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Greene Saara, Professor | Director

Biography

My research is grounded in community-based participatory and arts based research approaches and methods. All my research is developed and conducted in partnership with community-based organizations and people with lived experience.  Knowledge mobilization aimed at advancing social change is a critical aspect of my research approach. My current focus is on the intersection of gender, race, the impacts of colonization with specific attention to the health and social care needs of women living with HIV and women and gender diverse pregnant people and parents who consume cannabis. I am particularly interested in highlighting how issues of risk and surveillance are enacted in and through legal, health and social care systems, institutions and organizations and the impact this has on the health and social care needs and experiences women and gender diverse people.

Research and Supervisory Interests

I am interested in the social determinants of health and the impact they have on women; specifically, mothers.  My current research focuses on the impact of housing instability and homelessness on families with children who are affected by HIV.  I am particularly interested in highlighting how the intersecting issues of racism, sexism and poverty result in marginalizing HIV-positive women and their children.

Education

  • Ph.D., Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 2004
  • M.SW., School of Social Work, McGill University, 1997
  • B.SW., Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, 1995
  • B.A., Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, 1993

Teaching

Recent Graduate Supervision

Doctorate (PhD) in Progress

Social workers' perspectives: professional identity and media

Using institutional ethnography to understand health care services for mothers living with HIV in Ontario

Masters - Theses

2020

Examining how young men understand sexual violence on Canadian University campuses

The Female Gaze: Reclaiming and Redefining Black Femininity and Sexuality in Sexual Health Discourse and Education

Building a Network: Black Women’s Visions for Peer Support and Advocacy

Violence against Women Living with HIV in the Context of the Criminalization of HIV in Canada

2019

Trans(cending) Recovery: Discussions with Trans and Non-Binary Folks around Recovery in the context of Eating Disorders

2018

It’s Hard Enough for the People Doing the Work to Access these Services: Sexual Healthcare Barriers that LGBTQ2S+ Populations Experience in a Rural Canadian City

We Don’t Exist Here: The Tensions, Challenges and Erasure of Muslim Women in Social Work Education

2017

Supply, Secrecy and Surveillance: Women’s Experiences of Cannabis Use for Pleasure

2016

Humanity Lost: The Personal Impact of Discrimination Against Muslims in the Popular News Media

2014

Under a Magnifying Glass: The Experiences of Social Service Use for Mothers Living with HIV

2012

Understanding Operation Stress Injuries Support Services from a Veteran’s Perspective

Conversations over Coffee: Reflexivity and Social Work Praxis

Doctorate (PhD)

2018

Because She Cares: Re-membering, Re-finding, and Poetic Retelling Narratives of HIV Caring Work with, for and by African Women Living with HIV

Courses

INQUIRY 1SS3: Inquiry in the Social Sciences

SOCWORK 2BB3: Social Work & Social Welfare: Anti-Oppressive Perspectives

SOCWORK 3D06: General Social Work I

SOCWORK 4O03: Community Practice

SOCWORK 4Q03: Facilitating Anti-Oppressive Practice

SOCWORK 4R03: Social Work Practice with Women

SOCWORK 773: Doctoral Seminar

SOCWORK 721: Community, Citizenship and Social Justice

SOCWORK 737: Critical Perspectives on Social Work Knowledge

SOCWORK 705: Directed Reading Course

SOCSCI 701: Critical Approaches to Community Based Research

 

Research

Contributions to Books:

Whitbread, J. and Greene, S. Beyond the Guideline: Breastfeeding and HIV (2020), in Drew, P. and Edwards, R. (Eds). Mother’s Breasts: Personal, Interpersonal, and Social Perspectives. Demeter Press. 143-147.

Greene, S., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Dumbrill, G., Ion, A., Beaver, K., Porter, M., & Desbiens, M. (2016). A community-based research approach to developing an HIV education and training module for child and family service workers in Ontario. In H. Montgomery, D. Badry, D. Fuchs, & D. Kikulwe (Eds.), Transforming Child Welfare: Interdisciplinary Practices, Field Education, and Research (pp. 163–185). Regina, SK: University of Regina Press.

Greene, S., Ion, A., Elston, D., Kwaramba G., Smith, S. and Loutfy, M. (2015). (M)othering with HIV: Resisting and Reconstructing Experiences of Health and Social Surveillance. Joanne Minaker and Brian Hogaveen (Eds.) Criminalized Mothers, Criminalizing Motherhood. Demeter Press. 231-263.

Greene, S. and Chambers, L. (2012). Housing as Prevention and Support of and for HIV-positive mothers in Canada: the way forward in Jacquie Gahagan (Ed), Women and HIV Prevention in Canada. Canadian Scholars Press, 135-156.

Greene, S. and Chambers, L. (2011). The Community-Based Research Practicum as Anti-Oppressive Social Work Education in, D. Baines (Ed), Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice, 2nd edition, Blackpoint, NS: Fernwood Publishing, 162-175.

Greene, S. (2011). Improving Practice and Affecting Policy: Research in Diverse Contexts in Drolet, J., Clark, N. and Allen, H. (Eds), Shifting Sites of Practice: Field Education in Canada, Pearson, 111-135.

Journal Articles:

Ion, A., Greene, S., Sinding, C., Grace, D. (2020). Risk and Preventing Perinatal HIV Transmission: Uncovering the Social Organization of Prenatal Care for Women Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Health, Risk & Society. 22 (2): 136-155, DOI: 10.1080/13698575.2020.1760217

Carter A, Patterson S, Kestler M, de Pokomandy A, Hankins C, Gormley R, Nicholson V, Lee M, Wang L, Greene S, Loutfy M, Kaida A, CHIWOS Research Team (2020). Sexual Anxiety Among Women Living with HIV in the Era of Antiretroviral Treatment Suppressing HIV Transmission. Sex Res Soc Policy 17, 765–779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-020-00432-2

Greene, S., Odhiambo, J., M., Cotnam, J., Dunn, K., Frank, P., Gormley, R., Ion, A., Nicholson, V., Shore, K., Kaida, A. (2019). How Do You Prove That You Told? How Women Living with HIV React and Respond to Learning about Canadian Law that Criminalizes HIV Non-Disclosure. Culture, Health and Sexuality. 21(10): 1087-1102.https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2018.1538489.

Kaida A, Carter A, Nicholson V, Lemay J, O’Brien N, Greene S, Tharao W, Proulx-Boucher K, Gormley R, Benoit A, Bernier M, Thomas-Pavanel J, Lewis J, de Pokomandy A, Loutfy M. (2019). Hiring, training, and supporting Peer Research Associates: Operationalizing community-based research principles within epidemiological studies by, with, and for women living with HIV. Harm Reduct J 16, 47.

Khan, S., Ion, A., Alyass, A., Greene, S., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Carvalhal, A., Kennedy, V.L., Walmsley, S., Loutfy, M. for the HIV Mothering Study team. (2019). Loneliness and perceived social support in pregnancy and early postpartum of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. AIDS Care, 31(3), 318-325.

Greene, S., Muchenje, M., Cotnam, J., Dunn, K., Frank, P., Nicholson, V., Odhiambo, J., Shore, K., Kaida, A. (2019). Learning, Doing and Teaching Together: Reflecting on Our Arts Based Approach to Research, Education and Advocacy with and for Women Living with HIV. Engaged Scholar Journal. 5:2, 263-273, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15402/esj.v5i2.68350

Carter, A., Greene, S., Money, D., Sanchez, M., Webster, K., Nicholson, V., Brotto, L.A., Hankins, C., Kestler, M., Pick, N., O’Brien, N., Salters, K., Patterson, S., Proulx-Boucher, K., de Pokomandy, A., Loutfy, M., Kaida, A., CHIWOS Research Team. (2019). Love with HIV: A latent class analysis of sexual and intimate relationship experiences among Canadian women living with HIV. Archives of Sexual Behaviour. 48: 1015-1040. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-1418-5

Benoit, A. C., Cotnam, J. , O'Brien-Teengs, D. , Greene, S., Beaver, K. , Zoccole, A. , Loutfy, M. (2019). Racism Experiences of Urban Indigenous Women in Ontario, Canada: “We All Have That Story That Will Break Your Heart”. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 10(2). DOI:10.18584/iipj.2019.10.2.

Marilyn Fortin-Hughes, Karène Proulx-Boucher, Carl Rodrigue, Joanne Otis, Angela Kaida, Isabelle Boucoiran, Saara Greene, Logan Kennedy, Kath Webster, Tracey Conway, Brigitte Ménard, Mona Loutfy, Alexandra de Pokomandy & On behalf of the CHIWOS Research Team (2019) Previous experiences of pregnancy and early motherhood among women living with HIV: a latent class analysis, AIDS Care, 31(11): 1427-1434 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1587374

Ion, A., Hill, Charles (posthumously), Greene, J., Masching, R., Poitras, M., Brownlee, P. St. Denys, R., Greene, S., Jackson R., on behalf of the Stable Homes Strong Families research team. (2018). Stable Homes, Strong Families: Re-imagining housing policies and programs for Indigenous peoples living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Canada. Housing & Society, 45(2), 118-138.

Greene, S., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Dumbrill, G., Ion, A., Beaver, K., Vaccaro, M. (2018). It’s Better Late than Never: A community-based HIV research and training response to supporting mothers living with HIV who have child welfare involvement. Journal of Law and Social Policy. 28(1), 61-80.

Carter, A., Greene, S., Money D., Hogg R.S., Sanchez, M., Webster, K., Nicholson, V., Salters, K., Brotto, L.A., Hankins, C., Kestler, M., Pick, N., O’Brien, N., Patterson, S., Proulx-Boucher, K., de Pokomandy, A., Loutfy, M., Kaida, A., CHIWOS Research Team (2018). Supporting the sexual rights of women living with HIV: A critical analysis of sexual satisfaction and pleasure across five relationships types. Journal of Sex Research,https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2018.1440370.

Carter, A., Greene, S., Money, D., Sanchez, M., Webster, K., Nicholson, V., Brotto, L.A., Hankins, C., Kestler, M., Pick, N., Salters, K., Proulx-Boucher, K., O’Brien, N., Patterson, S. de Pokomoandy, A., Loutfy, M., Kaida, A. (2018). The importance of sex in the lives of women living with HIV: A critical quantitative analysis, International Journal of Sexual Health, DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2018.1447527.

Carter, A., Greene, S., Money, D., Sanchez, M., Webster, K., Nicholson, V., Whitbread, J., Salters, K., Patterson, S., Loutfy, M., Pick, N., Brotto, L.A., Hankins, C., Kaida, A. (2017). The problematization of sexuality among women living with HIV and a new feminist approach for understanding and enhancing women's sexual lives. Sex Roles. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-017-0826-z.

O’Brien, N., Greene, S., Carter, A, Lewis,J., Nicholson, V., Kwaramba, G., Ménard, B., Kaufman, E., Ennabil, N., Andersson, N., Loutfy, M., de Pokomandy, A., Kaida, A., CHIWOS Research Team (2017). Envisioning Women-Centred HIV Care: Perspectives from Women with HIV in Canada. Women’s Health Issues. 27(6):721-730. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2017.08.001. Epub 2017 Sep 6.

Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Lazarus, L., Loutfy, M. (2017). Surviving Surveillance: How Pregnant Women and Mothers Living with HIV Respond to Medical and Social Surveillance. Qualitative Health Research, 27(14): 2088-2099.

Ion, A., Wagner, A.C., Greene, S., Loutfy, M.R., Mothering Study Team (2017). HIV-related stigma in pregnancy and early postpartum of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. AIDS Care, 29(2):137-144.

Loutfy, M., de Pokomandy, A., Kennedy, V. L., Carter, A., O’Brien, N., Proulx-Boucher, K., Ding, E., Lewis, J., Nicholson, V., Beaver, K., Greene, S., Tharao, W., Benoit, A., Dubuc, D., Thomas-Pavanel, J., Sereda, P., Jabbari, S., Shurgold, J.H., Colley, G., Hogg, R.S., Kaida, A., CHIWOS Research Team. (2017). Cohort profile: The Canadian HIV women’s sexual and reproductive health cohort study (CHIWOS). PLoS ONE 12(9): e0184708. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0184708.

Loutfy, M., Greene, S., Kennedy, L., V., Lewis, J., Thomas-Pavanel, J., Conway, T., de Pokomandy. A., O’Brien, N., Carter, A., Tharao, W., Nicholson, V., Beaver, K., Gahagan, J., Proulx-Boucher, K., Hogg, R.S., Kaida, A., On Behalf of the CHIWOS Research Team (2016) Establishing the HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS): Operationalizing community –based research in a large national quantitative study. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 16:101 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-016-0190-7

Benoit, A.C., Cotnam, J., Raboud, J., Greene, S., Beaver, K., Zoccole, A., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Whitebird, W., Balfour, L., Wu, W., Loutfy, M. (2016). Experiences of chronic stress and mental health concerns among urban Indigenous women. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 19(5), 809-823. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-016-0622-8.

Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., and Loutfy, M. (2016). Why are you pregnant? What were you thinking?”: How women navigate experiences of HIV-related stigma in medical settings during pregnancy and birth. Social Work in Health Care, 55 (2): 161-79.

Ion, A., Greene, S., Mellor, K., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Barry, F., Kennedy,V.L., Carvalhal, A., Loutfy, M. for the HIV Mothering Study Team (2016). Perinatal care experiences of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services. 15(2): 180-201.

Greene, S., Ion, A., Nicholson, V.J., Beaver, K,. Derry, R., and Loutfy, M. (2015). “Who is there to support our women?”: Positive Aboriginal Women (PAW) speak out about health and social experience and needs during pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Canadian Journal of Aboriginal Community-Based HIV/AIDS Research, 7:3-27.

Patterson, S., Milloy, M-J., Ogilvie, C., Greene, S., Nicholson, V., Vonn, M., Hogg, R. and Kaida, A. (2015). The impact of criminalization of HIV non-disclosure on the healthcare engagement of women living with HIV in Canada: A comprehensive review of the evidence. Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS), 18:20572.

Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Mwalwanda, M., Caswell, J., Guzha, E., Carvalhal, A. (2015). “Trust Me, It’s Different”: HIV-positive women’s perspectives of the Women’s HIV Empowerment Through Life Tools for Health (wHEALTH) Project. Canadian Social Work Review, v.32.

Carter, A., Greene, S., Nicholson, V., O’Brien, N., Dahlby, J., DePokomandy, A., Loutfy, M. R., Kaida, A. on behalf of the CHIWOS research team (2015). It’s a very isolating world: The journey to HIV care for Women Living with HIV in British Columbia, Canada. Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography. DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2015.1073701

Greene, S., Ion, A., Elston, D., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Carvalhal, A. and Loutfy, M. (2015). “Why aren’t you breastfeeding?” How Mothers Living with HIV Talk About Infant Feeding in a ‘Breast is Best’ World. Health Care for Women International, 36, (8), 883-901.

K.Y. Choi, S., Fielden, S., Globerman, J., Koornstra, J.J., Hambly, K., Walker, G., Sobota, M., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Watson, J., Bekele, T., Greene, S., Tucker, R., Hwang, S.W., Rourk, S.B. & The Positive Spaces Healthy Places Team (2015) Food insufficiency, housing and health-related quality of life: results from the Positive Spaces, Healthy Places study, AIDS Care, 27(9), 1183-90.