Policing as a Career Option among Newcomer and Aboriginal Youth
Project Description:
This pilot project focuses on two specific target groups in Hamilton and Thunder Bay: second generation newcomer youth and Aboriginal youth. The research will focus on two main questions: 1) what are second generation newcomer and Aboriginal youths’ experiences with the police?; and 2) what impact do these experiences have on their attitudes towards the police, and to policing as a career? The research will also, indirectly, examine how the youths’ attitudes and experiences compare with, and differ from, those of their parents’ generation.
Interviews will be conducted with police authorities, second generation newcomer and Aboriginal youth and their parents in both Hamilton and Thunder Bay. The research findings will lead to an increased awareness (by the police and other institutions) of how immigrant-minority communities perceive policing as a viable occupation for their offspring; a better understanding of how immigrant-minority views of policing impact police recruitment practices; best-practice suggestions for police in regards to the recruitment of immigrant-minority youth; and advice on the differences encountered in respect of immigrant and Aboriginal populations. In its next iteration, the project will be expanded to other Ontario cities.
Leads (Names and Cities of researchers):
- Dorothy Pawluch, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
- Tony Puddephatt, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON
- Vic Satzewich, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
- William Shaffir, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
Start Date: October 2011
Deliverables:
- Report
Funder: Welcoming Communities Initiative (WCI)
Pilot cities/sites (if relevant):
- Hamilton, Thunder Bay