King's students and faculty present their research at conferences across Canada

Three King's students and recent graduates, Katerina Graham, Steve Green, and Michael Kunze presented their undergraduate research projects at conferences across Canada. Each student worked with a faculty member on their research projects during the school year, and had the opportunity to present them at conferences this summer.

Steven Green, a recent King’s graduate, travelled to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress. This annual Congress was held on May 12 to 15, 2016 at the University of Manitoba. The Congress is hosted by the Basic Income Canada Network that promotes informed, constructive public dialogue leading to a basic income guarantee in Canada.

Green was accompanied by Professor Tracy Smith-Carrier in the Department of Social Work. Green and Dr. Smith-Carrier co-presented their research entitled, “Another low road to basic income? Mapping a pragmatic model for adopting basic income in Ontario, Canada.” Other King’s faculty were also present at Congress.

Mick Kunze, and Katerina Graham travelled to Calgary for the Canadian Political Science Association conference in Calgary from May 31 to June 2, 2016. This annual conference was held at the University of Calgary. The conference showcases professional and student research papers, and hosts keynote speakers, roundtables, workshops, and panels in the political science discipline.

Kunze graduated from King’s this spring with a degree in Political Science and Social Justice and Peace Studies. He was accompanied by Professor Jacquie Newman where they presented the paper they wrote together. The paper was the result from discussions in Dr. Newman’s class, Comparative Politics of Protest and Social Justice, POLI 3300E. Together they discussed action-oriented politics, and the importance of emotion to politics.

Kunze and Dr. Newman’s paper, “Allies and Accomplices: Coalition Building Against Fracking in New Brunswick,” examines how collective action on the part of the anti-fracking and pro-fracking forces in New Brunswick between 2010 and 2013. It was based on a solidarity built on strong emotions based on moral/material outrage rather than on identity. Both presented the theoretical and empirical aspects of the research, where Dr. Newman focused on presenting the theory and Kunze on the case study.

Dr. Newman goes further explaining the research, “In the long form, it interrogates the recent development in anti-colonial activism by advancing relationships between First Nations' groups and other activists as between accomplices in contrast to allies. What does this mean and how does it impact on building coalitions between social movements and/or within a social movement like the environmental movement?  This is examined in the context of the protests against hydraulic-fracking for shale gas in New Brunswick with particular attention given to the 2013 blockades by the Mi'kmaq nation in Elsipotog, NB, which resulted in violent clashes between protesters and the police.”

Katerina Graham, a fourth year political science student, was accompanied by Professor Andrea Lawlor in the Political Science department. Their research project is entitled, “Friends, Rivals, and Unknowns: How Canadians Learn About Asian Trade Partners from the News.” The research examines the way that Japan and China are portrayed in the Canadian media and whether the press foster a negative or positive, and predominantly economically, or politically based portrayal of each country.

Each student was funded by the King's "Student Academic Conference Presenter Fund," a special fund that supports four senior undergraduate students, and one graduate student each year. Additional funding is being explored through King’s Foundation to support more students in the coming year.

To learn more about the Social Work department at King’s, please visit: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/academics/school-of-social-work/

To learn more about the Political Science department at King’s, please visit: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/academics/politics-international-relations/

To learn more about the North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress, please visit: http://www.basicincomecanada.org/nabig2016

To learn more about the Canadian Political Science Association conference, please visit: https://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/conference.php