Reflections from our Culture + Society Editor

Even though we no longer all watch the same news broadcast, crowding around the one TV to watch the dramatic moments of our lives unfold, from our newsroom at The Conversation Canada, we have deeply felt the collective impact of our 2018 news moments.

Where were you when the news broke of the “decision by an all-white jury, presided over by a white judge, to acquit the killer of Colten Boushie, a young Indigenous man from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation?” I was in my car, listening to the radio and I had to pull over to process the news. As a journalist in Canada, these are moments of both privilege and great responsibility: as the Culture + Society editor, I have access to scholars who helped me, and our audiences, explore this tragic and severe test of the Canadian legal system.

News of the way Hollywood’s veneer continued to crumble and reveal toxic masculinity and racism also unfurled on The Conversation. The rise of #MeToo comes from many directions. In the newsroom, we tuned in to listen to Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony during the U.S. Supreme Court hearings (along with millions of others) and reflected on its impact.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s war on immigrants marches on, and scholars have shared their analysis, using all kinds of research methods to counter Trump’s inaccuracies.

We also looked closely this year at how climate change and politics impact our social and cultural lives. One article explains: “we are living in a time of extraordinary ecological loss” which can lead to grief and mourning. And another poignantly illustrates how racism impacts our health.

The legalization of cannabis was big news, and we looked at it from many perspectives – including one that challenges the Canadian government.

As someone who spent years working in fashion journalism, I am fascinated by the way we dress and how that can impact politics.

These are just a small sample of the Culture + Society articles published by a crew of dedicated academics who help to infuse our collective moments with in-depth analysis. I’m looking forward to exploring more with you from our newsroom in 2019.

Vinita Srivastava

Culture + Society Editor

The Year in Review: Culture + Society

‘Clearing the plains’ continues with the acquittal of Gerald Stanley

David MacDonald, University of Guelph

It's time for an overhaul of the justice system in Canada: How juries are selected, how Indigenous victims are treated and to challenge embedded racism within police forces and courts.

Everyday terrorism: A woman or girl is killed every other day in Canada

Myrna Dawson, University of Guelph

We tend to pay attention to mass killings and terrorism. But one girl or woman is killed every other day in Canada. If we identify that as terrorism, we might pay more attention and do something.

Masculinity should not be defined by the Kavanaugh hearings

Michael Kehler, University of Calgary

A masculinities scholar weighs-in on the the reverberations of the recent Supreme Court hearings and what he calls a disturbing message of "boys will be boys." Men need to stop validating this lesson.

Why does the migrant ‘caravan’ exist? And how did it come to be?

Jerry Flores, University of Toronto

A migrant caravan of almost 7,000 people who left Guatemala and Honduras is heading north towards the United States. The reasons they are leaving are complex but involve a U.S.-backed violent history.

Data on Canadian immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries might surprise Trump

Arvind Magesan, University of Calgary

U.S. President Donald Trump and his apologists might be surprised what the economic data says about immigrants who come to Canada from the so-called “shithole” countries.

Hope and mourning in the Anthropocene: Understanding ecological grief

Neville Ellis, University of Western Australia; Ashlee Cunsolo, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Ecological grief - the mourning that takes place when we lose parts of the natural world - is likely to affect more of us in the future.

Racism impacts your health

Roberta K. Timothy, York University, Canada

A health and human rights researcher, therapist and professor explains why racial justice is a public health issue.

Melania Trump’s pith helmet is not just a hat

Jacqueline L. Scott, University of Toronto

When you are the first lady of the United States, your fashion choices are scrutinized. Why did Melania Trump choose to wear a pith helmet, a classic symbol of colonialism?

The problem with blackface

Philip S. S. Howard, McGill University

Is blackface ever innocent? Is it less racist when a Black person enacts it as a statement of resistance? Because of our history of deep and ongoing racism in Canada, the answer is no.

What’s the real reason the Canadian government legalized weed?

Andrew Hathaway, University of Guelph

Research shows that cannabis legalization is unlikely to either reduce criminal involvement or availability to youth. Could legalization be a result of neoliberalism, or a way to woo young voters?