Maurice Kwong-Lai Poon
Biographic Data
| ID | 198391 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Maurice Kwong-Lai Poon |
| GIVEN NAMES | Maurice Kwong-Lai |
| FAMILY NAME | Poon |
| SIGNATURE | POON M K |
| AFFILIATIONS | York University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6525-7662 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 45 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Pathways to breaking the cycle of HIV stigma: Experiences and insights of racialized immigrant communities in the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara Region, Canada
15) took part in two gender-based, online focus groups. Based on thematic analysis, we identified five overarching themes: (1) daily challenges with HIV stigma; (2) mental and behavioral repercussions of HIV stigma; (3) turning points and positive coping strategies; (4) systemic and intersecting barriers; and (5) changes through education and peer support. Participants described stigma as a chronic and multifaceted experience that detrimentally a…
Remembering Amy Rossiter: The Governing Effects of Self-Esteem Knowledge on Social Work Practice
Amy Rossiter has long called our attention to the governing effects of social work knowledge (i.e., how it directs both discursive thinking and the daily actions of people). For her, knowledge itself is neither neutral nor true but is produced and maintained by discourse that defines what is considered acceptable and true. The production of knowledge is a relation of power; therefore, social work knowledge itself should be a topic of scrutiny. Ta…
Searching for a congruent framework to teach sexuality in social work: A personal reflection
In this article, I discuss how I design a sexuality course using queer theory. Based on the key concepts of queer theory, I structure the course into eight areas: (1) problematizing the notion of sexuality, (2) rethinking sexuality through queer theory, (3) the historical and social construction of sexuality, (4) the social organization of sexuality, (5) managing sexuality institutionally, (6) the institutionalization of sexuality, (7) the fluidi…
Chinese University Students’ Perspectives on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Counseling
Psychological distress and mental illness have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, many university students who need mental health treatment or psychological support do not actively seek help from professional counselors or service providers, which could lead to poor mental health outcomes. To promote help-seeking, we undertook a qualitative study to understand Chinese university students' perspectives on hel…
Association between Mental Health Knowledge Level and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students
This study aimed to explore the association between mental health knowledge level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in six universities in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, and a total of 600 college students were recruited to self-complete a series of questionnaires. The Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) was used to investigate the level of mental health know…
Transnational contexts and local embeddedness of HIV/STI vulnerabilities among Thai and Filipino agricultural temporary foreign workers in Canada
Each year Canada approves about 70,000 agricultural temporary foreign worker positions. However, few studies have examined temporary foreign workers' sexual health. In this mixed-methods study, we used surveys and focus groups to explore the knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI), sexual behaviours and the perspectives of sexual health of 100 Thai and Filipino temporary foreign workers in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The find…
Mapping heteronormativity as state violence: The experience of gay men and lesbians in contemporary China and its implication for social work practice
Gay men and lesbians in contemporary China face multiple forms of marginalisation and discrimination. However, little is known about how heteronormativity works to regulate the everyday lives of sexual minorities. Using narratives collected through in-depth interviews, we map out how heteronormativity is both simultaneously institutionalised by the state in China to maintain heterosexist dominance and is enforced through everyday social interacti…
Masculine identity, street capital and sexual practices of a Chinese young man in Canada
Chinese people are currently the second largest visible minority group living in Canada; however, little is known about the sexual practices of Chinese youth living in Canada. Using a case study, we applied Bourdieu’s theory of social practise to illustrate how the sexual practices of a young Chinese immigrant man, Matthew, were shaped by his primary and secondary habituses, the cultural capital he held and competed for in each of the social fiel…
Sexuality and Sexual Agency Among Heterosexual Black Men in Toronto: Tradition, Contradiction, and Emergent Possibilities in the Context of HIV and Health
This article critically examines common understandings of sexuality and sexual agency among heterosexual Black men in Toronto. The findings are based on focus groups and in-depth interviews conducted for the qualitative arm of the broader weSpeak project, a mixed-methods study designed to engage and support heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada, in living more holistically healthy lives. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with 69 self-ident…
Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada
In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ communi…
Narrating social work through autoethnography
Autoethnography has gained interest among social scientists in recent years. What was once a topic or methodology typically only associated with anthropologists is now increasingly being taken up b
Challenging homophobia and heterosexism through storytelling and critical dialogue among Hong Kong Chinese immigrant parents in Toronto
Homophobia and heterosexism are ubiquitous in Canadian society. They contribute to significant health and mental health disparities for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and their families. Anti-homophobia efforts tend to focus on students and teachers at school. While these efforts are important, they do not reach parents, who play an important role in shaping young people's attitudes towards gender and sexuality. To eliminate bullying and victimi…
Bringing Translation Out of the Shadows: Translation as an Issue of Methodological Significance in Cross-Cultural Qualitative Research
Translation is an integral component of cross-cultural research that has remained invisible. It is commonly assumed that translation is an objective and neutral process, in which the translators are “technicians” in producing texts in different languages. Drawing from the field of translation studies and the findings of a translation exercise conducted with three bilingual Cantonese-English translators, the authors highlight some of the methodolo…
Negotiating Social Stigma Among Gay Asian Men
It has long been argued that stereotypes have led many gay Asian men to have negative feelings about themselves and other gay Asians, to the idealization of white men as potential partners, hostility towards other gay Asians, internalization of the stereotypes as passive and submissive, and being sexually objectified by some white men. To counter the effects of the stereotypes, critics and theorists of the gay Asian experience suggest increasing …
The discourse of oppression in contemporary gay Asian diasporal literature: Liberation or limitation
Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian Men Who Use Gay Internet Chatrooms in Toronto: An Implication for HIV/Aids Prevention
Objectives In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify cultura…
A Missing Voice: Asians in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian Social Service Literature
Contemporary gay and lesbian social service literature still heavily focuses on White middle/upper-class issues and uses an isolated and fixed concept of homosexuality. As a result, the discourse has only a limited applicability to people with “dual” or “multiple” identities, accentuating the power of those who control the discourse and the oppression of those with “dual” or “multiple” identities. Using Asians as a case example, I argue that the …
A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural and Social Vulnerabilities to HIV Infection Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Asian Youth
The study reported here was undertaken to investigate cultural and social barriers that may increase HIV risk among gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect the data because they are well suited for this type of exploratory research. A total of 15 gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth (7 females and 8 males) were recruited. Most of the participants (n = 11) self-identified as lesbian or gay. The me…
Inter-Racial Same-Sex Abuse: The Vulnerability of Gay Men of Asian Descent in Relationships with Caucasian Men
Same-sex violence against gay men of Asian descent is a subject frequently neglected by researchers and social workers. However, they may be more vulnerable to intimate violence, especially with a Caucasian partner, due to the accentuated socio-economic differences between them. Lack of culturally and sexually specific services available often leads them to feel helplessness and, therefore, to accept the violence. As a result, their experience of…
Inter-Racial Same-Sex Abuse: The Vulnerability of Gay Men of Asian Descent in Relationships with Caucasian Men
Same-sex violence against gay men of Asian descent is a subject frequently neglected by researchers and social workers. However, they may be more vulnerable to intimate violence, especially with a Caucasian partner, due to the accentuated socio-economic differences between them. Lack of culturally and sexually specific services available often leads them to feel helplessness and, therefore, to accept the violence. As a result, their experience of…
A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural and Social Vulnerabilities to HIV Infection Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Asian Youth
The study reported here was undertaken to investigate cultural and social barriers that may increase HIV risk among gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect the data because they are well suited for this type of exploratory research. A total of 15 gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth (7 females and 8 males) were recruited. Most of the participants (n = 11) self-identified as lesbian or gay. The me…
The discourse of oppression in contemporary gay Asian diasporal literature: Liberation or limitation
Sexuality and Sexual Agency Among Heterosexual Black Men in Toronto: Tradition, Contradiction, and Emergent Possibilities in the Context of HIV and Health
This article critically examines common understandings of sexuality and sexual agency among heterosexual Black men in Toronto. The findings are based on focus groups and in-depth interviews conducted for the qualitative arm of the broader weSpeak project, a mixed-methods study designed to engage and support heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada, in living more holistically healthy lives. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with 69 self-ident…
Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian Men Who Use Gay Internet Chatrooms in Toronto: An Implication for HIV/Aids Prevention
Objectives In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify cultura…
Mapping heteronormativity as state violence: The experience of gay men and lesbians in contemporary China and its implication for social work practice
Gay men and lesbians in contemporary China face multiple forms of marginalisation and discrimination. However, little is known about how heteronormativity works to regulate the everyday lives of sexual minorities. Using narratives collected through in-depth interviews, we map out how heteronormativity is both simultaneously institutionalised by the state in China to maintain heterosexist dominance and is enforced through everyday social interacti…
Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada
In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ communi…
A Missing Voice: Asians in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian Social Service Literature
Contemporary gay and lesbian social service literature still heavily focuses on White middle/upper-class issues and uses an isolated and fixed concept of homosexuality. As a result, the discourse has only a limited applicability to people with “dual” or “multiple” identities, accentuating the power of those who control the discourse and the oppression of those with “dual” or “multiple” identities. Using Asians as a case example, I argue that the …
Inter-Racial Same-Sex Abuse: The Vulnerability of Gay Men of Asian Descent in Relationships with Caucasian Men
Same-sex violence against gay men of Asian descent is a subject frequently neglected by researchers and social workers. However, they may be more vulnerable to intimate violence, especially with a Caucasian partner, due to the accentuated socio-economic differences between them. Lack of culturally and sexually specific services available often leads them to feel helplessness and, therefore, to accept the violence. As a result, their experience of…
A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural and Social Vulnerabilities to HIV Infection Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Asian Youth
The study reported here was undertaken to investigate cultural and social barriers that may increase HIV risk among gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect the data because they are well suited for this type of exploratory research. A total of 15 gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth (7 females and 8 males) were recruited. Most of the participants (n = 11) self-identified as lesbian or gay. The me…
A Missing Voice: Asians in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian Social Service Literature
Contemporary gay and lesbian social service literature still heavily focuses on White middle/upper-class issues and uses an isolated and fixed concept of homosexuality. As a result, the discourse has only a limited applicability to people with “dual” or “multiple” identities, accentuating the power of those who control the discourse and the oppression of those with “dual” or “multiple” identities. Using Asians as a case example, I argue that the …
Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian Men Who Use Gay Internet Chatrooms in Toronto: An Implication for HIV/Aids Prevention
Objectives In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify cultura…
The discourse of oppression in contemporary gay Asian diasporal literature: Liberation or limitation
Negotiating Social Stigma Among Gay Asian Men
It has long been argued that stereotypes have led many gay Asian men to have negative feelings about themselves and other gay Asians, to the idealization of white men as potential partners, hostility towards other gay Asians, internalization of the stereotypes as passive and submissive, and being sexually objectified by some white men. To counter the effects of the stereotypes, critics and theorists of the gay Asian experience suggest increasing …
Bringing Translation Out of the Shadows: Translation as an Issue of Methodological Significance in Cross-Cultural Qualitative Research
Translation is an integral component of cross-cultural research that has remained invisible. It is commonly assumed that translation is an objective and neutral process, in which the translators are “technicians” in producing texts in different languages. Drawing from the field of translation studies and the findings of a translation exercise conducted with three bilingual Cantonese-English translators, the authors highlight some of the methodolo…
Challenging homophobia and heterosexism through storytelling and critical dialogue among Hong Kong Chinese immigrant parents in Toronto
Homophobia and heterosexism are ubiquitous in Canadian society. They contribute to significant health and mental health disparities for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and their families. Anti-homophobia efforts tend to focus on students and teachers at school. While these efforts are important, they do not reach parents, who play an important role in shaping young people's attitudes towards gender and sexuality. To eliminate bullying and victimi…
Narrating social work through autoethnography
Autoethnography has gained interest among social scientists in recent years. What was once a topic or methodology typically only associated with anthropologists is now increasingly being taken up b
Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada
In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ communi…
Masculine identity, street capital and sexual practices of a Chinese young man in Canada
Chinese people are currently the second largest visible minority group living in Canada; however, little is known about the sexual practices of Chinese youth living in Canada. Using a case study, we applied Bourdieu’s theory of social practise to illustrate how the sexual practices of a young Chinese immigrant man, Matthew, were shaped by his primary and secondary habituses, the cultural capital he held and competed for in each of the social fiel…
Sexuality and Sexual Agency Among Heterosexual Black Men in Toronto: Tradition, Contradiction, and Emergent Possibilities in the Context of HIV and Health
This article critically examines common understandings of sexuality and sexual agency among heterosexual Black men in Toronto. The findings are based on focus groups and in-depth interviews conducted for the qualitative arm of the broader weSpeak project, a mixed-methods study designed to engage and support heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada, in living more holistically healthy lives. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with 69 self-ident…
Mapping heteronormativity as state violence: The experience of gay men and lesbians in contemporary China and its implication for social work practice
Gay men and lesbians in contemporary China face multiple forms of marginalisation and discrimination. However, little is known about how heteronormativity works to regulate the everyday lives of sexual minorities. Using narratives collected through in-depth interviews, we map out how heteronormativity is both simultaneously institutionalised by the state in China to maintain heterosexist dominance and is enforced through everyday social interacti…
Association between Mental Health Knowledge Level and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students
This study aimed to explore the association between mental health knowledge level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in six universities in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, and a total of 600 college students were recruited to self-complete a series of questionnaires. The Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) was used to investigate the level of mental health know…
Transnational contexts and local embeddedness of HIV/STI vulnerabilities among Thai and Filipino agricultural temporary foreign workers in Canada
Each year Canada approves about 70,000 agricultural temporary foreign worker positions. However, few studies have examined temporary foreign workers' sexual health. In this mixed-methods study, we used surveys and focus groups to explore the knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI), sexual behaviours and the perspectives of sexual health of 100 Thai and Filipino temporary foreign workers in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The find…
Chinese University Students’ Perspectives on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Counseling
Psychological distress and mental illness have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, many university students who need mental health treatment or psychological support do not actively seek help from professional counselors or service providers, which could lead to poor mental health outcomes. To promote help-seeking, we undertook a qualitative study to understand Chinese university students' perspectives on hel…
Remembering Amy Rossiter: The Governing Effects of Self-Esteem Knowledge on Social Work Practice
Amy Rossiter has long called our attention to the governing effects of social work knowledge (i.e., how it directs both discursive thinking and the daily actions of people). For her, knowledge itself is neither neutral nor true but is produced and maintained by discourse that defines what is considered acceptable and true. The production of knowledge is a relation of power; therefore, social work knowledge itself should be a topic of scrutiny. Ta…
Searching for a congruent framework to teach sexuality in social work: A personal reflection
In this article, I discuss how I design a sexuality course using queer theory. Based on the key concepts of queer theory, I structure the course into eight areas: (1) problematizing the notion of sexuality, (2) rethinking sexuality through queer theory, (3) the historical and social construction of sexuality, (4) the social organization of sexuality, (5) managing sexuality institutionally, (6) the institutionalization of sexuality, (7) the fluidi…
Pathways to breaking the cycle of HIV stigma: Experiences and insights of racialized immigrant communities in the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara Region, Canada
15) took part in two gender-based, online focus groups. Based on thematic analysis, we identified five overarching themes: (1) daily challenges with HIV stigma; (2) mental and behavioral repercussions of HIV stigma; (3) turning points and positive coping strategies; (4) systemic and intersecting barriers; and (5) changes through education and peer support. Participants described stigma as a chronic and multifaceted experience that detrimentally a…
Sociology (16 works) · Gender Studies (14 works) · Gender Studies (12 works) · Political science (12 works) · Psychology (12 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (10 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Medicine (6 works) · Homosexuality (5 works) · Sex work and related issues (5 works)