadian Public Policymaking
    (2026-04-10) Graham, Tavawn; Roberge, Ian
    Since its emergence in the 20th century, a variety of definitions and distinctions were made by scholars to define morality policy. This study examines these conceptions and offers a definition that more accurately reflects the multidimensional nature of policies. As a contribution to the literature, this study further investigates morality policy with an application to Canadian public policymaking. A discourse analysis of Canadian parliamentary debates on cannabis legalization and Medical Assistance in Dying revealed how morality policies are framed within the Canadian public policy environment. The findings show the framing strategies used by policy actors within these debates and the frequency of each frame used. We discovered that moral frames were used by policy actors ~20% of the time on these subjects, well below the frequency of non-moral frames used (i.e., instrumental and procedural frames). Furthermore, this study reveals a novel finding: when the judiciary influences the introduction of a morality policy issue onto the government agenda, non-supporting policy actors adjust their framing strategies within debates. Ultimately, the findings reveal the significance of framing in morality policy and identifies areas for future research within Canada and comparatively between Canada and the United States of America.
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    East African Queer and Trans Displacements
    (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026-02-26) Marnell, John; Camminga, B; Bompani, Barbara; Wairuri, Kamau
    Bringing together diverse case studies and interdisciplinary perspectives, this open access collection serves as the first in-depth examination of queer and trans displacement in East Africa. The collection features original creative works by queer and trans diasporic writers and artists with first-hand experiences of displacement. The last decade has seen a sharp rise in state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia in East Africa. This includes discriminatory legislation, such as the widely condemned Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda, and government-initiated crackdowns, such as the 'anti-gay taskforce' launched in Tanzania in 2018. The politicisation of sexual and gender rights in the region is often presented as a moral crusade (i.e. a return to traditional/family values) and is enacted with the support of many religious and cultural leaders. It is within this context that an ever-increasing number of LGBTQI+ people are leaving their homes and seeking protection elsewhere. But East Africa cannot be reduced to a site from which LGBTQI+ displacement emanates. Several countries in the region act as either host countries or transit points, even as they produce LGBTQI+ refugees of their own. These complex social, political and legal dynamics make East Africa a productive site for theorising queer and trans displacement. The region offers insights into how, when and why LGBTQI+ Africans move, the social obstacles they face, and the different survival strategies they deploy. Despite this, research on East African queer and trans displacements remains sparse.