UNews - Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Study tour gives students direct cultural experience

caroline.zentner — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 18:21:03 +0000

Participating in a course like the Study Tour of Japan gives students an education that goes beyond learning in a university classroom and the typical tourist experience. Students gain firsthand knowledge of life in Japan from those who live there.

“The purpose of the trip is to provide students with an initial exposure to Japanese culture and society,” says Dr. Catherine Kingfisher, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge anthropology professor, who, along with Diane Minamide, co-ordinator of International Programs and Exchanges, took 14 students to Japan for almost four weeks of intense learning this past summer. “For me as an anthropologist, I couldn’t think of a better way to teach a course than on site.”

Before they left, the students received training in Japanese language and did preliminary research on Japanese culture and society. The U of L has a longstanding exchange agreement for both students and faculty with Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo. Every two years, the U of L sends a group of students for a summer cultural program. Students stay with Japanese host families during their time at Hokkai-Gakuen.

Dr. Catherine Kingfisher, front row left, and Diane Minamide, front row right, posed with students from the U of L and Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the tea ceremony room at HGU.

Myles Shirakawa, a third-year U of L student studying French, went on the study tour because of his interest in the culture and language and his familial roots in Japan. His great grandparents left Japan for Canada in the early 1900s. As a southern Albertan used to wide, open spaces, Tokyo’s dense population came as a shock.

“For example, when you take the subways or trains, especially during rush hour, you have to get used to a different dynamic,” he says. “This dynamic also reflects in the culture and the language where you have to be more cognizant of the relation between yourself and others.”

Dana Grinde, a third-year U of L student majoring in anthropology and psychology, took the course as a way to gain international experience without the time commitment of a whole semester abroad.

“The highlight of my trip was getting to know a group of U of L students in a different context. Travelling with the group was the best part for sure,” says Grinde. “We worked together really well and it was just a lot of fun travelling with them.”

The group spent its first four nights in Tokyo. They visited a number of sites, including an urban collective housing community where Kingfisher is conducting research.

“I’m interested in looking at models of well-being that aren’t based on individualism and personal satisfaction,” says Kingfisher. “Diane (Minamide) was absolutely essential to this trip. Her Japanese is very good and she could translate and interpret when it was necessary. She was pivotal, and the students just loved her.”

After Tokyo, the students made their way to Sapporo where they lived with host families and attended classes at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for two-and-a-half weeks. Shirakawa says everyone was kind and went out of their way to make him feel welcome.

“I had read and studied about Japan but I had never been before so it was interesting to see how they live firsthand,” he says.

“I had all these pictures in my head about what Japan would be like. Then you go there and you realize it’s not at all what you picture,” says Grinde.

After leaving Sapporo, the group visited Kyoto before returning home to Canada. One of the students’ favourite activities was going to an onsen, or hot springs. Each gender has its own pools and people must bathe thoroughly before entering the pools.

“It’s a different kind of experience. You have to go in nude and, sure, it can feel a little awkward at times but at the same time it’s rather quite soothing,” says Shirakawa.

“There’s a Japanese word for naked relationship. That was new for all of us,” says Grinde. “The idea is that when you’re in the onsen with other people, you’re all equals.”

“The whole experience was amazing,” says Shirakawa. “If any other students are considering taking part in the Japan study tour, do try and fit it in. It is a bit of an expense but it’s wonderful to go and experience the culture.”

The students received help with funding from the Campus Alberta Grant for International Learning (CAGFIL).

“They were the most dedicated, fabulous bunch of students I’ve ever worked with. They participated in everything; nobody ever missed a class or event,” says Kingfisher. “They worked really hard and had to give speeches in Japanese at different events. Every single one of these students came up to me at some point and said ‘my host family is the best host family.’”

A number of the students have maintained their interest in Japan and plan to return to teach English or for further study.

Jurkowski named Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:37:48 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts will be under the stewardship of a new Dean after the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appointed Dr. Ed Jurkowski to the role, succeeding Dr. Desmond Rochfort.

"It is always exciting to announce the appointment of a new Dean, and it is especially gratifying to be able to promote someone from within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "Dr. Jurkowski has been with the U of L for 17 years now and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience and a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Jurkowski has been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1996 when he began a term appointment as an assistant professor of music in the Faculty of Fine Arts. During his tenure here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has continually progressed, earning tenure as an associate professor of music in 2001 and then full professor of music in 2007.

He most recently served as the Chair of the Department of Music (2003-2009) and has been in the role of Associate Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts since 2011.Jurkowski earned his bachelor's degree in music (composition) from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rochester in Rochester, NY, where he was also a teaching assistant and instructor from 1989 through 1996.

A visiting exchange professor at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo, Japan in 2006, Jurkowski has published four books, including his latest, The Collected Works of Eduard Tubin: Double Bass and Balalaika Concertos (Series II, Volume 3) in 2013.

"I want to thank Dr. Rochfort for his fine work within the Faculty of Fine Arts over the previous five years," adds Hakin.

Jurkowski's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

Investigating global population and economies

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:11:23 +0000

The extent and implications of population change and the dynamics of economies raise questions that demographers and social scientists alike are working to better understand. Taken together in a global context, the number of questions only increases. Yet both population and economies affect our lives, our choices and our policies.

At the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, global population challenges are explored from different angles and potential solutions are investigated in new ways.

By DANA YATES

Like many people, John Prentice of Calmar, Alta., dreamed of making a difference in the world. But the late agri-business entrepreneur and philanthropist didn't just stop there; he wanted to change the course of history altogether.

It was an ambitious goal – and one that prompted Prentice, along with his wife Connie, to donate more than $8 million to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2006. The endowment marked the largest-single gift in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's history and established the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. The institute, which was officially launched in 2009, studies changes in the world population and their lasting impact on demographics, economies and societies.

Just a short time later, the Prentice Institute has become a leading research centre, one of only a few worldwide that is focused on global population changes and the economy. What's more, the institute has attracted many external research grants and is building graduate programs, along with bringing together 20 research affiliates from across eight departments at the U of L.

From looking at how people move through life stages in different economies with different demographic structures, to questions of food security, ethnic diversity, immigration and international trade, the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is at the cutting edge of demographic research.

"It's magical when you get that cross-pollination of expertise," says Dr. Trevor Harrison, a U of L sociology professor who served as the Prentice Institute's interim director between 2007 and 2009.

At the Prentice Institute, sociologists, historians, anthropologists and economists work alongside experts in such diverse fields as nursing, public health, political science and women's studies. Those researchers, in turn, create partnerships with experts across Canada and around the world. The result: global population challenges are explored from different angles and potential solutions are investigated in new ways.

"John Prentice was a big thinker," says
Dr. Susan McDaniel, the institute's current director. She also holds the Prentice Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, the first endowed position of its kind at the U of L. "John was a Renaissance man who understood how things were connected."

Indeed, many forces and factors affect – and are connected to – the global population and economy. But the links between the former and latter are not well understood. Prentice Institute researchers are advancing our understanding of this relationship and using data to verify or refute popular beliefs about demographic changes. This "myth-busting" practice can be applied to numerous situations, says McDaniel.

"We often hear, for instance, that providing health care to an aging population will bankrupt the system," she explains. "In reality, there are much wider concerns. Medical treatments are expensive, and there is a deepening problem of poverty and the health issues associated with it."

To that end, Prentice Institute researchers are studying various issues that appear, at first blush, to be unconnected. They include international trade, migration, aging and family size. But while the subjects may seem disparate, McDaniel says cause-and-effect relationships are at work – and they are having a major impact on the world's citizens.

"Growing inequalities, for example, are happening in developed countries, such as Canada and the United States, and in developing countries, too. These inequalities cause health problems and lower everyone's life expectancy," says McDaniel. The process, she explains, is similar to an illness spreading through a classroom. If one unvaccinated child becomes sick, others will inevitably be affected.

That concept of social ramifications is one in which McDaniel is well versed. An internationally recognized sociology researcher and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, her expertise includes demographic aging, generational relationships, family change and the social impacts of technology. Before joining the Prentice Institute and the U of L Department of Sociology two years ago, McDaniel was a professor of family and consumer studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Utah and a senior scholar at its Institute of Public and International Affairs.

Having lived in Alberta before, McDaniel's return north of the border has helped attract other researchers to the Prentice Institute. Among them is Dr. Kathrin Komp, a post-doctoral fellow from VU ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Amsterdam. Other researchers, such as Drs. Harrison and Alexander Darku, who were U of L faculty members before the Prentice Institute was created, currently serve as the institute's associate directors. Their collective experience and expertise have made a significant impact on the institute.

For example, Darku, an assistant professor of economics at the U of L, previously taught at McGill and Concordia Universities. He has also served as a consultant to the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters and has worked as an economist in Ghana. Through his association with the Prentice Institute, Darku has noticed a shift in his research interests.

Whereas he was previously focused strictly on economic policies and international development, he now studies the interplay among international trade, migration and health. Specifically, Darku is currently looking at the growth of multinational companies in developing countries and the resulting impact on populations' eating habits. The situation, Darku has found, contributes to a "nutritional shift" within a population and can increase obesity rates.

"The interdisciplinary nature of the Prentice Institute has brought many new dimensions to my research," says Darku.

Harrison, meanwhile, has shared his research with new audiences; he has spoken at a number of presentations hosted by the institute. Once a visiting professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Japan, Harrison was the 2010 Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Georgia's Kennesaw State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. As a researcher and guest lecturer at the university, he brought a Canadian perspective to the relationship between Canada and the United States since Sept. 11.

Today at the Prentice Institute, Harrison – like Darku – balances his research with administrative responsibilities. And it seems both areas involve big-picture thinking.

"We're developing programs that will keep the institute moving forward. Ultimately, we're creating a research infrastructure that supports creative thinking and incubates good ideas."

One example is a policy concept known as a guaranteed annual income (GAI). While there are many different approaches to a GAI, the initiative would essentially provide each citizen with a base sum of money. Harrison has studied this complex issue since the 1970s, and while the logistics of implementing a GAI system would be considerable, it would also offer a number of advantages. They include administrative efficiencies, the reduction or elimination of poverty and an increasingly mobile workforce that can afford to move around the country.

GAI supplements, however, are just one of many ideas being analysed at the Prentice Institute. And it's all part of an effort to inform public and private policies that will better reflect, and keep up with, a changing Canada and world. To raise awareness of this vital work, Prentice Institute researchers participate in conferences and dialogue sessions, and contribute to articles, journals and books. Finally, there are future plans to build international partnerships with sister institutes.

"There are many challenges that governments, corporations, education systems and individuals have to address," says McDaniel. "But once they have the information they need, they have the potential to act upon it.

"People are hungry for knowledge. And we're training them how to look beyond myths and build a better society. It will lead to better voters, parents, consumers and caregivers."

What can we learn from other countries with regard to population aging and social policy?

Population aging and economic challenges have raised questions about how social policy regimes are, or will be, affected in various types of economies. Some research indicates a downward convergence across countries is inevitable as global economic and demographic pressures work to bring greater homogeneity to social policies. Other studies suggest that demographic and economic pressures can actually have stimulating effects on social policies.

To address these issues, Prentice Institute researchers are investigating Japan, which has experienced population aging and economic challenges simultaneously. Scholars are analysing changing relations among demographics, economics and social policy. They ask what opportunities can be discerned from the experience of Japan for re-creation of social policy regimes elsewhere in the 21st century. Ultimately, researchers will widen the comparative lens to include other Asian and developed countries. The findings from this crucial research will guide policy-makers in various countries facing similar challenges.

Is there a "Canadian exceptionalism" in issues related to immigration and diversity?

The rapid rise in ethnic diversity in immigrant-receiving countries has resulted in a general anti-diversity, anti-multiculturalism sentiment. Some studies indicate that a generalized trust is more difficult to foster in a multicultural society, resulting in a loss of sense of community and togetherness. However, other research suggests that Canada might be immune from these largely European trends.

At the Prentice Institute, researchers are investigating the extent of, and the reasons for, this Canadian exceptionalism. A clearer understanding of the differences among ethno-racial groups in terms of labour-market integration and social capital could make a significant difference in the lives of Canadians and the global community.

To what extent is population, at root, a problem with respect to food security?

Food is a basic resource essential for human survival. It is estimated that at the end of 2009, more than one billion of the world's population did not have adequate food to meet basic nutritional needs. As the most populous country in the world, China is constantly challenged in providing food for its citizens. Given the sheer size and strategic prominence of China, food security there is a global concern.

As leaders of an international team, researchers at the Prentice Institute are examining the stress points related to food security in various regions in China. The set of indicators of food security and rural development they develop will be an important assessment tool in China and around the world.

How can we achieve economic equality in developing countries?

Throughout most of human history, the conditions of human life have varied from difficult to tolerable, from starvation to subsistence. In some parts of the developing world, these conditions have not changed much, while in others, progress has been made. Disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income exist in a wide range of societies and their nature and cause are issues our world must address.

Researchers at the Prentice Institute are studying how international trade can lead to growth and the distribution of income, especially in developing countries. Another crucial line of research focuses on the relationship between business cycles, poverty and income inequalities.

How will social policy address our aging population?

Wayne Gretzky is credited with saying, "You must skate to where the puck will be." In contemplating the future of aging populations, policy often skates instead to where the puck is now. The presumption is that by studying those who are older now, we can understand those who will be older in the future. But... the older of tomorrow will be very different, as will the socio-economic contexts in which they live.

As leaders of a Canada/U.S. multidisciplinary team, Prentice Institute researchers are studying how people in mid-life in Canada and the U.S. are aging in terms of health and overall well-being. How they help (or not) younger and older relatives now and as they age, and how they anticipate their later years relative to their older relatives now and their younger relatives as they reach their later years, are two of the important questions being addressed. These studies will yield a wealth of information that is critical to addressing policy and family needs in the future.

This story first appeared in SAM Magazine. For a look at SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Sociology researcher Harrison receives Fulbright Scholarship

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:53:30 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Sociology researcher Trevor Harrison will become the 2010 Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Kennesaw State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (KSU), just outside Atlanta, Georgia as the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.

Harrison will be taking a sabbatical from the U of L until December 31, 2010 to travel south to lecture and conduct research at KSU, Georgia's 3rd largest university with a student population of more than 22,500 undergraduate and graduate students.

As a visiting Fulbright Scholar, Harrison is already on the school calendar and, in addition to guest lecturing in several courses, will deliver an opening lecture in mid-September, as well as host a number of informal sessions for faculty and students sponsored by the sociology and political science departments.

Among other topics, Harrison plans to bring a Canadian perspective to the relationship between Canada and the United States Since 9/11, issues surrounding nationalism and something that is sure to be interesting to Atlanta Falcons or KSU Owls fans -- the social history of the Canadian Football League.

Professor Harrison is a full professor in the Department of Sociology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. He completed his PhD in Sociology in 1988 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta after completing his MA (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, 1985) and BA (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg, 1979) degrees in sociology.

He has served as Visiting Professor in the Canadian Studies Program at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (Sapporo, Japan, fall 2006) and at the Univesity of Alberta (1997-2002). Additionally, he was appointed as Interim Director (now Associate Director), of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy (2007). He has served as a consultant for various organizations, both at the international level.

Harrison is the U of L's fourth Fulbright Scholar. Drs Derek Peddle (Geography) Geoffrey Hale (political Science) and Chris Kukucha (political Science) have received past Fulbright awards.

Senate Volunteer Award winners to be honoured

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:24:03 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will celebrate its 2010 Spring Convocation this week, Thursday and Friday, and among the honouredattendees will be Senate Volunteer Award winners Elsa Cade and Dr. Robert Hironaka.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate's Volunteer Award recognizes people who have volunteered to serve the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"The award is open to people who volunteer for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in many ways," says Chancellor Richard Davidson. "A lot of people don't realize that in addition to our talented faculty and staff, we rely on hundreds of people who perform thousands of hours of volunteer work for the institution each year."

Any member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is eligible for the award, including past and present ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ volunteers and individuals who represent the U of L in the community.

A committee representing volunteers, faculty, staff, alumni and students will screen nominations and develop a pool of approved candidates. Both Cade and Hironaka will be honoured at Thursday evening's Chancellor's Dinner in the U of L Atrium.

Elsa Cade

One of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's most effective ambassadors, Elsa Cade supports and engages in countless ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ activities and events, and advances the institution's relationship with local and global communities.

Over the past 10 years, Cade has been present at every convocation ceremony, many senate committee meetings, all public dinners and receptions, and has attended student events, public lectures, celebrations or announcements, and much more.

She has graciously hosted a vast number of dinner parties for community people, faculty, staff, students, and volunteers. Cade has also travelled frequently to maintain and enhance the U of L's relationship beyond southern Alberta. In particular she has helped foster the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's important relationship with Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo, Japan.

Beyond the U of L, Cade has provided dedicated volunteer service for several community organizations. She is an active member of the Rotary Club and a board member of 5th on 5th Youth Services of Lethbridge. She has served on the board of the Alberta Science Foundation and the board of the Friends of the Galt Museum.

Following the earthquake in Haiti, Cade harnessed the power of blogging and online social networking to raise funds to purchase 118 shelterboxes, large containers that hold a 10-person tent, blankets, a stove, a tool kit, and other equipment needed by the survivors of that natural disaster.

Dr. Robert Hironaka supporter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge." src="/unews/sites/default/files/main/articles/senate-hironaka.jpg" alt="" />

Former U of L Chancellor Dr. Robert Hironaka has volunteered throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for many years.

Hironaka was a member of the U of L Senate from 1983 to 1987 and Chancellor from 1995 to 1999. He continues to be one of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's most devoted supporters, making himself available to the U of L whenever he is available to help. He regularly attends special occasions and sporting events at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and participates in committees, fundraisers, celebrations, campaigns, and special presentations.

Hironaka has been an active member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association for several years, in many roles, from executive officer to member at large. He freely shares his expertise and knowledge, and volunteers for many Alumni Association events. A key member of the Alumni Association's Recognition Committee, he is diligent in maintaining this committee's high standards. In 2002, Hironaka received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from the U of L, in recognition of his service to the institution.

In addition to his ongoing support of the U of L, Hironaka is an active volunteer for community organizations like Rotary and the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens (which he helped found).

Whatever volunteer work he is doing, he is an exemplary ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Cade, Hironaka honoured with Senate recognition

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:17:47 +0000

Elsa Cade

Dr. Robert Hironaka

Former U of L Chancellor Dr. Robert Hironaka has volunteered throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for many years.

In addition to his ongoing support of the U of L, Hironaka is an active volunteer for community organizations like Rotary and the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens (which he helped found).

Whatever volunteer work he is doing, he is an exemplary ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Japan Study Tour holds special significance

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:04:34 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been sending students on Japanese study tours for more than 20 years, but you would be hard-pressed to find two students more appreciative of the opportunity to visit Japan than cousins Aaron and Taryn Tamayose.

The duo will accompany education professor Dr. Lance Grigg as part of the 15-student group selected to participate in the Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ exchange program. Fourth-generation Japanese, or Yonsei, the two will finally realize a lifelong dream of visiting their ancestral homeland.

"This trip is an opportunity of a lifetime, and there's no words to explain how excited I am to be a part of this with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and my cousin," says Aaron, a psychology major.

"I feel very strongly about my heritage, I like to express it, and what better way to learn a little bit more about the culture?"

Their grandfather's family moved to Canada shortly before the Second World War and was born and raised in Hardieville, just north of Lethbridge. Their grandmother, who had visited Canada as a small child but returned to her native Okinawa, was eventually forced out of Japan after the Battle of Okinawa. Her family eventually wound up in Hardieville and the Tamayose legacy was born.

Over the years, both Aaron and Taryn have experienced the Japanese culture through their grandparents and are eager to see it firsthand.

"We have a really strong family relationship. Growing up, we kept a lot of traditions but I know a lot of them have been westernized as well," says Aaron.

"One advantage we have is our Japanese background but at the same time, that background is a more westernized or assimilated view. A lot of our traditions are related to traditions in Japan, but I expect they are nothing like what it is there."

Taryn, a new media major, says her grandmother would often relate stories of the war years and how her family was forced to live in caves during the 82-day long Battle of Okinawa. She won't get to visit Okinawa on this trip but feels it will lay a foundation for future visits.

"This is a life experience for me and an opportunity to really get immersed in the Japanese culture," she says. "It's already a part of me and this has been a lifelong dream to go there, so I expect to take a lot away from it."

The Tamayose's say they were aware that travel opportunities existed for students at the U of L but never expected to participate. Once the Japan trip became a possibility, they made it a priority.

"I felt that this was worth the sacrifice to delay my convocation because the rewards would be greater to go to Japan and experience something I might never get the chance to do again," says Aaron, who will now convocate in the fall.

"I understood there were a lot of applied opportunities for U of L, students but I never really thought I'd be a part of it. In the last few years, I've really engaged myself with the applied learning process. It's one of those things that enriches the educational experience the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ offers."

That they will live this dream and get to share it with one another only enhances the experience.

"I've never been away for a month so it's comforting to go with someone who's grown up in the same family and has learned many of the same things about our culture," says Taryn.

Japan Study Tour holds special significance

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:50:29 +0000

The duo will accompany education professor Dr. Lance Grigg as part of the 15-student group selected to participate in the Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ exchange program later this month. Fourth-generation Japanese, or Yonsei, the two will finally realize a lifelong dream of visiting their ancestral homeland.

"I feel very strongly about my heritage, I like to express it, and what better way to learn a little bit more about the culture?"

Over the years, both Aaron and Taryn have experienced the Japanese culture through their grandparents and are eager to see it firsthand.

"We have a really strong family relationship. Growing up, we kept a lot of traditions but I know a lot of them have been westernized as well," says Aaron.

The Tamayose's say they were aware that travel opportunities existed for students at the
U of L but never expected to participate. Once the Japan trip became a possibility, they made it a priority.

"I understood there were a lot of applied opportunities for U of L, students but I never really thought I'd be a part of it. In the last few years, I've really engaged myself with the applied learning process. It's one of those things that enriches the
educational experience the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ offers."

That they will live this dream and get to share it with one another only enhances the experience.

"I've never been away for a month so it's comforting to go with someone who's grown up in the same family and has learned many of the same things about our culture," says Taryn.

Vital signs - the phenomenon of physician burnout

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:15:51 +0000

Physicians are healers. Far and wide their profession is revered, their status impeccable. It seems contradictory, even wrong, that today's doctors may be the one group of professionals most in need of urgent care. Yet that's exactly the startling finding that ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor Dr. Bob Boudreau uncovered through his research on the subject of burnout. As it happens, doctors are more at risk for professional burnout than any of the dozens of other occupations that Boudreau and his research team have examined.

Boudreau has been studying occupational stress for more than two decades. His 1985 dissertation was a theoretical paper on the critical development and directions within the field of stress and burnout. He furthered his investigation on the subject while on exchange at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo in 1988.

Dr. Bob Boudreau examines professional burnout and how doctors seem to be more at risk.

"Our early research surveys on Japanese workers led to further research opportunities on occupational health and burnout levels of workers in Canada, the United States, Belarus, New Zealand and Australia. The study of global burnout has continued to attract attention and grow in interest and importance over the years," Boudreau says.

In the last several years, Boudreau has focused his studies on stress levels and burnout in specific occupations. In 2002, he connected with Taber physician Dr. Rob Wedel to kick-start research on doctors. As fate would have it, Robin Robertson from the Alberta Medical Association overheard their conversation, and quickly thereafter it was decided that the study was something that would be conducted provincewide.

Boudreau developed a survey aimed at examining the prevalence and severity of burnout in Alberta physicians using a series of demographic questions and four measurements of burnout. More than 1,100 doctors
participated in the provincial study, and less than a year later, Boudreau was asked by the Canadian Medical Association to conduct a similar survey nationally.

What Boudreau was surprised to discover was that out of all the occupations he'd examined, doctors were by far at the highest risk for professional burnout. In fact, almost half of the physicians who participated in the study were in what Boudreau categorizes as advanced stages of the condition.

"It doesn't seem to matter whether they are specialists or GPs. Doctors as a group are worse off than other professionals when it comes to burnout. There are a lot of cracks in the health-care system and physicians are suffering in a whole host of different ways."

Boudreau believes the incidence of physician burnout in Canada can be attributed to many factors, not the least of which is the pressure that comes with being responsible for the well-being of hundreds of patients. Tie that in with an over-taxed health-care system rife with shortages, plus the day-to-day pressures of running a busy practice and you have the perfect prescription for professional exhaustion.

"We need to continue to develop a better diagnostic set of measures so we can gain a greater understanding into this complex problem," says Boudreau. "Once we figure out what it is, we will be in the best position to try to manage burnout and many of its related workplace cousins such as increased job conflict, poor performance, helplessness, higher absenteeism, lateness and poor health."

New avenues for Boudreau's research include the development of a bibliography of burnout, which will be a compilation of approximately 13,000 previously researched references on the subject put together in a user-friendly format that other researchers and students around the globe can use. With a background in industrial psychology, Boudreau aims to further his work on professional burnout in an effort to better the working environments of not only physicians, but professionals across the board.

"The strategy is to find the cracks in each occupation we study and develop the tools and strategies people need to cope with their own professional situations," he says.

Future endeavours for Boudreau include a meta-analysis on published physician burnout surveys, and a study of the effects of burnout in relation to the assessment and management of fatigue in chronic illness, conducted with an interdisciplinary team of researchers from across Alberta.

Japan Study Tour offers students a cultural opportunity

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:49:31 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge education professor Dr. Lance Grigg doesn't mind admitting he had a number of lost in translation moments when he first visited Japan. It was out of these instances his appreciation for diversity really took root.

Grigg will lead a contingent of 15 students to Japan in the 2009 spring session as the latest chapter in the Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ exchange program. The Japanese study tour is currently seeking applications, having held an information session earlier this month through the International Centre for Students. A respect for diversity and a willingness to listen and learn are hallmarks Grigg will be looking for when he interviews candidates.

"I think the major quality I'm looking for in someone going on this exchange is a respectful person," he says. "We want people who respect diversity and who have the maturity to engage that in action."

Grigg knows of what he speaks, having done a four-month tour as part of a professorial exchange in 2002. He says going to Japan with an open mind and a willingness to challenge his own ideals on learning allowed him to gain a deep appreciation for Japanese culture.

"That's one thing students can take away from an experience abroad, about any culture. To unlearn how you learn, in order to learn in a different culture," he says. "Be attentive to how that culture operates, what the values are underpinning that culture and how a culture goes about doing things."

Students seeking to be involved in the program must
remember the core value of the tour is that it is an exchange. Dr. Grigg says there is no room for arrogance, or an attitude that students are going abroad to spread the Canadian way.

"You don't go to another culture thinking that you are going to enlighten them, or bring knowledge to them that is not there," he says. "That's not the kind of attitude we want in a student going on the exchange. We're looking for students who are attentive to every part of another culture."

Grigg found Japanese society to be fascinating and quickly understood he could get the most out of his tour by abandoning preconceived notions and opening himself to a different way of teaching. By first accepting new approaches and then assessing them in the context of his experience, it gave Grigg a much broader perspective in his own teaching.

"Students going over there first have to be attentive to everything around them; culture, laws, practices," he says. "Then try and understand what they mean and reasonably accommodate those beliefs within one's own cultural framework. Within such an ambassadorial perspective, a conversation can ensue which respects the similarities and differences among cultures."

Students willing to work hard within the program are promised to reap immeasurable rewards. Those interested can contact Grigg at 403-329-2449 or Laura Ferguson in the International Centre for Students at 403-329-2053.

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