Mapping the Experiences and Struggles of Un(der)employed Afro-Caribbean “Black” (ACB) Young Men in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how first-and second-generation Afro-Caribbean Black (ACB) male youth utilize youth employment training programs (YETPs) in three Canadian cities. ACB male youth are often marginalized through their encounters with racial discrimination, their lack of social capital, and their lived experiences which are significantly different than those of white, middle class young men in mainstream Canada. My study found that these young people are consistently met with racism, sexism and classism from employers who partner with YETPs, who presume ACB male youth are 'not good for business.' The study also found that YETP counsellors unintentionally reinforce class, race, and gender-based exclusions for ACB young men, which lowers their likelihood of finding success in the job market. Young ACB men both recognize the social exclusions they experience in these settings, and also take responsibility, as neoliberal subjects, for their own so-called 'failures' to find meaningful paid employment. I suggest that this reinforcing constellation of experiences leaves young ACB men in marginalized positions that are strikingly similar to those that ACB men have been forced to inhabit historically in Canada -that is, low-paying and menial labour that ultimately degrades their humanity and sense of self. Theoretically, I utilize the work of Franz Fanon as a way to encapsulate how Canadian social norms -emerging from Canada's existence as a settler-colonial nation-state and its long history of racial discrimination -continue to affect the social development of young ACB men. I draw on phenomenology to understand the social experiences of ACB male youth and their use of employment training programs while considering the intersubjective ideologies from other people who work with these youth in YETPs. The study also uses an intersectional approach to appreciate the heterogeneity of Black male youth, which is particularly important when studying racialized groups who are often treated as homogeneous. This study considers the lived experiences of marginalized ACB young men and the perspectives of YETP counsellors, employers, and funders of YETPs. The research approach allows me to understand how better to support young ACB men and their socioeconomic development while challenging misconceptions about Black masculinity in Canada.MAPPING THE EXPERIENCES AND STRUGGLES OF UN(DER)EMPLOYED AFRO-CARIBBEAN BLACK (ACB) YOUNG MEN I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to have been able to interview all the participants for this doctoral study, especially the youth. To the young Black men who took part, I am humbled to have learned from you and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to use your insights to inform this study. Thank you for trusting me with your lived experiences.To Sylvain Dion and the Danielle Dion Bursary committee -Thank you for all the support and for encouraging me to strive for my academic goals. Sylvain, thank you for your encouragement to complete my doctorate.To my family -Aunt Marcia, thank y...