Bree Akesson
Dr. Bree Akesson began her international career in the Peace Corps, volunteering as a public health extensionist in East Africa. Since then, she has dedicated the past 15 years to working with children, families, and communities affected by poverty, war, and disaster. Studying at Columbia University in New York City, Dr. Akesson earned a BA in Sociology from Columbia University, an MPH in Forced Migration and Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, and a MSSW in Health, Mental Health, and Disabilities from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. She most recently earned a PhD in social work from McGill University.
Dr. Akesson was awarded the Vanier Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral research exploring the effects of political violence on young children and their families. She is a licensed social worker (LMSW), providing clinical support to children and families affected by trauma for the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene at New York State Psychiatric Institute. As a research associate for the Columbia Group for Children in Adversity, Dr. Akesson provides technical assistance to governments, operational agencies, and policymakers. She has worked as an independent consultant for for the International Rescue Committee, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, UNICEF, and Save the Children. Her past research projects include an evaluation of psychosocial program activities for children in Chechnya, a review of international safe space programs for young children in emergencies, and a longitudinal study examining the effects of parental incarceration on children and youth.
Dr. Akesson was awarded the Vanier Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral research exploring the effects of political violence on young children and their families. She is a licensed social worker (LMSW), providing clinical support to children and families affected by trauma for the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene at New York State Psychiatric Institute. As a research associate for the Columbia Group for Children in Adversity, Dr. Akesson provides technical assistance to governments, operational agencies, and policymakers. She has worked as an independent consultant for for the International Rescue Committee, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, UNICEF, and Save the Children. Her past research projects include an evaluation of psychosocial program activities for children in Chechnya, a review of international safe space programs for young children in emergencies, and a longitudinal study examining the effects of parental incarceration on children and youth.
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Publications by Bree Akesson
structure of the home, this chapter draws upon the authors’ research experience using collaborative family interviews and testimony collections in home environments. The authors’ methodological engagement with children and families at the home-level has found children to be a present absence within the home, with adult family members dominating the data-gathering discourse. In other words, children are ubiquitous within Palestinian landscapes, but they are rarely heard from. However, in research, children’s voices may be acknowledged for brief moments when data-gathering methods such as drawing or neighbourhood walks are used. Children may also be cherished as a focus of family protection and future resistance against the occupation. While much research has considered children affected by political violence as both victims and actors, this chapter
adds another layer by exploring the multiple roles and representations of children within the Palestinian home. The authors focus is not on how these representations are imposed upon children by adults, but rather how representations of children are enacted and negotiated within oftentimes protective home spaces.