DESCRIPTION
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INQYR (International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience) is a SSHRC-funded Partnership working to address the needs of gender and sexual minority youth and their use of information and communication technologies within diverse global contexts, while also training the next generation of scholars and practitioners working with LGBTQ+ youth.
INQYR attempts to fill significant gaps in international scholarship. This project uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) to increase knowledge of factors that support or hinder the resilience of gender and sexual minority youth (GSMY). Although research on GSMY has increased, it is often fragmented between regions and siloed within disciplines. This interdisciplinary, multinational partnership presents an unprecedented opportunity to advance the GSMY evidence base in Canada and internationally. Youth in Canada have a wide range of cultural and regional backgrounds, and the limitations of borders have been shattered with the advent of ICTs. Cultivating a shared understanding of the international experiences of GSMY will position Canadian researchers as global leaders in identifying and addressing facilitators of resilience through ICTs and will positively impact GSMY internationally. INQYR will contribute to the refinement of an integrated theoretical model of resilience facilitated by ICTs that is inclusive of multiple regional contexts. Our objectives include: (1) enhanced research skills for all team members through cutting-edge ICT research; (2) development of an interdisciplinary, international student training network (ISTN) that will train dozens of graduate and post-doctoral trainees in specialized skills, to nurture a new generation of scholars focused on GSMY; (3) deepened theoretical contributions to resilience (e.g. the inclusion of sociocultural models); (4) development of knowledge sharing tools, including online Resilience Enhancement Products (REPs) tailored to GSMY in regional contexts and delivered directly to youth; and (5) generation of evidence for policies related to ICTs and youth and best practice guidelines for engaging GSMY with ICTs. Three benefits have been identified by the meaningful engagement of INQYR partners: (1) developing productive, international collaborations with scholars, academic institutions, and community organizations that will increase collective capacity to improve the lives of GSMY; (2) providing their students interdisciplinary research training; and (3) improving the quality and accessibility of GSMY data and digital supports. INQYR aims to impact GSMY, service providers, policy-makers and researchers through multiple ICT-mediated knowledge mobilization activities. This is the first partnership to explore and link the impact of ICTs to GSMY resilience through a global lens. Changing the trajectory of GSMY in society from inequality to inclusion through increased well-being and human rights will create opportunities for them to fully contribute in Canada and internationally. Please explore our website and feel free to contact members of our leadership team listed below. |
