Sociology and Legal Studies

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Sociology and Legal Studies.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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Browsing Sociology and Legal Studies by Author "Quinlan, Andrea"

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    At the Intersection of Sexual Minority and Transgender or Gender Diverse (SM-TGD) Identity and Mental Illness
    (University of Waterloo, 2020-05-22) Livingstone, Bridget; Quinlan, Andrea
    Sexual minority and transgender or gender diverse (SM-TGD) persons experience disproportionately high rates of mental illness, substance misuse, and suicide, which are often exacerbated by experiences of social exclusion and marginalization. While healthcare institutions are increasingly aiming to provide affirming mental health care to this population, many mental health services and practitioners remain unresponsive to SM-TGD individuals’ unique identities, needs, and experiences. Despite the fact that mental illness and access to adequate care are pressing concerns for this population, the ways that SM-TGD persons understand mental illness and their experiences navigating the healthcare system have not been adequately studied. Based on data from 12 qualitative interviews conducted in southern Ontario, this study explores the ways that SM-TGD individuals make sense of and contextualize their experiences of mental illness. This study also discusses some of the barriers to care often encountered by this population, and points to the ways that informal barriers such as microaggressions are as impactful as structural barriers, such as wait times. In doing so, this study aims to unveil the complex subjectivities that emerge when exploring the intersection of marginalized identities and experiences of mental illness.
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    Victim Services’ Implementation of Mobile Tracking Systems for Victims of High-Risk Gender-Based Violence Cases in Ontario
    (University of Waterloo, 2023-07-19) Buehlow, Emily; Quinlan, Andrea
    Since 2012, Ontario Victim Services providers have been a leading force in implementing Mobile Tracking Systems, a technological device some victim advocates and law enforcement officials believe will reduce risks in gender-based violence cases. The Mobile Tracking System resembles a small pager-like device that clients carry at all times. When activated in a high-risk gender-based violence emergency, the device aims to facilitate timely law enforcement assistance by emitting a GPS tracking signal and alerting first responders to a ‘Priority 1’ call. Mobile Tracking Systems have undergone a rapid increase in attention by the media, government, service providers, and wider public as the devices are perceived to be a safety-enabling technology for gender-based violence cases. Mounting calls to fund such technologies have emerged in light of pandemic safety measures and during a 2022 Coroner’s Inquest held to investigate a triple femicide in Renfrew County, Ontario. In this Inquest, the Jury recommended that Mobile Tracking System technologies be funded by the Government of Ontario, while recently in Quebec, 41 million dollars was invested into GPS tracking technologies for gender-based violence cases. Despite gaining substantial traction in public and media discourse, Mobile Tracking Systems have been underrepresented in scholarly literature. To respond to this gap, this thesis employs qualitative methods to examine Mobile Tracking Systems in the context of gender-based violence cases in Ontario. In particular, through the examination of 91 textual documents and 10 semi-structured interviews with service providers involved in case referral and the administration of Mobile Tracking Systems, this study traces the history, development, and use of Mobile Tracking System devices in the context of gender-based violence cases in Ontario, and investigates the impact of panic button alarms on criminal justice responses to gender-based violence. To examine Mobile Tracking Systems, this thesis draws on relevant theoretical frameworks in the fields of Science and Technology Studies and critical perspectives on law and criminal justice. By tracing the development of panic button alarms to their current use in Ontario, this thesis reveals a shift toward pro-carceral safety measures that embrace technology as a perceived tool to reduce gender-based violence. As this thesis details, approaching safety work in this manner not only reflects, but also perpetuates particular assumptions about victims that pressure them to align their behaviour with the goals of the criminal legal system. The thesis argues that designing and administering a technological tool for victims of gender-based violence that centers the criminal legal system has direct impacts on victims when seeking support. The findings of this project have implications for Ontario Victim Services providers, police services in Ontario, and other agencies that support victims of gender-based violence cases, as they draw attention to how the implementation of panic button alarms as a perceived safety-enabling technology directly impact victims accessing support services for gender-based violence cases. Finally, the study’s findings can inform policy and practice related to the GPS tracking technologies in the context of mounting calls to fund panic button alarm technologies in Ontario.