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Examining the Outcomes of Sport Specialization for Individual Athletes and the Industry
No full textSport specialization for young athletes has become a prerequisite for sport achievement, but academics have yet to explore the effects that sport specialization has on athletes’ participation patterns. Thus, this project explores the following research question: what are the effects of sport specialization on the individual volleyball athlete in terms of: i) patterns of participation in sport; and ii) consumption patterns in the sport industry? The methodological approach was to interview current and retired volleyball players aged 18 to 30 in Calgary, Alberta. The findings indicate that specialization in volleyball directly impacts an athlete’s patterns of participation in the sport of volleyball and the sport industry broadly. Participants indicated that their specialization years led to a specialized “mindset” and specialized knowledge, a unique analytical experience that influences sport participation and few individuals outside of the specialized athletic community acquire. Many participants also articulated that specialized training led to an identity as a “volleyball player” which was associated with a reduced desire to participate in other sports recreationally. Many participants explained how specialization affected their socialization (both positively and negatively) and led them to foster connections in a virtual community. The findings are a call to action for the volleyball industry to evaluate the participation patterns in specialized volleyball training and implement changes to benefit specialized athletes and the industry.
Keywords: sport specialization, participation, sport industry, volleybal
Chemistry Review of Vaping Products and Respiratory Injury
Get PDFBackground: While the Public Health Agency of Canada notes 19 cases from May 2019 to February 2020 relating to e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) in Canada, there are likely many more unreported cases, including non-hospitalized and asymptomatic cases. E-cigarette use or vaping exposes users to numerous aerosolized chemical species, some of which have proven to be deleterious to health. These chemical species can include vitamin E acetate (VEA), flavourants, base / solvents (propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin), psychoactive substances, pesticides, endotoxins, metals, and pyrolysis by-products from e-cigarette heating coils.
Objectives: We aim to review current findings related to EVALI from the standpoint of known chemical species currently used in vaping products. We specifically examine the toxicological profiles of these chemical species and the mechanisms through which they cause lung injury.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed with MEDLINE for EVALI-related human studies that were published between January 1, 2010, and May 15, 2020. This search strategy identified 832 case reports, case series, clinical trials, and in-vitro laboratory studies. From this group, 71 records were examined in greater detail.
Results and Conclusions: Although the chemical composition and toxicology of vaping products have largely been characterized, the physiological effects of the chemical interactions between various constituents of vaping products and the generation of new species remain inconclusive. Given the rapid increase in the popularity of vaping and e-cigarettes, there is a need for further research. Developing a comprehensive understanding of the chronic health effects of vaping through randomized controlled trials and physiological studies is prudent and necessary to reduce the long-term impacts on users and the health care system
Intercultural Music in Media: Representations of Chinese Music History and Culture within Korra and Mulan
Get PDFThrough a case study on “The Legend of Korra” and “Reflection,” the representative musical pieces within Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra (henceforth Korra) (2012-2014) and Disney’s Mulan (1998) respectively, I examine how different cultural traditions are combined to create a piece of intercultural media. In particular, I explore how Orientalism has persisted in Western media through its superficial inclusion of other cultural traditions. Contrasting these strains of Orientalist thought, Korra especially stands out as an example of interculturalism through its music. This is primarily because it draws on the nuanced level of cohesion established between Korra’s narrative elements such as world building and plot, as well as its cultural influences. Consequently, I argue that Korra stands as an ideal model for how to incorporate both Western and non-Western elements in meaningful ways, and can serve to inform future narratives on the pressing issues of cultural appropriation and representation. With the recent release of the live-action remake of Disney’s Mulan, it is imperative to address the cultural shortcomings of modern Western media, and by what standard we should be judging when assessing its incorporation of other cultures
Editorial Note: Impact of COVID-19 on Spectrum operations
No full textTo support our authors, reviewers and editors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spectrum Editorial Board has relaxed its timelines for the publication of this most recent issue (Issue 5). We are working with our authors on their Issue 5 submissions, and will publish continuously into Issue 5 over the remainder of Summer 2020. Please check back often for new articles, which will be added to Issue 5 as they are finalized.
At this time, Issue 6 (Fall 2020) submissions are in the review process, and we anticipate publication in late fall, as we transition to a new editorial team.
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student interested in joining the Spectrum editorial team for 2020-2021, we encourage you to submit your application here, by July 31, 2020. Peer Reviewer applications are accepted year-round - see the “Become a Reviewer” page for more information.
We thank our authors, reviewers, and readers for their patience and continued support, and we hope you enjoy the latest issue!
The Spectrum Editorial Boar
The Very Poetry of Motion: Missionaries and Footbinding in Late Qing China
Get PDFBelieved to have begun with Han noble families, and eventually spreading to most classes of Chinese society, footbinding refers to the practice of restricting the foot\u27s growth to maintain a small form and specific shape, and was practiced on Chinese girls from a young age until the twentieth century. When British missionaries began activity in China, they became concerned with footbinding and sought to eradicate the ancient traditional practice. Examining the work of both orthodox and revisionist historians alongside primary texts written by missionaries in the nineteenth century, this paper studies why missionaries objected to footbinding and how the anti-footbinding movement gained traction in China. Ultimately, British missionaries misinterpreted the cultural meaning of footbinding, and their methods of eradicating the practice reflected this misunderstanding. Missionaries saw footbinding as patriarchal, regressive, and sexually perverse; in reality, footbinding\u27s meaning was connected to nationalism and ethnic identity. Therefore, when Chinese activists began to perpetuate anti-footbinding propaganda, they nationalized anti-footbinding discourse, seeking to remove British influence from the movement. The paper is concerned with how missionary condemnation of footbinding constituted cultural imperialism, and why this process was successful in missionary activity in the late Qing period (the latter half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century). 
Building Dialogues Between Medical Student & Autistic Patients: Reflections on the MD program’s Patient Immersion Experience
Get PDFThe Patient Immersion Experience (PIE), part of the MD Program’s longitudinal Physicianship course, pairs medical students with individuals with chronic medical conditions to promote an understanding of the lived experience of illness. In October 2017, medical students AW and SC were matched with patient mentor MF, an autistic person[1] and artist. A year later, in the fall of 2018, MF invited his autistic friend AK to participate in collaborating in developing an “interpretive project”, a required capstone component of PIE organized by faculty-lead, PBM. Transcripts of online Google Doc conversations involving SC, AW, MF and AK, that took place over a 3-month period, were used to create a multimedia learning artifact that was exhibited as part of an annual Patient Appreciation Event organized at the end of the year. Rather than simply focusing on transmission of “information”, with SC and AW (as medical students) asking questions and AK and MF responding to it, a commitment was made to an ongoing mutual exchange of ideas. Four main topics were discussed: 1) the value of open communication with others, 2) how the process of informed consent differs for autistic people, 3) hope for a better future for healthcare, and 4) moving forward. These conversations point to the relationship-enhancing possibilities of open, back-and-forth dialogue as an antidote to monological approaches to medicine, providing insights into ways dialogue can enhance both a sense of agency and relational connections, generate new creative thinking, and promote a more holistic, person-centred approach to healthcare
The “Absence of Chance” and the “Serving of Ends”: Tracing Aristotle’s Concept of ‘Nature’ to his Political Principles
No full textAristotle’s concept of nature, captured in quotations such as “nature does nothing in vain” and “man by nature is a political animal,” is a topic consistently discussed within scholarly literature. This paper’s primary aim is to demonstrate how Aristotle’s concept of nature underpins his political theory. It first uncovers Aristotle’s concept of nature, then it demonstrates how this concept underpins his political principles. Aristotle’s concept of nature is first broken down to two ideas: the “absence of chance,” which describes the regularity and permanence of phenomena, and the “serving of ends,” which explains Aristotle’s teleological approach. As such, Aristotle’s nature is used both to describe and explain phenomena, and therefore it shows both how and why certain phenomena occur. Armed with this understanding of nature, this paper shows how Aristotle applies this concept of nature to derive two political principles - the “principle of rulership” and the “social instinct.” These political principles in turn underpin his political theory and approach to political science. This paper shows that, through an understanding of Aristotle’s concept of nature, we can better understand the foundation of his politics
An Ethnographic Study of Edmonton Food Trucks: Connecting Local and Global Cuisines and Cultures
Get PDFThis article develops an anthropological understanding of the intersection between food and culture in Edmonton’s food truck industry. More specifically, I explore how Edmonton food trucks are able to connect local and global cuisines and cultures through the menu items they offer and images they present to customers, which are predominantly influenced by local, ethnic, authentic and fusion creations. I gained data for this study by employing an ethnographic methodology and relational approach, which involved conducting semi-structured interviews with Edmonton food truck vendors and customers, and engaging in participant observation from May through August of 2019. The following food trucks serve as case studies in my research: Explore India, Dosi Rock, Dedo’s Food Truck and Catering, Meat Street Pies and The Dog. My findings reveal how advertising themes common to Edmonton food trucks, which include notions of authenticity, traditionalism and high quality ingredients, contribute to the construction of a cultural “Other” for customer consumption. In addition, my findings reveal how Edmonton food truck vendors are inspired to develop menus and dishes rooted in and inspirited by their cultural heritages, transnational identities, world travels and movement across ethnoscapes. In conclusion, I argue that the globally inspired ethnocultural cuisines offered by Edmonton food truck vendors are “localized” in a variety of meaningful ways. This study contributes to an underrepresented literature on street food vending in Edmonton by analyzing how food truck move through, occupy, and create urban spaces in meaningful ways
A Literary and Theological Exploration of the Temptation Account in the Gospel of Luke
Get PDFThis paper serves as an exegesis of the temptation account found in the Gospel of Luke. I provide a historical perspective of the interpretational shift regarding the identity of the devil and of what power he holds. Then I proceed to highlight the macro and micro level differences between the temptation accounts offered in the other two synoptic gospels (Mark and Matthew), before diving into critical analysis of the specific recounting in Luke’s gospel. I end the paper by discussing the theological and practical impacts of Luke’s temptation account. That is, I delve into the theology surrounding why the temptation narrative is pertinent to our modern day interpretation of the scriptures
Medical assistance in dying: A gendered issue in Canada?
Get PDFMedical assistance in dying (MAiD) remains a controversial topic in Canada despite its legalization in 2015. Opponents of MAiD legislation often cite ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-choice’ arguments which emphasize the value of human life. While all eligible adults are currently able to request MAiD, scholars, citizens, and religious organizations have expressed concerns that women, as a marginalized group, are at risk to request assisted dying due to gendered circumstances rather than personal choice. My research investigates the claim that women’s lives are threatened by MAiD legislation and analyzes the ways in which MAiD is a gendered issue. Drawing from seventeen academic, government, and grey literature sources, I identify and challenge three key discursive categories used to present women as vulnerable under MAiD legislation. I argue that opponents of MAiD legislation co-opt feminist discourses to make normative claims which resonate with the values of individualism in Canadian liberal democratic society. In doing so, opponents of MAiD reproduce the same gender issues they claim to oppose and risk endangering women’s access to MAiD in Canada. I conclude with recommendations relevant to the next stage of MAiD legislation in Canada, which will debate whether other populations considered to be vulnerable, including mature minors and people with mental illness, will have access to MAiD