Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Ecology Of American Noir, Katrina Younes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In The Ecology of American Noir, I investigate the relationship between the conventions of noir fiction and film and its sub-types in relation to environmental crises. Specifically, I address questions that not only allow us to (re)read early hardboiled literature and neo-noir films, but that also help us identify a new sub-genre of noir and develop an ecocritical methodology: I call this contemporary sub-genre and methodology “eco-noir.” I trace the development of strategies of mapping urban blight and environmental deterioration in classic hardboiled fiction of the 1940s, neo-noir films of the 1970s, and eco-noir texts of the post millennial …

Conceptualizing The Urban Circular Economy: Understanding The Formal-Informal Continuum In London, Ontario, Canada, Martha Paiz-Domingo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research study delves into the contribution of formal and informal practices to the local urban circular economy in London, Ontario, Canada. The circular economy (CE) aims to foster a sustainable economy by closing resource, energy, and materials loops. While there is existing research on formal large-scale industrial activities within the CE, there still is a significant gap in understanding the role of informal CE activities in driving greater CE efforts. This study examined grassroots CE initiatives undertaken by local stakeholders and assesses their significance in promoting urban sustainability. A CE inventory captured a comprehensive overview, documenting 153 actors and …

Smartphones For Smart Eating: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Smartphone Applications On Improving Adolescent Food Knowledge, Heather A. Jantzi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Many Canadian adolescents have unhealthy eating habits which are risk factors for developing chronic diseases later in life. Food literacy plays a role in healthy eating habits but teens in Ontario currently lack sufficient nutrition education learning opportunities in home and school environments. Across health research, smartphones have been utilized as a novel medium to promote learning and alter behaviour. This thesis seeks to understand the effectiveness of smartphone applications at improving food knowledge in adolescents through (i) a systematic review of published interventions, and (ii) by investigating the efficacy of a novel location-based smartphone application. Findings from this thesis …

Developing Youth-Informed And Quality-Aware Spatial Accessibility Measures To Urban Parks Using A Survey-Based 2sfca Method In London, Ontario And Halifax, Nova Scotia, Zhe Chang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Park-related research has gained much attention in recent years, yet not enough studies have focused on the inequity of park accessibility and quality. These are crucial elements that influence youth’s park use, which in turn influence their physical, mental, and social development. Existing literature uses park size as the supply level to examine park accessibility but fails to consider any other park characteristics (e.g., amenities, general condition). This research developed youth-informed and quality-aware measures to consider the influence on park attraction by its quality and size rather than size only. This was implemented by consulting a youth advisory council to …

Understanding Urban Energy Landscapes Through A Territorialization Lens: A Comparative Case Study Of Energy Use In Two Eco-Districts - Parc Marianne, Montpellier And Olympic Village, Vancouver, Dominica Babicki

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

To address the problem of transitioning to a lower-carbon energy system this dissertation, addresses energy use in eco-districts to provide insights into what a low carbon future could look like and on how it can contribute to the development of sustainable energy landscapes. To understand the role of energy in eco-districts, an Urban Energy Landscape (UEL) conceptual framework is used to investigate energy distribution and usage in two case study eco-districts, with one located in Montpellier, France (Parc Marianne) and the other in Vancouver, Canada (Olympic Village). To reveal how UELs can lead to the development of sustainable energy landscapes, …

Syrian Refugee Place Attachment And Place Making In Ottawa, On, Kiran Va Unger-Basappa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

How can Syrian refugees’ feelings of attachment towards places and spaces in Ottawa, ON be used to indicate their own sense of integration into Canadian society? Exploring research participants’ place attachments to the city of Ottawa enables a greater understanding of their lived geographies that either hinder or elevate their integration experience. The mixed-method data collection used in this research study include an online qualitative survey, in-depth interviews, and a mental mapping exercise. The analysis of the data is based upon five factors of place attachment used to define integration. These are comfort, security, relationships, involvement, and rootedness. …

For The Love Of A'Se'k: Piktukowaq's (Re)Assertion Of Autonomy In Pursuit Of A Healthier Community, Lands, Waters, And Future Generations, Serena E. Mendizabal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pictou Landing First Nation (PLFN) has experienced the impacts of being exposed to the effluent treatment facility for a pulp mill for decades, but in 2020, it was announced that the treatment facility would finally close. In my research, I will investigate and compare two sets of PLFN health data from 2014 and 2019 to answer the following research questions: 1) Does community health for the PLFN improve over time when community members have more autonomy over environmental decision-making?; and 2) Does Pictou Landing First Nation's relationship to place improve with more autonomy in environmental decision making? I will use …

Reclaiming Ancestral Territory In Biigtigong Nishnaabeg: Applying Strategies Of Environmental Repossession For Indigenous Decolonization, Elana Nightingale

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Relationships to land are foundational for nurturing knowledge systems, identities, and wellness among Indigenous peoples. As Indigenous peoples resist enduring structures of colonialism and rebuild self-determination, they are pursuing diverse strategies to reclaim and reconnect with their lands and land-based practices. While this movement is growing globally, few empirical studies have explored why particular strategies are developed nor how they are operationalized in place. In partnership with Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, this dissertation applies the concept of environmental repossession to document the spatial strategies being implemented to reoccupy, reconnect with, and reassert Biigtigong’s rights to its ancestral territory. Drawing from Indigenous and …

Who’S Cooking Tonight? A Time-Use Study Of Coupled Adults In Toronto, Canada, Bochu Liu, Michael J. Widener, Lindsey G. Smith, Steven Farber, Dionne Gesink, Leia M. Minaker, Zachary Patterson, Kristian Larsen, Jason Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

Understanding how coupled adults arrange food-related labor in relation to their daily time allocation is of great importance because different arrangements may have implications for diet-related health and gender equity. Studies from the time-use perspective argue that daily activities such as work, caregiving, and non-food-related housework can potentially compete for time with foodwork. However, studies in this regard are mostly centered on individual-level analyses. They fail to consider cohabiting partners’ time spent on foodwork and non-food-related activities, a factor that could be helpful in explaining how coupled partners decide to allocate time to food activities. Using 108 daily time-use logs …

Creative Common Worlding With Research Creation In Early Childhood Education, Sarah M. Hennessy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Creative Common worlding with research-creation in early childhood education engages with provocations that disrupt dominant understandings of children and their relations with more-than-human and human others. Reconceptualizing alternatives through art, this dissertation contemplates the potent possibilities beyond human stewardship, underscores the influence of an uncommoning lens, and emphasizes the difficulties with humancentric notions of research. If, by disrupting how we understand ourselves and our role in place, we modify our actions and change our habits, then perhaps we can live differently and contribute differently to the planet. Through a common worlds framework together with research-creation, this dissertation considers climate education …

(Un)Contained Breasts: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Flesh, Femininity And Feelings, Brittany Davey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis offers an original examination of the affective relations between bodies, clothing, and space by examining women’s experiences and feelings towards their breasts and wearing a bra in public. Exploring participants' contained and uncontained experiences with their breasts provided an opportunity to interrogate how heteropatriarchy requires a fashioning or containing of both feelings and flesh in public. Drawing on feminist and queer methodologies including ‘dirty participation’ and autoethnography, I report on insights gathered from twelve walking interviews conducted in Edmonton in the summer of 2019. Walking interviews included participants navigating their everyday geographies twice: once while wearing a bra …

Understanding Changes To Human Mobility Patterns In Ontario, Canada During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ben Klar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transportation research has shown that socio-demographic factors affect people’s mobility patterns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these effects have changed in accordance with changing mobility needs adapting to the pandemic, including restrictions on in-person gatherings, closure of in-person businesses and working from home. We investigate two gaps in current knowledge in this area of transportation research: to what extent the association between socio-demographic factors and mobility metrics have changed, and how these associations vary across geographic space. We also investigate how closely Ontario’s Public Health Unit boundaries, based on which pandemic restrictions were applied, reflect actual travel regions, and …

Uni·Cen Documentation Report 4: Early Postwar Census Tract Digitization Project, Zack Taylor, Christopher Macdonald Hewitt

UNI-CEN documentation

The Unified Infrastructure for Canadian Census Research, or UNI·CEN, is a comprehensive database of historical and contemporary Canadian aggregate Census data, digital boundary files, and ancillary material, all provided in modern data formats. The goal of the project is to liberate Canadian Census data so that it can be easily used by academic researchers, students, and the public.

The documentation describes the processes used to digitize the 1951, 1956, 1961, and 1966 Census Tract boundaries and associated datasets.

For more information, visit: https://observatory.uwo.ca/unicen/

To access the data, visit: https://borealisdata.ca/dataverse/unicen

Uni·Cen Documentation Report 3: Digital Boundary Files, Zack Taylor, Christopher Macdonald Hewitt

UNI-CEN documentation

The Unified Infrastructure for Canadian Census Research, or UNI·CEN, is a comprehensive database of historical and contemporary Canadian aggregate Census data, digital boundary files, and ancillary material, all provided in modern data formats. The goal of the project is to liberate Canadian Census data so that it can be easily used by academic researchers, students, and the public.

The UNI·CEN Digital Boundary Files series contains versions of all publicly available digital boundary files with shorelines harmonized, at five levels of Census geography.

For more information, visit: https://observatory.uwo.ca/unicen/

To access the data, visit: https://borealisdata.ca/dataverse/unicen

Measuring The Morphologic Response Of Braided Rivers To Lateral Constriction, Victoria Barlow

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of this thesis is to understand the morphologic changes to a set of historically braided rivers that have been narrowed. Braided rivers from the agriculturally developed Canterbury Plains, New Zealand, were studied from a period prior to much development (mid-1900s) to the present. Narrowing of channels, decreased braiding intensity, and loss of braided planforms were determined based on aerial imagery, changing the geography of braiding along all rivers. Channel width and count were statistically correlated and show the predictability of braiding change based on narrowing. Reaches with initially wide channels require more narrowing to induce a simplification of …

Digital Geographies Of Indigenous Health: Exploring Indigenous Mental Health Content From Turtle Island During Covid-19, Veronica Reitmeier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The physical and mental health and wellness of Indigenous peoples is cultivated through interrelations with spiritual, cultural, community, and social practices: these practices strengthen identity and belonging. COVID-19 has disrupted many of these relational practices or shifted them to digital environments such as social media. Drawing on a thematic analysis of Tweets from March 2020-December 2021 (n=1137), I address the research question: How are Twitter users across Turtle Island engaging with Indigenous mental health content on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic? Within an Indigenous context, no exploratory research has been conducted on who is engaging with mental health content on …

Measuring The Exposure And Vulnerability Of Transit Riders To Cold Temperatures In London, Ontario, Armin Mahboubi

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Due to the expansion of suburban areas in many cities around the world, accessibility to public transit through walking has become a new challenge for riders. Considering the impacts of climate change in creating more extreme weather, such as extreme cold, heat, or flooding, transit riders may thus be at a higher risk of exposure for various weather-related illnesses (Fraser & Chester, 2016).

Using ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap software, and data collected from City of London’s Open Portal, the United States Geological Survey, Open Mobility Data, and Statistics Canada, the exposure and vulnerability of transit riders to cold temperatures in …

An Explorative Study Of The Methods Used In Dendrochronology And Its Applications, Matthew Bowery

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The science of dendrochronology involves the dating of tree rings and analysis of their annual growth rates. It is important to conduct field studies to determine what tree species in a given area are suitable for analysis. This project began by coring Acer plantanoides, Acer saccharinum, Acer saccharum, and Picea abies from the Fanshawe Conservation Area in London, Ontario. Each core was prepped using standard procedures and analyzed for the visibility of annual rings. The tree rings of Acer plantanoides and Acer saccharinum were inadequate for accurate dating, and thus, only Acer saccharum and Picea abies were …

Digital Road Safety Education Intervention For Children: A Pilot Feasibility Study, Julia Pham

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Over the summer, the Active School Travel (AST) Digital Road Safety Education Pilot Feasibility project was developed as part of the School Travel Plan (STP) study, which aims to improve children’s AST behaviour, physical activity, and reduce air pollution around schools. The Pilot Feasibility study will be evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of an online educational intervention that teaches Grade 4 to 6 students about the rules and skills involved in walking and wheeling to and from school (and around their community) daily. The curriculum is broken up into four modules that will consist of readings, an audio/visual resource, …

How Do Ontario Cities View Environmental Sustainability?, Spencer Cook

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Economic development has traditionally involved a trade-off between economic growth and the environmental quality. It is important to research how growth and development can be achieved in a way that preserves the natural environment. This research studies how cities in Ontario conceptualize sustainability, the challenges in its implementation, and examples of policies. Using a content analysis of economic development strategy documents of 48 Ontario cities, themes will emerge that can be used to draw conclusions about perceptions on sustainability in the province. The results of the content analysis show that sustainability is a low priority, with cities often referring to …

Plant Closures In Ontario Over The Last Twenty Years, Wenxi Dong

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Manufacturing is an important part of Ontario's economy, and the closure of manufacturing plants has a very large impact on the economy and society. This research project is done by conducting primary research through news articles gathering method to find out the news articles that related to plant closures, production cuts, and layoffs in Ontario. By going though the news from 60 different local news publishers in Ontario, there are about 1156 news articles related to plant closures happened in Ontario over the last twenty years. After that, I undertook a content analysis for each related news article to examine …

Temporal Variability Of Public Transit Supply-Demand Gaps In London, On, Canada, William Yang

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This study looks at early morning hourly public transit use in London, Ontario, from 5:00 AM to 8:59 AM and measures the transit gaps between supply and demand at each hour to identify not only areas of oversupply or undersupply but how their occurrence and positions develop over a temporal scale.

Planning For Micromobilities In Canada: Transportation Policy Review, Nathaniel C. Frisbee Ba, Jason Gilliland Phd, Jinhyung Lee Phd

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Canadian municipalities face a complex decision on how they tackle the ‘wicked problem’ of climate change over the next decades. One form of sustainable transportation that municipalities could pursue is light electric vehicles (LEVs), commonly referred to as e-bikes and e-scooters or referred to as a Power Assisted-Bicycle by Transportation Canada. Transportation-related policies and plans of Canadian municipalities were evaluated for their consideration of LEVs. Municipalities were selected based on having a university campus within their boundaries, as this is where the highest density of Canadian population resides. The analysis spreads across all 10 provinces in Canada.  There are significant …

How Urban Outmigration From Toronto Is Going To Impact Rural Ontario, Amanda M. Gutzke

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

These articles examine the outmigration of people from urban Ontario to rural Ontario during the Covid-19 pandemic. These articles use census data from Statistics Canada to explore population growth rates across CMAs and CAs. In addition, data from Statistics Canada is used to demonstrate the impact of intraprovincial migration on small towns and rural Ontario. Moreover, these articles touch upon semi-structured interviews with local elected officials, local administrative officials, and community leaders to showcase the impact of urban outmigration on rural Ontario. These articles argue that housing affordability is one of the most salient consequences of urban outmigration. These articles …

A Conservation Crisis In Our Backyard; Exploring The Challenge Of Advocacy And Restoration In The Carolinian Ecoregion, Ava J. Russell Miss

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The Carolinian ecoregion, which covers approximately 22,000 km², and stretches northeast from the US border on the Niagara River and around the Lake Ontario shoreline to Toronto, and northwest from Grand Bend to Lake Huron, is a 'hotspot' for species diversity and richness. This region has been highly developed following European colonial development, and has also become one of the most populated areas for residents in Canada. Consequently, many species in this region are severely at risk, where the Carolinian ecoregion has a disproportionately high share of over 60% of Canada's species at risk. This blog discusses my …

Sustainable Development Goals Within Canadian Universities, Kavanagh S.A Lambert

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created for all countries by the United Nations in 2015 with the aim of transforming the world for the better. Each country is responsible for working towards achieving these SDGs. Within Canada, fifteen research universities known as the U-15 make up the majority of private-sector research and innovation. About 65% of these U-15 institutions have developed their own SDG report/plan, illustrating a high level of initiative and involvement when it comes to the SDGs. Research indicates that as countries continue to improve their efforts towards the SDGs, there will be a need for …

Constructing Scale, Eroding Responsibility: The Politics Of Scoping In Canadian Energy Project Reviews, Yanqi Li

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This project investigates the practice of strategic boundary drawing in energy and resource project reviews. Focusing on applications to Canadian federal and provincial review bodies over the past 20 years, we ask: to what extent have proponents of oil and gas projects, hydroelectric dams, mines etc. used two strategies: 1) ‘slicing’ complex projects into multiple parts and filing separate applications for each, or 2) ‘splicing’ multiple actions together into a single application – with what outcomes for regulatory approval? This study contributes to three areas of scholarship: 1) theoretical work on the relational nature of space and scale; 2) decolonial …

Parents’ Perceptions Of Their Children’S Physical Activity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emma Ostermeier, Patricia Tucker, Danielle Tobin, Andrew Clark, Jason Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

Background

COVID-19 has drastically changed the everyday lives of children, including limiting interactions with peers, loss of regularly organized activities, and closure of schools and recreational facilities. While COVID-19 protocols are in place to reduce viral transmission, they have affected children’s access to physical activity opportunities. The purpose of this study was to understand how COVID-19 has affected children’s engagement in physical activity and to identify strategies that can support children’s return to physical activity programming in public places.

Methods

Parents of past participants in the Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass Program in London, Ontario, Canada were invited to participate in a …

Intake Of Fruits, Vegetables, And Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among A Sample Of Children In Rural Northern Ontario, Canada, Brenton L.G. Button, Louise W. Mceachern, Gina Martin, Jason A. Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

There is evidence to suggest that dietary intake of children differs by rural/urban place of residence: rural children may have a higher intake of foods high in fat and sugar than those living in urban environments. The aim of this study was to examine the intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) and the frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, among a sample of rural children in Northern Ontario, Canada, in two different seasons. Sociodemographic factors and children’s FV and SSB intake were measured using two repeated cross-sectional surveys, and seasonal information was based on the month of data collection. Logistic …

Junk Food Accessibility After 10 Years Of A Restrictive Food Environment Zoning Policy Around Schools, Lindsey Soon, Jason Gilliland, Leia M. Minaker

Geography & Environment Publications

Zoning has been proposed as a way of reducing unhealthy food access for youth, but little research has evaluated outcomes of proposed or existing junk food bans, and even less research has considered equity implications of such zoning policies. In this simulation study, set in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada), we examined how secondary student access to fast food restaurants and convenience stores would change under such a policy over 10 years in a mid-sized Canadian municipality. Outcomes are presented by school-level advantage (derived from the proportion of students in equity-deserving subgroups: low income, students who speak English …