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Today we talk to two PhD students from York University’s Psychology program. First: Alisha Salerno has found that a disturbing number of people with developmental disabilities, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder, fear interaction with the police. She is exploring their personal stories to find ways to improve relations. Next: Shaylea Badovinac is part of a research team that explores links between maternal depression symptoms and mother-child detachment in early life. As we all know, the bond between mother and child, especially in the early years, is one of the strongest forces in the world. So how does this study illuminate the challenges that both parties face with attachment and detachment?

While everyone has the right to declare refugee status in Canada, not all refugees are perceived as equal. Harini Sivalingam is a PhD candidate in Socio-Legal Studies. She is currently working on a dissertation about the public, legal, and political discourses surrounding the arrival of asylum-seekers n Canada. In a recent op-ed for the Toronto Star, she used the case of a boat called the MV Ocean Lady to explain some of her ideas… Read Harini's op-ed here: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/10/08/refugees-are-not-all-in-the-same-boat.html

A Hong Kong cartoonist has spent 40 years chronicling China and Hong Kong’s many social and political upheavals. Wong Kei-kwan – better known by his pen name Zunzi – is Hong Kong’s best-known political cartoonists, and also one of its longest-lasting. His work for the Chinese-language newspaper “Ming Pao” is highly critical of the People’s Republic and its encroaching influence on Hong Kong, both before and after the 1997 reunification. Zunzi is at York University this week for the opening of the career-spanning exhibition “Now What?!! – Civil movements through a cartoonist’s eyes.” The exhibition is presented by the York Centre for Asian Research and the Department of Design in the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design. It can be viewed in the fourth floor corridor of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building at York. On Friday, November 8, a daylong series of panels, speeches, and discussions will contextualize the show. On this episode, we talk to Zunzi and exhibition curator Wendy Siuyi Wong. Learn more about the events on November 8, "From the 2019 Hong Kong Protests to the World’s Tomorrow: The Power of Disobedience, Discourse and Creative Dissent" - https://ycar.apps01.yorku.ca/event/2019-hong-kong-protests-creative-dissent/

In a small village in rural Ethiopia, Helen Claire Andrus (a York Development Studies graduate student) discovered the pedagogical and community-building potential of radio. She discusses how radio is used to spread important information to rural farmers, and her own work studying the practice of photography by development organizations. Read "Listening together: Radio helps empower a family and the community" by Helen Claire Andrus - https://farmradio.org/listening-together/

The Girls' Studies York Research Network (GSYRN) is a new research network that brings together scholars, professors, practitioners, and students in all disciplines to share knowledge on the subject of girlhood. This specific-yet-vast subject raises many questions: What is a "girl"? How does the definition vary? What challenges do girls face at this particular historical moment? Where do these many disciplines intersect? To discuss, we're joined by Deanne Williams (professor of English at York), Natalie Coulter (professor of Communication Studies at York, director of the Institute for Research on Digital Learning), and Clara Chapdelaine-Feliciati (professor of International Law; barrister & solicitor with the Law Society of Ontario). For more information on https://cfr.info.yorku.ca/2019/06/new-research-cluster-girls-studies-york-research-network-gsyrn/

Manfred Becker (Graduate Program Director of York's Film program) discusses "Saving Rabbit," his new documentary for CBC Docs POV. The film chronicles the story of Peter, aka "Rabbit," a Toronto fentanyl user seeking recovery. Becker discusses how he built a rapport with his subject, the tricky ethical waters he navigated, and the day-to-day reality of addiction. Watch "Saving Rabbit" - https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/episodes/saving-rabbit Read Manfred Becker's memoir of the production - https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/m/blog/his-life-is-a-constant-battle-for-survival-meet-rabbit-a-fentanyl-user-in

Mental health issues and mood disorders like depression and anxiety are rising worldwide. So are urban populations. Being outdoors is said to make people happier, and Urban & Regional Studies PhD student Nadha Hassen hopes to better understand how urban green spaces affect people with mental health issues. PLUS: The Indigenous Friends Association builds and supports technology by, with, and for Indigenous peoples. Created through the Centre for Aboriginal Student Services, it began life in 2015 as a mobile app that creates networks between Indigenous Youth and raises awareness of resources and counselling in local communities. Alejandro Mayoral Baños (PhD candidate in Communications and Cultures) discusses the initiative and its future.

Art doesn't exist in a vacuum, and theatre is not limited to an auditorium. Alison Wong, incoming York MFA student in the Department of Theatre, discusses producing the Exchange series at this year's SummerWorks Performance Festival, creating innovative events like a site-specific conversation with Elder Duke Redbird on the waterfront, and a conversation about Queen Street's history on a double-decker bus. Learn more about SummerWorks Exchange: http://summerworks.ca/exchange/