October 11, 2007
with photo
Scholarship recipient explores Aboriginal issues
by Gladys Terichow
Aboriginal Canadians living in Kashechewan in northern Ontario are dealing with contaminated water that is affecting their health.
Jillian Banfield, the recipient of the 2007 Canadian Japanese-Mennonite Scholarship, is conducting a research project that examines issues relating to disadvantaged minority groups seeking assistance and support from advantaged majority groups.
“There is no data to suggest that emphasizing suffering is a good tactic in this situation,” says Banfield, a second-year student working on her doctorate in Social Psychology at the University of Waterloo.
She added that very little research has been done to identify strategies that could be used by Aboriginal Canadians and other disadvantaged minority groups to overcome obstacles and opposition when they seek public support and cooperation to address specific concerns.
“Specifically, I am interested in the continuing obstacles encountered by Aboriginal Canadians,” she said, explaining she tested a number of strategies last year when she presented undergraduate students with information about some of the problems experienced by Aboriginal Canadians.
“I discovered somewhat unexpectedly that participants were more supportive of help for Aboriginal Canadians when they were held responsible for the problems faced by Aboriginal Canadians than when they were absolved of responsibility,” she explained.
Another surprising finding was that strategies that emphasize “we are all Canadians” in an attempt to invoke a sense of national pride have the potential to decrease public support.
She plans to conduct follow-up investigations this year to understand why attribution of responsibility would increase support and why identification with a group would decrease support for helping Aboriginal Canadians. She also plans to identify and explore other factors that affect public support for Aboriginal Canadians.
“There are undoubtedly other factors that affect whether the average Canadian supports measures for the Aboriginal population,” she said. “Uncovering these factors can lead to informing government policy on Aboriginal issues. This research has the potential to enhance and protect the rights of Aboriginal Canadians.”
The Canadian Japanese-Mennonite Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship available to a Canadian student, enrolled in a graduate degree program in Canada and doing research that will assist the protection of minority or human rights.
The scholarship, co-sponsored by the National Association of Japanese Canadians and Mennonite Central Committee Canada was created as a tangible symbol of cooperation between Canadian Japanese and Canadian Mennonites, subsequent to a formal apology that was offered to Canadian Japanese by MCC Canada on behalf of Canadian Mennonites.
It is intended to assist the protection of minority and human rights in Canada, and to reduce the potential for abuse of cultural minorities such as that suffered by Japanese Canadians during World War II.
-30-
© 2003 Mennonite Central Committee MCC, 21 South 12th Street, PO Box 500 Akron, PA 17501 tel: +1 (717) 859-1151 or toll free (888) 563-4676 MCC Canada, 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5K9 tel: +1 (204) 261-6381 or toll free (888) 622-6337 Contact
mailbox@mcc.org
regarding the content of this page Contact a href=" mailto:"webmaster@mcc.org ">webmaster@mcc.org regarding technical difficulties with this page.