My ARIA project, Complaints, Racism and Democratic Accountability: Mapping Barriers in Canada’s Police Service Boards and Human Rights Institutions, focuses on highlighting the burdens that racialized people, particularly Black Canadians, experience when trying to file complaints relating to racism. I worked with my supervisor, Professor Thompson, to assess the ways in which human rights commissions (“HRCs”) and police service boards (“PSBs”) handle racism complaints. This project is a part of a larger assessment of barriers that exist in Canada when Black Canadians and other racialized peoples try to access accountability within public institutions.
This project examines the federal human rights commission and police service boards, as well as those of Ontario and Nova Scotia, which both have sizable historical and current Black communities. These cases were chosen to offer a better look at the experiences of Black Canadians. To explore the research topic, I used process tracing to understand each institution. One way I applied this method was by making comparative flowcharts to understand the complaint process at the respective institutions. Following the complaint journey allowed me to assess the ways complaint is handled and issues that may arise for complainants. Additionally, I was able to learn about the resolution methods used in discrimination cases like mediation. This process gave me the necessary context to explore the existing literature that exists on human rights commissions and police service boards.
One of the major challenges that I encountered was a lack of literature on the racism and accountability institutions. While I searched for all the available writing on the topic, I found that not much has been written about the relationship that these institutions face. While I could find literature on police dynamics with Black communities and the experiences of commission workers, I found very little on the complainant’s process. This lack of information made me turn to existing case law, as well as newspapers and reports published by the HRCs and PSBs. Although it was hard to shuffle through legal terminology, I found connecting with librarians to be helpful in simplifying the process for me. Another issue I encountered was inconsistent race-based data collection in PSBs. This challenge forced me to look at other sources, like investigative reports, to understand the scope of the issue. At times, it proved to be tough and was even frustrating; the process taught me to look for new avenues to explore my research topic.
A major highlight of my ARIA was my weekly meetings with Professor Thompson. I was able to share my findings and hear input about the topics that would be best to research next. I felt encouraged to explore the topics I found most interesting and report back. What I found most impactful was the mentorship I was given over the course of this internship. Academia has always been something I have found interesting, but never something that felt accessible to me. It was never apparent to me how research was conducted and the ways I could blend topics that I was passionate about with my education. Being able to work with Professor Thompson gave me a better picture of how my academic interest and personal passions could coalesce.
As my undergraduate studies continue, I hope to take courses on methodology to improve my understanding of the ways different research can be conducted. Certainly, my interest in academia will not end with ARIA and hopefully one day I will be able to conduct further research. As a Political Science and History student, I would love to blend the fields together in a future project. Throughout my third year, taking more Canadian politics and history classes is a priority of mine. ARIA has encouraged to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of Canada’s democracy.
I truly want to extend my gratitude to Professor Thompson, the Dean of Arts, and the Arts Internship Office, whom without, this opportunity would not be possible. The significance of this experience to me cannot be overstated; it not only proved to be interesting but also offered valuable insights into a potential career in the field! For any students who have even the slightest interest in research, I would highly recommend ARIA because it offers a great picture of what the experience.
