Micro-Session 17

Theme: The Role of Educators in Trauma Recovery through Social Change

Learning, Teaching, Research Model (LTRM) Arc: Applied and Authentic, Caring and Community Based, and Transformational (ACT)

Facilitators: Dr. Theresa Southam

Date: November 26, 2024

Description: In this session, we considered educators' role in trauma recovery.  By listening to the story of student Gaganjeet Singh we learned how his trauma recovery will rely on more national conversations about the tenuousness of multiculturalism in Canada today and fuller admissions of what is lacking in ‘internationalizing’ post-secondary education. Theresa writes in her newly published book Transforming Trauma through Social Change: A Guide for Educators, "By looking at international student Gaganjeet Singh’s story, we that not only is he entangled in personal trauma, but a new type of colonialism—neocolonialism has snared him…The internationalization of education is often veiled as “good” for Canadians and students. Yet, recent research that demonstrated the demoralizing and racist effects that many international students suffer seldom shows up in popular media” p. 182.

The process described in this book, moving through trauma acknowledgement, critical reflection and meaning-making, exploring new roles and gratitude, and taking action exemplifies Royal Roads University’s Learning, Teaching, and Research Model. A 2020 PhD in Human and Organizational Development, Dr. Southam is both an alumnus of Royal Roads (Masters in Intercultural Communication – 2010) and an Associate Faculty member teaching and supervising students. She is the Department Head of the Teaching and Learning Centre at Selkirk College and continues her research as an ISI Fellow at Fielding Graduate University. She recently published Transforming Trauma through Social Change: A Guide for Educators with Fielding University Press and is the co-editor, with Marie Sonnet and Patrice Rosenthal, of Driving Social Innovation: How Unexpected Leadership is Transforming Society. Theresa’s publications can be found both on academia.edu and researchgate.net.  The book website is here.