Toronto Metropolitan University Open Journals
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Health literacy: A missing link to breastfeeding protection, promotion and support?
No full textBreastfeeding is a public health priority, recommended by all leading health authorities. Although numerous interventions and global initiatives have demonstrated some effect on improving breastfeeding outcomes, breastfeeding rates remain suboptimal. Educational support is a component of these interventions that assists families to establish and maintain breastfeeding. Although parents are being provided with education, information that is received appears to be inconsistent resulting in breastfeeding recommendations not being met. The objectives of this paper are to discuss health literacy, the evidence in support of health literacy, and potential strategies to guide the implementation of breastfeeding interventions and program development
Practices of Care and Sites of Resistance in Contemporary Multimedia Multisensory Art
No full text In the latest edition of Feminist Media Histories, the editors observe how the recent conceptual troubling of care has enabled possibilities for work in feminist media histories to reconsider both our contemporary moment of mediated care and earlier enactments of care by communities through media (Banner & Zeavin 2023). In imagining safe, inclusive, and interdependent spaces, artists working at the fulcrum of various media and social worlds have much to contribute, since maintaining a practice in neoliberal contexts means forging alternative ethics while nurturing sensitivities, relationalities, and resourcefulness (Millner & Coombs 2021). Using a multi-media multi-sensory artwork at the 59th Venice Biennale as a case study, this paper examines the relationship between sound, listening, and social practice art as affective modes of care praxis, where their intersection is a critical method for creating new formations of resistance, possibility, and community. Emerging from Sonia Boyce’s Devotional Collection (1999-ongoing) – a living archive that evidences the cultural contribution of Black British female musicians to international culture – Feeling Her Way (2022) brings together a series of shifting and evolving audio and video channels featuring five Black female musicians as they improvise, collaborate, and play with their voices. Boyce is the first Black female artist to represent the United Kingdom in Venice and was awarded the top prize at last year’s event. Grounded in notions of social interaction, freedom of expression, and improvisation, this immersive artwork amplifies the collective dynamism of the musicians brought together by Boyce yet does not rely on unity or synchronicity. Instead, the spirited and diverse interpretations of various prompts along with the range of performer’s capabilities create dense, layered, and intricate fields of sound, forming a deliberately multisensory sonic-social collage rooted in the physical, material space of the recording site, Abbey Road Studios, remediated within the U.K. pavilion. On multiple screens, viewers watch these singers vocalize shrills, screams, murmurs, and humming, together with melodies and chants throughout several open rooms accompanied by gold embellishments and vibrant patchwork wallpaper. Through artistic practice, Boyce embodies an ethics of care based on responsibility, collaboration, attentiveness, and attunement to the musicians she works with, in the practice of collecting, archiving, and displaying precarious materials, and in what she invites the audience to participate in through listening, walking, and moving through the space. This paper argues that by centring the embodied voices and embeddedness of Black female musicians and allowing the audience to bear witness through the visualization of their interaction, Boyce participates in the complex process of rewriting, rereading, and re-sounding history. Boyce’s approach to the issues of neglected and disregarded histories through sound, socially engaged arts, and relationality demonstrates how these modes contribute to practices and discourses of care, resistance, embodiment, and community. Examining mediations of care for and by minoritized and racialized subjects helps reshape historical knowledge of media and our understanding of mediation as a strategy of resistance and care that crucially overlap within the collective networks that they seek to foster.
A Convergence of Theatre, Cinema, Amusement Park, and Video Game Design to Explore Parallel Interactive Narratives in Cinematic Virtual Reality
No full textTable for Two is a short parallel interactive narrative in cinematic virtual reality. This virtual reality experience is a creative artefact that has adopted screen production enquiry as a practice-based research. This research aims to explore alternative narrative possibilities in virtual reality. Virtual reality is one of the latest disruptions in cinema that has challenged filmmakers with new methods for 360-degree storytelling. This challenge has led to several studies recommending grammar to guide the users’ gaze toward intended areas in the virtual environment. However, it is argued that this aspect limits the full potential of virtual reality. This study on parallel interactive narratives in virtual reality addresses this limitation. Here, the user is addressed as a navigator of the experience. Table for Two offers navigation freedom to look anywhere they desire in the virtual reality environment. A number of studies on virtual reality narratives suggests that theatre, cinema, amusement park and video game design techniques are relevant for virtual reality productions. This research describes how the fusion of these research fields and art forms contributed to new methods for exploring cinematic virtual reality and interactive 360-degree video narratives. Several studies suggest that virtual reality experiences have similarities with theatre, and therefore knowledge relating to theatre experiences can benefit virtual reality production. For this reason, the casting talent of Table for Two was selected from the local theatre group. It was observed that their experience with improvisations and performance for long takes significantly contributed to the virtual reality production. This paper refers to Linda Aronson’s description of parallel narratives in the context of cinema. Parallel narratives have been present in limited quantity through artistic experiments in early cinema. However, the rapid growth of interactivity in narratives has increased in parallel narrative forms in mainstream cinema. It is observed that parallel narratives are gradually emerging in virtual reality experiences. However, there is a lack of knowledge of the design and development processes. While there is a difference between cinematic and VR narrative, Aronson’s parallel narrative forms in cinema, such as tandem, multiple protagonist, double journey, split screen and consecutive narratives, can be applied in cinematic virtual reality.
Additionally, space design in amusement parks reveals the significance of infusing the narrative into the set. One key feature called embedded narratives has been incorporated into the set design of Table for Two. Furthermore, interactive narratives for video game design played an essential role in shaping the navigation experience in Table for Two. Along with the influence of these mediums, Table for Two encountered unique challenges with the performance from multiple 360-degree cameras, customized script writing methods, integrating all filming material into the set design, and navigation interactivity, which does not alter the outcome of the story world.
This paper discusses the challenges and considerations for creating a parallel interactive narrative in cinematic virtual reality. The theoretical discourse presented in this paper suggests how the convergence of various mediums contributes to new narrative possibilities in virtual reality
Crafting Care through Text and Subtitles: A Deleuzian Perspective on Interactive Storytelling through Sensory Experiences
No full textThis paper investigates the underappreciated, yet integral role of text, subtitles, and intertitles in the realms of interactive films and multimedia storytelling, employing a unique lens of craft, collaboration, and care. Drawing from Gilles Deleuze\u27s notion of the \u27speech-act\u27 and The Care Collective\u27s interpretation of care, the study explores the use of written text as a tool that guides the narrative, widens accessibility, and promotes justice and equity in viewing experiences.
The complexity of the subtitling process, going beyond mere translation, is highlighted. Delving into Deleuze\u27s concept of \u27scriptual\u27, the paper outlines how reading subtitles adds a layer of abstract universality to films, demanding more than passive consumption from viewers. Analyzing the dynamics and impacts of subtitles in interactive films, it underscores their critical role in shaping viewer comprehension and perception.
The exploration of five interactive projects – 4Stelle Hotel (2014), Life on Hold (2015), "The Displaced" (2015), Sea Prayer (2018), and Another Dream (2019) – offers concrete illustrations of how subtitles and intertitles contribute to creating sensory, caring, and emotional experiences, facilitating viewer engagement and understanding. By enhancing navigation and narrativity, this paper argues that subtitles and text can nurture a culture of care, aligning with the principles of The Care Manifesto.
The conclusion brings focus on the affect and sensation in relation to written text and subtitles. Recognizing viewer agency in interpreting narrative, it emphasizes the potential of text and subtitles to catalyze dialogue, shared experiences, and a sense of care and connection among viewers. The paper further underscores the role of subtitles and intertitles as conduits, amplifying audiences\u27 sensory and emotional experiences and fostering a deeper understanding of characters, cultural nuances, and broader social, cultural, and political realities. The potential of these interactive experiences to stimulate political engagement is also discussed, marking a new benchmark in the cinematic experience.
Subtitles have a transformative impact on the audience\u27s agency. They not only serve as linguistic translation tools but also as conduits that imbue the narrative and characters with immediacy, individuality, and complexity. This assists the audience in navigating the intricacies of the story, unlocking hidden layers of meaning, and understanding cultural nuances. This enhanced comprehension grants viewers agency in directing their choices and interpretations, fostering a more profound connection with the story and its characters.
In summary, this study underscores the significance of integrating text and subtitles in interactive film projects, accentuating their capacity to foster inclusivity, collaboration, and care within the narrative. It presents a compelling case for filmmakers and media professionals to design text and subtitle systems that enrich the viewing experience, disrupt uncaring societal structures, and, ultimately, contribute to a more empathetic and inclusive world
Fat Studies in Canada: (Re)Mapping the Field Book Review
No full textThis review of Fat Studies in Canada: (Re)Mapping the Field briefly analyzes the myriad of lived experiences presented in the book framed as stories and counter-stories of living fatly in Canada or as a Canadian. The authors counter fatphobia, fat shaming, anti-fat bias, power, stigma through story and self love. The book also counters normalization and idealization of the thin body through colonization and in terms of the medical system, the book allows the reader to enter fat scholarship through multimodal stories. The authors present the space to see how fat scholarship and research queers and interrogates what it means to exist fatly while providing hope and curiosity for the fat future
Impact of COVID-19 on travel, mobility, and transportation preferences: A mixed method descriptive study
No full textThis study aimed to identify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel, mobility, and transportation preferences as well as on the perceived air quality in Toronto during the lockdown period in 2020. An online survey collected results from a diverse sample of Toronto residents (N=2,367). The study results revealed that most residents noticed a temporary improvement in Toronto’s air quality, perceived a relationship between traffic and air quality, and recognized the benefits of using active transportation. While Torontonians reduced their daily travel time/trip frequencies and increased their use of green transportation during the lockdown, they also observed a reduction in the use of public transportation and an increase in the number of single-driver vehicles, taxis, and ride services. Toronto residents viewed air quality improvement as a collective responsibility and recommended the use of green travel, purchasing, consumption, and policy tools, as well as the use of an equity lens in city planning to improve air quality in the city
An international partnership between a Canadian and Brazilian University: A descriptive report
No full textPost-secondary programs in health are strengthened when curricula and experiences are internationalized. Internationalization encourages students to think, advocate and practice globally; thus, preparing graduates to contribute to health beyond geo-political borders. However, designing and supporting international experiences in undergraduate health curricula can be challenging due to time and resource constraints, costs, language barriers, and collaborative processes within and across organizations; thus, internationalization is not easily achieved. The purpose of this report is to describe an initiative aimed at supporting undergraduate nursing student experiences in an international partnership program between a Brazilian and Canadian university. First, we describe the project. Second, we present the context of the two partnering undergraduate nursing programs and their respective communities. Third, students from each school describe their experiences with the initiative. Fourth, we integrate our experiences with literature to offer three lessons for moving forward using a framework of resource allocation, fair trade learning, and decolonized competencies. Our report is timely as worldwide, universities are eager to build collaborative partnerships with stakeholders to implement internationalization within curricula. Such partnerships can help students learn about health-related experiences for populations living in distinctive social inequality and inequities in accessing health services.
Beyond reverse innovation in healthcare: A step towards global health justice through reciprocity
No full textReverse innovation is the flow of ideas from lower to higher income countries. This has received growing attention in healthcare research for its potential to provide cost-effective solutions to pervasive health inequities, human resource shortages and rising health expenditures. Even though the underlying premise has its merits, the use of the term itself has become controversial as some argue it implies that innovation normally flows in the other direction. In this commentary, we first discuss some of the criticisms voiced against the term. With these in mind, we subsequently make the case for an alternative approach and describe how we work to implement this in our own research project. More specifically, we suggest a move towards reciprocal innovation as a more equitable, mutually beneficial form of learning and knowledge sharing. We present the COMPASS (Community Health Workers for Primary Care Access) project which will provide an empirically grounded example of reciprocal innovation in practice. The aim of the COMPASS project is to adapt a community health worker intervention from Brazil and South Africa for implementation in Belgium. The project has the potential to provide valuable lessons for all parties involved
Dis-locative Spaces and Digital Interactions: Hybrid Spaces in Paula Levine\u27s Shadows from Another Place
No full textThe concept of space constantly is growing with the advancement of technology. The spatial interactions using digital media provide new possibilities to bridge between physical and digital spaces. Location is not all about longitude and latitude, but all the added digital layer which may change the idea of positioning. Over the last decades, space studies faced many conceptual perceptions. The approach of having/imagining the different worlds and spaces, such as cyberspace and physical space, has been mostly formed by distinguishing them. Adriana de Souza e Silva (2006) drew a chronology for these imaginary spaces from cyberspace to virtual and hybrid space. Hybridizing of space with the advancement of nomadic technology like mobiles become more popular and indicates how the interfaces are transparent in our everyday life. So, hybridity occurs when the interconnection of the spaces is accessible for the people who can interact with, through the devices, wearable, headsets, etc. In this respect, the physical space needed to be filled with data, as Manovich (2006, p.226) defined this as augmentation of the space through “overlay[ing] physical space with layers of data.”
The question of reality may not be valid anymore since both are affecting each other. And, maybe it is time to think about the interlinked worlds and their effects rather than separating and labelling them by real and unreal. Technology can play a crucial role in changing our interaction with space.
The paper will investigate the concept of hybrid spaces in relation to production of dis-locative space. The dislocation environment that reveals the interconnected spaces and their realities through new ways of interactions and narratives. The realities that are created under the influence of each other. The paper will use the art project Shadows from Another Place as a case study. It will explore the idea of dis-location through spatial interaction and digital technology. The paper will profit from the theories including Production of Space by Henry Lefebvre, Supermodernity and Non-places by Mark Augé, and Relational Spaces by Scott McQuire.
Paula Levine is a scholar and media artist who experiments with maps, geolocation data, and the dynamic of spaces. Shadows from Another Place is a web-based project using transposed maps, including three artworks San Francisco <-> Baghdad, The Wall, and TheWall-TheWorld. In this series, she tries to challenge the reality of geographical distances by hybridization of the spaces. Shadows from Another Place is a series of artwork that examines the discussion around dis-locative space, and spatial interaction using digital technology. The paper investigates with three questions of locations and dislocation, real and unreal, and intervening in the physical space by the virtual world and vice versa. Question of Location ‘where am I’? What is un/real? How virtual world affects physical world and vice versa
Reframing Narratives Through Play: Path Out and the Potential of Interactive Counter-Documentaries in Digital Games
No full textAbdullah Karam\u27s autobiographical adventure game, Path Out (2017), explores how digital games can serve as interactive critical counter-documentaries. Karam\u27s game narrates his escape from the Syrian Civil War in 2014, transforming his harrowing migration experience into an immersive narrative. The integration of video commentaries and dialogues with non-player characters immerses players in the socio-political realities of Syria, fostering a mode of listening to first-hand migration experiences.
Karam\u27s podcast-style video commentaries offer insights into the culture, traditions, and daily life during a particular time and place, enabling players to engage intimately with his migration journey. Path Out illustrates how digital games can create a unique connection with reality by interweaving reality and fantasy, thereby intensifying player experiences. The game environment, enriched with short videos, encourages players to engage critically with the real world and contemplate global socio-political struggles. Soraya Murray\u27s analysis of video games as visual culture medium (2018) supports this assertion, highlighting how games increase our capacity to interact with different cultural contexts.
Drawing on Mary Flanagan\u27s concept of critical play (2009), this study employs a close reading approach. I conduct an in-depth analysis of the game\u27s narrative and formal elements from a first-hand perspective. This method underscores the creative and process-driven nature of close reading, as each new interpretation produces novel insights in critically examining the game (Bizzocchi and Tanenbaum, 2011).
Path Out’s (2017) narrative and formal features are deeply intertwined with political and social realities, transcending entertainment, and providing an archival function. By concentrating on Karam\u27s subjective experience, the game cultivates an intimate bond between players and the story. By putting players in Karam\u27s position, Path Out emphasizes the complexity of migration experiences, highlighting the challenge of truly comprehending another person\u27s journey. Path Out demonstrates the potential of digital games as a medium for engaging with social and political dynamics through embodiment and critical game design. This study reveals how a game\u27s mechanics can encapsulate the complex experiences of migration, highlighting the potential of digital games to challenge mainstream narratives and create interactive counter-documentaries