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Grieving in an online world

July 28th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Grieving in an online world)

Online grieving, whether on Facebook or other social media, is becoming the new normal…but does it actually help?

After the campus shootings in the U.S. at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois University in 2008, hundreds of affected students turned to social media websites to share their grief and search for solace. A study of these students found that their online activities neither helped nor harmed their long-term psychological health.

The study gave a first-of-its-kind portrait of student reactions to shootings on their campuses. It also documented both the online and off-line activities they engaged in to memorialize and recover from these events. (more…)

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Living a self-propelled lifestyle

July 28th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Living a self-propelled lifestyle)

As bicycling moves into the mainstream, it provides transportation, exercise, and recreation. But is it an identity?

The bike lifestyle seems to have moved into the mainstream. Whether the surge in interest is related to the economy, the environment, or the ‘times’, it’s being noticed.

A recent article by Elizabeth Hurst in Momentum Magazine asks us to consider whether cyclists across North America have one way to describe how they lead their lives. Or is the experience as unique as each individual cyclist? In other words, does the bike lifestyle constitute an identity? (more…)

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Arctic history makes waves in China

July 28th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

The history of the Arctic is retold, from an Inuit perspective, and the project creates interest at an international conference

A University of British Columbia research study was presented at a recent international conference in Shanghai, China. Fourth year sociology student April Dutheil shared her experiences with the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project at the Universitas 21 undergraduate conference—hosted by an international network of 23 research-intensive universities.

The archival project began after a UBC social work professor was approached by Inuit elders from Arviat, Nunavut, who asked for help in passing on their experiences to a younger generation. A plan grew to document the experience and history of colonization—from the Inuit point of view. (more…)

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Death with dignity back in focus

July 21st, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Russel Ogden—and the Farewell Foundation—prepare plans for Canada’s first facility to offer legal assisted suicide

Last November, sociology professor Russel Ogden offered to accompany a small group of Canadians to Switzerland’s Dignitas centre and to act as a witness to the assisted suicide of a severely ill family member. When he saw the effects of Canada’s criminal code on the family and their loved one, the social scientist became a legal activist. Russel Ogden and several associates formed an organization called the Farewell Foundation, which believes its members should have the right to receive assistance to end their lives, and that members should have the right to provide assistance. (more…)

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Social enterprises hold promise

July 21st, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Social enterprises hold promise)

Small social enterprises exist—and even thrive—but do they really help to prevent the highs and lows of unstable funding?

Social enterprises are business ventures operated by non-profit societies, charities, or co-operatives. The businesses sell goods or provide services in the market for the purpose of creating a blended return on investment, both financial and social. Their profits are returned to the business or to a social purpose, rather than maximizing profits to shareholders.

How do social enterprises work? How can small or struggling nonprofits develop their own business ventures? (more…)

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“A country full of opportunities”

July 14th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on “A country full of opportunities”)

Aden Ahmed settles into life in Nanaimo, far away from his Somalian origins, in a “country full of opportunities”

Aden Ahmed is the second student brought to Nanaimo through the World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program, which has helped more than 1,000 young men and women pursue education and resettle in this country as permanent residents. He has just completed a year in business studies at Vancouver Island University. VIU students have contributed financially to make Aden’s education there possible. (more…)

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