Capilano Universe
***** Lineup for Capilano Universe 2012 *****
These FREE presentations are co-sponsored by Capilano University, North Vancouver District Public Library, North Vancouver City Library and West Vancouver Memorial Library. These events run from 7 pm to 8:45 pm. Early arrival is highly recommended! All sessions will be hosted by Dr. Leonard George, except for January 17, hosted by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani.
photo by Steven Khan
MAY 15
North Vancouver City Library, 120 14th St. West, North Vancouver
RE-THINKING THE CARIBBEAN:
LITERATURE, ART AND CULTURE
Think "Caribbean". What images come to mind? For many, the picture of a tourist's paradise - sun, sea and sand - or ideas about third world inefficiencies, corruption and violence are synonymous with the Caribbean islands. This multi-media presentation aims to disrupt these stereotypes by exploring more complex dimensions of Caribbean experience and identity as presented in selected works by Caribbean writers, artists and intellectuals that are also relevant to our multicultural societies in North Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada as a whole.
Dr. Shalini Khan
Shalini Khan, Ph.D. is a Caribbeanist and World Literatures specialist. Her teaching and research interests include literary and medical representations of disease, illness and disability, post/colonial science fiction and transdisciplinary pedagogies. She teaches English Literature and Academic Writing in Capilano University's Department of English.
For further information, contact Leonard George: lgeorge@capilanou.ca
Past Presentations
JANUARY 17
North Vancouver District Public Library (NVDPL)
Lynn Valley Main Library, 1277 Lynn Valley Rd, North Vancouver
"THE HEAVENS IN THEIR WHOLENESS ARE WITHIN US":
THE COSMIC PSYCHOLOGY OF THE RENAISSANCE
Under Brunelleschi's dome in Florence's cathedral, a bust gathers dust in a murky niche. It honours a man now nearly forgotten. But he was a leading light of the Italian Renaissance, and its deepest psychological thinker. Revered as ‘the Doctor of Souls', Marsilio Ficino wove strands of ancient wisdom into a vivid portrayal of the psyche, its healing and its enlightenment. As we look into the soul of the Renaissance, we glimpse new vistas within our own.
Dr. Leonard George
Leonard George, Ph.D., R.Psych. is a Faculty member of Capilano University's Psychology Department, and also teaches in the Music Therapy degree program. He has authored two books and many articles, given lectures and seminars across North America and Europe (including one in Florence this past June), and is co-organizing a conference in Alexandria, Egypt in June 2012. He is intrigued by anything that is vast, intricate or emits a ‘mewing' sound.
FEBRUARY 14
West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Dr., West Vancouver
SECRETS OF HONEYMOONS REVEALED
(BY SNOOPY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS)!
Come take a sociological look at the custom of honeymooning. Wife and husband, Drs. Kris and Richard Bulcroft, will take you on a romantic quest to explore the North American honeymoon from 1890 through today. Come enjoy a visual tour of honeymoon hot spots, and learn why couples choose these exotic sites. See how the honeymoon has changed over time and how its form and function follows changes in contemporary marriage and relationships. Learn what factors help make today's honeymoons a sweet success or major disaster. Find out why romance is in the air, but it may not be part of the honeymoon script of today.
Dr. Kris & Richard Bulcroft
Kris Bulcroft, Ph.D. is a sociologist specializing in aging and family. Her research career includes publications on later life dating and courtship, divorce and remarriage in later life, guardianship laws and family impacts, and the role of pets over the family life course. She is currently the President and Vice Chancellor at Capilano University. Richard Bulcroft, Ph.D. is a sociologist specializing in youth and family. His research career includes publications on contemporary mate selection, race and gender differences in marriage rates, and social media and mate selection strategies. He is currently an Associate Professor of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA. As a husband and wife team along with a colleague in art history, the Bulcrofts published a book and several articles about the social history of the North American honeymoon.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Gibsons District Public Library, 464 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons
Mainil Room
RSVP Required: 604 886 2130
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GOOD AND EVIL
What does it take to become a perpetrator of genocide? Why would someone risk their own life to save that of a complete stranger? Are the murderer and the saint really that different from one another? Weaving together insights from contemporary psychological science, this talk will focus on some of the common pathways and psychological processes that underlie the behaviour of those who exhibit the worst as well as the best of human nature.
About the presenter:
Born and raised in Bombay, India, Rajiv Jhangiani moved to Canada in 1998 and went on to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Psychology at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on political violence (including terrorism, ethnopolitical violence and genocide)
decision-making under stress, disaster preparedness, and the use of technology in the classroom. Dr. Jhangiani's research has been supported by awards from numerous agencies, including the International Society of Political Psychology, the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. The author of more than 40 articles, chapters, and presentations at national and international conferences, Dr. Jhangiani lives in North Vancouver and teaches psychology at Capilano University.
MARCH 20
NVDPL Capilano Branch, 3045 Highland Blvd, North Vancouver
VOLUNTOURISTS AND VOLUNTYRANTS
International voluntourism (combining an exotic vacation with a bit of volunteering) is growing worldwide. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of people travelling as part of a voluntourist group increased by 46% (from 4.7 million people to 6.2 million people) according to one estimate. But in many cases, volunteering overseas can quickly turn into voluntyranny, when voluntourists end up doing more harm than good. Cam Sylvester has witnessed the best and the worst of voluntourism while heading up Capilano's Global Stewardship program over the last 8 years, and he will share his thoughts on how to make the best of voluntourism.
Cam SylvesterCam Sylvester directs the Global Stewardship program at Capilano University. The program is designed to introduce students to the world of international non-governmental organizations (like Oxfam and Amnesty International) through volunteer work while they complete the first two years of their bachelor's degree. Cam also teaches Asian Politics and International relations in the Political Studies department at the University. He completed his BA in English and Philosophy at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and his MA in Government and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana His research interests include the role of indigenous and foreign NGOs in Indochina. His other jobs have included teaching high school, serving as a political analyst on CBC television, writing and photographing for magazines, and handling dead chickens in a meat packing factory. He is married to Jeanne Mikita who teaches Geography at Capilano. They have two children - Shawn, 22, and Maggie, 17 - with whom they have travelled extensively.
APRIL 17
NVDPL Parkgate Branch, 675 Banff Court, North Vancouver
STROKE AND THE NEW PROMISE OF NEURO-PLASTICITY
Stroke is caused by a decreased blood supply or a hemorrhage in the brain. Substantial recovery is observed in the first 6 months after the event. However, stroke survivors may be left with disabling effects long afterward. These difficulties can leave a person dependent on caregivers to attend to their activities of daily living. Recent research into neuro-plasticity (the capacity of the brain to change in response to experience) aims to help stroke survivors by enabling them to become independent through advanced therapies. This presentation will address some of these advances.
Vineet Johnson
Vineet Johnson, B.Sc.PT, PG.Dip.PT, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate at McGill University, Faculty, Dept. of Human Kinetics, Capilano University. Vineet graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Christian Medical College, Vellore, TN, India. Thereafter he completed a post-graduate diploma in Physiotherapy, from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, Scotland followed by a Master of Science in Kinesiology (specialty Neurophysiology) from Simon Fraser University. Vineet is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at McGill University in Neuro-Rehabilitation. He started teaching at Capilano University in 2005. Vineet has also worked at Simon Fraser University as an Instructor / teaching assistant.
