Amber J. Fletcher

• BA (High Hons.), MA, PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Regina

In this article, we describe an approach for conducting participatory action research (PAR) in a longitudinal multicase study, with particular focus on cross-case analysis. Existing literature has documented the practice of PAR in single-case studies, but far less has been written on how to conduct PAR across multiple cases. There is also a need fo...

ABSTRACT Critical realism (CR) is a useful philosophical framework for social science; however, little guidance is available on which precise methods – including methods of data collection, coding, and analysis – are best suited to applied CR research. This article provides a concrete example of applied qualitative research using CR as a philosophi...

Over the past two decades, existing documentation of women in the agricultural sector has surveyed topics such as agricultural restructuring and land reform, international trade agreements and food trade, land ownership and rural development and rural feminisms. Many studies have focused on either the high-income countries of the global North or th...

Over the past two decades, the important role of gender in environmental and water-related crises and conflicts has been increasingly recognized. Environmental crises occur in social contexts imbued with gender and other power relations. Existing literature in this area has examined how gender shapes issues of water access, use, governance, and ada...

Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) evidence prevalent mental health disorders, likely due to diverse occupational stressors including potentially psychologically traumatic events. RCMP cadet mental health when starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP) appears comparable to, or better, than the general public. The CTP is expected to improv...

Climate change is increasing the risk of hazards like flooding, drought, and wildfire for everyone, everywhere. But climate hazards do not affect us all equally. The lived experience of climate change is highly differentiated by social factors like gender, socioeconomic class, location, and culture. Both climate change and social inequality are rea...

Objective: The present study was designed to provide the first in-depth, academically peer-reviewed assessment of sexual victimization among Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Method: A representative sample of RCMP (n = 1,324; 76.5% men) completed the self-report survey. Results: Participants reported a higher overall lifetime history of sexual...

Saskatchewan, Canada, has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada, with statistics double the national average. The government of Saskatchewan does not substantively fund second-stage housing – a key mitigating solution to GBV. Nor does the province have a related action plan to reduce this violence and enhance the safety...

The project aimed to document and mobilize knowledge about food security challenges and opportunities in rural Saskatchewan, ultimately developing recommendations for advocacy on this topic. With a focus on Indigenous and settler communities, we asked: whether producers, consumers, and agricultural organizations are concerned about food security an...

This article examines the co-occurrence of violence against women and violence against animals based on interviews with 15 survivors in Saskatchewan, Canada. The qualitative data reveal complex dynamics of the human–animal bond for victims/survivors. Insufficient social supports exacerbate barriers for leaving relationships with animals when experi...

Due to climate change, rural Canadian communities living in boreal regions can expect more intense and frequent wildfires. People’s experiences of wildfire hazards are differentiated by intersecting social factors such as age, gender, culture, and socio-economic status, as well as by social structures that enable or limit adaptation. This study eng...

This chapter provides a historical and contemporary analysis of gender and agricultural policy in Canada. The chapter begins by illustrating how, from its very origins, the agriculture system in Canada was built upon gender, race, and class-based inequity. Next, I provide a comparative analysis of two major agricultural policy paradigms: the post-W...

Background Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast,...

Objective: Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms with substantial prevalence (i.e., 50.2%). Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental heal...

Objective Mental health disorders are prevalent among active-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The current study was designed to assess whether RCMP cadets commencing the Cadet Training Program are inherently at greater risk of developing mental health challenges by statistically comparing cadet putative risk and resiliency scores...

Objective: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report extremely frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). While occupational exposures to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental disorders prevalent among serving RCMP, exposures occurring prior to service may also play a role. The object...

Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report diverse occupational stressors and repeated exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events, which may increase the odds of screening positive for a mental disorder, and increase the risk of death by suicide. The current study was designed to provide prevalence information regarding...

Research shows that climate change vulnerability is constituted not only by exposure to adverse climate conditions, but also by social and economic factors. Even for areas that currently have limited exposure, social and economic structures have a role in shaping adaptive capacity. Focusing on two rural municipalities in the province of Saskatchewa...

Background: Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services personnel, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events. Such events contribute to substantial and growing challenges from posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including bu...

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), like all public safety personnel (PSP), are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events that contribute to posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). Addressing PTSI is impeded by the limited available research. In this protocol paper, we describe the RCMP Study, part of the concerted effo...

Les membres de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), comme l’ensemble du personnel de la sécurité publique, sont fréquemment exposés à des événements potentiellement traumatiques sur le plan psychologique qui contribuent à la survenue de blessures de stress post­traumatique. Le peu de travaux de recherche disponibles sur le sujet limite l’étude de...

Introduction Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional employees, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators [PSC]) are regularly exposed to diverse risks; as such, PSP professions may attract and retain people with personalities that differ relative to each other and the general public. The current study provides the firs...

In this research brief, we describe a study conducted with a northern First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, to examine the role and value of the arts for community members. This interview-based project was a partnership between a local Indigenous researcher, university-based researchers, and two non-profit arts organizations. The results show that...

Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) which can impact mental health. To help mitigate the negative effects of PPTEs, PSP commonly rely on peer support. Peer support generally refers to a wide variety of mental health resources that offer social or emotional assistance to a peer...

Relationships are multidimensional, and we know little about the facets of relationships in the way elderly patients’ with multimorbidity utilise homecare and health services. Gerontology literatures emphasize the importance of place of care, inequalities, availability of health services and affordability. However, the diversity of relationships an...

Public Safety Personnel (PSP) experience significant job-related stressors including potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) exposures that may compromise mental health; as such, strategies are needed to mitigate the impact of stressors. Substantial research evidence indicates that social support is a crucial strategy for enhancing menta...

Poverty, poor living conditions, religious values and norms, lack of education, and gender discrimination influence the beliefs and behaviors of rural older women in many low-income countries. This paper aims to report the socio-ecological determinants of health-seeking beliefs and behaviors of rural older women in Northeastern Bangladesh and how t...

This paper aims to contextualise ‘healthcare access and utilisation’ within its wider social circumstances, including structural factors that shape primary healthcare for marginalised groups. Mainstream theories often neglect complexities among the broader social, institutional and cultural milieus that shape primary healthcare utilisation in reali...

Extreme climate events are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. Vulnerability to extremes is the result of three components: exposure to hazards, sensitivity of the system, and capacity to adapt. A large-scale qualitative study of rural vulnerability to climate extremes in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia demonstrates the politic...

This chapter discusses the methods used the methods used to engage geographically dispersed participants in a study of women’s and gender issues in Saskatchewan, Canada. The project faced unique challenges of inclusion, both geographical and social, and required an affordable research design. The chosen design was a primarily qualitative electronic...

Photovoice is a visual qualitative research method designed to convey participants’ experiences and perspectives through photography. Intended for participatory projects, the method is guided by goals of empowerment, social change, policy change, or other community aims. In this chapter, we outline the key characteristics of photovoice method in th...

Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., communications officials, corrections workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are at risk of developing mental health problems due to experiencing potentially psychologically traumatic events during their career. Research examining evidence-based treatments for psychological injuries resulting fro...

Women police officers report elevated symptoms of mental disorders when compared to men police officers. Researchers have indicated that the occupational experience of policing differs greatly among men and women. Indeed, police culture is characterized by hegemonic masculinity, which appears to negatively impact both men and women. The current stu...

Gender issues can create major barriers to healthcare utilization for older women with multimorbidity, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. Elderly rural women in Bangladesh, are the poorest of the poor, and the women with multimorbidity live in a regulated family atmosphere. This study explored the relationship dimensions of older w...

Research exploring the gendered dimensions of adult learning has blossomed in the past two decades. Despite this trend, intersectional approaches in adult learning, research, and teaching remain limited primarily to the three categories of gender, race, and class. Intersectionality theory is more diverse than this and includes discussions of social...

The particularly severe wildfire season of 2015 resulted in the largest evacuation ever experienced in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. La Ronge – a region of northern Saskatchewan comprising one First Nation and two municipal jurisdictions – was among the areas significantly affected by the wildfires. Drawing from semi-structured interviews w...

Impacts and losses as a result of climate hazards are experienced unevenly across communities and can prove devastating to the health and well-being of local residents. Contextual approaches for understanding vulnerability and adaptation have focused on why diverse individuals and groups experience the effects of climate change differently, while v...

There is interconnectedness between small farmers’ productivity, climate change, and the state of food security in Africa south of the Sahara. The neglect of small farmers amidst climate change challenges in the Global South suggests the existence of a vicious circle of low productivity and deprivation that exacerbates the vulnerability of small-sc...

In an article on women entrepreneurs in agriculture, Gina Grandy, Christie Newton and Amber Fletcher reveal how little is known about women entrepreneurs in the agricultural industry and deplore how often the contributions of these women are overlooked and overshadowed. They identify barriers in the areas of financing, networking, training, and wor...

This report presents the results of a research project to examine the data collection needs and practices of women’s shelters across Canada. Established as a partnership between SOFIA House—a second-stage women’s shelter in Regina, Saskatchewan—and students in a third-year research methods class at the University of Regina, the project involved int...

Firefighters appear at an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because of PTSD-related stigma, firefighters may search for information online. The current study evaluated the quality, readability, and completeness of PTSD online resources, and to determine how the online treatment recommendations align with current evidence. Go...

Farmers and ranchers in the Canadian Prairies are at risk of climate extremes, yet climate change remains a divisive topic. This paper draws on qualitative interviews with 33 agricultural producers who discussed climate change during a larger project on adaptation to climate extremes. We inductively analyzed climate change beliefs and perceptions i...

The unprecedented 2015 wildfire season in northern Saskatchewan, Canada resulted in the largest evacuation in the province's history. The depiction of such environmental hazards in the news media is one mechanism that can, even inadvertently, reinforce historical and contemporary social inequalities through its discursive construction of the event...

Relationships are multidimensional, and we know little about how different facets of relationships affect how older patients with multimorbidity use homecare and health services. Social gerontology literature emphasizes the importance of care settings, gender inequalities, availability of health services, and affordability. However, the diversity o...

Despite the popularity of poststructuralist approaches to feminism during the past few decades, this chapter will posit the usefulness of adopting an alternative philosophical approach—critical realism—as a framework for empirical feminist research. Drawing on concrete examples from a study of Canadian farm women’s work, it will demonstrate the ana...

Social capital is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of adaptive capacity to climate change. Beyond formal adaptation infrastructure like insurance and public disaster support programmes, it can be difficult to identify the role that informal social capital-such as relationships, trust, and mutual support between community members-plays i...

Situated within the larger context of Canadian pipeline decisions, it is argued that pipeline proposals in a geography without pre-existing pipelines are unsuccessful in contrast to proposals repurposing and expanding existing pipelines. The Chippewas of the Thames (the ‘Chippewas’) unsuccessfully opposed Enbridge's expansion, reversal and repurpos...

Amid the highly industrialized, export-focused food system of the Canadian prairies, some farmers and consumers are turning to localized agriculture as an alternative—they are “going local”. Despite farmers’ obvious importance to the food system, surprisingly little research has examined their motivations and reasons for localization. To date, most...

Despite the usefulness and growing popularity of critical realism (CR) as a research philosophy, there are few examples of empirical research that clearly demonstrate its methodological application. The goal of this chapter is to introduce readers to CR as a framework for applied social research. After briefly outlining the key tenets of the philos...

Livelihood, employment, subsistence, and recreational practices of rural and Indigenous communities in the global North are increasingly impacted by climate hazards such as wildfire, floods, and drought. However, communities are often viewed as homogenous entities, with little recognition to how diverse individuals within those communities experien...

Following up on an identified priority in the 2013-14 Food Regina Action Plan, a study conducted by University of Regina and Food Regina aimed to identify challenges and solutions to strengthen the local food system in Saskatchewan, Canada. Based on the results of 50 interviews and 2 focus groups with 60 food system actors in the province, this rep...

This article is a reflection on one of this the International Journal of Qualitative Methods most-cited articles (top 20 articles in the last twenty years) originally published by the authors of the reflection in 2014.

This report researches contemporary climate change impacts and action in relation to women and work across Canada. Framed by Feminist, Indigenous and Intersectoral perspectives, the definition of work is expanded to include roles and responsibilities wherein nature is an integral societal entity. It articulates material feminist, eco-feminst and in...

Emphasis on local food systems is growing across North America. Amidst a highly productivist and industrialized food system marked by an unprecedented increase in farm size, some farmers and consumers are turning to smaller-scale, localized agriculture – they are “going local”. To date, most local food scholarship from the region has focused on eit...

Climate scenarios show an increased risk of extreme climate events as anthropogenic changes interact with the earth’s natural cycles. In the Canadian prairie region, one of the country’s most productive agricultural zones, family farmers are at risk of protracted drought interspersed with extreme flood events that threaten food production and farm...

Key Messages Situational mapping can act as a visual representation of multiple perspectives and capture the complexity and shifting allegiances of involved actors. Situational mapping can inform publicly engaged policymaking and ensure that many voices and positions are identified (e.g., rural people, First Nations, Métis, horses). Consideration o...

Many regions of the world are experiencing the impacts of climate change, which include the increasing variability of weather as well as increased drought and flood. Although many areas have had a long history of this variability and have a strong historic practice of adaptation, increasing variability has had a significant impact on adaptive strat...

This concluding chapter integrates key insights from this collection, examining the book’s theoretical implications in more depth. I identify two interconnected themes arising from the book: the transformative potential of everyday practice and agency, and the significance of gradual change. I explore the relevance of this collection within its bro...

This study compares climatological data for two climate extremes, severe drought and excessive moisture, to the experience and memories of agriculturalists based on extensive interviews with farmers and ranchers in the southern Great Plains of Canada. The climate data used were the Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index. While diff...

This article is the first major empirical test of LEADS in a Caring Environment, the principal leadership capability framework in Canada. The results rank the perceived salience of leadership attributes, given time and budget constraints, while implementing a major organization reform in the Saskatchewan health system. The results also indicate imp...

The ability to think in terms of a system is critical to achieving common direction, alignment, and commitment in highly distributed health systems. In Canada, provincial and territorial ministries of health provide leadership on the direction of health reform while leadership to align system levels is determined by a far more distributed group of...

International trade is often viewed as environmentally unproblematic, even beneficial. This article challenges this view, using new trade data from the Food and Agriculture Organization to document inefficiencies in global food trade and to question the prioritization of economics over environment. It can be difficult to identify the effects of mac...

The purpose of the Leadership and Health System Redesign research study was to explore the leadership dynamics at play in Canadian health reform and to develop leadership capacity in the Canadian health system through applied research and knowledge mobilization. The study makes an important contribution to our understanding of how different forms o...

Current pressures on public health systems have led to increased emphasis on restructuring, which is seen as a potential solution to crises of accessibility, quality, and funding. Leadership is an important factor in the success or failure of these initiatives. Despite its importance, health leadership evades easy articulation, and its study requir...

There are few things that affect agricultural production more than changes in public policy and weather. Agricultural policy and climate change are macro-level phenomena; they are “big” problems that are often seen to be outside farmers’ control, yet they have dramatic effects on both farm livelihoods and food production in general. It can be diffi...

The Prairie Node study is one of five regional case studies, or “nodes”, in the pan-Canadian “Leadership and Health System Redesign” project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI) program. The purpose of the pan-Canadian project is to help develop leadership capacity in the Ca...

This chapter challenges the economism of contemporary macroeconomic policy through an environmental and gendered lens. It uses a feminist political economy framework to analyze newly released statistical data on international trade flows from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as statistics on Canadian agricultural production. The...