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Ma Jennifer, Assistant Professor

I am the Principal Investigator of a SSHRC-funded Connection grant, Building Solidarity among emerging BIPOC scholars, practitioners, and activists: Select topics in migration. The objective of the project is to draw on and bridge together the work and lived experiences of emerging BIPOC academics, practitioners, artists, and activists to foster new and evolving critical perspectives on migration. In particular, the symposium is aimed at building a united front amongst BIPOC by centering anti-colonial and anti-racist narratives, and shifting to transformative healing and collective resistance, while considering the discursive and on-the-ground effects of xenophobia and racist policies and practice.

Biography

My research focuses on systemic oppression and addressing social inequalities through a critical race feminist, anti-colonial framework, and multi-method approaches. My research interests revolve around social justice work with communities that are systemically discriminated against, including Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, racialized migrants and forcibly displaced people, children and families involved with child welfare, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and the intersections among these positionalities.
 
I am a Counsellor/Therapist at an integrative health centre. My research and practice involve addressing the trauma of racialized communities through a community-engaged model that connects healing and political agency. Specifically, my research is in these interrelated areas: 1) systemic discrimination towards First Nations and racialized migrants through child welfare and migration systems; and 2) community-led, anti-colonial, and anti-racist responses to systemic discrimination, including critical statistics, creative and participatory methods, nature-based approaches, and solidarity organizing among scholars, practitioners, artists, and activists.
 
I am currently the Principal Investigator of a SSHRC Insight Development Grant, Mycelium: Racialized migrants’ resistance to systemic discrimination and the promotion of cultural connection and knowledge. This project focuses on how racialized migrants, especially refugees, build communities and cultivate collective well­-being, using participatory arts­-based research as an anti­-racist and decolonial practice. Particularly, this project focuses on the ways in which communities resist systems of oppression while promoting cultural identity and knowledge, which is fundamental in supporting the well-­being of racialized migrants.
 
I am also an Adjunct Professor at Ontario College of Art and Design and the Principal Investigator of a SSHRC Connection Grant, Building Solidarity among emerging BIPOC scholars, practitioners, and activists: Select topics in migration. The objective of the project is to draw on and bridge together the work and lived experiences of emerging BIPOC academics, practitioners, artists, and activists to foster new and evolving critical perspectives on migration. In particular, the symposium is aimed at building a united front amongst BIPOC by centering anti-colonial and anti-racist narratives, and shifting to transformative healing and collective resistance, while considering the discursive and on-the-ground effects of xenophobia and racist policies and practice.

Education

PhD, University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, 2018

MSW, University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, 2011

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (specialized honours), York University, 2007

Research

Publications:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:

Ma, J. (2020). The intersection and parallels of Aboriginal peoples’ and racialized migrants’ experiences of colonialism and child welfare in Canada. International Social Work. DOI: 10.1177/0020872819897757.

Shlonsky, A., Ma, J., Jeffreys, C., Parolini, A., & Katz, I. (2019). Pathways of children reported for domestic and family violence to Australian child protection. Australian Social Work, 72(4), 461-472.

Ma, J. & Fallon, B., Alaggia, R., & Richard, K. (2019). First Nations children and disparities in transfers to ongoing child welfare services in Ontario following a child protection investigation. Children and Youth Services Review,101, 207-216.

Ma, J., Fallon, B., & Richard, K. (2019). The overrepresentation of First Nations children and families involved with child welfare: Findings from the Ontario incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect 2013. Child Abuse & Neglect, 90, 52-65.

Fast, E., Trocmé, N., Fallon, B., & Ma, J. (2014) A troubled group? Adolescents in a Canadian child welfare sample. Children and Youth Services Review, 46, 47-54.

Ma, J., Van Wert, M., Lee, B., Fallon, B., & Trocmé, N. (2013). Non-English/non-French speaking caregivers involved with the Canadian child welfare system: Findings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008). International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 1(1), 23-34.

Van Wert, M., Ma, J., Lefebvre, R., Fallon, B., & Trocmé, N. (2013). An examination of delinquency in a national Canadian sample of child maltreatment related investigations. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 1(1), 112-141.

Fallon, B., Ma, J., Allan, K., Trocmé, N., & Jud, A. (2013). Child maltreatment-related investigations involving infants: Opportunities for resilience? International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 1(1), 35-47.

Fallon, B., Ma, J., Allan, K., Pillhofer, M., Trocmé, N., & Jud, A. (2013). Opportunities for prevention and intervention with young children: Lessons from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 7(4), 1-13.

Fallon, B., Ma, J., Black, T., & Wekerle, C. (2011). Characteristics of young parents investigated and opened for ongoing services in child welfare. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9(4), 365-381.

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters:

Ma, J. (forthcoming, spring 2023). Critical statistics as resistance. In C. Fortier, N. Penak, M.J. Rwigema, & E.H.S. Wong (Eds.), Abolition Social Work / Social Work Abolition. Toronto: Between the Lines.

Saini, M. & Ma, J. (2012). Cultural dynamics of divorce and parenting after divorce. In K. Kuehnle & L. Drozd (Eds.), Parenting Plan Evaluations: Applied Research for the Family Court (pp. 514-539). NY: Oxford University Press.

Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations:

Rwigema, M., Ma, J., & Wilson, R. (October, 2022). 50 shades of white supremacy. Paper presented at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education.

Ma, J., Pino, F., & Rukh E Qamar, H. (October, 2022). Reimagining caring practices for BIPOC communities: Politics, epistemologies, and aesthetics. Paper presented at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education.

Lee, B., Ma, J., Lwin, K., Thieu, V., & Zhao, R. (November, 2022). Best Practices in Working with Immigrant Children and Families in the Child Welfare System. Paper presented at the 2022 Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Anaheim, CA.

Ma, J., Rwigema, M., & Wilson, R. (May, 2022). 50 shades of white supremacy. Panel presented at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Women's and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes.

Lee, B., Lwin, K., Ma, J., Zhao, R. & Thieu, V. (March, 2022). Education and training in working with immigrant children and families in the child welfare system: A scoping review. Paper presented at the 2022 ISPCAN Congress of the Americas.

Ma, J. (May, 2021). Plants, people, & community: Cultivating compassion & resilience through nature-based approaches to healing. Paper presented at the 2021 International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry.

Ma, J. (June, 2020). Building solidarity among emerging BIPOC academics, activists, artists, and community members. 2020 Annual Conference of the Women's and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes. London, Ontario. (Conference cancelled)

Ma, J. (June, 2019). The intersection and parallels of Aboriginal peoples’ and racialized migrants’ experiences of colonialism and child welfare in Canada. Paper presented at the 2019 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education. Vancouver, BC.

Tran, C. & Ma, J. (June, 2019). Research as the insider-outsider: Navigating the student research experience as the “other.” Dialogue circle presented at the 2019 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education. Vancouver, BC.

Ma, J. (May, 2019). Critical statistics as resistance: Indigenous research methods & merging qualitative and quantitative inquiries. Paper presented at the 2019 International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Ma, J. (April, 2019). Challenging xenophobia through critical statistics. Paper presented at the School of Social Work, York University, 12th Annual Social Work Research Symposium. Toronto, ON.

Ma, J., Shlonsky, A., Jeffreys, C., Parolini, A., & Katz, I. (January, 2018). Pathways for children reported for domestic and family violence to Australian Child Protection. Poster presented at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. Washington, DC.

Alaggia, R., Maiter, S., Chan, A., Ma, J., & Black, R. (June, 2013). Structural barriers in service provision for child welfare clients with language challenges. Paper presented at the 2013 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, Victoria, BC.

Fang, L., Ma, J., Mak, C., Yi, C., Liu, H., & Zhang, G. (January, 2013). Navigating and Negotiating Cultural Worlds: Mainland Chinese Immigrant Families in Canada. Paper presented at the 2013 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, San Diego, CA.

Fang, L. & Ma, J. (November, 2012). Understanding how mainland Chinese immigrant families negotiate their cross-cultural experiences. Paper presented at the Council of Social Work Education 2012 Annual Program Meeting, Washington, DC.

Fang, L., Ma, J., Mak, C., Yi, C., Zhang, G., & Liu, H. (September, 2012). Cross-cultural experience of Mainland Chinese immigrant families in Canada. Paper presented at the Knowledge Mobilization Symposium: Social Work with Chinese Communities: Integration of Research and Professional Practice in a Global Context, Richmond, BC.

Van Wert, M., Ma, J., Lefebvre, R., & Fallon, B. (September, 2012). Delinquency related behaviours among youth investigated by the Canadian child welfare system. Paper presented at the 20th ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect. Istanbul, Turkey.

Ma, J., Van Wert, M., Lefebvre, R., & Fallon, B. (September, 2012). Primary caregiver language in Canadian child welfare investigations. Poster presented at the 20th ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect. Istanbul, Turkey.

Van Wert, M., Ma, J., Lefebvre, R., & Fallon, B. (September, 2012). Ethno-racial and language status of caregivers to young people with and without delinquency related behaviours. Poster presented at the 20th ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect. Istanbul, Turkey.

Fast, E., Ma, J., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Fallon, B., & MacLaurin, B. (July, 2012). Examining the role of age in the response of child welfare systems. Paper presented at the International Family Violence and Child Victimization Research Conference, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Ma, J., Van Wert, M., Lee, B., & Fallon, B. (January, 2012). Speaking another language in the Canadian child welfare system: Implications for research, policy and practice. Paper presented at the University of Toronto-Harney Program in Ethnic and Pluralism Studies, 5th Annual Graduate Research Conference, Toronto, ON.