Testimonials

Food sovereignty

MELISSA LEAM-CHEN

on Food Sovereignty by Raymond A. Macapagal

After reading this vignette, I had a deeper understanding of the social, ecological and cultural significance of food sovereignty. I found the definition box provided at the beginning of the text and the two first paragraphs to be helpful in defining what food sovereignty is, which in turn gave me a good foundation for the comprehension of the rest of the piece.

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Social Identity

IAIN STOROSKO

on Social Identity by Noah Schwartz

This vignette offered a great way of humanizing a concept of the other that we often encounter in social science research. The vignette builds perspective on how the differing values of others, perhaps even starkly different from our own, can hold equal importance in building a social identity and lived reality for an “other-ed” individual. This helps the reader to exercise a mode of thinking that allows for foreign ideas, social constructs, and political understanding to be interpreted and understood with ease.

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Visual respresentation of Sheryl-Ann Simpson’s Citizenship

Affect

MELISSA LEAM-CHEN

on Affect by Kathryn Fedchun

After reading this vignette, I was able to understand the concept of “affect” as a theory, going beyond its linguistic definition. What stood out to me was the use of Star Wars as an illustrative aid, and how its use was able to capture and retain reader’s interest. By having relatable examples and terminology, I do think that this will allow students to understand and digest new concepts more effectively.

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Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

Critical Pedagogy

BREENA JOHNSON

on Critical Pedagogy by Amanda Di Battista

The success of this vignette is its immersive style of learning, offering the reader the option to listen to the authors’ podcast, in addition to the text example provided and the option to read the podcast transcription. This allows for multiple learning styles to digest this content easily, in an engaging way. As an undergraduate student one can sometimes feel they have limited power in the institution, this example reminds us of the tools and communities available to support us in our academic journeys.

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Commodification

Samphe Ballamingie

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Having a vague idea of commodification in the natural environment, it was interesting to understand how commodification can also be seen in the digital environment. The personable and casual style of the writing allows for an easy and comprehensible reading experience. The roles of finance and marketing in commodification help to further explain how a lifestyle can be commodified, and ultimately provides a deeper understanding of why commodification exists

– BEATRIZ LAINEZ

Intersectionality

Namitha Rathinapillai

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I had never heard of the term “intersectionality” before. As I read Rathinappillai’s poetic definition, I pictured a multifaceted crystal representing each aspect of the author’s truth. I reread the text many times to truly understand why, each time, my heart contracted painfully, and the room suddenly became very dusty. Her words are beautiful, poignant, and sharp. I want to thank the writer for expressing so exquisitely what this important word means.

– MARIE-HÉLÈNE GUAY

Tacit Knowledge

Brigitte Champaigne-Klassen

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This vignette depicts a complicated concept through its use of creative story telling. The tone in which it was written creates a vivid image and takes readers on an experience that portrays tactic knowledge in an easy and engaging way. Its artistic style helps imagine the experience described, and even evokes a sense of nostalgia for a moment in my life that has never existed.

– BEATRIZ LAINEZ

Epistemology

Tabitha Robin
photo by Patrice Bouchard

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After reading the vignette on Epistemology, I felt represented as a Métis person, seeing our ways of knowing represented in a textbook (which traditionally reproduces western ways of knowing). Using a non-western, and more specifically Indigenous way of knowing to exemplify the phenomenon of how one comes to know, really solidifies how significant understanding and appreciating different ways of knowing can be.
This assists with understanding of how epistemology can differ cross-culturally; it furthermore assists readers with a recognition that there is a magnitude of frameworks, experiences, and cultural ways of knowing, which grounds and establishes one’s understanding of the world around them.

– BREENA JOHNSON

Ideology

Nicholas David Gerstner

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As I analyzed the text, I realized that, unconsciously, I was “programmed” to stay within the box. These boundaries are everywhere in our lives and we simply take it as normality, rarely questioning what is beyond these created limits. This great activity and text associated with it could be beneficial to present to all first-year students enrolled in post-secondary education.

– BRENT GAUTHIER

Sovereignty

Ajay Parasram
photo by Manny Becerra

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The vignette provides insight into differing constructions of and interactions with the concept of sovereignty through well-articulated examples and a reflective exercise that allows for critical engagement with both theory and practice. Other people should read this vignette because it can help them to challenge assumptions and build a more nuanced understanding.

– CATHERINE LITTLEFIELD