Evelyn Hamdon, PhD | University of Alberta (original) (raw)

Papers by Evelyn Hamdon, PhD

The clash of civilizations discourse, (re)articulated by Samuel Huntington in 1993 and widely acc... more The clash of civilizations discourse, (re)articulated by Samuel Huntington in 1993 and widely accepted as true, is yet another echo in a long history of the Orientalist's (Said, 1979) clarion call for the disciplining of Arab and/or Muslim subjects, who are often considered to embody values antithetical to Western civilization. Indeed, this Orientalist antipathy continues to find its way into twenty-first-century representational practices and public policies, including television media, social media, print media, and popular cultural art forms such as film (Shaheen, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2008). These media participate in the production and reproduction of problematic tropes and stereotypes that, whether intended or not, contribute to public misunderstandings of, and suspicions about, Arabs and/or Muslims. These misunderstandings also find their way into Canadian public policy and law, such as Bill S-7 (Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act) and Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2012). This codification of Orientalist stereotypes contributes to their being taken for granted as truth, and their circulation in public and artistic discourse through various media and by a range of political, journalistic, and artistic figures. This research deepens and extends emerging examinations and critiques of Orientalism by focusing on the way gender is used to garner support for ongoing Orientalist practices. The project is theoretically located at the nexus of feminist, intersectional, Orientalist, postcolonial, and anti-colonial scholarship, and it addresses issues of patriarchy, Orientalism, gender, racism, colonialism, imperialism, and their presence within popular culture, and more specifically, in Hollywood films. There are so many who have encouraged me throughout the process of writing my dissertation. I wish to begin by thanking my supervisors, my committee, and my external examiner: Dr. Donna Chovanec, friend, mentor, and supervisor who sadly did not live to see me finish but whose memory and faith in this project kept me going; Dr. Jennifer Kelly (supervisor) who was there from beginning to end, and stayed the course with me; Dr. Sara Carpenter (supervisor), who thoughtfully and skillfully helped me navigate the loss of my father while completing this dissertation; Dr. Derek Briton, who patiently hosted endless conversations about objet petit a; Dr. Yasmeen Abu-Laban, whose scholarly work and public intellectualism I admire and which inspires me to make a contribution to the wider world; my external examiner Dr. Nancy Taber, for the close read of my work and for invaluable and generous comments; and to Dr. Evelyn Steinhaurer, whom I have long admired and who chaired my defense with such skill. I also wish to thank the Killam Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, The University of Alberta and the Government of Alberta for the scholarships that enabled me to complete so much of this work. Thanks also to Dr. Jason Wallin and Dr. jan jagodzinski for inspiring the project and sparking my interest in Lacan. I would also like to thank Joan White Sandra Materi, and Dr. Frank Peters for their support over the years.

He received his PhD from the University of Warwick where he studied ethnic relations and politica... more He received his PhD from the University of Warwick where he studied ethnic relations and political philosophy under Professor Muhammad Anwar OBE, one of Europe's most prolific academics in this area of specialization. Dr Hellyer writes on minority-majority relations (including those in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and Africa), political philosophy and the interplay between religion and modernity. Presently he is completing work on his next book entitled Muslims on the Margins: Muslim Minorities in Southeast Asia, Africa and the West. The interchange between Muslims and Europe has a long and complicated history, dating back to before the idea of "Europe" itself was born, and the earliest years of Islam. There has been a Muslim presence on the European continent before, but never has it been so significant, particularly in Western Europe. With more Muslims in Europe than in many countries of the Muslim world, they have found themselves in the position of challenging what it means to be a European in a secular society of the twenty-first century. At the same time, the European context has caused many Muslims to rethink what is essential to them in religious terms in their new reality. European societies and Muslim communities, finding themselves in fascinating states of affairs, are trying to understand one another in terms of their own defining features, in the hope of finding a future of mutual benefit. These questions and issues are discussed in this work by way of progressing from one set of debates to another, as they relate to Europe, Islam, and pluralism. Each of the three parts of this work keeps in focus the dual concerns: European Muslims and Muslim intellectual perspectives; going from the general to the specific. In this direction, H.A. Hellyer analyzes the prospects for a European future where pluralism is accepted within unified societies, and the presence of a Muslim community that is of Europe, not simply in it. Hellyer argues that Europe must come to terms with all of her history, past and present and those Muslim communities should work to be integral to Europe. Divided into three parts, the book consists of seven chapters, preceded by Acknowledgements (pp. vii-ix) and followed by Notes (pp. 195-214); Bibliography (pp. 215-234); Glossary (pp. 235-237); and Index (pp. 239-246).

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics

For further information, contact the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance, PO Box 1161, Po... more For further information, contact the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance, PO Box 1161, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 7M1 (tel) 250-723-2296 (fax) 250-248-1957. Website: www.socialeconomy-bcalberta.ca e-mail: balta@xplornet.com

International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2008

Through an autoethnographic account the authors explore the various entanglements, ambiguities, a... more Through an autoethnographic account the authors explore the various entanglements, ambiguities, and conflicts inherent in the research relationships of institutionally marginalized communities. Agency and moral coherence are constructs with which personal, political, and sociocultural dimensions of negotiating a research identity

Sociology of Sport Journal

This paper constitutes an examination of what is perceived to be a backlash with respect to Israe... more This paper constitutes an examination of what is perceived to be a backlash with respect to Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) and similar educational campaigns. In it we review recent writings which relate to the importance of critical pedagogical spaces, and which problematize the emerging pushback against popular and political educational efforts to critique the occupation of Palestine. We also examine the history of IAW and chronicle attempts (within the Canadian context) to silence organizers and teachers associated with IAW. Finally we discuss the implications of this for further organizing and teaching about Palestine. Some of the questions at the heart of this paper are, “Why is this form of social justice education perceived to be so dangerous?”, “Where is the impetus coming from to silence this form of popular education ” and “What are the implications of these types of surveillance and silencing.” Canadian university students and faculty have perhaps taken for granted the right...

Abstract: A panel of activist-students, each in a different phase of their academic study of adul... more Abstract: A panel of activist-students, each in a different phase of their academic study of adult education, use their own experiences to examine critical questions about the relationship between theory and practice in radical adult education. Introduction Donna Chovanec In this symposium, a panel of activist-students at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada describe their practice, the questions about their world and their work that have drawn them to the academy, and the theorizing that has impacted their practice. They are each in different phases of their academic study of adult education but all are committed social activists. Each student starts from her or his own experience as an activist in labour unions, campus activism, anti-racist education or global social movements to examine critical questions about the theory and the practice of radical adult education. Each exemplifies Freire's notion of the critical intellectual who is "striving to know through a...

Transforming Conversations

Introducing a Muslim group in Canada that works to change attitudes toward Islam in their communi... more Introducing a Muslim group in Canada that works to change attitudes toward Islam in their community, this study goes behind the scenes to look at the conflicts and dilemmas within the group itself, which is diverse in its view of the hijab and other practices. The conclusion shows that this team of Muslins has been very successful in developing several educational initiatives because of their own experience in negotiating internal differences in ways that did not fragment the group.

To facilitate the settlement of new immigrants, immigrant service organizations provide a range o... more To facilitate the settlement of new immigrants, immigrant service organizations provide a range of services and opportunities for both formal and informal learning. These organizations, however, also act as liminal spaces in which the women who access their services may renegotiate identities, create new knowledge and forge new conceptions of community. The purpose of this article is to present an analysis of the data from two organizations which were sites for a larger research project designed to explore the formal and informal learning processes in immigrant service organizations. The data for this study was collected through client interviews and participant observation of formal and informal learning activities at two immigrant service organization that provide settlement, educational and support programs and services for immigrant women.

Current theorizing about coalitions suggests that the capacity of their members to negotiate mult... more Current theorizing about coalitions suggests that the capacity of their members to negotiate multiple and contested identity differences will be important for their survival and efficacy. This qualitative study explored how a Muslim coalition is thinking about and performing identity in the aftermath of September 11 and under the shadow of Islamophobia. The Relevance of this Study According to Julia Sudbury (2001) “... far from fostering divisive fragmentation, explicit explorations of identity may be a prerequisite for the mass mobilization of diverse groups into a sustainable movement.” (p. 44). The findings of my own research suggest that this is not only important at a movement level but also at the micro level, within the coalitions and solidarity groups that make up movements. This coalition’s negotiations with identity differences are reflective of the challenges and possibilities of describing, deconstructing, and discussing the complexities of identity, identity differences...

A panel of activist-students, each in a different phase of their academic study of adult educatio... more A panel of activist-students, each in a different phase of their academic study of adult education, use their own experiences to examine critical questions about the relationship between theory and practice in radical adult education. Introduction Donna Chovanec In this symposium, a panel of activist-students at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada describe their practice, the questions about their world and their work that have drawn them to the academy, and the theorizing that has impacted their practice. They are each in different phases of their academic study of adult education but all are committed social activists. Each student starts from her or his own experience as an activist in labour unions, campus activism, anti-racist education or global social movements to examine critical questions about the theory and the practice of radical adult education. Each exemplifies Freire’s notion of the critical intellectual who is “striving to know through a constant process of...

ABSTRACT Current theorizing about coalitions suggests that the capacity of their members to negot... more ABSTRACT Current theorizing about coalitions suggests that the capacity of their members to negotiate multiple and contested identity differences will be important for their survival and efficacy. This qualitative study explored how a Muslim coalition is thinking about and performing identity in the aftermath of September 11th and under the shadow of Islamophobia. The Relevance of this Study According to Julia Sudbury (2001) "… far from fostering divisive fragmentation, explicit explorations of identity may be a prerequisite for the mass mobilization of diverse groups into a sustainable movement." (p. 44). The findings of my own research suggest that this is not only important at a movement level but also at the micro level, within the coalitions and solidarity groups that make up movements. This coalition's negotiations with identity differences are reflective of the challenges and possibilities of describing, deconstructing, and discussing the complexities of identity, identity differences, and their meaning for equitable working relationships within coalitional contexts. Background This study evolved out of my own experiences with, and observations of tensions within

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics

International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2008

Sociology of Sport Journal

Transforming Conversations

Cambridge Scholars, 2017

By focusing on colonial histories and legacies, this edited volume breaks new ground in studying ... more By focusing on colonial histories and legacies, this edited volume breaks new ground in studying modernity in Islamicate contexts. From a range of disciplinary perspectives, the authors probe ‘colonial modernity’ as a condition whose introduction into Islamicate contexts was facilitated historically by European encroachment into South Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. They also analyze the various modes through which, in Europe itself, and in North America by extension, people from Islamicate contexts have been, and continue to be, otherized in the constitution and advancement of the project of modernity. The book further brings to light a multiplicity of social, political, cultural, and aesthetic modes of resistance aimed at subverting and unsettling colonial modernity in both Muslim-majority and diasporic contexts.