Abstract: Storytelling is very much a part of our public and scholarly discourse these days, from storytelling in oral cultures and traditions, public interest in oral history collections and family history, to the use of storytelling techniques in marketing and communications. The first hour of our presentation will focus on the use of storytelling approaches in academic research and experiential learning. Our panel will examine storytelling through public history and oral history collections and preservation; an examination of power relations through life story and oral history interviews; the stories revealed by material objects; and the study of narratives from the perspective of politics and public memory. In the second hour we invite our audience to participate in an exercise of listening and telling stories.
Christine Berkowitz is a retired Associate Professor, Teaching Stream of history in the Department of Historical & Cultural Studies, U of T Scarborough. Her work focuses on community engaged learning, public history, and oral history research and preservation.
Josh Arthurs is an Associate Professor of history in the Department of Historical & Cultural Studies. His work focuses on memory politics, urban space and the legacies of conflict and dictatorship in Europe and globally.
Connie Guberman is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, of Women's & Gender Studies in the Department of Historical & Cultural Studies. Her work focuses on issues related to violence against women, specifically the impact of violence on learning, institutional responses to violence, and personal safety and urban design.
Erin Webster is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, of Art History in the Department of Arts, Culture & Media. Her work focuses on crossing the academic-museum boundaries, particularly through the introduction of technical art history, experiential learning and object-focused study to undergraduate students.
Nicole Klenk is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science in the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences. Her work focuses on an examination of the role of (environmental) science in society, the science-policy interface, the politics of knowledge co-production, mobilization and application, and new modes of environmental governance.
Kirsta Stapelfeldt is Associate Librarian, Research and Digital Initiatives, UTSC Library. Her work focuses on sustainable digital solutions for stewardship, access, and research (particularly of emerging formats such as stories) and transdisciplinary experiential learning.
At the University of Toronto Scarborough, we are proud of our continuing commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement as a contributing member of the Highland Creek and Rouge Valley areas, and Eastern Greater Toronto Area. We welcome you to join us in person or online and partake in discussions from some of the campus' most renowned thinkers. Register Online.
Great Explorations is a series of academic discussions we hope will inspire our communities. We extend special thanks to our engaged, critical thinkers who attend our speaker series. The dialogues that come out of these talks, both in-person and online, are integral to our campus community and Scarborough communities at large. We welcome your input for future topics, as well as a review of previous recorded sessions available on YouTube.