"Recently I received an Undergraduate Student Research Award through Experiential Education in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Supervised by Professor Stephanie Premji of the School of Labour Studies and the Department of Health, Aging and Society, I will be looking at how racialization, or the social process of producing inequalities based on physical traits, culture, language or place of birth, can play a part in physicians' recommendations during the workers' compensation process. As the primary investigator in this research, I will be involved in all capacities including conducting interviews with physicians, coding the data, analyzing the findings, and producing a report and presentation. Also, at the recommendation of Professor Premji, I will be attending the Canadian Association of Research on Work and Health conference in Vancouver to participate in an undergraduate workshop, as well as observe presentations by specialists in the field."

"Based on my experience, I would advise other students to be persistent and seek out all possible avenues to aid in your academic experience. There are professors who are willing to go out of their way to help students excel. Experiential Education is an amazing resource for helping students pursue their academic endeavours as they have contributed through my Undergraduate Student Research Award and by helping finance my conference fees. As I aspire to pursue graduate studies in a program that can combine my interests in Labour Studies and Health Studies, both my experiences at the conference and my independent study will be invaluable."  Alexander Burnett

The School of Labour Studies has developed an innovative approach to teaching students about unions.

Unions in Action is a second-year course in which students and instructors alike adopt an innovative learning model to explore contemporary unions. This course moves away from traditional course delivery in favour of a student centred learning process rooted in principles of self-directed problem-based learning and structured simulation. Students are assigned to union sub-groups and assume the roles of various committees and union locals typical of a Canadian union. Tutorial ‘union’ groups engage in weekly exercises created to challenge students to find creative policy and collective bargaining solutions to real-life scenarios faced by unions. The group learning process culminates in a simulation of a union policy convention in which students debate the merits of their group’s policy proposals with fellow delegates.

Are you interested in social activism? In globalization and democracy from at ‘Third World’ perspective? Are you studying or would you like to study Spanish? Would you like to combine these interests in a unique, accredited, student-centred study abroad opportunity in Mexico as part of your degree?

Overview:
The Mexico Solidarity Network Study Abroad Spring and Fall semesters are 14-week, inter-disciplinary programs focusing on the context, strategy and tactics of Mexican contemporary social movements. The Summer programs are 6-week intensive courses on special topics of interest, including Migration, Indigenous movements (including the Zapatista movement), Democracy and Alternatives, and more.

McMaster students completing the Fall or Spring semester receive 15 units of transfer credit, or 9 units for the Summer program.

The programs are accredited by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) - Xochimilco, one of Mexico's most prestigious universities.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, and have completed a minimum of one year of university-level Spanish or have an equivalent mastery of Spanish. Preference is given to applicants who exhibit a history of commitment to grassroots political struggles.

In locations such as Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Chihuahua City, Ciudad Juarez and Mexico City, students strengthen their Spanish, improve their academic and organizing skills, and develop intercultural understanding while they investigate:

• the social, political and cultural context within which Mexican social movements struggle
• grassroots alternatives to predominant neo-liberal models of development
• the strategies, structures and manifestations of Mexican social movements, including indigenous and campesino movements, globalifóbicos, ex-Braceros, urban movements, women's organizations, independent labour organizations and NGOs.
• McMaster students taking this program must apply for a Letter of Permission.

• For more information:

  Social Sciences students should contact Social Sciences (socsfac@mcmaster.ca).

  Humanities students should contact Rowena Muhic-Day (muhicr@mcmaster.ca)

  Program website: http://www.mexicosolidarity.org/site/studyabroad