Theses (Social Work)
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Item Reclaming body and spirit: A Bear's journey home(2025) Blomberg, Carmin; Allan, Billie; Hackett, V. C. RhondaThis thesis considers how ceremony and cultural reclamation support self-determination and wellness for urban Indigenous people who, like me, have experienced disconnection through interactions with colonial systems in Canada, including the child welfare and health care systems. Through a mixed-ancestry urban Indigenous lens, I engaged in arts-based practices and (re)connection to land and teachings from kĆŖhtĆŖ-aya (Elders) and analyzed my experiences of healing stuck trauma due to colonial policies in the Canadian child welfare system. My research was conducted as part of Kinship Rising, an Indigenous arts- and land-based research project on Indigenous youth resurgence and wellbeing at the University of Victoria. Following the Kinship Rising ethical research framework, the Indigenous and arts-based methods I used to process my experiences included ceremony, storytelling, beading, dreamwork, and creating. Through these methods, I was able to process the impacts of colonization on my mind, body, emotions, and spirit through cultural practices of visiting with kĆŖhtĆŖ-aya and community members and creating art to illustrate my story of healing and transformation. My art creations include a moose hide jacket that represents my connection and reconnection to the NĆ©hiyaw Bear family from OpĆ¢wikoscikanihk (Narrows of Fear) and a cedar round that illustrates the Transformation (often known as transition out of care) ceremony I had to honour my resilience as a ward of the state and the passing of my late French, Scottish, and Kwakwaka'wakw Mother, Qwikilag (meaning high standing in the big house), also known as Therise Leroux, Johnson, Blomberg. Alongside another Indigenous youth in care artist, Dorothy Stirling, I also co-created a mural entitled āSpiritual Gardenā which is dedicated to Indigenous children and youth in care. As relationships are the ways we identify ourselves, my research speaks to how family and community hold an integral role in my sense of belonging, mikĆ¢sowin (finding oneās belonging), reconnection to culture, and healing for self-determination and wellness (Wilson, 2008). My thesis is written in the form of arts-informed reflections, while also integrating an analysis of key themes from both published and grey literature from Indigenous scholars. My bundle/gathered gifts (i.e., my data) are composed of arts-based creations, reflections, poems and stories. My meaning-making methods included an Indigenous approach to thematic analysis. The themes identified through this analysis suggest that the process of cultural reconnection through ceremony is like an ancestral tree with many branches of interconnected processes of kinship, relationships, dreaming, gathering, creating, healing, and knowledge transmission and translation. Making sense of my bundle/gathered gifts through reflection and ceremony is essential to my self-determination and wellness as an urban Indigenous womxn with a tree-like mixed ancestral pathway. I use the āxā in woman as a way of reclaiming myself, resisting sexism and recognizing gender beyond binary definitions.Item Learning from 2SLGBTQ+ Youth who have experienced homelessness in Sudbury, ON(2025) Bolt, Vincent; Wallace, BruceThis study is focused on the knowledge shared by 2SLGBTQ+ youth and adults who have experienced homelessness in Sudbury, Ontario and their recommendations to improve services. A total of 7 participants ranging in age from 19 to 38 were interviewed about their experiences with homelessness and accessing shelters and housing programs. Each participant was asked about their experiences of homelessness and seeking housing and shelter services in Sudbury Ontario and their recommendations for change to improve service for 2SLGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness. This is a qualitative study, and I used thematic analysis to determine the themes that developed in the research. All the participants had both negative and positive experiences with the services that they accessed, and challenges with services that further disadvantage people accessing them. Each participant shared recommendations that would improve shelter and housings services for 2SLGBTQ+ homeless youth. Overall, participants described how there are policies and procedures in place that work, however, more needs to be implemented to meet the unique needs of 2SLGBTQ+ homeless youth.Item Our bodies are sacred: The lived experiences of Indigenous People who have faced weight discrimination(2024) Potskin, Kristy; Aro, CherylMuch has been said in recent academic research about the discrimination and abysmal treatment Indigenous people experience when interfacing with large social systems. Likewise, there has been a burgeoning interest in anti-fat bias in recent years within social justice circles. I seek to discover the intersection of these two factors through the stories of those who have lived within an Indigenous body marginalized by both racial identity and size. Through four courageous conversations with research participants, captivating themes around family trauma, fear, shame, strength, and resilience present themselves. Discrimination and poor treatment in the health care system is a consistent and recurring theme, and participants provide guidance on how these interactions can become more positive and effective. Ultimately, this research is guided by the belief that Indigenous people in large bodies deserve care that is respectful, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate. Our bodies are sacred, and we demand care that honors this simple truth.Item wĆ¢cĆ®kowiyinĆ®nĆ¢hk: Indigenous identity resurgence and land connectedness(2024) Buffalo, Blaire Star; Allan, BillieThis thesis aims to shed light and support healing through an Indigenous story-sharing methodology. It is the re-searching of deeper knowledge and history to make known the identity and ancestral teachings specific to Plains Cree worldviews. Each nation has its own unique and distinguished identity; the people of Day Star were once called the Blue Hill people. This name was given to the people by the first signatory Chief and Prophet named KÄ«sikÄwacÄhk (Day Star). The knowledge gathered through this study will be used to modify a land-based healing initiative for women, children and families. The scope of the research is to revive kinship practices, cultural continuity, and Indigenous resurgence for myself, community members and future generations. As a member and re-searcher of the nation, I had become interested in knowing our identities and kinship practices by reconnecting to the people and land as an urban member. In this research, I had carried out a story-sharing methodology to do the research by gathering knowledge through my own experiences, interviews and witnessing to be applied in a decolonial approach. Through this research I intended to incorporate nĆŖhiyawewin, ceremony and practices as much as possible while adhering to our traditional protocols.Item "Not something I would sit down over a beer and talk to a guy about!" : male medical social workers, the lived experience(2003) Young, Martin AllanMen in social work, is a topic that has been little theorized and largely ignored. The small number of men in the field and the tasks mainly identified as feminine, categorize it as a non-traditional occupation for men. In this study the experience of being male and a medical social workers is explored. The role is considered to be multifaceted where on one hand men are afforded more opportunities and cooperation than their female colleagues. On the other hand there are disadvantages associated with it. This study supports previous studies, which identifies male social workers as ' different,' including how the work is interpreted and conducted. Findings indicate that the experience is all encompassing, paradoxical, and difficult to talk about. Identifying this experience informs and challenges existing theories regarding men in non-traditional occupations.Item The Silencing of abortion experiences : an institutional ethnography(1998) Walsh, DianeThis thesis explores abortion experiences from the perspectives of a small group of women who have had them. The writings of Dorothy Smith (1987) have shaped the methodology of this study. In stark contrast to theoretical accounts that frame women's responses in intrapsychic terms, my analysis claims that the problems that arise in women's lives are due primarily to the social organization of people's understanding of abortion as a moral issue. Despite the legally-sanctioned protection of abortion services, women confront the painful stigma that the decision carries with it socially. Persistent negative social attitudes still prevail in the culture, teaching women that abortion is evil and is tantamount to murder. These moral claims are organizing features of abortion experiences that directly impact the way women are silent because of the fear of condemnation. The decision not to speak about experience is not really a "choice". It is a learned way of living with the abortion decision and is a social product of a particular "culture" that, in effect, intimidates women. This study reveals that no matter how women rationalize their abortions to themselves (whether they are content or bothered by their decision), they tend to keep their experiences secret. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the practices of ruling that help to explain this silence in women' s lives.Item Social work practice and the spiritual needs and resources of elderly clients in extended care facilities(1994) Tracy, MyrnaIt is important to understand spiritual needs and resources of institutionalized elderly clients in an effort to provide holistic care. In this study the research questions were: 1. Do social workers assess spiritual needs and resources of elderly clients ( 65 years and over) in an Extended Care setting? 2. If spiritual needs and resources are assessed, how are they assessed? 3. If this information is collected, what is done with it? Spirituality was defined as an individual's meaning in life, their experience of forgiveness, and their experience of hope. This definition encompasses both religious, and nonĀreligious belief systems. This study used two methodological approaches: l) an archival chart review of Extended Care residents' social histories, and 2) a qualitative descriptive design using face-to-face interviews with five social workers who wrote the social histories. Social histories of fifty-three (n=53) residents in an Extended Care facility were reviewed using a chart review form. Five social workers who wrote the histories were interviewed using a structured interview with closed and openĀended questions. Quantitative data from the review of social histories was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS). Data obtained from interviews was recorded using a word processing program (Word Perfect 5.1). Themes were noted, and analyzed as units where common themes emerged. The study found that social workers do collect some information in a social history format about a client's spirituality. However, this information is not thoroughly or consistently collected, and therefore is not methodically acted upon. Spiritual information was acted upon in a plan recorded in the social history only 42% of the time. Social workers routinely recorded the religious affiliation of the client ( 92%) ā¢ Social workers reported in interviews that information about a person's spirituality that was perceived to be more in-depth (i.e. internal resources, experience of hope and experience of forgiveness), was either not explored, or only discussed after a relationship had developed. This research concludes that social workers need to collect information in a standardized way, and that they not only assess, but plan to meet spiritual needs and utilize resources. Implications for practice were drawn from the conclusions. Social workers need to increase their awareness about the importance of clients' spirituality since elderly people state that spirituality is important to them. The practice of social work must include attention to the spiritual needs and resources of their clients so that this integral part of every person is acknowledged. Also, organizations need to implement a policy of spiritual assessment on admission. Recommendations for future research were made. These recommendations include considering: a) the practice of social workers from a broader population (eg. different races, both sexes, and from different facilities); b) other variables such as the relationship between the informant and the client; c) whether the client is demented, and; d) social workers studied first of all design their own definition of spirituality. It is important to understand spiritual needs and resources of institutionalized, elderly (65 years and over) clients in an effort to provide holistic care. An individual's spirituality is a source of strength which social workers do not identify or draw upon, and one which they may well want to draw on in the future.Item No pilot on board, just a woman : sexual harassment experiences of Canadian women pilots(1994) Taylor, Roberta EllenThis study focusses on the sexual harassment experiences of women pilots in Canada. Most of the sexual harassment research to date has focussed on the incidence and nature of harassing behaviours, rather than the personal lived experiences of the women who have been harassed. Studies to date on women who have been harassed in male-dominated occupations have focussed primarily on blue collar workers. There has been very little exploration of sexual harassment of women aircraft pilots. Using feminist interview research methodology, I interviewed six women pilots in depth about their experiences in the workplace. The participants were women who have been employed in Canada in a variety of flying roles, including airline pilot, charter pilot, bush pilot, flight instructor, and military pilot. The participants' stories were analyzed and the data organized into themes. This analysis was informed by feminist thinking. In particular, concepts related to occupational power, sex role deviancy and the organizational context of the aviation workplace were explored. The themes that emerged are interwoven, revealing that sexual harassment of women pilots involves a complicated and inter-related set of behaviours that extend beyond those discussed in the literature about female blue collar workers. Findings show that the participants work within an environment that is hostile, in which they receive messages that they are invading an elite male domain and are unwanted. Portrayed as sex role deviates and token women pilots, they experienced a wide range of hurtful and demeaning harassing behaviours. They experienced an erosion of their sense of self, and became overburdened with the struggle for acceptance while having to simultaneously perform their flying duties. The aviation industry is hierarchal and emphasizes status. Pilots derive occupational power from society's perception of their role as prestigious, complex and mysterious. Women who assume this role are a threat to this occupational male power. This study reveals how the unique characteristics and organizational context of the aviation industry are conducive to harassing behaviours, thus complicating the issue of sexual harassment for women pilots. Implications for the industry and areas for further research are discussed.Item The relationship of perceptions of interaction and learning style to learner satisfaction in distance education.(1996) Stuart, Iain JosephThis study consists of two components. The first is a replication of Fulford and Zhang's (1993) Perceptions of interaction: The Critical Predictor in Distance Education study. In that study student perceptions of overall interaction were found to be the critical predictor of learner satisfaction. The present study was undertaken in the context of a real-time, full-motion, two-way, interactive television delivery of a Child and Youth Care course using fiber optic technology to link classrooms at the University of Victoria and the University College of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. The effect reported by Fulford and Zhang (1993) is not observed in the present study, and difficulties with obtaining adequate numbers of subject responses, similar to those experienced by Fulford and Zhang, were encountered. Changes were made to the statistical analysis methods to better fit with the data that was collected. The analysis indicated that in spite of high levels of perceived interaction, some learners had lower scores for satisfaction. The second part of the study investigates what relationship Learning-Style, as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (1984), has to learner satisfaction. The distributions of learning-style types show that the majority of learners in Child and Youth Care programs are likely to be Divergers who appear to have the highest satisfaction levels with an interactive television course delivery. The Accomodators are the second most common learning style type while Assimilators were the third. The Converger learning style was consistently the least represented learning style type. Chi square tests were performed to determine if the observed distributions of learning-style types deviated significantly from the expected distribution. The results were mixed, with some cohorts showing statistically significant deviation while others appeared to be consistent with what was expected. The results obtained in the study, while not producing results consistent with those obtained in the original Fulford and Zhang (1993) study, are suggestive. Further research is indicated to explore what factors might help explain the differences in learner satisfaction and perceptions of interaction noted.Item Social work ethics and regulation in British Columbia : a feminist discourse analysis.(1999) Strega, SusanrSocial work is a profession historically and currently concerned with both public and private dimensions of morality and ethics, yet its own ethical foundation and practices are rarely studied. This study analyzed the discourse of social work ethics and discipline as it is embodied in the regulatory procedures of The British Columbia Board of Registration for Social Workers. The documents and experiences of two social workers, one of them the researcher, were examined through a hermeneutically-influenced discourse analysis. This study suggests that social work ethics and discipline reproduce the existing ruling relations of heteropatriarchal capitalism, questions the use of juridical discourse in social work ethics and regulation, and creates an oppositional discourse which shows where and how the prevailing discourse might be resisted.Item Anything but casual : the worklife experience of casual nurses(1998) Simpkin, Myfanwy LynneThis study explored the worklives of nine casual nurses who were employed in home nursing care and acute care in the Capital Health Region. Recent statistics indicated that casual staffing in these areas can be as great as 50% of the total (Staff Scheduling, C.H.R., 1997) In the province of British Columbia, nurses who work as casuals constitute approximately 25% of the workforce (Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia, 1997) yet in published nursing research there was almost no mention of casual nurses. The research question explored in this study was: What is the worklife experience of casual nurses? In three audiotaped group interviews, five acute care nurses and four home care nurses described their worklives and their concerns. Through a qualitative analytic process, the themes that emerged fell into three areas of influence: the workplace; relationships with colleagues; and the effect of and influence on personal and family life. The effect of marginalizing a large group of the nursing workforce has implications for the members, the employing organization, and the profession of nursing. The intent of this study was to increase the visibility of a group that has had little attention from their own professional bodies, their employers, and researchers in nursing.Item Ruling relations in the intake assessment of a pregnancy outreach program(1998) Siga, VaidaThis thesis uses Institutional Ethnography to examine how intake assessment in a British Columbia Pregnancy Outreach Program organizes worker-client interaction. The Pregnancy Outreach Program targets service to "high risk prenatals". The study argues that the epidemiological based intake assessment process creates a barrier to participation of the very clients it seeks to serve and limits the extent to which staff can establish a relationship with the client. It argues that classifying the client as "at risk" owing to social disadvantage is experienced negatively by the client, and constitutes social difference between staff and client. At odds with the scientific model that population health brings into the program is a community development approach that has been included in its organization. It is expected that this would allow clients to feel more comfortable with the service, and thus, the program to be successful. Inclusion of a community development approach, however, sets out two distinct and conflicting work processes within the program. The formal work as organized by the intake assessment is textualized and provides accountability measures. Specific work practices based on community development ideology organize the informal work of the program. Though these support staff/client relationships and client participation , the latter are subordinated to the formal work process. The study argues that because formal work practices are part of the management technologies of the Ministry of Health, they are dominant and supercede informal work practices. This creates troubles both for client participation and for workers.Item Curriculum revolution : transformation or cultural invasion?(1998) Scobie, Carol AnneThe purpose of this study was to present an analysis of diploma nurses' present experience in an innovative baccalaureate nursing program at the University of Victoria, in light of their past experiences in hospital diploma training schools. The innovative curriculum, based on principles of critical pedagogy, hoped to support a perspective transformation about nursing among the diploma nurses through a "bridge-in" semester. The use of a critical pedagogy in nursing education was such a departure from traditional educational theories that it was coined the "curriculum revolution." The central question guiding the research process was: How do returning diploma nurses describe their experiences in the bridge-in semester, given their past hospital diploma school experience? Data were collected and transcribed using three sources: a demographic questionnaire, research interviews, and field observation. Six themes were constructed using a critical perspective. These were: Learning to be strong and silent, Swing of the pendulum, Bleeding for an A, Give me meat and potatoes, Crossing the language bridge, and caterpillars or butterflies? The challenges of engaging in critical pedagogy within the contexts of institutional structure is explored in the discussion.Item A Political approach to welfare fraud & the experience of financial assistance workers(1996) Robertson, Jeanette SuzanneThis thesis explores two perspectives on measures introduced to combat welfare fraud, and make social programs more accountable in British Columbia, with specific attention to the measures introduced by the New Democratic Party in January 1994. The first perspective is that of the media, government, and Ministry of Social Services. A content analysis of media articles, government reports and open ended interviews with Ministry officials is provided. There was widespread media attention on the topic of fraud in the early 1990s. However the majority of the articles lacked clear and precise definitions of what constituted welfare fraud. Furthermore, government inquiry into alleged welfare fraud was conducted in a manner which lead the public to stigmatize all recipients of Income Assistance and to the assumption that fraud was out of control. The analysis of the government's own reports did not confirm that fraud had increased, but there was a consensus that mechanisms for prevention and investigation required improvement. Emphasis was also placed on the role of front line Financial Assistance Workers (FAWs) in the prevention and detection of fraud. The second perspective is that of the FAW s on their work and on the impact of these measures. This perspective was obtained through a qualitative research methodology. Seven FAWs from across Vancouver Island were interviewed in January 1995 and these interviews were followed by a group feedback session in May 1995. The analysis of their experience illustrates that, while they experience fraud in their practice, it did not dominate their daily experience. However the Ministry's concern with fraud led to some confusion over the expectations of their role; were they expected to be "cops" or "helpers"? As the emphasis on the "cop" role increased they became less able to address the broad needs of their clients and job satisfaction fell. In the end, many of the measures allegedly introduced to reduce fraud appeared to have more to do with reducing public expenditures through narrowing eligibility criteria, and appeasing the public and political opposition to welfare, than addressing the problem of fraud. Thus consideration of the measures taken to combat welfare fraud and the experience of FAWs with fraud illustrates the underlying shift to a more residual model of social welfare that is taking place during the 1990s.Item Therapeutic touch and childbirth : a multiple case study of the experiences of five women(2000) Roberts, Camille ValerieThis qualitative, descriptive study examines the experience of women receiving, during childbirth, the nursing intervention of Therapeutic Touch (TT). The researcher examined the experiences of five women who received TT during childbirth through subsequent interviews regarding the intervention. Analysis of interview data into themes reveals that TT increases sensory awareness of women during childbirth and, by doing so, helps them to reconnect to their inner resources, providing a source for change and transformation. These three themes are discussed and the theoretical framework of Martha Rogers is presented as a way to conceptualize the practice of TT and to understand these results. Also described are implications for the practice of nurses and other care providers who attend to women in childbirth and who may want to incorporate TT into their practices. Suggestions for future research are proposed.Item First Nations health transfer : challenges and opportunities(1998) Reid, Lisa MontgomeryRecognizing the need to understand the complex, often incomprehensible, issues that confront First Nations people, this thesis considers the question of whether or not Health Transfer benefits First Nations. The evidence from documentation, focus groups and the author's experience as the Health Director of the Heiltsuk First Nation were studied using an action research approach. The opportunities and challenges of Health Transfer became apparent. Acknowledging the complexities of the issue, this thesis concludes that Health Transfer is indeed a benefit to First Nations. In order to make Health Transfer benefits available to other First Nations communities, recommendations are made regarding leadership, education, practice, Health Transfer and self-government.Item Exploring the determinants of resident satisfaction : participatory action research in extended care(1995) Rancier, Lois EthelThe health care institutional system, acute care hospitals and long term care facilities, are increasingly interested in seeking client opinion about planning, implementing, and evaluating services. Most commonly, the hospital client is consulted by attempting to measure satisfaction with some aspect of the intervention or service. In contrast to the acute care sector, few studies of resident satisfaction in long term care settings have been undertaken. Moreover, of the studies that have been done, most have used quantitative methodologies, and none were found to have taken a participatory approach. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe the elements of facility life that contribute to satisfaction for residents of extended care from the perspective of the resident, by undertaking a participatory research approach. A group of four extended care residents was formed to advise in the planning and implementation phases of the study, provide feedback with regard to the research process and study findings, and share personal experiences of satisfaction related to everyday life at extended care. In addition to the data obtained from the group discussions, five other residents were interviewed individually to learn of their perceptions and experiences of satisfaction with everyday life at extended care. Data analysis revealed three metathemes: Everyday Life, The Work of Everyday Life, and Elements of Satisfaction. Everyday Life is comprised of those themes which provide the contextual lens through which the residents perceive and experience satisfaction. The Work of Everyday Life describes how residents, in an active way, make sense of their life in extended care and maintain social relations with other residents, staff, and family. Elements of Satisfaction includes the themes identified by the residents as contributing to satisfaction as well as a discussion of the meaning of satisfaction from the perspective of the residents. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of the interpersonal context of everyday life at extended care and suggest a need to examine the ways in which we view the role of the resident and how those attitudes and beliefs are translated into the caring that takes place. In addition, participatory action research proved to be an innovative and challenging yet beneficial research approach within the extended care setting.Item Parents' experiences of children's residential care(2001) Pike, Robin ElizabethThis study explores the experiences of parents whose children lived in residential care in terms of the significance of these experiences for group home practice. Using a qualitative inquiry and phenomenological approach, the voices of parents' experiences within residential care were recorded and analyzed. The data were clustered into five overĀarching categories: Complexity of Parents' Feelings Regarding Placement, The State of Parents at Pre-Placement, The Significance of the Parenting of Parents, Involvement of Parents with Group Homes, and Summarizing the Experience. From these categories five universal themes emerged: the Voices of Emotion, Defeat, Childhood, Participation and Retrospection. The findings suggest that residential programs could be re-focused to meet the needs of both the resident children and their parents. Possible avenues of further research are suggested.Item Human security and the United Nations : the prevention and resolution of armed conflict(2000) Parai, Brian JamesRecent changes to the nature of armed conflict have led the United Nations Security Council to revise the manner in which it interprets its mandate. As a result, the Council has determined, through a series of resolutions passed over the past decade, that egregious threats to human safety and security also constitute a threat to international peace and security, and thereby fall under the Council's jurisdiction. By extension, the Council has also determined, most explicitly in Resolution 1296 (2000), that it must work to ensure the safety of civilians who are threatened by armed conflict. However, as has been shown in the past, it is frequently difficult for the Security Council to satisfy its objectives. To prevent these difficulties from leading to inaction in instances of gross human repression, abuse or murder, this paper proposes a number of measures that the United Nations should consider taking in order to improve its ability to guarantee human security, and to more effectively prevent and resolve violent conflicts. Supplementary enquiry, to analyze the comprehensiveness and viability of these proposals, as well as to devise modalities for their implementation, is also recommended.Item The examination for discovery in cases of sexual violation : a discourse analysis(2002) Oram, Cheryl MacKinnonThis quotation illustrates the spirit in which this analysis has been conducted: "Look for the deepest meanings in the least elevated places. Be more radical than anyone has ever been about the unknown, because what has never been asked is probably what we most need to know. (Catherine MacKinnon, Feminism 9)" There are very few rules governing the discovery process in cases of sexual violation in Canada. Coincidentally, there has been very little research conducted on the discovery process in Canada (Pirie, 2001, This is supported by Lessard, 2002, and Perks, 2002). I question why, in the legal system which is a rule making body, there is an absence of rules governing the discovery process in cases of sexual violation. I also question why there has been very little research conducted on the discovery process when it is a powerful step in the legal process that has the potential to influence outcomes in legal cases, as well as the power to intimidate litigants and/or their lawyers into abandoning their cases. I question who benefits from a lack of specific rules regulating the discovery process, who benefits from the blocking of research about the discovery, and the lack of public critique and debate. I also question whether women have wanted to publish their experience in the discovery, or if they have been blocked from doing so. I am not suggesting the usual blocks women experience, such as lack of access to resources and opportunities. I am suggesting a block in regard to what Michel Foucault describes as "the intersection of the excess of armed justice and the anger of the threatened and Perks, 2002. people," (Discipline, 73). Bureaucratic repetition and the institutional perpetuation of the law's power blocks women from telling the stories of their experiences. The blocks may not recognizable by any one named power, but they exist nonetheless. I encountered several challenges while attempting to publish my experience of the discovery. These are discussed in the final chapter. My research into law, feminist law and psychology indicates that although thousands of women are sexually violated in Canada each year, very few of these women file reports with authorities or pursue recourse through the justice system. The primary reason found for these profoundly small numbers, concerns women's perceptions of the way they are treated by the justice system. In one study by the Solicitor General of Canada ("Canadian Urban Victimization Survey," Bulletin 4: Female Victims of Crime, Ottawa, 1985) women gave the following reasons for not reporting incidents of sexual assault: 50% of sexually violated women believed that the police could do nothing about it. 44% were concerned about the attitude of both police and the courts towards sexual assault. 33% were afraid of another assault by the offender, and 64% reported fear and shame prevented them from reporting. In conclusion the report stated, 'Women who have been sexually assaulted often fear that if they report a sexual assault they will be re-victimized by the justice system." (15) In another study of women who did report sexual violation, "seventy-three per cent of civil litigants indicated that they had great difficulty with their hearing; both the pre-trial discovery process and the trial" (Feldhusen, et. al. 83). What transpires in a discovery process remains virtually unknown to the public. In a case of sexual violation, only the lawyers involved and the woman who is questioned in the discovery are privy to .the events. This research is about my experience in a discovery process, in a case of sexual violation. The sexual violation and the legal action that followed, including the discovery process that this research is based upon, occurred in Canada during the past 10 years. All names, dates and places have been removed for protection of the parties involved. Any resemblance to known events is purely coincidental. The opinions included in this research, unless cited as a reference, are strictly those of the researcher.