Thinking About Gender

On June 8, 2011, my INDEV 474 (Special Topics in International Development) had the privilege of having Sharada Srinivasan as a guest speaker. Sharada is the Assistant Professor of International Development Studies at York University and has a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.

Sharada led a whirlwind discussion on gender relations, hegemonic masculinity, and male bias. I wish I could summarize it here, but I was so interested in the lecture that my notes are a mess! The class made me wish that there was a stronger gender relations component to UW’s International Development program, or at least that I had selected some Gender Studies classes as my electives.

The discussion did an excellent job highlighting how gender issues are all pervasive and must be understood no matter what field you are working in. It definitely left me with a great deal of food for thought. I look forward to exploring how gender relates to my field placement in environmental conservation and reforestation projects. In the meantime, if you ever have the opportunity to hear Sharada Srinivasan speak, do yourself a favour and attend!

The International Development Program

Hi everyone!

This post discusses my program of study in more detail.

I entered the International Development program at the University of Waterloo in fall 2008. My classmates and I formed the first-ever cohort of International Development students, which is both exhilarating and nerve-racking. I love the fact that, as the first people to ever try out this program, we have a lot of input on its development and formation. We have a lot more control over our learning experience than students enrolled in programs that have been established for eons. On the other hand, we are also student guinea pigs, which introduces a level of risk. However, I think the students who are drawn to programs like International Development are willing to take a little risk in exchange for the opportunity to have such a rewarding experience. I’m planning to talk more about the International Development program later…

The International Development program (hereafter referred to as INDEV, our handy nickname) aims to enable students to work all over the world in developing countries to improve their living conditions – whether the issues are economic, environmental, political, or social in nature. This program is very diverse and multi-disciplinary, which is why it appeals to me so much. My interests are so varied, why would I choose a program that forces me to choose?

Waterloo’s INDEV program is unique from other development programs because it is offered through the Faculty of Environment, giving our studies a very progressive, ‘green’ focus that will be invaluable to students when we enter the workforce. INDEV is offered in partnership with St. Paul’s University College, which is part of the University of Waterloo.

INDEV requires students to complete an 8 month volunteer internship in a developing country in order to graduate the program. For my cohort, there were six countries to choose from: Peru, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Botswana, Malawi, and Vietnam. After some research, I chose Ghana.

My next blog post will go into more detail about Ghana and my placement with A Rocha. Until then, if you want to learn more about INDEV, St. Paul’s, or the University of Waterloo, follow these links!

International Development program website: http://shapetheworld.uwaterloo.ca/index.html

St. Paul’s website: http://www.stpauls.uwaterloo.ca/

University of Waterloo website: http://uwaterloo.ca/

Welcome!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog!

The purpose of this blog is to share information about my exciting upcoming internship. I will be spending 8 months in Ghana, West Africa, working with the A Rocha organization in the northern city of Damongo on reforestation projects. This is an unpaid placement facilitated through my studies in the International Development program at the University of Waterloo.

There are so many things I’d like to talk about (write about? blog about? I need to get this terminology down pat!), but I’m hoping to approach this blog in a semi-organized fashion. The aim of this entry is to help you get to know me.

I am a Canadian citizen, born and raised in the northern city of Timmins, Ontario. Timmins has an approximate population of 45 000 and is located about 700km north of Toronto. Growing up in a small northern community has definitely shaped the way I see and experience life. It’s also influenced my interests – I love camping, hiking, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and downhill skiing. I also enjoy playing piano, acting, movies, and board games. I am an avid reader and will read anything – in a future entry I intend to post a list of recommended reading for people interested in learning more about my field of study.

In high school I became very interested in youth leadership initiatives, and this interest slowly evolved into a fascination with development issues. I hope someday to return to my hometown and work on issues facing First Nations’ communities in the North. This interest is what steered me towards choosing the International Development program at the University of Waterloo as my undergraduate program. More on this in my next post!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you continue to check in and experience my upcoming adventures with me. Please feel free to post comments or questions – I want to hear from you!

Tallia