This thesis works from a disability studies perspective to explore the meaning of ‘mental health and illness’ in a university setting. I use the concept of ‘emotional anguish’ as a way to shift the meaning of pain from its taken-for-granted understanding as a medical issue to a more open conception of pain as a category that is always-already an issue of and for interpretation. I use interpretive sociology to show how all conceptions, including conceptions of health, illness, and disability, are socio-historical phenomena, reflecting the culture from which these concepts arise. I use the work of Michel Foucault to discuss the limits of conceiving of emotional anguish as a 'medical problem.' I draw on Sara Ahmed as her work orients to emotions as social phenomena. I conclude by discussing how we might begin to think about emotional anguish as more than a ‘medical problem.’

This thesis works from a disability studies perspective to explore the meaning of ‘mental health and illness’ in a university setting. I use the concept of ‘emotional anguish’ as a way to shift the meaning of pain from its taken-for-granted understanding as a medical issue to a more open conception of pain as a category that is always-already an issue of and for interpretation. I use interpretive sociology to show how all conceptions, including conceptions of health, illness, and disability, are socio-historical phenomena, reflecting the culture from which these concepts arise. I use the work of Michel Foucault to discuss the limits of conceiving of emotional anguish as a 'medical problem.' I draw on Sara Ahmed as her work orients to emotions as social phenomena. I conclude by discussing how we might begin to think about emotional anguish as more than a ‘medical problem.’

On May 25th, 2008, Jim Groom, a professor and instructional technology specialist, coined the term Edupunk in a blog post as a reactionary response and critique of the cooptation and commodification of Web 2.0 tools by learning management system Blackboard. Edupunk gained widespread attention, and opened up discussion and debate on questions of education and pedagogy. Using Edupunk as a starting point of discussion, this thesis looks at the potentiality of moments and their impacts on world making. Drawing from the work of Ernst Van Alphen and affect theory, this thesis argues that moments "think." When we experience something (be it, visual art, text, video, or ordinary life), we feel its affects and think through the questions that it poses. Through affect, moments influence (individual and collective) change both through the potential trajectories of where they may lead us, and their connections to other moments that contribute to world making.

On May 25th, 2008, Jim Groom, a professor and instructional technology specialist, coined the term Edupunk in a blog post as a reactionary response and critique of the cooptation and commodification of Web 2.0 tools by learning management system Blackboard. Edupunk gained widespread attention, and opened up discussion and debate on questions of education and pedagogy. Using Edupunk as a starting point of discussion, this thesis looks at the potentiality of moments and their impacts on world making. Drawing from the work of Ernst Van Alphen and affect theory, this thesis argues that moments "think." When we experience something (be it, visual art, text, video, or ordinary life), we feel its affects and think through the questions that it poses. Through affect, moments influence (individual and collective) change both through the potential trajectories of where they may lead us, and their connections to other moments that contribute to world making.

This is a thesis about disability pride and shame. Here, I explore how these two characters appear in theoretical texts, personal stories and my experience of disability on the streets as an identity which connects me to others and the world as an interpretative being. This project begins by demonstrating how the popular imagination of disability pride describes the prideful person as one who relates to their embodiment with constant satisfaction. I trouble this version of pride, a version that requires one to turn away from shame, for being exclusive of disabled people who, like me, experience their disability through a wavering bodily relation. I conclude by crafting out a pride that remains with us in troubling times rather than in the abandonment of shame. This pride is accessible to us all and the never-steady stories of disability we tell.

This is a thesis about disability pride and shame. Here, I explore how these two characters appear in theoretical texts, personal stories and my experience of disability on the streets as an identity which connects me to others and the world as an interpretative being. This project begins by demonstrating how the popular imagination of disability pride describes the prideful person as one who relates to their embodiment with constant satisfaction. I trouble this version of pride, a version that requires one to turn away from shame, for being exclusive of disabled people who, like me, experience their disability through a wavering bodily relation. I conclude by crafting out a pride that remains with us in troubling times rather than in the abandonment of shame. This pride is accessible to us all and the never-steady stories of disability we tell.

A Comparative Study of Elite-English-Medium Schools, Public Schools, and Islamic Madaris in Contemporary Pakistan: The Use of Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory to Understand "Inequalities in Educational and Occupational Opportunities" Doctor of Education, 2012 Akhtar Hassan Malik Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education University of Toronto ABSTRACT This thesis has attempted to understand the role of mainstream schools: elite English-medium schools, public schools and Islamic madaris in reproducing various social classes in Pakistan. Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction serves as a major conceptual framework in this study, and it has been complemented by Anyon’s thesis about social class and school knowledge. My study suggests that an unequal availability of capital resources, agents’ class-habitus, and the type of their “cultural currency” act as selection mechanisms that clearly favour some social groups over others. This consolidates existing social-class hierarchy. The ruling classes ensure the transfer of their power and privilege to their children by providing them quality education in elite schools. The disadvantaged classes have no other option than to educate their children either in public schools or Islamic madaris. The new non-elite private schools have blatantly made education a commodity. This has contributed towards educational apartheid in the country. My study underscores that the working-class parents possess cultural capital which they transmit through building efficient learning environments in family settings. Yet, their class-habitus plays a causal role in keeping aspirations low. The three types of schools constitute distinct fields of education and provide a fairly different schooling experience to their students. For instance, these schools have different standards of material/human resources that are likely to instil a hierarchical view of the world among students. Likewise, differing curricular, pedagogical, and student evaluation practices emphasize different cognitive and behavioural skills. These differences can become central features for the reproduction of the division of labour at work and in society between those who plan and manage and those in the work force whose jobs primarily entail carrying out policies made by others. Public school knowledge has some exchange value in the marketplace, but it legitimates the ideology of production for consumption. I recommend that an integrated and equitable system of “national education” is vital for nation building. For future research, I suggest both considering different components of cultural capital other than exposure to high culture and exploring a wide range of dispositions to better understand how they influence one’s actions.

This study examines women and leadership and presents a critique of leadership within a framework of gender, race and class. It discusses the crucial role that leaders play in transforming Canadian society, and how women factor into that role. It explores the way in which leadership is also contextualized within and outside of gender. It also examines the way changes in Canadian demographics have resulted in a more diverse group of students in schools, out of which have arisen new problems. Consequently, this study proposes alternative educational leadership to help transform the situation. This study is based on content analysis using a series of books, periodicals, journals, and internet articles, and incorporates a theoretical framework of feminist theory, black feminist theory and black feminist thought and spirituality, and anti-racism theory.

A Comparative Study of Elite-English-Medium Schools, Public Schools, and Islamic Madaris in Contemporary Pakistan: The Use of Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory to Understand "Inequalities in Educational and Occupational Opportunities" Doctor of Education, 2012 Akhtar Hassan Malik Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education University of Toronto ABSTRACT This thesis has attempted to understand the role of mainstream schools: elite English-medium schools, public schools and Islamic madaris in reproducing various social classes in Pakistan. Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction serves as a major conceptual framework in this study, and it has been complemented by Anyon’s thesis about social class and school knowledge. My study suggests that an unequal availability of capital resources, agents’ class-habitus, and the type of their “cultural currency” act as selection mechanisms that clearly favour some social groups over others. This consolidates existing social-class hierarchy. The ruling classes ensure the transfer of their power and privilege to their children by providing them quality education in elite schools. The disadvantaged classes have no other option than to educate their children either in public schools or Islamic madaris. The new non-elite private schools have blatantly made education a commodity. This has contributed towards educational apartheid in the country. My study underscores that the working-class parents possess cultural capital which they transmit through building efficient learning environments in family settings. Yet, their class-habitus plays a causal role in keeping aspirations low. The three types of schools constitute distinct fields of education and provide a fairly different schooling experience to their students. For instance, these schools have different standards of material/human resources that are likely to instil a hierarchical view of the world among students. Likewise, differing curricular, pedagogical, and student evaluation practices emphasize different cognitive and behavioural skills. These differences can become central features for the reproduction of the division of labour at work and in society between those who plan and manage and those in the work force whose jobs primarily entail carrying out policies made by others. Public school knowledge has some exchange value in the marketplace, but it legitimates the ideology of production for consumption. I recommend that an integrated and equitable system of “national education” is vital for nation building. For future research, I suggest both considering different components of cultural capital other than exposure to high culture and exploring a wide range of dispositions to better understand how they influence one’s actions.

This study examines women and leadership and presents a critique of leadership within a framework of gender, race and class. It discusses the crucial role that leaders play in transforming Canadian society, and how women factor into that role. It explores the way in which leadership is also contextualized within and outside of gender. It also examines the way changes in Canadian demographics have resulted in a more diverse group of students in schools, out of which have arisen new problems. Consequently, this study proposes alternative educational leadership to help transform the situation. This study is based on content analysis using a series of books, periodicals, journals, and internet articles, and incorporates a theoretical framework of feminist theory, black feminist theory and black feminist thought and spirituality, and anti-racism theory.