January 24, 2012
12:30 p.m. | Neville Scarfe Building, Room 310, 2125 Main Mall
In this talk, Professor Kaela Jubas will discuss findings from a two-year study exploring the pedagogical functions of popular culture. The qualitative study involved two phases. Phase 1 analyzes two American television shows featuring medical residents (Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs). In phase 2, conversations were held with undergraduate nursing and medical students in Canada (Victoria/Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto) who were familiar with one or both of these shows. The textual analysis from the first phase was helpful in developing a series of questions focused on three themes: identity, ethics and learning/pedagogy. Excerpts from the shows framed discussions with participants about how they related the shows’ portrayals and messages about professional identity, learning and work to their educational programs and experiences. In other words, Kaela explored how watching a group of fictional characters navigate the transitions from learner to worker, youth to adult, novice to professional helps audience members move through similar transitions. For this presentation, she will concentrate on identity-related learning, particularly on how gender figures in portrayals and experiences of health care education and work, and in professional identity construction.