BIG Talk – It’s more than just the zipcode: It’s about how one’s access to reproductive services is impacted by various levels of border walls

with Andréanne Bissonnette (Postdoctoral Fellow, Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University) | Victoria, BC & Zoom | September 26, 2023

In Person: CFGS C168 (Sedgewick building, University of Victoria) or Zoom. The meeting will take place from 12:00PM to 1:30PM PST. Register in advance for this meeting here. Registration is free but required.

Along the US-Mexico border, how one perceives their access to reproductive health services is often impacted by the various levels of border walls. Women’s position along the border will impact the level of controls implemented by states, and in turn the availability of services. However, identity markers such as immigration status and ethnicity intersect with geographical positioning to impact perceptions and experiences of access to reproductive care. This presentation offers an analysis of Latinas’ perceptions and experiences of access to reproductive health services in two border states (California and Texas). Based on extensive fieldwork (observation, survey and interviews), it demonstrates how immigration status and ethnicity influences how public health policies are lived along the border.

Dr. Andréanne Bissonnette is a postdoctoral fellow at the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, where she is part of the binational research team focused on the equity of Canada – US border measures during the pandemic. Her research focuses on reproductive health access in the United States, with a focus on the intersections of ethnicity, immigration status, and geographical position. Born along the US-Canada border, her research has brought her to the US-Mexico border several times through the years, including for a research fellowship at the University of Texas at El Paso (2019). She has published her work on reproductive healthcare and health and borders in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Indigenous Pillar 1: Research Assistant

EXTENDED: Final Date for Application Submission Now: September 28th 2023

PROJECT SUMMARY: 21^st Century Borders – Borders in Globalization (BIG) is an international research project funded through a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Partnership Grant with its central hub located in the Centre for Global Studies (CFGS) at the University of Victoria (UVic). Our research program is comparative (across regions), policy-relevant, and cohesive (thematically consistent). Research assistants will work as part of the BIG team and will be expected to conduct primary research. The BIG research team at UVic will provide supervision, with support from our advisory boards comprised of academics, policy-makers, and business people.

PREFERENTIAL HIRE: In accordance with the University’s equity plan and pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights code, preference will be given to members of the following designated group(s): [Indigenous Peoples, Black people, people with disabilities/disabled persons, racialized people, or people of colour, and women and gender diverse peoples]. Candidates from [these groups/this group] who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must self-identify in their cover letter.

The committee will review other applications if they do not find a suitable candidate in the preferential pool.

POSITION SUMMARY: The University of Victoria invites applications for Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Jeff Corntassel, who is a co-principal investigator and lead of Indigenous Pillar 1 with the BIG project. The position entails administrative responsibilities and research activities that may include but not be limited to the following:

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES X 60%

– Be a main point of contact for inquiries and correspondence related to Indigenous Pillar 1, which focuses on Indigenous internationalism, self-determination, and expressions of Indigenous nationhood;

– Manage appointments at the direction of the program leads and management;

– Work with BIG team and Indigenous community participants to coordinate Summer Institute and partner gathering for the summer;

– Organize meetings and gatherings, including creating agendas and meeting packages, catering, and booking venues;

– Attend meetings, prepare detailed summaries of discussions, develop draft action plans for implementation and coordinating follow up activities; and

– Arrange travel including transportation and accommodations.

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE RESPONSIBILITIES X 30%

– Collaborate with Research Team leaders and management to align project objectives and strategies; and

– Assist with research on various topics including: Indigenous Internationalism, oral histories of local Indigenous food sovereignty and trade networks, and Indigenous climate action that transcend state borders.

COMMUNICATIONS X 10%

– Prepare and edit program correspondence including marketing and communications through social media;

– Platforms and webpage updates; and

– Assist with the coordination of the Indigenous Pillar podcast series.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

– Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under the supervision of the Program leads and management;

– Strong organizational and time management skills with advanced attention to detail;

– High level of self-direction, with an ability to work both independently and as part of a team;

– Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and

– Advanced proficiency with computer applications including MS-Office Suite; experience using social media applications an asset.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

– Cultural awareness of the Indigenous peoples of British Columbia, and familiarity with Indigenous nations and the issues they face in regard to the public post-secondary education system;

– Knowledge of Indigenous historical perspectives, and challenges specific to Indigenous students and communities;

– Consultation with Elders and Knowledge Keepers regarding cultural protocols and community practices; and

– Knowledge of Indigenous ways of knowing and being and cultural protocols, as well as knowledge of event planning, coordination and delivery, and good judgment to coordinate culturally significant and respectful events.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

– 3 or 4 Year Undergraduate, MA or Ph.D student in Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences or other Humanities, with written and oral academic language proficiency in English;

– Ability to work on a large research team; and

– Ability to coordinate with a network of academic partners.

POSTION INFORMATION:

– This is a one year position for 15 hours a week, with an option to extend contingent upon grant funding.

– The rate of pay will be $22/h

– Start date is negotiable, but no later than October 16th, 2023

– The successful candidate will be provided with shared office space at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies.

– The position is funded by the 21^st Century Borders grant as part of the Borders in Globalization research program. 21^st Century Borders is funded through external grant funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Erasmus+ Programs of the European Union.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send the following materials by 4pm PST Sept 28^th  to [email protected] addressed to BIG Manager with “Indigenous RA Application fall 2023” in the subject line:

– A complete curriculum vitae

– A statement of research interests, related experience, and future goals, please reflect on your positionality and your own values and ethical principles related to research.

– Contact details for three references

– Optional: research outputs such as journal articles or editorials that best demonstrate your fit for the position.

Only complete submissions will be considered.

Further information about the University of Victoria, the School of Public Administration, and the Centre for Global Studies is available on their websites.

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity. Read our full equity statement here: www.uvic.ca/equitystatement

2023 World Conference of the Association for Borderlands Studies

Eilat Campus of Ben-Gurion University, Israel | February 13-18, 2023

BIG team members and fellows were some of the many attending ABS’ Borders, Edges and Interfaces: Pluralities and Scales conference, hosted February 13th-18th, 2023 at the Eilat Campus of Ben-Gurion University at the tri-border towns of Eilat (Israel), Aqaba (Jordan) and Taba (Egypt).

The study of borders has experienced significant growth during the past thirty years . Focussing on the borderless world theories of the late 80’s and early 90’s, scholars from across the disciplinary boundaries have come together with new border narratives, ranging from the level of the state to the scale of local borders, from the physical borders to the perceived, and with a recent focus on the reconstruction of borders in a post 9/11 world, and the way in which borders are represented through a variety of images, ranging from film, literature, caricatures and cartography.

The conference was be held at the Elat Campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the south of Israel. The town of Elat is located at the meeting of three borders – Egypt (Taba), Jordan (Aqaba) and Israel (Elat) – and just a few kilometers north of the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  Israel-Palestine is located at the interface of borders, continents and cultures, and sessions will be devoted to the sensitive Geopolitics of this region, at local and national scales. Dependent on the political conditions at the time, it is the intention of the conference organizers to arrange a tri-border field trip. Following the conference, there was a choice of two optional field trips to other critical border regions – Israel’s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria; and the borders and geopolitics of the West Bank and the Jerusalem region.

The conference organizers are hoping that by February 2023 it will be possible to hold a conference with physical participation, but will also be making contingency plans for a virtual conference if necessary. Even, as expected, a return to physical participation, there will be the possibility of some hybrid sessions, so that many scholars, and particularly students who will be unable to make the journey, will be able to participate

In addition to individual abstracts, the organizers welcome proposals for thematic sessions on any topic relating to border studies across the multi-disciplinary perspectives, across the geographic scales, and across global cultural and geographical locations.

Full list of keynote speakers.

Find more information on ABS’ site here.

Student Spotlight – Roberto Vila-Lage

Visiting Graduate Student (PhD) – University of Victoria

About Roberto:

Roberto Vila-Lage (he/him) is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain). His research focuses on the study of cooperation across external and internal Spanish borders, with special emphasis on natural protected areas. His thesis discusses the impact of governance and management of biosphere reserves and national parks on internal borderlands (specifically, between autonomous communities in Spain).

Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, he received a MA in Spatial Planning, Management & Development and a BA in Geography and Spatial Planning from the University of Santiago de Compostela, and a BA in Economics from the University of A Coruña. Roberto is member of Territorial Analysis (ANTE) Research Group and participates in the project HIGHLANDS.3. He joined the BIG team as a visiting graduate student in the fall of 2022.

What is your current research project, and how does it address borders in the 21^st century?

I am currently working on my PhD thesis. My research focuses on analyzing the socio-spatial effects produced by the presence of intra-state borders in relation to protected natural areas. Specifically, I am studying biosphere reserves and national parks located just along the boundaries between autonomous communities (i.e. devolved “regions”) in Spain. The objective is to apply the theoretical framework of transboundary conservation, usually conceived around international borders, to internal boundaries and administrative limits. From the methodological point of view, I mainly use qualitative research techniques, such as semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to grasp their perceptions in regard to boundaries, protected areas and cross-border cooperation.

What motivated you to pursue this project?

The main motivation has been my supervisors: Valerià Paül and Juan M. Trillo-Santamaría. After many years researching on the Galician-Portuguese border, they identified the need to study internal borders between autonomous communities in Spain. Thanks to their strong support, and the funding from the Ministry of Universities, I was able to initiate this project.

Where do you see your project having the most impact?

In general terms, I would like it to help to reflect on the importance of and effects produced by intra-state borders in decentralized countries, as is the case in Spain. More specifically, although I am not very optimistic about it, I would like it to promote effective cooperation and coordination mechanisms to facilitate the management of cross-border protected natural areas in Spain.

What has your fellowship with BIG allowed you to do that you might not have done otherwise?

There is no doubt that the highlight has been meeting the excellent team of the BiG and the CFGS of the University of Victoria. It is an exceptional environment for carrying out research. My stay also allowed me to do field work on the border between British Columbia and Alberta and to enjoy of the stunning landscapes of the Rocky Mountains.

What are your plans for after your PhD?

I do not really know how many times a day I ask myself this question… Honestly, after my PhD, I would like to have the opportunity to develop a postdoctoral project linked to borders studies that allows me to continue developing my research career.

What is one non-academic book that you think everybody should read and why?

Recently I read an interesting book that I have recommended to a few friends. Its title, taken from a painting by Paul Klee, is The Twittering Machine. I especially like this book because its author, Richard Seymour, analyzes and reflects in an excellent way on the toxic relationship we have with social networks and the social industry.