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Investigating a First Nations Cultural Model of Employment

Date

2017-07-12

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

ORCID

0000-0003-1845-4505

Type

Thesis

Degree Level

Masters

Abstract

When compared with the non-Indigenous population in Canada, First Nations men and women have higher rates of unemployment, lower labour participation rates, and earn lower average wages which are said to result in an ‘employment gap’. Researchers have tried to explain this gap through factors such as colonialism, education, stereotyping, and cultural differences. The current study uses a theory of cultural models to investigate how First Nations men and women in Saskatchewan view employment. The researcher explored this view by implementing person-centred interviews. The interview analysis was systematic, case-based, and standardised between participants. The results suggest that the First Nations cultural model of employment is relationship-focused, interconnected, and context-bound in almost every sense (i.e., among employees; between employees and supervisors; between employees and their families and communities); it is egalitarian by nature, driven by a community-first mentality, and metaphorically can be presented as a circle, denoting interconnectedness of work, people, communities, and environment. Results indicate that this model is human-centred and it has high potential to foster a work environment where individuals’ and communities’ well-being is a priority. Future research should focus on additional support for the study results in other Indigenous groups and concentrate on specifying the theory’s concepts and associated methodology in relation to a First Nations cultural model of employment.

Description

Keywords

First Nations, Cultural Model, Employment

Citation

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Psychology

Program

Applied Social

Part Of

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DOI

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