Dean's Message
Margaret Y. MacDonald, Dean of Arts
On February 26, 2016, The Faculty of Arts Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Culture (CISC), hosted the student conference Empowerment: Culture and the Everyday.
Participants were asked to think about the following questions: “What do cultural traditions or practices say about our society, now or in the past, imagined or real? How do cultural struggles affect social identity, mobility, and community in modern, historical, or literary contexts?” Presenters represented a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary perspectives. Papers discussed historical struggles and quests for identity from many eras and cultural locations. From gender and ale house culture in early modern England, to Mi’kmaw women’s fight for equality, to the importance of language for the construction of Irish identity – it was a fascinating day of conversation and exchange, with engaging responses from students and faculty members alike.
This was the second Student Empowerment Conference sponsored by CISC. Once again, the quality of the papers far exceeded the expectations of the conference organizers. It was truly a provocative day of discovery! Through CISC, the Faculty of Arts is committed to creating interactive spaces like that experienced during the conference, where insights from different disciplines can be brought to bear on specific cultural questions, challenges, and problems. We know that you will enjoy reading these papers and we look forward to Student Empowerment Conference 2017!
Contents
Containment Versus Colonialism: How Fear of Communism Shaped American Foreign Policy BY AMBER ROLFE
Irish Identity through Language: The Influence of Gaelic on a Divided Island BY BRANDON CALLAHAN
The Mi’kmaq and British Agricultural Policies in Colonial Nova Scotia: Theoretical Underpinnings and Motivations BY COURTNEY MRAZEK
The Bard’s Witness: The Welsh and Early Modern English National Consciousness BY ERIC FRANKLIN
The Moving Wall: Cultural Reproduction and Dynamic Sites of Memory in the Commemoration of the Vietnam War BY JAMES DURING
Age of Acquisition and Language Exposure: The Effectiveness of French Language Programs in Canadian Schools BY KIRSTEN PAULA
Alehouse Culture and Gender in Early Modern England BY LAURA CARTER
Sustainable Food Security / Food Sovereignty in Bolivia BY LYDIA MAZEL
Editor's Choice: The Transformation of The Merchant of Venice Through Print Reproduction BY MICHAEL MACLEOD
The impact of long-term urban park restoration on place attachment and psychological well-being: The case study of Point Pleasant Park after Hurricane Juan BY PATRICK LARTER
Intolerant Views of the White Man: Mi’kmaw Women's Fight for Equality BY VICTORIA MACDONALD