CHASIcast 15: Dr. Amber Gazso on addiction and aid

A photo of Dr. Amber Gazso speaking into a microphone. Text reads "CHASIcast #15 - Addiction and Aid - Dr. Amber Gazso."

The CHASIcast tackles the complexities of addiction and aid in this episode. Join host Dr. Martha Dow and her guest Dr. Amber Gazso, Professor of Sociology at UFV’s School of Culture, Media, and Society, as they discuss the challenge of balancing government assistance with substance use, and how lessons learned in research from Ontario could … Read more

CHASI highlights undergraduate research at KPU conference

Photo of a panel of speakers on stage.

Student-driven research is a core pillar of CHASI, and undergraduate students are at the centre of all of CHASI’s work, from proposal to delivery. On March 15, the CHASI team had the opportunity to highlight the role of students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Empowering Minds: Inspiring and Showcasing Undergraduate Research conference. The conference focused on … Read more

CHASIcast 12: Chelsea Klassen on the academic folklore of Taylor Swift

Photo showing Chelsea Klassen and Dr. Martha Dow speaking into microphones. A quote attributed to Chelsea reads: “Looking at celebrity and controversy, how do we conceptualise the controversy that happened with the VMAs? How do we understand heroes and villains in popular culture? How do we talk about race?” End of quote. Beneath, Chelsea’s titles are listed as “Lead Researcher, Community Health and Social Innovation Hub” and “Sessional Instructor, School of Social Justice and Global Stewardship.”

The new year brings something sweeter than fiction, as the CHASIcast examines the surprisingly academic folklore hidden behind a pop culture juggernaut. Join host Dr. Martha Dow and CHASI’s lead researcher Chelsea Klassen as they tackle the sociological and psychological facets of Taylor Swift’s work, and how her fearless advocacy and engaging relationship with her … Read more

CHASIcast: Getting deep on gender identity with Stacy

A pull quote. A faded image in the background shows four adults and a child walking together, away from the camera. The quote reads: "Believe people with who they say they are, and it doesn’t have to be a problem. And it inherently isn’t. The only reason it becomes a problem is if we make it a problem. And [remember] that people know themselves better than we ever really will." The quote is attributed to Stacy, Registered Social Worker.

What does support and care look like for gender diverse people today? On the latest episode of the CHASIcast, we spoke to Stacy (he/him), a registered social worker (MSW) and UFV Alumni (BSW – 2015) who has spent much of his social work career working within healthcare, along with offering private pay counselling. For almost … Read more

CHASIcast: CHASI RAs on the destruction of flags and the meaning of Pride

Four women sit in the CIVL Radio studio with headhphones on and microphones in front of them. A quote from Miranda Erickson reads: “Looking back at all of the incidences where people have stepped on or spit on, or broken, or thrown out the flags... it’s upsetting because they were just existing and it feels very symbolic of the community as a whole. Like we’re not asking for allyship, we’re not asking for money, we’re not asking for resources. We’re just existing. And just the fact that we’re existing is enough to incite hatred and aggressive ... they feel threatened by it because apparently just existing is not enough. They need to not see us. They need us to not be here.”

On this special Pride episode of the CHASIcast, we welcome four of the amazing students who work at CHASI: Lynsie Beaulieu, Ekat Marenkov, and Miranda Erickson, all research assistants, and Frankie Fowle, a graphic design intern. After several months seeing targeted hate first hand with the repeated vandalism and theft of CHASI’s Pride flags display … Read more

Pride 2023 at CHASI

Photo of CHASI team members speaking at a table with a rainbow tablecloth.

Pride is always time of celebration and action at CHASI, and 2023 was no different! Here is just some what our team did to mark the occasion. Dr. Martha Dow joins GW Graham Secondary’s Pride Celebration CHASI director Dr. Martha Dow was privileged to be able to speak at GW Graham Secondary’s Pride celebration to … Read more