Critical Considerations
Discovering One's (Inter)Cultural Identity
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Arla Bernstein
In the undergraduate course titled "Intercultural Communication in a Globalized Society," students have the opportunity to take a deep dive into their cultural identity and how it relates to their communication with people from other cultures. Students identify a perspective--family, community, race, ethnicity, occupation, or religion--that is the primary origin of their cultural identity and explore through scholarly literature and their personal reflections, how their cultural "self" interacts with their intercultural communication. As their final presentation in the course, each student prepares a video in which s/he explains how they discovered the nature and roots of their cultural identity through a study of scholarly research that helps them to contextualize and understand their cultural and intercultural experiences from their unique perspective. As part of their analysis, students are expected to (1) identify the beliefs, values, and norms of their own culture, as they articulate its dominant cultural patterns; and (2) articulate an ethno-relative state of understanding intercultural differences. Student videos are moderated by their instructor, Dr. Arla Bernstein.
Intersectionality, Desire, and Liberation: A Critical Analysis of Black Male Sexuality
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Bill Johnson,
Jocelyn Markowicz
This study broadens the narrative on Black male sexuality by focusing on desire, pleasure, and intimate relationships, and critically analyzing gaps in existing literature. It presents findings from a systematic review of qualitative studies on Black male sexuality. The review involved a comprehensive database search yielding 217 articles. After independent screenings using Covidence, 61 articles meeting inclusion criteria—focusing on Black male sexuality and employing qualitative methods—were selected for full review. Only articles published between 2014 and 2023 were included. Themes were independently developed by both authors to identify key gaps. Grounded in intersectionality, critical race theory, and Black racial misandry, this study explores the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in shaping Black men's experiences within systemic oppression. Intersectionality reveals how racial and gender discrimination intersect to affect their sexual lives, while critical race theory highlights the structural forces perpetuating stigmatizing discourses. The concept of Black racial misandry examines how stereotypes of Black men as dangerous and hypersexual persist in research and public discourse. The review identified key themes such as the dominance of sexual health and risk prevention discourses, particularly around HIV/STI prevention among Black LGBTQ+ men. Intersectionality and minority stress were also highlighted, along with structural barriers like economic disparities, healthcare access, and systemic racism. Gaps in the literature include limited research on Black men's sexual pleasure and intimacy beyond health-risk contexts, the scarcity of studies on Black kinky, polyamorous, and trans men, and the pathologization of Black male sexuality through racialized stereotypes.
Breastfeeding Experiences of African-Black Immigrant Women in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Nneka Kene Ibeagha
Breastfeeding confers numerous benefits to both the mother and child. Despite these, global breastfeeding rates remain low compared to the World Health Assembly targets. Migrating to another country plays a significant role in shaping breastfeeding practices. There is a growing number of Black people in the Prairies, with Black immigrant women among one of the most vulnerable populations in Canada. Despite this, there is little data tailored specifically to Black immigrant women’s breastfeeding experiences and practices. This study aims to understand African-Black Immigrant women's breastfeeding experiences and perspectives. It explored the breastfeeding experiences of African-Black Immigrant women before and after migrating to Canada and the aspects of these experiences that facilitated and challenged their breastfeeding within the Canadian context. The study employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five eligible participants residing in Saskatoon. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit participants. Interpretative Phenomenological analysis was used to identify key themes related to breastfeeding practices, challenges, and support systems before and after migration. Ethical approval was obtained, and all participants provided informed consent. The findings resulted in superordinate themes: positive breastfeeding experience & maternal satisfaction, family & community support, cultural practices & societal acceptance, healthcare support & access to resources and barriers & challenges to breastfeeding. This study underscores the need for a more inclusive and culturally relevant approach to breastfeeding support, ensuring that African-Black immigrant women can successfully continue their breastfeeding journeys despite the challenges they face in a new environment.
