Browsing by Author "Berenson, Carol"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Pondering periods: Young women talk about menstruation in the age of menstrual suppression
    (2014-07-04) Berenson, Carol; McCoy, Liza
    Seasonale, a birth control pill designed and marketed expressly to suppress menstruation, has been on the Canadian market since 2007 yet ‘menstruation by choice’ remains a controversial issue. This dissertation investigates menstrual suppression from the perspectives of experts in the field of women’s health and those of young women as a target group for this practice. It also explores the broader question of what everyday menstrual life looks like for young women in this time when menstruating seems to be on the wane. Utilizing a history of medicalization to contextualize the current state of affairs, this thesis draws upon insights from practice theory to map the nuances and complexities of menstruation and menstrual suppression using data from policy documents and focus group interviews. The parameters of the menstrual suppression debate are laid out as presented by the Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and their counterparts, the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. In framing what they see as the key issues of concern, these experts reveal disparate underlying assumptions about the menstrual cycle itself, the technology of the birth control pill, women’s decision making, and what constitutes risk. The women’s views about menstrual suppression are far from straight forward, with risks associated with pregnancy detection, future fertility, and the pill’s interference with ‘nature’ on their list of concerns. They speak back to the experts, reconfiguring the parameters of the issue and revealing considerable skill in maneuvering the complexities of the choice-making terrain. In the everyday of young women’s lives, menstruation involves considerable work, not only during one’s period but also in terms of getting ready for it. In their talk about selecting a menstrual management product, participants draw upon interpretive frameworks to do with economics, the environment, health, hygiene, and growing up. In terms of managing menstrual bleeding they describe engaging in numerous routine practices in order to hide the evidence of their periods from both males and sometimes females in their lives. This work is compulsory, complicated and context-dependent, with some spheres of activity particularly revealing of high stakes consequences of failure. More broadly, they both reinforce and challenge notions of menstruating bodies as abject in male normative space, and balance attending to menstruation against erasing the fact of its existence as they describe their embodied menstrual routines.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars: a scoping review protocol
    (2018-12-05) Nowell, Lorelli; Alix Hayden, K.; Berenson, Carol; Kenny, Natasha; Chick, Nancy; Emery, Carolyn
    Abstract Background A growing number of postdoctoral scholars are following diverse career paths that require broad skill sets to ensure success. Yet, most postdoctoral professional learning and development initiatives are intended for academic careers and seldom include professional skills needed to succeed in non-academic settings. Given that fewer than 20% of postdoctoral scholars will obtain tenure-track academic positions, there is a great need for postdoctoral scholars to prepare for a range of future careers. Creating professional learning and development strategies to address these concerns requires an understanding of current approaches, yet there is a distinct lack of literature exploring and synthesizing sources of evidence on the professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine, synthesize, and map the sources of evidence on professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. Methods We will perform a scoping review to identify sources of evidence around professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. Our search strategy, limited to English language, will include searching relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary databases with no limitation on date of publication. We will conduct forward and backward citation chasing of included articles. Gray literature will be searched in electronic databases and websites of national postdoctoral associations. Search strategies will be developed using controlled vocabulary and keyword terms related to postdoctoral scholars and professional development. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts for inclusion, and two reviewers will independently screen full text to determine final inclusion. These data will be summarized quantitatively (using a simple numerical count) and qualitatively using thematic analysis methods. Through this process, we will summarize the current state of evidence around professional development and learning of postdoctoral scholars and identify current gaps in the literature, as well as the research areas requiring systematic reviews and/or primary research. Discussion Despite the growing numbers of postdoctoral scholars, there has been no synthesis of the sources of evidence of postdoctoral scholars’ professional learning and development. In reviewing a wide range of evidence and integrating it into a manageable and meaningful whole, this scoping review will be a critical first step in understanding the professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. Our results will help inform future research and the development of a framework for postdoctoral scholar’s professional learning and development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Professional Learning and Development of Postdoctoral Scholars: A Systematic Review of the Literature
    (2018-12-02) Nowell, Lorelli; Ovie, Glory; Berenson, Carol; Kenny, Natasha; Hayden, K. Alix
    Increasing numbers of postdoctoral scholars are pursuing diverse career paths that require broad skill sets to ensure success. However, most postdoctoral professional learning and development initiatives are designed for academic careers and rarely include professional skills needed to flourish in nonacademic settings. The purpose of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine and synthesize evidence of professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. The systematic search resulted in 7,571 citations, of which 162 full-text papers were reviewed and 28 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. This paper synthesizes and classifies studies exploring professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. The findings may be used to inform the objectives of professional learning and development initiatives for postdoctoral scholars and contribute to a more rigorous approach to studying professional learning and development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Teaching Controversial Issues: Deepening Engagement and Critical Thinking
    (2015-05-12) Pruegger, Valerie; Berenson, Carol
    At the heart of any university is a mandate to ensure a safe and respectful campus while fostering exploration, debate, and research on a wide variety of subjects, including those that may be controversial. The teaching of controversial issues can provide a rich site for deep learning by exposing students to a variety of perspectives, giving them tools to critically analyze issues, and offering opportunities to communicate democratically across differences (Brookfield & Preskill, 2005; Hess, 2009). However, engaging students around controversies can be complex, as questions of what might count as controversial and for whom arise (Flinders University, n.d.), along with potential classroom management challenges for faculty members (Fournier-Sylvester, 2013). This workshop equips participants with tools to design and implement inclusive learning environments that maximize student engagement and learning on controversial subjects. In this interactive session participants will engage around case studies, and share their own classroom experiences and strategies in small and large group discussions. By the end of the session participants will be able to: • design learning activities in order to establish a safe and inclusive classroom environment • implement strategies to prepare for and lead productive class discussions • handle challenges and/or emotional responses should they arise in the classroom