Shamette Hepburn
Associate Professor
Phone: 416-736-2100 Ext: 66324
Email: hepburns@yorku.ca
Dr. Shamette Hepburn is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, York University, Canada. Dr. Hepburn's scholarship is grounded in post-critical theories, visual methods, community-engaged fieldwork, and intervention research. Her teaching incorporates critical and constructivist pedagogical approaches into Social Work Education, thus inviting students to search for understanding, appreciate uncertainty, and inquire responsibly as they contemplate social action. As an interpretive gerontologist, Dr. Hepburn aims to reveal otherwise hidden experiences and perspectives within the migratory life course. Her work explores Caribbean geographies of ageing, transcultural competencies, humanism, cultural certitude, diasporic self-definition, community education, later-life learning, collective resilience, post-retirement care, retirement time inequality, and an array of settlement processes and experiences at the distal end of the migratory life course.
Degrees
PhD, University of TorontoMSW, York University
MSc, Connecticut State University
BSc, University of the West Indies
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesProfessional Leadership
Member- Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers
Member- Canadian Association on Gerontology
Member-The National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)
Research Interests
Hepburn, S. & Coloma, R.S. (2020). Ageing transmigrants and the decolonisation of life course. In S. Guo and S. Maitra (Eds.) Decolonising Lifelong Learning in the Age of Transnational Migration (pp. 48-66). New York: Routledge.
Hepburn, S., Matsuoka, A., Guruge, S., & Manuel, L. (2015). Intervention strategies to address elder abuse of ethnoracial minority older adults from different communities. In S. Koehn and M. Badger (Eds.), Health care equity for ethnic minority older adults. Vancouver, BC: Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University.
Hepburn, S., Matsuoka, A., Guruge, S., & Manuel, L. (2015). Partnering to promote health care
equity for ethnic minority older adults: Topical Report: What types of intervention strategies address abuse of ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA) as it is defined and experienced in different communities (especially those coming from war-torn countries)? Vancouver, BC: Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University.
Hepburn, S., & Goitom, M. (2023). Approaches to Practice in Emergency Contexts: Post-Disaster Outlook on Black Communities in Toronto, Journal of Social Service Research. Published Online http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2023.2259933
Hepburn, S. (2022). Later-life learning among Latin Americans in Canada: Toward a critical pedagogy of place. Social Inclusion, 10,(2). https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/5695
Hepburn, S. (2021). Adult Day Support and Community Resilience: An Analysis of the Experiences of Ageing Cambodian Canadians. SN Social Sciences, 1: 4.
Hepburn, S. (2021). Exploring the migratory life course as a visual and cultural artifact. The Journal of Aging and Social Change, 11(2), 13 – 32.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Retirement Time and the Temporalities of the Migratory Life Course. Ageing International, 45:434-452.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Signalling the End of the Migration Journey: Exploring Transnational Ageing Narratives on Residential Selection. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 21: 1263-1278.
Hepburn, S. (2020). ‘It’s like you are trapped in a small place’: Language Skill Acquisition and Settlement Outcomes of Ageing Cambodian Refugees. International Journal of Social Work, 7(2), 1– 16.
Hepburn, S. (2022). Place-based education and later-life learning among community-dwelling immigrants’ in Toronto. Paper presented to the British Society of Gerontology 51st Annual Conference, Bristol, England, July 8, 2022.
Hepburn, S. (2022). Risk, empathy and boundaries in the field: Decolonial ethics and the researcher-practitioner. Paper presented to the 18th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, May, 19, 2022.
Hepburn (2021). Everyday bordering and liminal integration: Exploring language skill acquisition and long-term settlement outcomes among ageing Cambodian Canadians. Paper presented to the Cultural Studies Association 19th Annual Conference – ANTI-BODIES, Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2021). A view from the distal end of the migratory life course: Retirement time inequalities among ageing Jamaican Canadians. Paper presented to the Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Congress (CALACS), York University, Toronto, Canada, August 24, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2021). Protracted resettlement and adaptive responses: Exploring Cambodian Canadians’ utilization of community-based adult day programme support in Toronto. Paper presented to the British Society of Gerontology 50th Annual Conference, Lancaster, England, July 9, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Exploring the Distribution of Retirement Time: A Critical Transnational Study. New Voices in Work and Labour Studies Series. Global Labour Research Centre, York University.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Integrating community-based research and critical pedagogy to support older adult transmigrants in Toronto, Canada. Paper presented at the Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations, at University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Fresco, E. & Hepburn, S. (2019). Engaging and supporting older adults through communication technology: Preliminary findings of a community-based research partnership. Paper presented at the 2019 Canadian Communication Association Conference at the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vancouver BC.
Hepburn, S. (2019). A critical transnational exploration of mobility, ageing and well-being. Paper presented at the African Studies Association (ASA) Conference, (Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Expanding transnational social work: A new framework addressing the everyday-life geographies of racialized transmigrants. Paper presented at the 2019 Canadian Association for Social Work Education Conference at the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vancouver, BC.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Exploring Nettleford’s transdisciplinary appeal. Paper presented at the 5th Biennial Rex Nettleford Conference, Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Kingston, Jamaica.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Research as a cultural activity: Collaborative arts-based inquiry with Jamaican Canadian older adult transmigrants. Paper presented at the 50th Annual Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Congress, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn (2018). Where's the best place to retire? Findings of a Visual Ethnographic Study of Transnationally Mobile Older Adults. Presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 47th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Community-Dwelling Cambodian Canadians at the Unity in Diversity Program in Toronto: Summary Report. Jane and Finch Family and Community Centre (JFCFC), Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Adult Day Support, Collective Resilience and Well-being: A Snapshot of the Experiences of Cambodian Canadian Program Participants. Jane and Finch Family and Community Centre (JFCFC), Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn, S. (Feb. 3, 2020). What Happens to the Ageing Diaspora after Labour Market Exit? Newspaper feature article published in daily Jamaica Observer, Kingston, Jamaica.
Hepburn, S. (Oct. 8, 2018) What are the Real Issues Confronting the Caribbean’s Ageing Diaspora and Regional Governments? Newspaper column published in daily Stabroek News, Georgetown, Guyana.
Artistic and expressive modalities in gerontological social work research. Presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 45th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Exploring theoretical approaches to contemporary Caribbean later-life circulation and return migration. Panel Presentation: “The Limits of Multiculturalism and the (Im)Possibility of Difference” at the Critical Ethnic Studies Conference, Toronto, May, 2015.
Towards a Critical Transnational Ethnogerontology: Elderly Jamaican Canadian transmigrants. Poster presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 44th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Calgary, October, 2015.
What types of intervention strategies address abuse of ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA) as it is defined and experienced in different communities (especially those coming from war-torn countries)? Presented at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 43th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Niagara, October, 2014. Co-authored with Dr. Atsuko Matsuoka, Dr. Sepali Guruge and Dr. Lisa Manuel.
Navigating the Maze of Transition: Promoting Successful Outcomes for Youth Leaving Care. Paper presented to staff at the Children's Aid Society of Toronto.
Aging and Sexual Citizenship. Poster presented at the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE) Knowledge Exchange NICE Knowledge Exchange at the University of Toronto
Sketching caricatures: Ageing and sexuality as depicted in two mainstream Canadian newspapers. Poster presented at the Annual York University Annual Social Work Conference.
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2024 | GS/SOWK5920 3.0 | M | Critical Gerontological Sowk Seminar | SEMR |
| Fall/Winter 2023 | AP/SOWK2050 6.0 | B | Anti-Discriminatory Practice | SEMR |
Dr. Shamette Hepburn is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, York University, Canada. Dr. Hepburn's scholarship is grounded in post-critical theories, visual methods, community-engaged fieldwork, and intervention research. Her teaching incorporates critical and constructivist pedagogical approaches into Social Work Education, thus inviting students to search for understanding, appreciate uncertainty, and inquire responsibly as they contemplate social action. As an interpretive gerontologist, Dr. Hepburn aims to reveal otherwise hidden experiences and perspectives within the migratory life course. Her work explores Caribbean geographies of ageing, transcultural competencies, humanism, cultural certitude, diasporic self-definition, community education, later-life learning, collective resilience, post-retirement care, retirement time inequality, and an array of settlement processes and experiences at the distal end of the migratory life course.
Degrees
PhD, University of TorontoMSW, York University
MSc, Connecticut State University
BSc, University of the West Indies
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesProfessional Leadership
Member- Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers
Member- Canadian Association on Gerontology
Member-The National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)
Research Interests
All Publications
Hepburn, S. & Coloma, R.S. (2020). Ageing transmigrants and the decolonisation of life course. In S. Guo and S. Maitra (Eds.) Decolonising Lifelong Learning in the Age of Transnational Migration (pp. 48-66). New York: Routledge.
Hepburn, S., Matsuoka, A., Guruge, S., & Manuel, L. (2015). Intervention strategies to address elder abuse of ethnoracial minority older adults from different communities. In S. Koehn and M. Badger (Eds.), Health care equity for ethnic minority older adults. Vancouver, BC: Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University.
Hepburn, S., Matsuoka, A., Guruge, S., & Manuel, L. (2015). Partnering to promote health care
equity for ethnic minority older adults: Topical Report: What types of intervention strategies address abuse of ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA) as it is defined and experienced in different communities (especially those coming from war-torn countries)? Vancouver, BC: Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University.
Hepburn, S., & Goitom, M. (2023). Approaches to Practice in Emergency Contexts: Post-Disaster Outlook on Black Communities in Toronto, Journal of Social Service Research. Published Online http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2023.2259933
Hepburn, S. (2022). Later-life learning among Latin Americans in Canada: Toward a critical pedagogy of place. Social Inclusion, 10,(2). https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/5695
Hepburn, S. (2021). Adult Day Support and Community Resilience: An Analysis of the Experiences of Ageing Cambodian Canadians. SN Social Sciences, 1: 4.
Hepburn, S. (2021). Exploring the migratory life course as a visual and cultural artifact. The Journal of Aging and Social Change, 11(2), 13 – 32.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Retirement Time and the Temporalities of the Migratory Life Course. Ageing International, 45:434-452.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Signalling the End of the Migration Journey: Exploring Transnational Ageing Narratives on Residential Selection. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 21: 1263-1278.
Hepburn, S. (2020). ‘It’s like you are trapped in a small place’: Language Skill Acquisition and Settlement Outcomes of Ageing Cambodian Refugees. International Journal of Social Work, 7(2), 1– 16.
Hepburn, S. (2022). Place-based education and later-life learning among community-dwelling immigrants’ in Toronto. Paper presented to the British Society of Gerontology 51st Annual Conference, Bristol, England, July 8, 2022.
Hepburn, S. (2022). Risk, empathy and boundaries in the field: Decolonial ethics and the researcher-practitioner. Paper presented to the 18th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, May, 19, 2022.
Hepburn (2021). Everyday bordering and liminal integration: Exploring language skill acquisition and long-term settlement outcomes among ageing Cambodian Canadians. Paper presented to the Cultural Studies Association 19th Annual Conference – ANTI-BODIES, Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2021). A view from the distal end of the migratory life course: Retirement time inequalities among ageing Jamaican Canadians. Paper presented to the Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Congress (CALACS), York University, Toronto, Canada, August 24, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2021). Protracted resettlement and adaptive responses: Exploring Cambodian Canadians’ utilization of community-based adult day programme support in Toronto. Paper presented to the British Society of Gerontology 50th Annual Conference, Lancaster, England, July 9, 2021.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Exploring the Distribution of Retirement Time: A Critical Transnational Study. New Voices in Work and Labour Studies Series. Global Labour Research Centre, York University.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Integrating community-based research and critical pedagogy to support older adult transmigrants in Toronto, Canada. Paper presented at the Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations, at University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Fresco, E. & Hepburn, S. (2019). Engaging and supporting older adults through communication technology: Preliminary findings of a community-based research partnership. Paper presented at the 2019 Canadian Communication Association Conference at the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vancouver BC.
Hepburn, S. (2019). A critical transnational exploration of mobility, ageing and well-being. Paper presented at the African Studies Association (ASA) Conference, (Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Expanding transnational social work: A new framework addressing the everyday-life geographies of racialized transmigrants. Paper presented at the 2019 Canadian Association for Social Work Education Conference at the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vancouver, BC.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Exploring Nettleford’s transdisciplinary appeal. Paper presented at the 5th Biennial Rex Nettleford Conference, Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Kingston, Jamaica.
Hepburn, S. (2019). Research as a cultural activity: Collaborative arts-based inquiry with Jamaican Canadian older adult transmigrants. Paper presented at the 50th Annual Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Congress, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn (2018). Where's the best place to retire? Findings of a Visual Ethnographic Study of Transnationally Mobile Older Adults. Presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 47th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Community-Dwelling Cambodian Canadians at the Unity in Diversity Program in Toronto: Summary Report. Jane and Finch Family and Community Centre (JFCFC), Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn, S. (2020). Adult Day Support, Collective Resilience and Well-being: A Snapshot of the Experiences of Cambodian Canadian Program Participants. Jane and Finch Family and Community Centre (JFCFC), Toronto, Canada.
Hepburn, S. (Feb. 3, 2020). What Happens to the Ageing Diaspora after Labour Market Exit? Newspaper feature article published in daily Jamaica Observer, Kingston, Jamaica.
Hepburn, S. (Oct. 8, 2018) What are the Real Issues Confronting the Caribbean’s Ageing Diaspora and Regional Governments? Newspaper column published in daily Stabroek News, Georgetown, Guyana.
Artistic and expressive modalities in gerontological social work research. Presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 45th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Exploring theoretical approaches to contemporary Caribbean later-life circulation and return migration. Panel Presentation: “The Limits of Multiculturalism and the (Im)Possibility of Difference” at the Critical Ethnic Studies Conference, Toronto, May, 2015.
Towards a Critical Transnational Ethnogerontology: Elderly Jamaican Canadian transmigrants. Poster presentation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 44th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Calgary, October, 2015.
What types of intervention strategies address abuse of ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA) as it is defined and experienced in different communities (especially those coming from war-torn countries)? Presented at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 43th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Niagara, October, 2014. Co-authored with Dr. Atsuko Matsuoka, Dr. Sepali Guruge and Dr. Lisa Manuel.
Navigating the Maze of Transition: Promoting Successful Outcomes for Youth Leaving Care. Paper presented to staff at the Children's Aid Society of Toronto.
Aging and Sexual Citizenship. Poster presented at the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE) Knowledge Exchange NICE Knowledge Exchange at the University of Toronto
Sketching caricatures: Ageing and sexuality as depicted in two mainstream Canadian newspapers. Poster presented at the Annual York University Annual Social Work Conference.
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2024 | GS/SOWK5920 3.0 | M | Critical Gerontological Sowk Seminar | SEMR |
| Fall/Winter 2023 | AP/SOWK2050 6.0 | B | Anti-Discriminatory Practice | SEMR |
