What is a philosopher's accountability for their research? To whom am I accountable as a researcher? My philosophical research tends to focus on current social and political issues (for example, Canadian policy and surrogacy or organizational diversity). Despite being embedded philosophically in applied problems, I'm still attracted to "armchair philosophy." This term often refers to a philosopher who primarily relies on their intuitions rather than information about the world. I imagine this … [Read more...]
Equality, Diversity, and the Family
This past weekend I attended the Organizing Equality conference at Museum London in London, Ontario. This conference brought together activists, academics, and community members to discuss various aspects of building more just worlds. This post shares the presentation I gave with my friend and collaborator, Dr. Rita A. Gardiner, on family as an organizational structure and diversity. Rita is a scholar and teacher of Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies in the Faculty of Education at … [Read more...]
Vulnerability, trauma, and the university
I came across Frank Furedi's March 8 article "The Therapeutic University" via the Hannah Arendt Center's weekly newsletter. In this article, Furedi reflects on the increasing medicalization of trauma in university contexts. Furedi's article is wide-reaching and provocative. Although I cannot take up all of his points, I would like to comment on a few ways in which feminist relational theory is relevant to his discussion, especially with respect to vulnerability. The therapeutic turn in … [Read more...]
Responsibility and Travel Bans
What is my responsibility in relation to traveling to the US? The travel ban and Canadian boycotts In the executive order issued by US President Trump on January 27, citizens of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Syria cannot enter the United States for three months. Refugees from Syria cannot enter the United States—for an indefinite period. On February 8 the ninth circuit court of appeals upheld the suspension of this executive order. Some Canadians won’t be traveling to the … [Read more...]
Space, the final frontier
Elon Musk announced in September 2016 that SpaceX aims to have humans colonizing Mars by 2024. I confess, I was immediately excited. Having been raised on Star Trek, expanding the reach of human exploration has been part of my imagination for a long time. However, when I stopped to think about Musk’s announcement, my excitement dimmed. In particular, I thought about Hannah Arendt's remarks on the launch of the Sputnik satellite on October 4, 1957. In the prologue to the Human Condition, … [Read more...]