Carolyn McEwen selected to represent Canada at the 2017 Rugby World Cup

Expected graduating year: December 2018
Degree: PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Wilson
Hometown: Rothesay, New Brunswick / South Korea

You just returned from a research trip to South Korea, what were you working on there?

I was in South Korea for three months from March to May, 2017 to collect data for my PhD dissertation research. I’m exploring how environmental controversies surrounding the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games are interpreted and experienced by different groups, and their resulting implications. Specifically, I focus on the contested development of Mount Gariwang, a former ‘Protected Area for Forest Genetic Resource Conservation’ for hundreds of years now turned into the official alpine skiing venue for three days of Olympic events.

While in Korea, I interviewed activists, journalists and local residents to see how each group made sense of the controversy. I also visited the development site to contextualize and better understand my interview data, and get a more nuanced and ‘visceral’ sense for my place-based research.

An overarching purpose of my research is to provoke thinking about the role of communication in asking questions of power and collective responsibility, and in envisioning alternative democratic and ecological futures.

Tell us about a highlight from the experience:

It would definitely be getting to meet and talk to such a wide range of people. All the more so because this was the part I was most nervous about (i.e. cold-calling strangers to see if they wanted to chat about this issue!). Most interview participants were more than eager to connect me to others, and it was a humbling experience not just in terms of learning more about the subject matter, but also about the different lived experiences that have led them there, shaping their values and visions as well.

Also, towards the end of my stay in Korea, I had the opportunity to present to the activists what the locals directly impacted by the development had to say. This was another highlight as most activists mentioned that this (hearing the voices of the locals) was something they did not get to do. This was a neat experience because it’s not often that grad students get to witness their work having real-life connections so immediately in front of their eyes!

Did anything surprise you?:

The fact that opinions varied significantly within the local community was surprising. It was a good reminder to take extra caution not to homogenize and romanticize the locals as always representing one solid body of resistance.

Why did you choose to do your graduate studies with UBC Kinesiology?:

I wanted to work with Dr. Brian Wilson as his research interests and mine are similar. He has done excellent work exploring social, cultural, political and environmental issues surrounding sport, physical activity and health – there is so much to learn from him. Also, UBC Kinesiology offers a range of socio-cultural kinesiology classes by experts in the field, as well as the flexibility to take courses in other departments according to your research interests. The longer I am here, the luckier I feel in having the opportunity to work alongside such dedicated professors and talented colleagues. Lastly, it would be a lie to say beautiful Vancouver and British Columbia weren’t a factor! 🙂

What advice to have for your peers?:

You are worth so much more than your productivity! Also, don’t let impostor syndrome get in the way of taking up opportunities – whether it be asking that burning question you feel is “too dumb” to ask, going up to talk to a prof at a conference, or taking a shot at a scholarship.

What do you hope to do after graduation?:

I’d like to leave my options open for as many career options as possible – whether that be in academia or otherwise. I’d like to do something that critically engages with, and addresses social inequality. There certainly is no shortage of different kinds of inequality but at the moment, I’m interested in environmental politics, justice, and ecological democracy.

Name: Devra Waldman
Expected Graduation: December 2019
Degree: PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Wilson
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

You are currently in India, can you tell us about the work/research you are doing?
I’ve been in India for the last two months doing some research for my dissertation. I’m based primarily in Gurgaon (a suburb of Delhi) and I’m doing an ethnography of sport-focused gated communities in the National Capital Region of India. In India, and especially in the areas around Delhi, there is a growing phenomenon of international and domestic real estate developers using sport/leisure brands and identities to anchor large-scale urban development projects. For example, there are large scale gated-communities called ‘Sports Cities’ which have PGA regulation golf courses, cricket stadiums, NBA regulation (and branded) basketball courts, Olympic-sized swimming pools and stadiums, and ‘world class’ facilities in badminton, squash, tennis, and soccer. These facilities are surrounded by over 6000 residences, private schools, and a private hospital.

For my research, I’m living in a gated, residential community and spending time with a variety of groups that are connected to or impacted by these spaces. This includes developers, architects, government officials, and residents. I’ve also done multiple site visits to a variety of sport-focused residential developments in the National Capital Region, and have attended various conferences on urban land development regulations in India.

The overarching goal of this study is to better understand how these spatial developments come to be, the multiple/contested meanings of these spaces, the place/role of sport/leisure in the building of home and place, the politics of inclusion/exclusion of these spaces, and how the development of these spaces is connected to broader financial capital and legacies of colonialism.

Tell us about a highlight from the experience:
In terms of research, it has been great to meet different people that are connected to these developments in different ways. For example, I’ve met international architects, government officials and urban planners, consultants, real estate developers, residents/home buyers, individuals in financial institutions, and others. Doing this helps to gain a better understanding of the intricacies, complexities, and (un)intended consequences of these sorts of development projects — and how a gated community that is unique to a particular area is built from relationships and impacts those beyond the confines of its gates. A side highlight has been a trip to the Taj Mahal — can check that off the bucket list, and can confirm that it is better in person than in photographs!

Did anything surprise you?
While there have been many, many surprises (that’s the beauty of fieldwork), I’d say the big thing was just seeing the size, scale, and scope of these sorts of developments — and the disjuncture this has with town/government planning that seems unable to keep up with the pace of development. I think a Town Planner from Gurgaon that I met summed it up best when he described development in the area to me. He explained that if you come to Gurgaon and you look up, it looks great. Beautiful buildings, residences, corporate parks. But if you look down, you see broken or unfinished roads, a lack of drainage, poor water distribution, poor waste management, and a general lack of infrastructure — the two don’t seem to add up. In effect, you have a city of islands that are self-contained yet are largely isolated and disconnected from all the other islands.

Why did you choose to do your graduate studies with UBC Kinesiology?:
It’s a fantastic program! I feel incredibly lucky to work with Brian and to have such a supportive department. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to learn and grow from the professors and my fellow graduate students every day.

What advice to have for your peers?:
Make sure you follow your gut and go with a dissertation topic that you find interesting. Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks and recharge, you need it!

What do you hope to do after graduation?:
I hope to be working at a university somewhere continuing to do research on urban development, politics of space, and (post)colonialism. I’m also really looking forward to teaching classes to undergraduates and working with students.