Book Search
- Series: The Basics
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Yellow Ribbons
The Militarization of National Identity in Canada
Since 2001 and the beginning of the “War on Terror,” Canadian culture has undergone a profound militarization. Moving away from previous myths of national identity centred on notions of multiculturalism and peacekeeping, Canada is increasingly being defined through a new patriotism based on military and policing actions around the world.
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Men On the Edge
Taking Risks and Doing Gender Among BASE Jumpers
In the arena of extreme sports, BASE jumping is among the most dangerous. BASE jumpers leap from fixed objects such as bridges, skyscrapers and cliffs, and freefall for several seconds before parachuting back to earth. Men On The Edge offers a wide-ranging sociological analysis of gender and voluntary risk taking as it unfolds in the context of BASE jumping. This book challenges highly individualistic accounts of voluntary risk taking and extends early attempts to explain the gendered participation in the sport by drawing on wider debates about modernization, individualization, community formation, gender relations and the sociology of the everyday.
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Religion, Sex and Politics
Christian Churches and Same-Sex Marriage in Canada
Same-sex marriage continues to be a heated issue in Canadian politics. Why does this issue persist in the headlines and remain so controversial? What place does religion have in legislative and legal decisions? Religion, Sex and Politics analyzes the same-sex marriage debate in Canada by examining the intersections between religion, sexuality and public policy. Furthermore, the various arguments made by religious groups, both for and against same-sex marriage, are discussed, illustrating the range of perspectives on sexuality espoused by Christian groups and the numerous ways in which they influence the outcomes of legislation and court decisions.
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Asian Immigrants in “Two Canadas”
Racialization, Marginalization and Deregulated Work
Canada is experiencing a major demographic shift, with two-thirds of the population in major cities predicted to belong to racialized groups, particularly Asian newcomers, by 2031. But how are these immigrants faring in this new Canada? Employing the International Labour Organization’s concept of “basic security” and the voices of immigrants themselves, Asian Immigrants in “Two Canadas” demonstrates that their security – such as work, job, employment, and voice and representation – has been compromised in multi-dimensional ways. Changes to immigration policy and the neoliberal restructuring of the Employment Standards Act in British Columbia have led to further marginalization within the labour market and the creation of deregulated and hazardous workplaces – resulting in the emergence of “two Canadas” within the Canadian welfare state. Representing a diverse group of immigrants, this book demonstrates a shared experience of precariousness and insecurity – an experience that has led to a broad- based alliance of Asian immigrant workers aimed at addressing workplace security and rights.
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The Ancient Mariner Speaks
Examining Regimes of Truth in ADHD
The number of children labelled ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has been on the increase since the term entered common medical parlance thirty years ago. Through a deeply personal narrative and an analysis of Michel Foucault’s theories on truth, power and knowledge, The Ancient Mariner Speaks argues that the ADHD label has contributed to the pathologizing of children’s, particularly boys’, behaviour and the further marginalization and exclusion, rather than inclusion, of students in the classroom.
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Men & Women and Tools
Bridging the Divide
Although there have been many equity initiatives to encourage women to train and work in the trades, Canadian women still represent less than 3 percent of tradesworkers. Why does this disparity continue to exist? In Men & Women and Tools, Marcia Braundy – herself a tradesperson – explores this issue by focusing on male resistance to the inclusion of women in technical work. Early in her research, Braundy conducted an interview with several male and female tradespeople. Finding this interview rich with deeply ingrained notions of masculinity and female roles, Braundy constructs a short play from their words. Deconstructing the play line by line, this book weaves together scholarly research and lived experience to explore the historical and cultural origins of the ideas expressed.
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Good Girls, Good Sex
Women Talk about Church and Sexuality
What happens when a woman’s identities as a Christian and as an embodied sexual woman collide? What impact does a conventional Christian view of sexuality have on women’s sexual lives? Through conversations with thirty-six Protestant women, Good Girls, Good Sex explores how both religious values and communities shape women’s sexual experiences and the role of social class and race in this shaping. In their stories, the women reflect on how they handle conflicts between their religious views and their sexual desires, and how they satisfy those desires while simultaneously negotiating a conservative Christian message and more liberal secular messages. Sonya Sharma finds that, although the idea of the “good girl” is a common thread throughout the narratives, many of the women challenged the notion of “no sex before marriage” and saw their sexuality and insights into their church community as a means to challenge systems of patriarchy that persist in these spaces.
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Divorced Fathers
Children’s Needs and Parental Responsibilities
Once mainly breadwinners and disciplinarians, fathers are becoming increasingly involved and invested in their children’s lives. Edward Kruk examines how this changing role has affected fathers’ experiences of divorce and the loss of children that too often follows. This book offers a glimpse into the emotional loss that fathers suffer and their perspectives on what is best for their children in the divorce transition. Ultimately, Kruk argues, children benefit most from the love and support of both parents, and we need to ensure that fathers continue to play a meaningful parenting role after divorce.
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Sex and the Supreme Court
Obscenity and Indecency Law in Canada
Canadian laws pertaining to pornography and bawdy houses were first developed during the Victorian era, when “non-normative” sexualities were understood as a corruption of conservative morals and harmful to society as a whole. Tracing the socio-legal history of contemporary obscenity and indecency laws, Kramar and Jochelson contend that the law continues to function to protect society from harm. Today, rather than seeing harm to conservative values, the court sees harm to liberal political values. While reforms have been made, especially in light of feminist and queer challenges, Kramar and Jochelson use Foucault’s governmentality framework to show that the liberal harm strategy for governing obscenity and indecency continues to disguise power.
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False Positive
Private Profit in Canada’s Medical Laboratories
When your doctor takes a blood sample for analysis, where does it go? Does it find its way to your local, publicly owned hospital? Does it take a longer journey to a private, for-profit lab in the next city? Chances are, you’ve never given it a lot of thought. In this daring exposé of the laboratory system, Sutherland investigates its historical and contemporary development in Canada and argues that the landscape has been heavily influenced by the private, for-profit companies – to the detriment of the public health care system.
