Prince Owusu
PhD Student
| Degrees: | BA, MPhil. Social Work |
| Phone: | 613-520-2600 x 4370 |
| Email: | prince.owusu@carleton.ca |
| Office: | 627 Dunton Tower |
About Me
I enrolled in Carleton University’s doctoral program at the School of Social Work in September 2014. I hold a B.A. in Social Work with Political Science and an MPhil. in Social Work from the University of Ghana. I also served as a Teaching Assistant for two years at the University of Ghana. I am currently a Research Assistant at the School of Social Work, Carleton University. This opportunity allows me to sharpen my research skills and learn from the remarkable experience of my supervisor. Beyond the hands-on experience I have gained, this opening has also created an ongoing process of mentorship which has been instrumental in my successes in the PhD program. Studying in Canada as an international student presents a great deal of opportunities as well as challenges. However, the School of Social Work’s faculty and staff offer tremendous support which enables me to benefit from these opportunities and negotiate my challenges successfully.
Why I chose Carleton University
I chose Carleton University because of the unique academic experience I had as an exchange student in Carleton’s MSW program at the School of Social Work in 2011. The structural Social Work approach, which is the hallmark of Carleton’s School of Social Work, challenges students to critically engage social issues beyond face value. The structural perspective enables students to rethink broader social systems that continue to shape and reshape individual experiences whilst giving critical consideration to the interplay between systemic and individual factors. This is the reason why I applied to Carleton’s School of Social Work and my academic experiences have been rewarding so far.
My Research
My evolving research idea focuses on improving maternal health care in Ghana. As a Social Worker, I want to engage in a qualitative study that gives critical consideration to the experiences of women during pregnancy and the immediate post-partum period. I will utilize feminist political economy as a framework to explore women’s experiences at the micro, mezzo and macro levels giving particular consideration to the broader healthcare system and policies that shape women’s experiences. Ethics of care offers a philosophical standpoint for me, whereas the social determinants perspective enriches my understanding of health and healthcare. I believe women’s health needs in the developing world border on broader issues like human rights, equity and equality, access to productive resources and several others, which are often lost in policy circles. I am working assiduously to develop a study that can contribute positively to the Ghanaian society and the African continent as a whole.
My Research Interests
Gender and healthcare, maternal health, care work, human rights, equity and equality, masculinity, gender identity, social determinants of health, citizenship and immigration issues, child protection, and political economy.