grenfell_cviewbk_2011_incl_cover - Memorial University of ...

As an interdisciplinary program, social/cultural studies
will allow you to use various lenses in studying human
behaviour: the sociological imagination lens, the
comparative cross-cultural lens and the informal
folkloric communication lens, among others.
In keeping with the tradition of cultural studies,
social/cultural studies at Grenfell is not taught as
a unified theory but as a diverse field of study
encompassing many different approaches, methods
and academic perspectives. It upholds scholarly
discourse that draws on theory and methods from
these various perspectives while investigating the
relations between specific cultural practices and
cultural objects under conditions limited by power
and defined by contestation, modification and
struggle.
Our faculty bring to scholarly discourse a wide range
of research interests. Faculty research interests
include rural development dynamics, the modern
funeral services industry, non-verbal communication,
medicine, Aboriginal identity and socio-economic
issues, belief systems, identity construction in
women’s narrative and the interrelationship of
power/knowledge, and western social and cultural
institutions.
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When Candice Pike enrolled in Introduction to Sociology, something clicked.
Inspired by her professors, the social/cultural studies graduate began a journey
that helped her better understand how people connect to each other and how
this could help her contribute to the world. "I've always been interested in social
dynamics," said Candice. "I like to observe how people interact socially as
opposed to psychologically." Upon graduating she received a $14,000
assistantship and a SSHRC scholarship to do a master's in dance at York
University. She attributes her success to Grenfell's social/cultural studies
program. "This well-rounded degree taught me invaluable research,
communication, and critical thinking skills that have opened many doors for me."
GOOD TO
KNOW:
Dr. Ivan Emke’s small-town roots
are making big-time waves. The
associate vice-principal (research) is
part of a national research team that's investigating
“The New Rural Economy.” Along with his team,
Dr. Emke looks at how rural communities are
adapting to the challenges of a changing economy.
“People talk about needing to compete globally,
without really understanding the implications of
that,” he says. “All over the world, traditions are
being trampled in the name of global competition.”
www.grenfell.mun.ca/soc_cultural