My thesis
We are facing significant challenges to human well-being on multiple levels (e.g. biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, climate change) that are interwoven with other-than-human life (animals, birds, insects, plants, microbes, and more). In this context, my thesis will contribute to the knowledge and conversations about promoting human well-being at multiple scales (from the personal level to the planetary) through foodways in relationship with these other-than-human beings. Informed by the abundant and generous knowledge of kinship and good relations with other-than-human life, shared by many Indigenous knowledge-keepers, this work considers how we respond to calls to build our relationships with the land and support communities where all life thrives.
My thesis research is anchored in a qualitative study that includes seasonal interviews (conducted four times over the course of a year) with those working to grow and access food in two different Ontario communities (Kitchener-Waterloo along the Haldimand Tract and Kenora in Treaty 3 territory) in ways that also embed care and support for other-than-human life. Each season of the year, we visit (work, walk, explore) their growing and foraging spaces to learn more about their complex food journey and experiences. At the end of the year-long study (spring 2025), a participatory workshop will help to bring their experiences together for both community and academic audiences.
My time in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS)
My experience within SPHS has been a rollercoaster! I took leaps of faith to pursue public health issues that pushed boundaries (climate change, food sovereignty, biodiversity loss), yet I have been encouraged and supported along the way by Dr. Warren Dodd, Dr. Kelly Skinner, my committee, staff, and fellow students. They gave me the strength to be courageous and to build my research in ways that drew together my passions while extending my skills and knowledge.
I won’t forget the joy when I received word that my first paper was published during the pandemic, or dancing around the room after my comprehensive exam and online proposal defence. But some of my most meaningful moments lately have been with my study participants, as they inspire me to deeply reflect and work to move forward in a good way within the natural world.
Alongside the joys, there have been many challenges during my time with SPHS, but they have all led me toward growth. And I still have a lot more of that to do as I finish this PhD over the next year and a half!
Learn more about Josalyn's research.
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