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The Conversation is an independent, open access source of news and views from the academic and research community in Canada and around the world. This page offers a compilation of articles published in The Conversation by Waterloo Arts scholars.
Interested writing for The Conversation? Find out how to become an author.
March 19, 2023
Marcel O'Gorman, University of Waterloo
Over the past decade, a number of companies, think tanks and institutions have developed responsible innovation initiatives to forecast and mitigate the negative consequences of tech development. But how successful have they been?
March 19, 2023
Igor Grossmann, University of Waterloo, Cendri Hutcherson, University of Toronto, Michael Varnum, Arizona State University
To find out how well social scientists can predict societal change, researchers ran the largest forecasting initiative in the field’s history. Here’s what they found.
January 31, 2023
Andrew Stumpf, University of Waterloo
Since 2016, Canada’s practice of offering MAID has followed a trajectory of ever-expanding eligibility. The ultimate expansion would make MAID available to anyone who wanted it, for any reason.
January 10 2023
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
To address declining humanities enrolments, these programs should ensure they offer more than critical theory for identifying and analyzing problems.
December 4, 2022
Marcel O'Gorman, University of Waterloo
November 30, 2022
Christopher Stuart Taylor, University of Waterloo
As institutions continue to push diversity and cluster hires, they can reinforce the negativity of tokenism.
November 22, 2022
Ian Milligan, University of Waterloo
Over the past 16 years, Twitter has amassed an incredible amount of user-generated data which contains a detailed and extensive record of cultural moments. Musk’s takeover threatens these archives.
November 7, 2022
Sharon E. Roberts, University of Waterloo
Contrary to the misinformation about them, furries are similar to other groups that use fandom as a way of building community.
August 30, 2022
Nicole Racine, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo, and Stephanie G. Craig, University of Guelph
There are important strategies families can use to help promote mental health as kids head back to school and daily routines change.
August 15, 2022
Suzan Ilcan, University of Waterloo and Secil Dagtas, University of Waterloo
Many displaced Syrians responded to harsh border controls by passing through permeable borders, using alternative routes and relying upon the use of smugglers and social networks.
August 3, 2022
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
It’s easy to consider the erosion of democratic norms in the U.S. as purely political, but it poses serious risks to the country’s economic order. Is democracy in the gallows?
July 25, 2022
Jeremy M. Bergen, Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo
June 14, 2022
Alana Cattapan, University of Waterloo and Holly Ann McKenzie, University of Saskatchewan
May 16, 2022
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
Strong queer representation in young adult comics can have a significant positive impact on the well-being of queer-identified or questioning youth.
May 2, 2022
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
Ontario goes to the polls in a month, and Doug Ford will likely win again. Why? Because the Liberal and NDP leaders have failed to connect with the people of Ontario the way Ford has.
April 1, 2022
Jeremy M. Bergen, University of Waterloo
As a theologian who studies church apologies for historical wrongs, I understand why the Pope was moved to speak this week, but I hope this was not his definitive apology.
March 6, 2022
Andrew Bauer, University of Waterloo
Incentives, like shareholder credits for corporate taxes paid, mean that shareholders want their corporations to pay taxes.
March 1, 2022
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
If we learn how to disengage from communication circuits that lay the groundwork for fear and aggression, we have a better chance of managing conflict constructively.
February 15, 2022
Philip Boyle, University of Waterloo
Racialized and marginalized populations whose protest movements are already subject to ongoing forms of monitoring, infiltration and pre-emptive police action are at risk from the convoy crisis.
February 13, 2022
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
With the apparent slide towards authoritarianism in the U.S., Canada must be ready and able to defend and champion our democracy.
February 1, 2022
Susan Cadell, University of Waterloo; Ashley Doyle, University of Waterloo; Kathy Kortes-Miller, Lakehead University, and Sunita Lad, University of Waterloo
Our health-care system needs to respond in a more just, inclusive, caring and timely way to allow in-person final goodbyes from those who matter most to those at the end of life.
January 19, 2022
Chris Miller, University of Waterloo
Whether someone is scrolling mindlessly or actively conducting research, WitchTok connects witches to their practices and community.
November 15, 2021
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo and Matthew Poulter, York University, Canada
‘Cowboy Bebop’ drew international viewers with its genre-bending fusion of American mafia movies, Italian westerns, Japanese cyberpunk, Hong-Kong style martial arts and its eclectic soundtrack.
November 11, 2021
Igor Grossmann, University of Waterloo and Ellen Choi, Ryerson University
Mindfulness might not be an easy answer to the divisiveness that surrounds us, but an accurate understanding that includes the practice of acceptance may help encourage sincerity and understanding.
November 9, 2021
Katherine Bruce-Lockhart, University of Waterloo
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world released many prisoners, but this has now slowed or stopped. Here’s why those releases should continue.
September 27, 2021
James M. Skidmore, University of Waterloo
Following the German election, all of the country’s major party leaders agreed that Germany needs to move forward. But if the electorate had had its way, it would have re-elected Angela Merkel.
August 26, 2021
Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo; Heather Prime, York University, Canada; Jennifer Jenkins, University of Toronto, and Mark Wade, University of Toronto
A successful transition in September is a whole-family affair.
July 19, 2021
Susan Cadell, University of Waterloo; Jacques Cherblanc, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC); Karima Joy, University of Toronto, and Mary Ellen Macdonald, McGill University
Ohe negative impact of the pandemic on grief has raised concerns. Our study shows that 15 per cent of people dealing with grief are at risk of what’s known as complicated grief.
June 13, 2021
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
We ought to worry that the pandemic has made it even easier to reduce teaching to disseminating knowledge.
June 9, 2021
Amir Al-Azraki, University of Waterloo
Black Arabs face racism and discrimination throughout the Arab world. Exposing this anti-Blackness is challenging but critical work.
June 3, 2021
Robbie MacKay, Queen's University, Ontario; Armand Garnet Ruffo, Queen's University, Ontario; Kip Pegley, Queen's University, Ontario; Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw, Queen's University, Ontario; Robert Morrison, Queen's University, Ontario; Tamar Faber, York University, Canada, and Vershawn Ashanti Young, University of Waterloo
Known variously in Juno history as ‘Best Single,’ or ‘Best-Selling Single,’ and now ‘Single of the Year’ this award always garners attention. Reflections on select singles since 1979.
June 3, 2021
Douglas Stenton, University of Waterloo; Anne Keenleyside, Trent University; Robert W. Park, University of Waterloo, and Stephen Fratpietro, Lakehead University
129 officers and crew died during the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage expedition. DNA analysis from their remains of members can reveal the identity of the men who perished during the journey.
April 28, 2021
Janet Jones, University of Waterloo
COVID-19 messaging frames staying home as a personal responsibility, but for many it’s a luxury they can’t afford. Like the language used for drug addiction, it stigmatizes low-income people.
April 1, 2021
Marcel O'Gorman, University of Waterloo
February 16, 2021
Susan Cadell, University of Waterloo (Renison University College)
The Canadian government needs to develop a national grief strategy to address the needs of its citizens during and after the pandemic.
January 19, 2021
Nancy R. Buchan, University of South Carolina; Wendi L. Adair, University of Waterloo, and Xiao-Ping Chen, University of Washington
Two strategies can make videoconferencing as effective as meeting face to face, or even better.
January 11, 2021
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo and William Keith, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
As the raid on the U.S. Capitol has shown, some kinds of rhetoric can set fire to the world — and it exists in Canada, too. Here's how to tamp it down and focus on positive forms of rhetoric.
January 7, 2021
Igor Grossmann, University of Waterloo
Despite the promising development of several COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic will not be over soon. How then should we deal with pandemic endurance that will likely last for many more months?
December 15, 2020
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
Rereading Harry Potter during the COVID-19 pandemic means finding new ways of identifying with the characters, especially in the seventh book, where Harry finds himself struggling with isolation.
November 22, 2020
Brian Doucet, University of Waterloo and Robin Mazumder, University of Waterloo
An increase in cyclists due to the COVID-19 pandemic means that cities need to look at what it means to develop and maintain inclusive bicycle infrastructure.
October 5, 2020
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
Because dramatic tension fuels attention, Trump's words work to generate tension, anxiety and conflict. We need to react with civility, care and calm to undo the cycle of attention and persuasion.
September 30, 2020
Chris Bauch, University of Waterloo; Brendon Phillips, University of Waterloo; Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo, and Madhur Anand, University of Guelph
Schools reopening during the current coronavirus pandemic need to calculate class sizes to prevent the spread of disease and minimize disruptions.
September 21, 2020
Vershawn Ashanti Young, University of Waterloo
Unlike the Hollywood hero he portrayed, Boseman created space for a kaleidoscope of Black masculinities and challenged the narrative that urban Black men are in need of saving.
September 20, 2020
Vershawn Ashanti Young, University of Waterloo
History professor Jessica Krug had built her life as a Black woman, but she was a white Jewish woman from Kansas. Her revelation raises questions about why some white people assume Black identities.
September 1, 2020
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo and William Keith, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Politicians and law enforcement engage in uncivil behaviour that undermines democratic society. Civility is a pre-requisite for empathy, and is essential for difficult conversations.
September 1, 2020
Ian Milligan, University of Waterloo
Policymakers should mandate Canada's national library to archive the entire Canadian web domain so future reserachers can make sense of 2020 and ongoing responses to the pandemic.
August 28, 2020
Jennifer Saul, University of Waterloo
To fill a convention with blatant racism, as the Republicans did in 2016, is bad enough. But, after four years of racist policies, a convention filled with subtle racism is perhaps more dangerous.
August 20, 2020
Krystle Shore, University of Waterloo and Kathryn Henne, Australian National University
Amidst calls to defund the police, political leaders are increasing police budgets, arguing — incorrectly — that increasing police surveillance capacities will help provide accountability.
June 30, 2020
Kyla Tienhaara, Queen's University, Ontario; Amy Janzwood, University of Toronto, and Angela Carter, University of Waterloo
The oil and gas industry was in trouble before the pandemic hit, but now it faces potential collapse. A majority of Canadians want the federal government to invest in a 'green recovery.
June 28, 2020
Vershawn Ashanti Young, University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo sent out a statement that banned the use of the N-word on its campus, including classes. They did not consult Black faculty before doing so.
June 15, 2020
Katherine Bruce-Lockhart, University of Waterloo
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to think critically about the place of prisons in society and how and why prisoners have been released in the past. COVID-19 could spark systemic change.
May 21, 2020
Eva A. (Evalyna) Bogdan, University of Waterloo; Daniel Henstra, University of Waterloo, and Jason Thistlethwaite, University of Waterloo
Blaming flooding on an act of God wrongly absolves government and developers of their liability for poor decisions that unfairly burden taxpayers.
April 20, 2020
Jennifer Mathers, Aberystwyth University and Veronica Kitchen, University of Waterloo
How politicians can benefit from a narrative of heroism.
April 7, 2020
Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, University of Waterloo and Joel Thiessen, Ambrose University
Will a pandemic cause more people to return to Christianity or will the closure of churches become permanent?
April 8, 2020
Andrew Bauer, University of Waterloo
The Canadian federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan includes tax-related measures. It's helpful to examine tax supports for individuals by considering the past, present and future.
March 5, 2020
Jennifer Saul, University of Waterloo
TERF is not a slur. Instead, we should use words that accurately describe how some feminists are actually anti-trans activists.
March 4, 2020
Alana Cattapan, University of Waterloo
Since an infant was found in a recycling bin last fall in Saskatoon, advocates have renewed their campaign for baby hatches, places mothers can leave newborns safely and anonymously.
January 22, 2020
Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo
If we're ever to move past outmoded values of gender, race and class, we need to wish Prince Harry and Meghan Markle well — and challenge those who would prefer everything remains the same.
December 17, 2019
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
Marvel Comics is frequently referred to as “the house of ideas,” yet the idea of a queer superhero did not fully arrive at Marvel until the 1990s.
November 21, 2019
Ian Milligan, University of Waterloo
Put down the science brochures. If your high schooler really wants to be a history major, smile, knowing that they’re taking the first step to a deeper understanding of the world around them.
November 14, 2019
Joanne Wood, University of Waterloo and Kassandra Cortes, Wilfrid Laurier University
La recherche montre qu'interroger un partenaire peu sûr de lui au sujet de sa journée peut accroître la satisfaction de sa relation.
November 5, 2019
James M. Skidmore, University of Waterloo
Universities and colleges could eliminate textbook fees if they supported the creation of open educational resources.
October 31, 2019
Joanne Wood, University of Waterloo and Kassandra Cortes, Wilfrid Laurier University
Research shows that asking an insecure partner about their day can increase their relationship satisfaction.
September 22, 2019
Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher, University of Waterloo
Science communication online is important to the intellectual work of scientists.
September 8, 2019
Katherine White, University of Waterloo
Adults aren't the only language teachers: six-year-olds still produce sounds differently than adults, but toddlers are extremely good at understanding the speech of children six years and older.
August 19, 2019
Ian Milligan, University of Waterloo
As our societies lose paper trails and increasingly rely on digital information, historians, and their grasps of context, will become more important than ever.
August 11, 2019
Shannon Dea, University of Waterloo and Ted McCormick, Concordia University
A recent article in The Atlantic called for a "new science of progress" - this is dangerous and ignores the academic study of the history of human development.
July 23, 2019
Shannon Dea, University of Waterloo
A progressive city's new ordinance on gender-neutral language provokes a worldwide media storm.
July 17, 2019
Jackson A. Smith, University of Waterloo and Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo
It is possible for teenagers to be addicted to screen-time activities such as video gaming. It is also possible for parents to do something about it.
March 13, 2019
Anindya Sen, University of Waterloo
Canada's data deficit represents an absence of information; however, just as crucial is the deficit in the skills required to analyze collected data.
February 20, 2019
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
Our current golden age of TV storytelling is influenced by comic books, in particular, one writer: Chris Claremont pushed boundaries and gave audiences strong female leads and deeply involved dramas.
February 4, 2019
Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo
After the #me-too inspired Gillette ad, a male therapist says this year's Super Bowl ads were disappointingly mild. But let's not let that stop us from challenging each other.
January 28, 2019
Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo; Nicole Racine, University of Calgary, and Sheri Madigan, University of Calgary
A new study in JAMA Pediatrics suggests higher levels of screen time at two and three years of age predict poorer child outcomes at three and five years, respectively.
January 13, 2019
Andrew Thompson, University of Waterloo
If left unchecked, invasions of privacy enabled by technology could put every human right at risk, and on a scale that would be truly terrifying.
January 9, 2019
Edwin Ng, University of Waterloo and Carles Muntaner, University of Toronto
New research shows that female politicians spend more on health and education, improving the well-being of a population.
January 2, 2019
Amir Al-Azraki, University of Waterloo
Not just for would-be actors: Theatre of the Oppressed is a unique genre of drama education through which students learn how to analyze social problems and change typical outcomes.
January 1, 2019
Sheri Madigan, University of Calgary; Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo, and Rachel Eirich, University of Calgary
It's not too late for a New Year's resolution. If you're a parent - resolving to stop 'technofering' could be one of the most important things you do this year.
December 4, 2018
Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo
The psychological health of migrant children will be deeply impacted by their flight from gang violence, and the experience of crowded unhygienic conditions and tear gas at the U.S. border.
November 20, 2018
Tamara A. Small, University of Guelph and Anna Lennox Esselment, University of Waterloo
The creation of a new debate commission in Canada should ensure televised showdowns between party leaders amid federal election campaigns are transparent and a boon to democracy.
November 1, 2018
James M. Skidmore, University of Waterloo
Germany's long-time Angela Merkel era is coming to an end. But is it the end of one person’s dominance of the political scene, or does it forebode more fundamental changes to German society?
October 11, 2018
Dillon Thomas Browne, University of Waterloo
If the Ford-Kavanaugh saga had any positive impact, it at least clearly highlighted several lessons from traumatology and the complex consequences of traumatic events across society.
September 12, 2018
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
In the trailer for the new DC TV series, Robin answers 'F@#k Batman!' when the bad guys ask about the Caped Crusader. This is a hopeful move to necessary character changes in superhero storytelling.
September 4, 2018
Andrew Thompson, University of Waterloo
If the liberal international order is to survive, countries like Canada will need to defend international human rights law.
August 16, 2018
Vershawn Ashanti Young, University of Waterloo
BlacKkKlansman is more than a good story: it expertly weaves together comedy with serious drama to bring the story of past racism to illuminate our present day issues.
February 22, 2018
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
We may think of Harry Potter as escapist delight, but J.K. Rowling’s books also contain an extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
December 13, 2017
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
Science fiction is a genre meant to imagine the future, but in the case of Star Wars, it also looks to the past—revisiting old imperialist battles.
November 23, 2017
J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo
The reviews are coming in pretty harsh for Justice League. If Superman is awesome and Batman is awesome and Wonder Woman is awesome, shouldn’t the three of them together be thrice as awesome?
September 20, 2017
James M. Skidmore, University of Waterloo
German elections are typically tame. Jockeying for power takes place later, in negotiations for a coalition government. Could the xenophobic Alternative for Germany form the opposition?
August 31, 2017
James M. Skidmore, University of Waterloo
The swastika, an ancient and innocent symbol in many cultures for hundreds of years, now represents racial hatred. Should the swastika be banned in North America as it is in Germany?
May 26, 2016
Bruce Muirhead, University of Waterloo
Government intervention in the crisis facing Australian dairy has opened the gates for suggestions of other types of regulation.
November 4, 2014
Kevin Harrigan, University of Waterloo and Dan Brown, University of Waterloo
A 2011 Massachusetts law allows for the expansion of gambling, including slot machines. That law is now on the November 2014 election ballot for potential repeal. This is a real opportunity for voters…
August 27, 2014
Derek Koehler, University of Waterloo
Take a moment to think of a task you wish to accomplish in the next three months. It should be something specific like clearing out your backyard, or completing an online course, so that you could judge…
Dean of Arts Office:
PAS building, room 2401
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 48246
Arts Undergraduate Office:
PAS building, room 2439
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 45870
Arts faculty and staff resources
Arts computing support for students, faculty, and staff
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.