Jamaican Farmworkers

Comments

“This is a clear presentation as to what is to be studied, but what is missing is a reference to a ‘big picture’. Implicit is the issue of the SDG that relates to decent work, as well as issues related to remittances and knowledge transfer. One of the research questions notes the issue of human rights, but this is not presented up front as an aim of the research. In this respect, the title does not really indicate what the research is about, merely what is being studied- Jamaican farm workers in Canada during COVID. Try to reword the title to reflect elements of the research questions- you are looking at experiences to inform welfare improvements (am I correct?).

Linking to the big picture would help with identifying the significance of the research.

For the reveiw of the literature, you are obviously well informed of the programme and the issues, but there were no specific references to literature, nor an interogation of academic literature related to issues such as migrant labour welfare, migrant labour welfare during COVID etc..

In relation to the research questions, I have a couple of issues. The first question speaks to structural disparities and influence on participation; what do you mean by structural disparities? Also, are you really concerned about what affects participation or more about what were the effects on welfare during the period? Perhaps this can be included in the background to the study rather that an explicit research question.

I am unclear as to how there is a clear difference between the last 2 research questions; could they be amalgamated and your study is simplified in relation looking at experiences pre- and post-Covid? This is just my thought, so if you are thinking about an alteration, speak to your research supervisor.

In relation to methodology/data collection methods, two main points; snowballing- is this merely to get participants in a timely manner or a technique you would generally use in this type of research? I would think you would want varied perspectives, while snowballing would introduce bias because you may be interviewing persons with similar experiences and points of veiw. I do not have an issue with the use of snowballing, just that you need to make sure you note the shortcomings of the approach in your work.

The other method issue I have is the use of newspaper reports– I think this could be valid in the research to provide background, but if utilised as a research method you would need to approach it scientifically in relation to sampling articles and selecting an appropriate content analysis method and analytical tool (manual, software). I would suggest to keep the project feasible within the timeline that you stay with the interviews as your applied method, which newspapers could form part of your general document analysis for the literature reveiw.”

Through COVID-19 Lenses: Seasonal Migration and Truncated Development: A Case Study of Jamaican Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Canada

Finalised Research Proposal for Ethical Review

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction and Specific Aims of the Study. 4

1.1 Primary Focus of the Study. 4

1.2 Knowledge Gaps to Be Filled by the Study. 4

1.3 Practical Significance of the Study and Its Contribution to Theory. 5

2.0 Literature Review.. 6

2.1 Participation of Jamaica in Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). 6

2.2 Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian Agriculture Sector. 7

2.3 Experience of Caribbean Migrant Farm workers in Canada. 9

3.0 Summary of Research Parameters. 11

3.1 Problem Statement 11

3.2 Purpose Statement 11

3.3 Research Questions. 12

4.1 Research Philosophy. 13

4.2 Research Design. 13

4.3 Study Population and Sampling Approach. 14

4.4 Methods of Data Collection. 16

4.5 Ethical Considerations. 16

5.1 Key Concepts or Variables and How They Will Be Measured. 18

5.2 Proposed Methods and Their Relationship with Those from Previous Studies. 18

5.3 Methods of Data Analysis. 19

6.0 Schedule of Work. 20

Bibliography. 22

Appendices. 26

Appendix 1: In-Depth Interview Questions. 26

Appendix 2: Feedback from Research Supervisor and SALI6012 Course Instructor. 27

1.0 Introduction and Specific Aims of the Study

1.1 Primary Focus of the Study

Development of a reliable workforce within the Canadian and Jamaican agricultural sectors has been a challenging process (Weiler, McLaughlin and Cole 2017, p.49). According to Thomas‐Hope (2017, p.38), Canada has been focused on addressing challenges affecting its farm work agricultural sector through the development of Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (CSAWP), which is a managed migration program that brings temporary workers to Canada. Every year, the Canadian government facilitates recruitment of farm workers from Jamaica as an approach for addressing workforce and food product shortages in the country (Horgan and Liinamaa 2017, p.715). The experience of migrant Jamaican seasonal agricultural workers in Canada has been extensively researched and reported. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 there is need for documented research on its impact on Jamaican seasonal agricultural workers in Canada. The primary focus of the proposed study is to assess the seasonal migrant farm workers program during COVID-19 of Jamaican farm workers to Canada, and to evaluate appropriateness of the available policies in supporting the migrant laborers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1.2 Knowledge Gaps to Be Filled by the Study

Even though extensive research has been conducted to assess the role of seasonal migrant farm workers program in enhancing the efficiency of migrant farm workers in Canada (Weiler, McLaughlin and Cole 2017, p.49; Thomas‐Hope 2017, p.39; Hill et al. 2019, p.831), little focus has been placed on Jamaican migrant farm workers in relation to their experience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, the proposed study will specifically examine the social and economic development impacts of the seasonal migrant farm workers program on Jamaican migrant workers, their households, communities and extrapolated to Jamaica as a whole, during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food, protection of the health and wellbeing of all farm workers tasked with the role of ensuring food security for Canadians is among the top priorities of the ministry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Stasiulis 2020, p.25). The effectiveness of those strategies proposed by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has not been specifically assessed among the migrant Jamaicans working in the Canadian farm areas. Therefore, this presents another significant gap in knowledge that the proposed study will be focused on addressing.

1.3 Practical Significance of the Study and Its Contribution to Theory

The knowledge generated from this study will be used to address significant issues which might be highlighted of the seasonal migration policies between Jamaica and Canada as well as to make recommendations for the improved welfare among the Jamaican migrants working in the Canadian agricultural sector. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting almost every sector of economy, including food systems through disruption of regional agricultural value chains and posing risks to household food security (Stasiulis 2020, p.25). Countries, such as Canada, which depend on migrant farm workers for food production are likely to be affected by this pandemic due to border closure between Canada and originating countries of the seasonal migrants as well as transient ports. Therefore, the proposed study is focused on developing recommendations to modify and enhance existing framework or develop new framework where necessary that may be used by both Canada and Jamaica to establish sustainable framework for protecting the welfare of migrant farm workers.

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Participation of Jamaica in Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP)

The SAWP is a Canadian government programme that was introduced by the Pearson government in 1966 between Jamaica and Canada, but it has been expanded to include other Caribbean countries and Mexico (Beckford 2016, p.153). The primary purpose of this program is to enable the Canadian farm employers to hire farm workers from the participating countries on temporary visas in order to meet the growing labour demands in the Canadian agricultural sector (Binford 2019, p.349). The proposed study will review newspapers for reports on Jamaica seasonal farm workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the issues raised by key stakeholders within the agricultural sector.

Research on the efficiency of SAWP has significantly increased in the recent years, and has been viewed from multiple perspectives (Budworth, 2017). For example, contingent workers perceive this program as a tool for providing flexible labor, while employers evaluate the program from a remittance perspective within which the program is viewed as an internal aid for the developing countries (Beckford 2016, p.155; Hennebry and Preibisch 2014, p.22). According to Budworth, Rose and Mann (2017, p.15), married males aged 22-45 years and women aged 23-40 years are the key participants in the SAWP program. Even though Binford (2019, p.350) claimed that SAWP is an important source of employment for Jamaicans and other participating countries, Budworth, Rose and Mann (2017, p.23) and Vosko (2018, p.885) on the other hand criticized efficiency of this program in promoting economic development among the participating nations as it mainly targets people who are in their prime ages of active economic involvement in their home countries.

Although there are some workers who have worked for decades under the SAWP, the program does not contain any pathway to citizenship and also deters workers from complaining about labor practices, workplace injuries and housing conditions (Beckford 2016, p.155; Hennebry and Preibisch 2014, p.27). The bilateral agreement between Canada and Jamaica under SAWP is believed to have benefited both countries. From the Jamaican perspective, SAWP is continuously helping to alleviate poverty in the country as it offers employment opportunities to its citizens (Binford 2019, p.351). In the case of Canada, SAWP helps in addressing reliable agricultural labor shortage by allowing farm employers to hire more temporary foreign workers (TFWs) from Jamaica (Vosko 2018, p.887). Specifically, Jamaica benefits from SAWP in several ways: receives remittances from workers, knowledge transfer and training in the use of new technology in agriculture (Budworth, Rose and Mann 2017, p.9, 22). SAWP also addresses its unemployment and underemployment issues by sending thousands (200,000 thousand seasonal migrant workers over a 49-year period) of its citizens to work in Canada (Mundle 2015) (Budworth, Rose and Mann 2017, p.2) (MLSS 2020).

2.2 Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian Agriculture Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse impacts on various sectors, including agriculture (Lawley 2020, p.14). According to Barichello (2020, p.3), global agricultural trade had shown extraordinary resilience and flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic through adoption of new measures and adapting to novel and changing conditions with readiness. Irrespective of acute disruptions early on, Canada’s operative national pandemic response has enabled the country’s food and agriculture industries to settle into a comparatively new normal operative environment (Ker and Cardwell 2020, p.36). Even though the Canadian government has been applauded for ensuring continued operations in its agricultural sector during the pandemic, some scholars such as Hailu (2020, p.19), Barichello (2020, p.4) and Rude (2020, p.208) have criticized the ability of the government to address the plights of migrant farm workers during this period. COVID-19 pandemic has caused paradoxical impacts on Canadian immigration policy where in the pandemic has halted entry of high skilled workers into the country, it has allowed continued entry of low-skilled workers (through SAWP) into the country.

Correspondingly, Ker and Cardwell (2020, p.38) noted that COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary border closures on foreign workers engaged in farms and fish plants in Canada which has received wide media coverage via numerous newspaper articles, internet webinars (UWI TV) and parliamentary discussions. Specifically, concerns have been raised about the possible effects associated with the inability to admit 60,000 annual seasonal agricultural workers, who play an essential role in the Canadian food supply chain (Rude 2020, p.30). In line with the negative impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian farms and agricultural sector, it can be justifiably noted that the pandemic has exposed key limitations of SAWP which were not originally anticipated. The pandemic has influenced occurrence of structural changes on SAWP. Specifically, Hailu (2020, p.19) stated that on 15^th May 2020 the Canadian government announced amendments on the Agri-food Immigration Pilot as the migrant workers in agriculture were to be allowed to apply for permanent residency compared to previous years where they were to work only as TFWs. The program was criticized for not being accessible to many applicants and only able to foresee 2,750 applicants and family members (Ker and Cardwell 2020, p.40). Contrary to eight (8) months during the pre-COVID-19 period, the work duration for migrant farm workers has been increased as an approach for containing the virus (Lawley 2020, p.17). Nonetheless, challenges experienced by migrant farm workers during the pandemic period have not been extensively assessed and reported (as at the first draft of the research proposal); hence forming an important area for research.

2.3 Experience of Caribbean Migrant Farm workers in Canada

In 2017, at least 40,000 migrant farm workers went to Canada through the SAWP (Perry 2018, p.1022). Out of this number, less than 4% were women (Narushima, McLaughlin and Barrett-Greene 2016, p.374). Structurally, the SAWP has been criticized for its inability to promote gender balance in the workplace and amplifying vulnerability of women to sexual assault (Cohen and Hjalmarson 2020, p.142). Compared to Jamaica and other Caribbean countries participating in the SAWP, Canada has more advanced agricultural technologies (Cohen and Caxaj 2018, p.120). From this perspective, Narushima, McLaughlin and Barrett-Greene (2016, p.377) and Perry (2018, p.1025) believe that migrant farm workers are often privileged to acquire new skills and knowledge which they could have not achieved when not working in the Canadian farms. Even though Cohen and Hjalmarson (2020, p.143) and Caxaj and Cohen (2020, p.35) did not completely refute the claims by Narushima, McLaughlin and Barrett-Greene (2016, p.377) and Perry (2018, p.1025) about acquisition of new skills and knowledge in the field of agriculture, they however noted that most of the TFWs often prefer to remain silent regardless of the unfavorable nature of their work areas because their work permits are often tied to a specific employer, and employment termination would automatically lead to deportation. Some TFWs are often in abusive workplaces and often faced with a lot of difficulties when they need to be transferred to new employers (McLaughlin 2009, 15). As a consequence of migrant farm workers’ dependence on the positive feedback received from their former employers so that they could be rehired in the coming seasons, significant percentages of TFWs often prefer keeping silent despite the hardships they face in their workplaces (Cohen and Caxaj 2018, p.123). Consistent with Cohen and Caxaj (2018, p.123) and Cohen and Hjalmarson (2020, p.145), Caxaj and Cohen (2020, p.38) criticized the efficiency of SAWP by arguing that it provides migrant farm workers with fewer rights and protections compared to other Canadian workers as they are categorized as non-citizens. Therefore, there is need to develop strategies for addressing key weaknesses of SAWP and improving the welfare of migrant farm workers.

3.0 Summary of Research Parameters

3.1 Problem Statement

The Caribbean has experienced many cases of migration throughout history, the impacts of which have transformed the present-day society in each respective country in exceptional ways (Aragon and El-Assar 2018, p.13). Even though most of the Caribbean countries have registered improved economic growth since their independence, the rates are considerably low compared to some Asian and European countries because of different factors such as emigration of skilled people through SAWP to Canada (Srinivasan et al. 2017, p.12). There is no shortage of availability of studies on SAWP and its economic impacts on both Canadian and Jamaican economies. However, there is a shortage of first-hand material about the experiences of farm workers employed under this program, especially during the COVID-19. In order to be rehired in the coming seasons, farm workers must have positive recommendations from their previous employers; hence preventing them from criticizing efficacy of their workplaces (Budworth, Rose and Mann 2017, p.20). Presence of such clauses in the SAWP have played an important role in limiting knowledge availability in relation to the experiences of TFWs. Furthermore, the relationships between health, migration and human rights have not been extensively researched in relation to the migrant farm workers during the COVID-19. Therefore, this is an important gap in literature that the proposed study is focused on filling.

… systems within the context of the covid-19 pandemic.

3.2 Purpose Statement

The primary purpose of this proposed study is to assess and report experiences of migrant farm workers in Canada at the centre of wider exploration of relationships (causation, comparisons, correlations) of migration, health and human rights which have occurred in relation to the globalized agri-food systems within the context of the covid-19 pandemic. The study will compare and contrast the experiences of migrant farm workers in Canada and the challenges faced by small-scale Jamaican farmers who go to Canada as TFWs under the SAWP. Generally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had varying impacts on different sectors of the economy (Hailu 2020, p.19). Even though the Canadian government recognizes agriculture as a key sector in its economy, challenges facing farm workers during the COVID-19, especially those who work as TFWs, have not been widely assessed and addressed (Barichello 2020, p.5). Therefore, this study intends to identify the key weaknesses of SAWP as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and propose strategies that may be used for enhancing its efficiency in future and improving the welfare of migrant farm workers. In order to achieve its purpose, the proposed study will assess interviews, forums, research papers, reports from newspapers, journals and primary data from key stakeholders in the SAWP regarding the experiences of Jamaican seasonal farm workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though key aims of this research are specific to the SAWP, its outcomes are expected to have wider applicability to a world progressively characterized by multinational flows of migrants, made up of both low-skilled and high-skilled laborers.

3.3 Research Questions

What are the structural disparities experienced by small-scale Jamaican farm workers, how do such disparities influence their participation in the SAWP?
What are the experiences associated with the living and working conditions of the Jamaican farm worker in Canada and how have they been impacted in the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre COVID-19 conditions?
What are the human rights experiences and health protection issues experienced by migrant farm workers in Canada during COVID-19 pandemic?

4.0 Overview of Intended Methodological Approach

4.1 Research Philosophy

The proposed study will employ an interpretivism research philosophy. According to Ryan (2018, p.43), the interpretivist paradigm is subjective in nature and is based on the ontological assumption that there is no single form of reality; hence multiple realities can be used to describe one phenomenon. The selection of interpretivist philosophy was influenced by the assumption that different migrant farm workers in Canada may experience varying challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and that such diverse challenges are the realities to be analyzed and reported. Consistently, Žukauskas, Vveinhardt and Andriukaitienė (2018, p.122) and Ryan (2018, p.44) noted that different people often have varying perceptions, interpretations and experiences of a situation or a phenomenon of interest from one point of view because they have varying experiences of reality. Compared to positivist philosophy which believes on the existence of a single form of reality, interpretivist philosophical approach leads to generation of more comprehensive outcomes because data is collected from people with varying perception about the research phenomenon (Žukauskas, Vveinhardt and Andriukaitienė 2018, p.123). The selection of interpretivist philosophy is expected to influence inclusion of varying perceptions about migrant farm workers’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the proposed study is expected to include both positive and negative experiences of migrant farm workers in/to Canada in order to increase comprehensiveness of the generated outcomes.

4.2 Research Design

Interpretivist philosophical paradigm involves collection and analysis of qualitative data. Therefore, the proposed study will employ a qualitative research approach. As stated by Alase (2017, p.10), the underlying reason for performing any qualitative research is to gain comprehensive understanding of a specific phenomenon, issue or meaning based on first-hand experience. While quantitative approach is objective, the qualitative approach on the other hand is subjective in nature and data is collected in non-numerical formats (Tuffour 2017, p.53; Holliday 2015, p.50). Even though qualitative approach has the ability of generating more detailed outcomes compared to quantitative research, generalizability of study findings is often limited because of the inclusion of relatively small sample size (Khan 2014, p.225). In order to facilitate collection of detailed data, only those individuals with first-hand and comprehensive lived knowledge about the experience of migrant farm workers living in Canada during the COVID-19 will be included in the study.

However, qualitative data cannot be analyzed in a quantifiable manner using statistical techniques as there may not be commonalities between the collected findings (Tuffour 2017, p.54) and also insufficient cases for statistical analysis. Nonetheless, Alase (2017, p.10) and Khan (2014, p.227) noted that coding process can be implemented if common categories are identifiable during the analysis. The specific qualitative approach to be employed in this study is phenomenology. As described by Holliday (2015, p.52), phenomenology is a qualitative research design which focuses on the commonality of lived experience within a specific group. The primary goal of phenomenology design is to develop a description of the nature of a particular phenomenon. Therefore, the proposed study will involve collection and analysis of qualitative data in order to identify commonality in experiences of migrant farm workers in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.3 Study Population and Sampling Approach

Study population should be defined so as to determine the eligibility of individuals to be included in the research (Etikan, Musa and Alkassim 2016, p.2). The target study population for this research is the migrant farm workers (from Jamaica) working on Canadian farms. Six thousand (6000) workers left Jamaica on the SAWP between January to July 2020 – 75% returning participants and 25% as new recruits (MLSS 2020). In order to ensure consistency of data to be collected and generated outcomes, only those migrant farm workers from Jamaica working in Canadian farms hired through the SAWP will be included in the study. Therefore, farm workers from Mexico and other Caribbean countries participating in the SAWP, apart from Jamaica, will be excluded from the study. Furthermore, the migrant farm workers must have first-hand experience as TFWs on Canadian farms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling approach through the snowballing methodology will be used for participant recruitment process. According to Etikan, Musa and Alkassim (2016, p.3) and Sharma (2017, p.750), the primary objective of purposive sampling approach is to produce a sample which can be logically assumed to be a true representative of the whole study population. The Snowballing methodology under purposive sampling technique, will be employed enabling the researcher recruit more participants through other through established participants acquaintances (Naderifar 2017, p1). Identified farmworkers will be provided with an invitation to participate in the study. Although written this will be thoroughly explained to the participant (mindfulness of literacy stage). The initial step in the sampling process will involve collection of general demographic characteristics of migrant farm workers, such as their nationality, farm work experience under the SAWP (last contract under the program to ensure participants were hired during the COVID-19 pandemic). Thereafter, only individuals who meet all the inclusion criteria will be recruited into the study. The proposed study targets to include between 10-15 participants (0.33% of the total seasonal population).

4.4 Methods of Data Collection

Data collection process will be executed using two methods; in-depth interviews supplemented by secondary qualitative data from Jamaican and Canadian local newspapers, news reports and a variety information outlet. The decision to use two methods of data collection was influenced by the need to collect more comprehensive information about the research problem. Etikan, Musa and Alkassim (2016, p.4) defined in-depth interview as an open-ended, discovery-oriented method that is used for obtaining comprehensive information about the research phenomenon. To conform to the guidelines by World Health Organization for limiting the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), a virtual (telephonic or Zoom-based) in-depth interview approach will be adopted, instead of traditional face-to-face approach. There will be two categories of interviews undertaken; one set of interviews will seek to understand the administrative effects of the SAWP program during COVID-19 in order to corroborate experiences and to effectively make policy recommendation and the other interview to understand the effects of lived experiences of the program through actual Jamaican farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

The selected administrative personnel and migrant farm workers will choose from either telephonic or Zoom-based interviews based on their preference. Jamaican administrators of the program will be contacted through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security while initial TFWs who participated in the SAWP from Jamaica will be identified through “gatekeepers” form rural communities in Jamaica and the snowballing methodology will be employed. Gatekeepers of farmworkers in the rural communities are local constituent councilors.

Regardless of the approach selected, every interview session is expected to take between 45-60 minutes as an approach for moderating the data collection process and ensuring time management. The collected qualitative data will then be supplemented by information from different newspapers for the purpose of comparative analysis and generation of comprehensive outcomes. Third party information will be cross tabulated with other sources surrounding the same data to ensure consistency and validity.

4.5 Ethical Considerations

The research proposal will be submitted to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Ethics Committee. The UWI ethics committee has a responsibility to protect the safety and integrity of research in which human subjects are involved (UWI 2021). Jamaican migrant farm workers are considered a vulnerable group and any effort to gather, analyse and publish information from the said group requires careful research guidelines (Johnson 2020). The UWI ethics committee will consider the suitability of the methods and procedures used, and the issues related to the informed consent of subjects (UWI 2021).

Based on the detailed interview for farm workers seen in Appendix 2 the research proposal would not involve more than minimal risk to both interviewer and interviewee. “Minimal risk” means that the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests (ECFR 2018).

All participants will be provided with consent forms (Appendix 1, same appendix will be read to the farm workers participating in the study) containing information about the research purpose, their role in the study and how the data will be collected (audio-visually). In addition to being recruited in a voluntary manner, all the participants will be allowed to withdraw from the study at any time they wish to do so. Researchers have the responsibility of ensuring anonymity (which will be outlined on consent forms) of participants and confidentiality of collected data (Connelly 2014, p.54). All the participants will be assigned pseudonyms or unique codes, such Part001, Part002 in that order, as an approach of protecting their identity. Furthermore, actual identity of their farm employers and Canadian farm names will not be revealed as an approach for ensuring anonymity. Additionally, the collected data will only be used for the purpose of completing the proposed study and will not be shared to any third party without the consent of participants. As an approach for the prevention of access from unauthorized personnel, all data will be stored in a password-protected Microsoft OneDrive.

5.0 Planned Operationalization

5.1 Key Concepts or Variables and How They Will Be Measured

Key concepts involved in the proposed study include migrant farm workers’ experiences and the efficiency of SAWP during the COVID-19 pandemic. The migrant farm workers’ experiences involve the challenges faced by the TFWs and the benefits associated with their involvement in the SAWP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the research will collect both positive and negative experiences as data, which will thereafter be used for developing different realities in order to conform with the principles of interpretivist philosophy. The efficiency of SAWP, as one of the programs used by both Jamaican and Canadian governments to facilitate migration of farm workers into Canada, will be measured based on the types of experiences reported by the interviewed farm workers. Therefore, identification of negative experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic will show that the SAWP is inadequately prepared to fulfill all needs of migrant farm workers.

5.2 Proposed Methods and Their Relationship with Those from Previous Studies

Even though there is relatively large number of studies which have assessed the experiences of migrant farm workers in Canada, most of them have evaluated this research problem in relation to both farm workers from Mexico and Caribbean countries (participating in SAWP). Therefore, the decision to specifically focus on Jamaican migrant farm workers has enhanced the uniqueness of the study. Furthermore, large percentage of studies in this area have adopted a quantitative research approach, with the few ones using only one type of qualitative data collection methods, such as interviews, focus group discussion and direct observation. On the contrary, the proposed study will use in-depth interviews and secondary qualitative data to enhance comprehensiveness of generated outcomes.

5.3 Methods of Data Analysis

The collected qualitative data will be analyzed using the thematic data analysis approach. Thematic analysis emphasizes on the identification, analysis and interpretation of patterns of meaning within the qualitative data (Clarke, Braun and Hayfield 2015, p.222). Audio-visually recorded interview sessions (use of audio-visual interfaces such as Zoom, Skype, Google Meets will be utilized to facilitate the communication with the migrant farm workers currently in Canada and Jamaica, this will also facilitate the observation of body language which can give vital information and also to maintain COVID-19 protocols) will be transcribed in a Microsoft Word document prior to their actual analysis. With reference to Terry, Hayfield, Clarke and Braun (2017, p.22), thematic analysis is a six-step method for qualitative data analysis: familiarization with collection data, coding, generation of themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and performing the final write up. In the familiarization step, the researcher will read through the interview excerpts 2-3 times in order to understand their contents. Thereafter, the interview excerpts will be assigned unique codes depending on their contents, the codes will then be combined to facilitate generation of themes, which will be compared and contrasted with the data collected secondary qualitative data. Thematic analysis will be conducted using NVivo software.

6.0 Schedule of Work

Figure 1: Gantt chart showing the project schedule of work

Key

Task 1: Meeting with Academic Research Supervisor to discuss research proposal

Task 2: Research proposal adjusted in line with recommendations from Academic Supervisor

Task 3: Preparation of submission documents for the UWI Mona Ethics Committee

Task 4: Submission of Research Proposal to the UWI Mona Ethics Committee

Task 5: Research Proposal Adjusted in line with recommendations from UWI Mona Ethics Committee

Task 6: Submission of amended Research Proposal to the UWI Mona Ethics Committee

Task 7: Operationalization of research project

Task 8: Research problem reassessment

Task 9: Research aims and question formulation

Task 10: Chapter One (Introduction) write-up

Task 11: Systematic literature search on relevant databases

Task 12: Critical review of previous literature and Chapter Two (Literature Review) write-up

Task 13: Participant sampling and recruitment into the study

Task 14: Research methods and methodologies formulation, and Chapter Three write-up

Task 15: Primary and secondary qualitative data collection

Task 16: Analysis of collected data, and Chapter Four (Results) write-up

Task 17: Interpretation of the analysis outcomes and Chapter Five (Discussions) write-up

Task 18: Restating research questions and aims, and Chapter Six (Conclusion and Recommendations) write-up

Task 19: Submission to Research Supervisor for final review

Task 20: Reviewing feedback from project supervisor

Task 21: Final project submission

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Consent Form – SAWP Administrators – Jamaica

CONSENT FORM FOR ELITE INTERVIEW – SAWP ADMINISTRATORS

Title of Study: Through COVID-19 Lenses: Seasonal Migration and Truncated Development: A Case Study of Jamaican Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Canada

Purpose and description: I am a MSc. student from the University of the West Indies. The primary focus of the proposed study is to assess the seasonal migrant farm workers program during COVID-19 of Jamaican farm workers to Canada, and to evaluate appropriateness of the available policies in supporting the migrant laborers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study is also being conducted in partial fulfillment of a Master of Science Degree in Development Studies with a concentration in Economic Development Policy at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), Mona Campus. The purpose of the proposed study is to assess the seasonal migrant farm workers program during COVID-19 of Jamaican farm workers to Canada, and to evaluate appropriateness of the available policies in supporting the migrant laborers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This interview will last for forty-five (45) minutes. The interview will be conducted virtually and an online video platform will be set up with a request for your consent to record the session. The sessions will not be recorded if permission is denied.

Risks: There is minimal risk to participating in this study.

Benefits: This study will not provide any direct benefits to you. However, the research will highlight any issues of the seasonal migration policies between Jamaica and This will support more effective and innovative policymaking for improved welfare among Jamaicans working in the Canadian agricultural sector if required

Right to withdraw or refusal to participate: Participation is voluntary. You may withdraw your consent at any time you wish without any penalty.

Confidentiality: A unique number will be generated and associated with your responses. At the end of data analysis, all identifying marks will be removed and the data will be stored in an encoded and protected hard drive. Your personal information and responses will be kept CONFIDENTIAL and no personal identifying information will be linked to responses.

Compensation: There will be no compensation provided for your participation. A signed copy of the informed consent form will be provided to you subsequently.

Contact Details for Principal Investigator: If you have any questions regarding the research project, you may contact the principal investigator:

Statement of DECLARATION: I have read the informed consent form (or that it has been read to me) and I understand its contents.

Name of Respondent:

Email address:

Phone Number:

Signature of Respondent: Date: _________________

Name of Interviewer:

Signature of Interviewer: Date: _________________

Appendix 2: In-Depth Interview Questions – Seasonal Farm workers to Canada

Please state your gender: ___________________________
Please state your age: ___________________________
Do you own a farm in Jamaica? ___________________________
1. What size is this farm: ___________________________
2. What crops do you cultivate on your farm? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you don’t own a farm, what areas of agriculture are you involved in?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How many times have you participated in the farm work program before the onset of COVID-19 (March 2020) in Jamaica? ___________________________
When was your last participation date of the Farm work program? ____________________
1. How long were you away from the island? ___________________________
2. How long was the period of the of assignment in Canada? ____________________
State aspects (the parts) of the farm work program you enjoyed or which was most beneficial while in Canada before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020).

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

State aspects (the parts) of the farm work program you did not enjoy or which was not beneficial while in Canada before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020).

State things about the working on the farm work program you liked while working in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State things about the working on the farm work program you did not like while working in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were there safety measures to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic instituted on the farm on which you worked.

Did you contract the COVID-19 virus while on the farm work program? ______________
1. If yes
2. Was healthcare provided by your employer in Canada? __________________________________________________________________
Did you encounter any problems in accessing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada?