Maria Cheung
Professor, Ph.D. Program Coordinator

Faculty of Social Work
University of Manitoba
602 Tier Building
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Phone: (204) 474-6670
Fax: (204) 474-7594
E-mail: Maria.Cheung@umanitoba.ca

Education:
1999 Ph.D. in Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
1985  M. Soc. Sc. (Social Work) University of Hong Kong
1978   B. Soc. Sc. (Social Work) University of Hong Kong

Areas of Specialization:
• Local impacts of global human rights issue
• Human rights and spiritual minorities in Canadian immigrant communities
• Gender and human rights issues in China
• Marriage and family therapy
• Cross-cultural studies on long-term marital satisfaction
• Clinical evaluation

Teaching areas:
Critical Social Work perspectives, clinical evaluation, interpersonal communication etc.

Research areas:
Dr. Cheung’s research is on human rights in China and the intersection with international development in social work. She collaborates with doctors and lawyers in a research on the forced organ harvesting in China. She also collaborates with University of British Columbia (Okanagan) and University of Calgary on a social capital research project with Chinese immigrants in Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg, funded by Social Sciences and Humanity Research Council (SSHRC). She and Professor Terry Russell from Asian Studies Centre of U of M have completed a study on the discrimination and marginalization of a spiritual minority group, the Falun Gong practitioners in major diaspora Chinese communities in Canada. She had co-directed a CIDA Tier One six-year China Project on Building Human Capacity – Social Work with Rural Women in China which on gender equality and protection of human rights from 2004-2010. She is also Research Affiliate, and Advisory Board member of the Centre for Human Rights Research.

Selected refereed publications:

Cheung, M., Trey, T., Matas, D., & An, R. (2018) "Cold Genocide: Falun Gong in China," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 12 (1), 38-62. Available at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol12/iss1/6

Cheung, M. (2016). The intersection between mindfulness and human rights: The case of Falun Gong and its implications for social work. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 35(1-2), 57-75.

Cheung, M., & Heinonen, T. (2015). A Positive Peace Initiative with Rural Women in China in M.P. Flaherty, T., Matyok, J. Senehi, S. Byrne, & H. Tuso, H. (Eds). Gender and Peacebuilding: All Hands Required. Lexington Books

Cheung, M., Luo, H. & Heinonen, T. (2014). Meeting point of indigenization: Analysis of the results of the project of cooperation in social work training between China and Canada from the perspective of Chinese traditional culture and social work theory. In K. T. Tsang, M. C. Yan, J. G. Guo, and R. Sin (eds). Multiple snapshots of the development of Social Work in China: Perspectives of Chinese Canadian Scholars, (pp. 156-172). Social Sciences Academic Press (China)

Cheung, M. (2012). “Invisible minorities” of the Falun Gong community: Challenge to social inclusion and integration in Canada. In M. Baffoe with M. Cheung, L. Asimeng-Boahene, & B. Ogbuagu, Strangers in New Homelands: The social deconstruction and reconstruction of “home” among immigrants in the diaspora. UK: Cambridge Publishing Press.

Matas, D. & Cheung, M. (2012). Concepts and Precepts: Canadian Tribunals, Human Rights and Falun Gong. Canadian Journal of Human Rights, 1(1), 62-91.

Cheung, M. & Heinonen (2012). Grassroots change for rural women in China: Building human capacity. In T. Heinonen & J. Drolet (Eds). International social development: Social work experiences and perspectives (pp. 213-231). Halifax & Winnipeg: Fernwood.

Cheung, M., Liu, M., & Heinonen, T. (2010). Women and patriarchy in rural China. In P. C. Sarkar (Ed), Women in Patriachal Society (pp. 233-253). New Delhi: Serials Publications.

Lee, T.Y., Kwong, W.M., Cheung, C.K., Ungar, M. & Cheung, M. (2009). Children’s resilience-related beliefs as a predictor of positive child development in the face of adversities: Implications for interventions to enhance children’s quality of Life. Social Indicators Research, 95(3),437-453. Online version: http://www.springerlink.com/content/46g28251up134p85/ DOI 10.1007/s11205-009-9530-x

Cheung, M., Heinonen, T., Liu, M. (2008). Gender Analysis of the Marginalization of Rural Women over the Life Span after the Initiation of Economic Reforms in China Journal of Social Development Issues, 30(2), 59-77.

Cheung, M. (2008). Resilience of Older Immigrant Couples: Long-term marital satisfaction as a protective factor. Journal of Couples and Relationship Therapy, 7(1), 19-38.

Heinonen, T. & Cheung, M. (2008). Views from the village: Photonovella with women in rural China. International Journal of Qualitative Methods,6(4), 35-42.

Cheung, M. & Li, H. T. (2008).  Marital relationships of Chinese couples: Marital satisfaction of long-term married couples. In S. Neymeth, M. Liu, X. B. Chen (Eds).  Social Work and Chinese Women. Beijing: Chinese Women’s University Press.

Cheung, M., Lesperance, D. (2006). Comparing narrative therapy and psycho-educational approach in intervention with men who batter. China Social Work Research, 4, 237-250.

Cheung, M. (2005). A cross-cultural comparison of gender factors contributing to long-term marital satisfaction: A narrative analysis. Journal of Couples and Relationship Therapy, 4(1), 51-78. 

Selected recent presentations:
Cheung, M (2012). Are there borders in oppression? – Implications of the Falun Gong issue to Social Work. Paper presentation at the Annual CASWE conference, 2011 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. May 28-31, 2012. University of Waterloo.

Cheung, M., Matas, D., & Russell, T. (2011). Listening to Community Voices – the case of Falun Gong. Critical Conversations: The ideas of a human rights museum. Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, November 28, 2011.
Podcast: http://chrr.info/events/167-thinking-about-an-ideas-museum-u-of-m-leads-conversations
Summary: http://chrr.info/events/208-the-case-of-falun-gong

Cheung, M. (2011).  Applying Anti-Oppressive Practice approach in counselling with immigrants, refugees and racialized minorities. Paper Presentation at the Strangers in New Homelands Conference 2011, University of Manitoba, November 3-4, 2011.

Cheung, M. & Heinonen, T. (2011). What did we Learn about Change in China?: Narrative Analysis of Change in a Six Year Rural Social Work Project in China. Paper presentation at the the Faculty of Social Work Research Day, April 1, 2011.

Doctoral dissertation: Cheung, M. (1999). Impact of gender and culture: Contributing factors to satisfactory long-term marriages. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Wilfrid Laurier University. http://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/220/       

Recent award: 2012 CSWE Film Festival Audience Choice Award, Council on Social Work Education, USA for the documentary “More than half the sky” www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrUWrNd8HuY
www.umanitoba.ca/news/blogs/blog/2012/12/06/film-on-rural-china-wins-award/