Scholarly Interests/Area of Expertise
- Critical Race and Anticolonial Theorizing
- Racialized Communities
- Minority Stress and Racial Trauma
- Children and Youth Mental Health
- Community-based and participatory research approaches
- Qualitative methods
Educational Background
- Ph.D. Memorial University of Newfoundland
- BSW and MSW Kings University College @ Western University
Biography
Siham Elkassem is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Windsor. Siham’s teaching and scholarship are deeply informed by her decade of experience in direct practice and two decades in community engagement and advocacy. Drawing on her background, she brings a fusion of research, theoretical expertise and direct practice in her teaching approach. Siham is also committed to advancing knowledge in racialized and equity-seeking communities, employing critical praxis approaches and advocating for racial trauma-informed care. Passionate about teaching and mentorship, she is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of critical social work professionals and scholars.
Recent Publications
Peer Reviewed Articles
Elkassem, S. (2023). Muslim Youth Experience in a Visceral Islamophobia and anti-Muslim Racism Context. Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dissertation. https://research.library.mun.ca/16144/
Elkassem, S. & Murray-Lichtman, A. (2022). Road mapping an Integrative Critical Race and Anti-Colonial Approach in Social Work Practice. Advances in Social Work. 22(2), 628-646. https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/view/24952
Elkassem, S. & Csiernik, R. (2019). Gatekeeper Perspectives on Substance Use and Addiction among the Muslim Community in Southwestern Ontario. Journal of Social Work Practice and Addictions. 20(4), 255–271. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1533256X.2020.1838856?src=&jornalCode=wswp20
Elkassem, S. & Csiernik, R. (2018). The Development of a Social Work Program for an Islamic Day School in Southwestern Ontario. International Journal of School Social Work: 3(1) Online. https://doi.org/10.4148/2161-4148.1029
Elkassem, S., Csiernik, R., Mantulak, A., Kayssi, G., Hussain, Y., Lambert, K., Bailey, P. & Choudhary, A. (2018). Growing up Muslim: The impact of Islamophobia on children in a Canadian community. Journal of Muslim Mental Health. 12(1), 3-18. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jmmh/10381607.0012.101?view=text;rgn=main
Book Chapters
Murray-Lichtman, A. & Elkassem, S. (In process). Critical Social Work Praxis: Addressing the psychological consequences of racism, white supremacy, and coloniality with a Critical Race and Anti-Colonial conceptual model. In Vareed, B., Gateri, H. & Adjei, P. (Eds.) Critical Multicultural Social Work in Canada. Canadian Scholars Volume.
Elkassem, S. & Murray-Lichtman, A. (2023). Afterword: Examining Research Through a Critical Lens and a Theorization of Academic Voyeurism. In Csiernik, R. & Birnbaum, R. (Eds). Practicing social work research: Case studies for learning, third edition. University of Toronto Press.
Elkassem, S. (2023). Research as Response: Critical Race and Anti-Colonial Approaches. In Csernik, R. & Birnbaum, R. (Eds.). Practicing social work research: Case studies for learning, third edition. University of Toronto Press.
Elkassem, S. & El-Saadi, L. (2023). A House with Many Rooms: A Snapshot of Substance Use across Muslim Populations. In Csiernik, R., Rowe, W. S., & Novotna, G. (Eds.). Responding to the oppression of addiction, fourth edition pp. 295-312. Canadian Scholars Press.
Elkassem, S. & Shaikh, S. S. (2022). Re-storying “Hardship” and “Ease”: Towards a Spiritual Social Work Praxis. In Shaikh, S. S., LeFrançois, B. A., and Macías, T. (Eds.). Critical Social Work Praxis pp. 382-393. Fernwood Publishing.
Elkassem S. & Csiernik, R. (2021). Perceptions of Islamophobia among Muslim youth. In Sethi, B., Guruge, S., and Csiernik, R. (Eds.). Understanding The Refugee Experience In The Canadian Context pp.70-85. Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Reports
Elkassem, S. (In process). Examining the Effects: Muslim Youth Perspectives and Experiences of the Crisis in Gaza. The Office of Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia in Canada. The Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/combatting-islamophobia-canada/special-representative.html
Natarajan, S., Asare Bediako, Y., Ochoa, L., & Elkassem, S. (2021). They think you are exaggerating: A report on Campus Racial Climate at King's and Brescia. https://www.kings.uwo.ca/kings/assets/File/communications/news/KBARWG%20REPORT.pdf
Research/Funded Projects
Elkassem, S. (2023). Muslim Youth Experience in a Visceral Islamophobia and anti-Muslim Racism Context. Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Principal Investigator. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). CAD $105,000.
Elkassem, S. & Csiernik, R. (2019). Gatekeeper Perspectives on Substance Use and Addiction among the Muslim Community in Southwestern Ontario. Co-Investigator. Ontario Association of Social Workers. CAD $3,000.