• Resisting Neoliberal, Adultist and Ableist Education: An Autoethnography of a Deschooling Parent

  Kingston, Shauna; Department of Child and Youth Studies

  Deploying a Foucauldian reading of autoethnography, this dissertation examines how deschooling can be used to resist discourses of neoliberalism, adult supremacy and ableism in education. Using a series of descriptive vignettes written to my family, I present my story as a deschooling parent that begins with my children’s exit from school during the Covid-19 pandemic and spans through their return three years later. The memories I describe in these vignettes were selected from family interviews and are framed as reflexive responses to our discussions. I analyse the narratives presented in these vignettes in terms of my research questions: 1) How does my parenting constitute a form of deschooling from below that resists neoliberalism and neoliberal privilege? and 2) How does my parenting approach differ from the adultist and ableist forms of education I critique in this dissertation? I discuss how my experiences helped me challenge the binary between deschooling and schooling and thus concentrate on how to use my subjectivity as a parent to resist neoliberal, adultist and ableist education in all the contexts in which my children find themselves including their home lives. My discursive intervention as a parent has primarily been in the lives of my children, myself and my family, but I also have the hope that it will shift power, discourse and subjectivity in ways that have wider reaching deschooling effects.
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  mKdV Loop Travelling Waves and Interactions of Loop Solitons

  Maan, Jaskaran; Department of Physics

  The modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is an integrable nonlinear evolution equation which has applications in modeling various physical phenomena. It also describes the curvature of curve which undergoes a certain non-stretching geometrical evolution in the Euclidean plane. This curve motion finds applications in various areas, such as describing the dynamics of inelastic rope, modeling the evolution of the boundary of vortex patch (swirling region) in thin, sheet-like layer of incompressible fluid, and understanding the behavior of electrons quantized in thin-layered materials by studying the boundaries of electron cloud densities under strong electromagnetic fields. This study focuses on mKdV curve motions called loop solutions. One class arises from soliton, heavy-tail (rational), and periodic solutions of the mKdV equation. These loop solutions exhibit intriguing symmetrical shapes: the soliton and heavy-tail cases describe a single loop which is open, and asymptotically straight or circular, respectively; the periodic case describes both open and closed loops which can have multiple crossings. Additionally, a class of colliding loop solutions are obtained from the 2-soliton solution of the mKdV equation. The collisions show interesting interaction patterns. A summary of different types of patterns will be given by categorizing the various shapes that occur during the interaction, which depend on the speed ratio of the initial two loops. Analytical and numerical methods are employed to determine the loop solutions for both classes, as well as the conditions determining interaction type in the case of collision. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mKdV equation and solitons.
• A Case Study Exploring Mothers' Experiences of Well-being in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga at a Maternal Wellness Centre using Transformative Service Research

  Xing, Trisha; Applied Health Sciences Program

  The purpose of this case study is to explore experiences of well-being for prenatal and postpartum mothers at a maternal wellness centre in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, I examined the mothers’ experiences in prenatal and postnatal yoga classes (core service) and related wellness services drawing on transformative service research. Through field observations (140 hours over four months) and 33 semi-structured interviews (mothers as well as members of the health-service network), this study provides an in-depth understanding of how experiences of well-being are both co-created and/or co-destructed in prenatal and postnatal yoga, as well as through service experiences at the maternal wellness centre. Using reflexive thematic data analysis, three themes, each with three to five subthemes were developed: a) Centering a Woman’s Body as the Expert; b) Constructing a Meaningful Ambience and Social Connections Co-creates and Co-destructs a Sense of Support and Well-being; and c) “It’s Wellness Capitalism”: Maternal Wellness Is Not Fully Accessible to All Perinatal Women. The analytical observations bring attention to the complexities of offering yoga and maternal wellness services, specifically the ways in which well-being can be co-created, co-destructed and/or inaccessible for perinatal women.
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  The Experience of Iranian Women Inter-University Athletes with a Focus on Gender in Sport

  Kohandel, Kiana; Applied Health Sciences Program

  This research explores the experiences of Iranian women athletes in inter-university sports, with a particular focus on gender. Utilizing a descriptive, narratively informed approach and the concept of the gender regime, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the gendered experiences of these athletes. The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of Iranian women athletes in inter-university sport? and (2) How do these athletes explore and navigate barriers, supports, and points of resistance in their sporting lives? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six current women student-athletes from Azad University, and thematic, narrative-informed analysis was used to analyze the data. This method enabled the identification of key themes within and across the participants' stories, highlighting their unique challenges and achievements. The study identified three major themes: Barriers, Norms, and Discrepancies; Resistance, Solidarity, and Support; and Personal Growth and Development. These themes reflect the experiences of Iranian women athletes in university sports, revealing the challenges they face due to inadequate facilities, cultural restrictions, and gender inequality, their acts of defiance and support systems that empower them, and the personal growth that arises from navigating these obstacles. Together, these themes provide a clear picture of the many struggles and successes of women athletes in a sports environment shaped by gender. Despite facing significant barriers, these athletes demonstrate resilience and adaptability, leveraging support networks and personal determination to pursue their athletic goals. The findings emphasize the importance of supportive environments and inclusive policies in promoting gender equity in sports. This research contributes to the broader discourse on gender and sport by providing valuable insights into the specific cultural and contextual factors affecting women athletes in Iran. It underscores the need for further comparative studies in different Muslim-majority countries to explore how varying cultural contexts influence women's experiences in sports. By addressing the unique challenges faced by women athletes in different regions, future research can inform policies and practices that enhance gender equity in sports globally.
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  The Press, Volume 23, Issue 23, April 2, 1987

  Stares, D. Allan (Editor) (1987-04-02)

  The Press, Volume 23, Issue 23 includes: Brock Ambassadors; Vedova Wins Big; Dire Effects; BUSAC Defended; Bishop in Town; More than just a Beer; Crisis in South Africa; Dear Mr. Henley; Sovereignty or Assimulation.

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