The Role of Group-Specific and Universal Immigrant Service

Organizationsin Terms of Bonding and Bridging Social

CapitalIda E. Berger

Agnes G. MeinhardMary K. Foster

Organizational Profiles Of

Data Set

Framework for Understanding

Definition

Perspective, Philosophy

and ‘Phocus’

Place

Population Served

Process of Service

Product / Service

Provided

Definition

Cultural Integration

• Practicing own ethnicity within the context of a heterogeneous, multicultural, pluralistic society that values equality, human dignity.

Settlement

• Progressive journey from settlement (language, employment, housing) to civic participation (voting, political engagement, volunteering).

Perspective, Philosophy, ‘Phocus’

Relationship Centred

• Whole person centred. Providing ethnically customized bridges to belonging to Canada

Service Centred

• Primary settlement service centred. Providing a formula based bridge to settlement in Canada

Place

Port of Arrival

• Ethno / Culturally sensitive space and place of arrival, entree and community

Clearing house of Services

• Broad-based, multi-cultural clearing-house of immigration services

Population Served

Vulnerable

• At risk ethnically identified Seniors / Youth / Women.

All Immigrants

• ‘Special’ or targeted population based programs as needed. Smaller agencies in need of capacity building support.

Process

Bonded-Bridging

• Mediated entree to the mainstream through with communal participation in the mainstream through collective bridging

Bridged-Bonding

• Entree of individuals to the mainstream through formal pathways of economically bridged-bonding. Bridged immigration based social bonding

Products / Services Provided

Psycho-social benefits

• Promoting mental health, and reducing isolation, violence, abuse, identity confusion.

• Communal celebrations and events

Survival and Settlement Benefits

• Promoting acquisition of language, employment and housing

Conclusions … so farFive P’s as a comparative framework

EquifinalityDifferent routes to a valued outcome

Definition

Perspective, Philosophy

and ‘Phocus’

Place

Population Served

Process of Service

Product / Service

Provided

Conclusions … so far …

OutcomeBelonging and esteem vs. security and survival

ProcessInformal, experiential vs. Formal, sequenced, defined