- 350 Victoria Street
Ryerson University
Toronto, ON
M5B 2K3 - 416-979-5000 ext. 7726
Jacqui Gingras
Toronto Metropolitan University, Sociology, Faculty Member
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Nutrition, Faculty Memberadd
- Critical Dietetics, Feminist Epistemology, Curriculum Studies, Autoethnography, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Critical Pedagogy, and 17 moreEducational Research, Arts-based methodologies, Workplace Learning, Feminist Research Methods, Health Professional Education, Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), David Hume, Food and Nutrition, Wendell Berry, Judith Butler, Academic Freedom, Home Economics, Health at Every Size, Phenomenology, Fat Studies, and Ecological thinkingedit
- Jacqui Gingras, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, Onta... moreJacqui Gingras, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her research explores social health movements, radical democratic pedagogies, and (de)colonization of health professions within the entanglements of colonial neoliberal economics and intersectional feminisms. She has published in the Fat Studies Journal, Journal of Sociology, and Critical Public Health. She is the founding editor of the Journal of Critical Dietetics, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal at https://journals.library.torontomu.ca/index.php/criticaldietetics/indexedit
Longing for Recognition offers a radical new way of understanding nutritional health practices. In contemporary food culture, the work of dietitians has accrued new and urgent meaning, and Longing for Recognition is addressed to that... more
Longing for Recognition offers a radical new way of understanding nutritional health practices. In contemporary food culture, the work of dietitians has accrued new and urgent meaning, and Longing for Recognition is addressed to that group of practitioners. The author, herself a dietitian, crafts an autoethnographic fiction that presents a critical and thought-provoking argument for a more self-reflexive, relational, and embodied profession. Her compelling narrative draws the reader into its timely call for rethinking what counts as knowledge in dietetic education. Longing for Recognition will be invaluable for dietitians and other health care professionals who wish to enhance their practice as one that considers first and foremost what it means to be human. [ information retrieved on Nov. 21, 2017 from http://www.ryerson.ca/~jgingras/longingforrecognition.htm]
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While this is an obviously contentious statement, we take this as the starting point for our analysis and efforts to expand the currently truncated obesity debate beyond its medicalised and reductionist focus on disease, risk and... more
While this is an obviously contentious statement, we take this as the starting point for our analysis and efforts to expand the currently truncated obesity debate beyond its medicalised and reductionist focus on disease, risk and pathology. In saying that there is no such thing as obesity we don’t mean to imply that no one is fat. What we are saying is that the term ‘obesity’ — and more especially its assumed precursor ‘overweight’ with which it is often conflated — as currently used in the clinical and academic worlds with which we are familiar has little medical salience. For a very high percentage of populations reputedly in the grip of an ‘obesity epidemic’ (the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada for example) fatness and/or heavy bodyweight (taken as indicating overweight or obesity) do/does not, as is popularly promulgated, reliably indicate a person’s metabolic risk, except at extremes of the weight spectrum. By metabolic risk we refer to the metabolic dysregulation arising from a range of lifecourse experiences that can predispose people to diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Belief in obesity (and overweight) couples weight and high metabolic risk as intrinsically related variables and thereby perpetuates what we, in our role as health professionals and critical weight scholars, view as a harmful conglomerate of inappropriate interventions premised on equally harmful ideological drivers.
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Although experiences of burnout are well documented among some allied health professionals, there is limited research that explores similar experiences among dietitians. This study aims (1) to describe the varied qualitative dimensions of... more
Although experiences of burnout are well documented among some allied health professionals, there is limited research that explores similar experiences among dietitians. This study aims (1) to describe the varied qualitative dimensions of burnout that are particular to dietitians and (2) to identify the factors that might be deemed protective against burnout. Fourteen dietitians were recruited from a larger quantitative study that assessed prevalence of burnout in Ontario, Canada using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Those who completed the MBI were invited to participate in two phenomenological interviews. Transcribed interviews were analyzed by naïve readings and themes were created with a larger team for increased rigor and trustworthiness. Dietitians describe burnout as having bodily and overall health consequences. Both social/professional relationships and dietitians' passion for their work contributed to experiences of burnout and resilience. Opportunities for contin...
In this autoethnography regarding the writing and sharing of an educational autofiction, I explore the vulnerability inherent in moving from the imagined to the real in a pedagogical context. Autoethnographic fiction is a scholarly method... more
In this autoethnography regarding the writing and sharing of an educational autofiction, I explore the vulnerability inherent in moving from the imagined to the real in a pedagogical context. Autoethnographic fiction is a scholarly method with the potential to disrupt traditional, science-based discourses dominant in health profession education. This potential was enacted in a senior undergraduate dietetics class when students were invited to read and write their own autoethnographies. Marked by vulnerability, I came to embody the transformative theory of being unfinalized as I endeavoured to resist the way things have always been in dietetics and make visible the emotional process of writing autoethnographic fiction as a move towards personal and social transformation.
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Throwing Their Weight Around: Canadians Take on Health At Every Size Jacqui Gingras Adiposity emerges as a relational condition that may or may not be asso-ciated with poor health. As individuals, clinicians, researchers and policy... more
Throwing Their Weight Around: Canadians Take on Health At Every Size Jacqui Gingras Adiposity emerges as a relational condition that may or may not be asso-ciated with poor health. As individuals, clinicians, researchers and policy makers we are pro-status quo or ...
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Body image dissatisfaction is a serious, prevalent condition in western culture. It is estimated that 50% of women dislike their bodies and fear being overweight; two manifestations of a negative body image. There has been a trend in... more
Body image dissatisfaction is a serious, prevalent condition in western culture. It is estimated that 50% of women dislike their bodies and fear being overweight; two manifestations of a negative body image. There has been a trend in recent years for more and more individuals to experience a discontent with their bodies. Body image dissatisfaction is not simply a dislike of personal appearance, but the negative emotions, thoughts and attitudes associated with perceived appearance. Consequently, assessment and therapy of this condition involves the understanding of intricate psychological processes. Body image dissatisfaction may prevent individuals from incorporating other healthy behaviours, including balanced approaches to nutrition and activity. Dietitians routinely counsel individuals in the area of nutrition and health, yet dietitians are usually untrained to recognize body image dissatisfaction. This review examines the condition of body image dissatisfaction and provides the necessary background information to understand its development. Recommendations for dietitians are included to assist those working with affected individuals.
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This paper explores beginning dietetic practitioners’ perspectives on the process of becoming dietetics professionals through the use of vignettes to illuminate the complex process of professional socialization. Embedded in these... more
This paper explores beginning dietetic practitioners’ perspectives on the process of becoming dietetics professionals through the use of vignettes to illuminate the complex process of professional socialization. Embedded in these vignettes are three themes related to the socialization process that occurs in the early years of dietetic practice: congruence, resilience, and relationships. Our findings indicate that new dietitians struggle to develop their dietitian identity. They feel unprepared for the relational and practice realities of the workplace and find the transition from dietetic intern to dietitian challenging. They seek many ways to cope including seeking support from others and planning for the future but some consider leaving the profession. It is important to understand the professional socialization and identity formation processes that occur during the early years of practice to ensure that dietitians feel prepared and supported as they begin their careers.
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<jats:p> Purpose: Dietetic internship coordinators are key players in selecting internship applicants and in shaping their experiences and professional identities throughout the internship. Coordinators' experiences of their... more
<jats:p> Purpose: Dietetic internship coordinators are key players in selecting internship applicants and in shaping their experiences and professional identities throughout the internship. Coordinators' experiences of their work have not yet been explored in the dietetic literature. Methods: Four current and four previous internship coordinators each participated in a one-on-one, semi-structured telephone interview. Data was analysed using constant comparative analysis. Results: Coordinators had three to nine years of experience. All stated their commitment and concern towards the dietetic training process. Coordinators noted the value of internship as a learning process and a time for intensive and essential practical training. Overall, participants felt gratified with their work, despite their roles requiring extensive time and resources. Other findings revealed that coordinators felt a sense of responsibility for selecting the "right" interns. Conclusions: A heightened sense of responsibility along with limited time and resources has the potential to lead to burnout for this professional group. Future enhancements and changes to the internship process have potential implications for health human resources among coordinators, but more research is required to examine specific implications of such changes on dietetic training and education in Ontario. </jats:p>
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Obtaining dietetic licensure in Ontario requires completion of a Dietitians of Canada (DC) accredited four-year undergraduate degree in nutrition and an accredited post-graduate internship or combined Master’s degree program. Given the... more
Obtaining dietetic licensure in Ontario requires completion of a Dietitians of Canada (DC) accredited four-year undergraduate degree in nutrition and an accredited post-graduate internship or combined Master’s degree program. Given the scarcity of internship positions in Ontario, each year approximately two-thirds of the eligible applicants who apply do not receive a position XX, XX, XX, XX, XX, XX, in press). Anecdotally, not securing an internship position is known to be a particularly disconcerting experience that has significant consequences for individuals’ personal, financial, and professional well-being. However, no known empirical research has yet explored students’ experiences of being unsuccessful in applying for internship positions. Fifteen individuals who applied between 2005 and 2009 to an Ontario-based dietetic internship program, but were unsuccessful at least once, participated in a one-on-one semi-structured interview. Findings reveal that participants’ experiences...
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This study seeks to explore the lived experience of students who applied to an Ontario-based dietetic internship program and were successful upon their first application attempt. A 32-item online survey was distributed via email to all... more
This study seeks to explore the lived experience of students who applied to an Ontario-based dietetic internship program and were successful upon their first application attempt. A 32-item online survey was distributed via email to all students who graduated from Brescia University College, Guelph University, and Ryerson University between 2006 and 2011 and to members of the Dietitians of Canada Student Network, Toronto Home Economics Association, and Ontario Home Economists in Business. The final survey item invited respondents to participate in one-on-one interview. The semi-structured interviews focused on participants’ experience of applying to and receiving an internship position. Interviews were conducted either in person or by telephone and were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed by the research team. Of the 82 participants who completed the online survey, 17 respondents participated in a one-on-one interview. Even students who were successful at ...
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A team of researchers undertook a collaborative qualitative study to explore beginning dietitians’ life experiences and the meaning ascribed to those experiences in the context of dietetic practice. Data were collected using Seidman’s... more
A team of researchers undertook a collaborative qualitative study to explore beginning dietitians’ life experiences and the meaning ascribed to those experiences in the context of dietetic practice. Data were collected using Seidman’s three-step in-depth phenomenological interviewing method with 12 beginning dietitians who were graduates of the three participating dietetic programs. We outline the collaborative research process and highlight a writing and data analysis technique described as the collaborative retreat, a face-to-face, two-day gathering that facilitated the researchers’ collective decision-making and organization, discussion, and analysis of this complex qualitative data set. Use of a listening guide aided researchers’ understanding and interpretation of participant voices. Researchers concluded that the overall collaborative qualitative research process was positive and self-fulfilling, and that it resulted in multiple benefits for them individually and the research ...
In this chapter, we examine how dietitians use empowerment discourses as a means for ensuring compliance among those seeking and receiving their nutritional expertise. The question posed by the West Midlands branch of the British Dietetic... more
In this chapter, we examine how dietitians use empowerment discourses as a means for ensuring compliance among those seeking and receiving their nutritional expertise. The question posed by the West Midlands branch of the British Dietetic Association (2005) ‘Can we empower our patients to increase their compliance to treatment?’ suggests that dietitians are co-opting empowerment discourses to generate compliance. They may also reinforce the commodification of nutrition knowledge through an emphasis on self-care that amplifies the impact of lifestyle behaviours in determining health. Wherever food work and expertise is primarily located, with attendant consequences for empowerment, this construction belies the fact that ultimately people’s health is not determined by access to health information or services. In an era of personal responsibility when ‘good citizens’ are encouraged to seek and act on health information to facilitate an efficient health care system, nutritional treatment is presented as necessary and unproblematic. The empowerment-compliance complex is implicitly positioned as a cost-saving mechanism within this health care matrix and as a way to reinscribe the moral character of the good citizen. In such a way, nutritional health becomes a property of individuals rather than something contextualised by the relationships individuals enjoy with family, community, organisations, society and the environment. By examining how dietitians have taken up empowerment discourses, we reveal how aspects of the profession of dietetics can become disempowering for both dietitians and their clients. As a response to the more problematic issues identified, we propose a dietetic practice that acknowledges people’s lived experiences in a dynamic social and political milieu, and we examine how people, in their role as professionals or dieters, may resist control and compliance discourses as a means of subverting and disrupting neo-liberal agendas that would position them otherwise.
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By reading, you can know the knowledge and things more, not only about what you get from people to people. Book will be more trusted. As this nutrition in pregnancy and childbirth food for thought, it will really give you the good idea to... more
By reading, you can know the knowledge and things more, not only about what you get from people to people. Book will be more trusted. As this nutrition in pregnancy and childbirth food for thought, it will really give you the good idea to be successful. It is not only for you to be success in certain life you can be successful in everything. The success can be started by knowing the basic knowledge and do actions.
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Relational-cultural theory (RCT) proposes that relationships are central to healing and growth (Miller and Stiver, 1997). Relational cultural theorists describe the three characteristics of growth-fostering relationships as mutual... more
Relational-cultural theory (RCT) proposes that relationships are central to healing and growth (Miller and Stiver, 1997). Relational cultural theorists describe the three characteristics of growth-fostering relationships as mutual engagement (defined by mutual involvement and commitment to relationship), authenticity (the process of feeling free and genuine in relationship), and empowerment or zest (the feeling of personal strength and the inspiration to take action in relationship) (Nakash, Williams, and Jordan, 2004). Mutuality, authenticity, and empowerment present in a therapeutic context role model what is possible in relationships outside of therapy. Within growth-fostering relationships, authentic interactions can lead to experiences of connection and disconnection. All relationships will experience disconnections periodically, but it is the manner in which these disconnections are negotiated that influences the relational outcome. That relationships are central to movement i...
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Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Sociology, Epistemology, Teaching and Learning, Education, and 12 moreScholarship of Teaching and Learning, Nutrition, Critical Pedagogy, Educational Research, Curriculum Studies, Critical Discourse Analysis, Critical Dietetics, Power, Inquiry-Based Learning, Social Integration, Learning Process, and Theoretical Foundation
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ABSTRACT Mainstream dietetics buttresses a conventional weight management agenda that is associated with weight preoccupation, body dissatisfaction, size oppression, and troubled eating. Coterminous with this agenda is healthism, which... more
ABSTRACT Mainstream dietetics buttresses a conventional weight management agenda that is associated with weight preoccupation, body dissatisfaction, size oppression, and troubled eating. Coterminous with this agenda is healthism, which taken together, impede dietitians’ engagement with a health at every size (HAES) paradigm, a paradigm driven by concern for equality. Yet, HAES has also been critiqued for having healthist tendencies. The purpose of this paper is to explore how HAES might be reimagined through the lens offered by relational cultural theory (RCT) to offer a radical and more socially just vision of dietetic practice. We posit relational–cultural theory as a complementary theoretical perspective to deepen understandings and to politicize HAES-based dietetic practice. We suggest that RCT permits a critical, relational, and political revisioning of the weight-centred canon and elaborates HAES by emphasizing mutual empathy and reciprocal growth within and between the client and practitioner concomitantly. Moreover, questions of power, ethical survival, and knowledge emerge which is what we contend makes it possible for a socially just, nonhealthist HAES practice to flourish.
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A team of researchers undertook a collaborative qualitative study to explore beginning dietitians’ life experiences and the meaning ascribed to those experiences in the context of dietetic practice. Data were collected using Seidman's... more
A team of researchers undertook a collaborative qualitative study to explore beginning dietitians’ life experiences and the meaning ascribed to those experiences in the context of dietetic practice. Data were collected using Seidman's three-step in-depth phenomenological interviewing method with 12 beginning dietitians who were graduates of the three participating dietetic programs. We outline the collaborative research process and highlight a writing and data analysis technique described as the collaborative retreat, a face-to-face, two-day gathering that facilitated the researchers’ collective decision-making and organization, discussion, and analysis of this complex qualitative data set. Use of a listening guide aided researchers’ understanding and interpretation of participant voices. Researchers concluded that the overall collaborative qualitative research process was positive and self-fulfilling, and that it resulted in multiple benefits for them individually and the resea...
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Purpose: To elucidate the complex phenomenon of dietitian professional socialization, we examined factors that influence people’s decisions to pursue a career in dietetics and how education and training processes influence the... more
Purpose: To elucidate the complex phenomenon of dietitian professional socialization, we examined factors that influence people’s decisions to pursue a career in dietetics and how education and training processes influence the professional socialization of dietitians. Methods: Participants (n=12) had less than three years of work experience and included alumni from three Canadian universities representing different models of entry to practice. Three one-on-one interviews were conducted with each participant. Results: The key influencing factor in participants’ decision to pursue dietetics was the perceived congruence between dietetics and other aspects of their lives, including early interests and experiences (sports, food and cooking, an eating disorder), career aspirations (science, health care), and social networks (the desire to be a professional). A pivotal experience during high school or while enrolled in or after graduation from another program prompted participants’ awarene...
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What is the result of bringing unrealistic and overwhelming conditions of motherhood into the context of a global pandemic? This article aims to explore the impacts of maternal expectations and experiences in the context of COVID-19.... more
What is the result of bringing unrealistic and overwhelming conditions of motherhood into the context of a global pandemic? This article aims to explore the impacts of maternal expectations and experiences in the context of COVID-19. Through first-person accounts of eighty self-identified mothers parenting through COVID, we aim to explore “good” mother myths, feelings of failure, and the paradoxical freedoms that occur under pandemic time.
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1. Abstract Dietetic education, the baccalaureate process of preparing students for professional roles as dietitians, has maintained a rather conservative view of knowledge for its entire existence (over 100 years). Contemporary social... more
1. Abstract Dietetic education, the baccalaureate process of preparing students for professional roles as dietitians, has maintained a rather conservative view of knowledge for its entire existence (over 100 years). Contemporary social problems such as food insecurity, violence against women, homelessness, and child poverty have immediate intersections with nutrition through reduced access to an adequate supply of safe food. I
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Ryerson University has undergone major restructuring in a short period of time. Since 1993, Ryerson has become a degree-granting institution and expanded its post- graduate degree programs as a means to further its commitment to... more
Ryerson University has undergone major restructuring in a short period of time. Since 1993, Ryerson has become a degree-granting institution and expanded its post- graduate degree programs as a means to further its commitment to high-quality education. Ryerson's change in status and enhanced focus on scholarship provides a watershed moment for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the University. This paper introduces our working definition of SoTL, explains the circumstances leading to the watershed moment at Ryerson, and outlines the necessary steps to entrench SoTL at Ryerson. The paper concludes with a reflection upon the lessons learned from other universities attempting a similar task. Our efforts to advance the importance of SoTL may be misdirected until other researchers and teachers understand the role of SoTL in higher education environments. SoTL is sometimes viewed as an illegitimate form of scholarly activity because it does not always end with a peer-reviewe...
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Objective. To explore how food insecurity affects individuals&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; ability to manage their diabetes, as narrated by participants living in a large, culturally diverse urban... more
Objective. To explore how food insecurity affects individuals&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; ability to manage their diabetes, as narrated by participants living in a large, culturally diverse urban centre. Design. Qualitative study comprising of in-depth interviews, using a semistructured interview guide. Setting. Participants were recruited from the local community, three community health centres, and a community-based diabetes education centre servicing a low-income population in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Participants. Twenty-one English-speaking adults with a diagnosis of diabetes and having experienced food insecurity in the past year (based on three screening questions). Method. Using six phases of analysis, we used qualitative, deductive thematic analysis to transcribe, code, and analyze participant interviews. Main Findings. Three themes emerged from our analysis of participants&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; experiences of living with food insecurity and diabetes: (1) barriers to accessing and preparing food, (2) social isolation, and (3) enhancing agency and resilience. Conclusion. Food insecurity appears to negatively impact diabetes self-management. Healthcare professionals need to be cognizant of resources, skills, and supports appropriate for people with diabetes affected by food insecurity. Study findings suggest foci for enhancing diabetes self-management support.
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As HAES research becomes more mainstream, the means for understanding the qualitative aspects of inquiry are rising to the fore. A qualitative turn in HAES represents a potential source of prevailing embodied knowledges about people’s... more
As HAES research becomes more mainstream, the means for understanding the qualitative aspects of inquiry are rising to the fore. A qualitative turn in HAES represents a potential source of prevailing embodied knowledges about people’s complex and nuanced experiences of weight bias, dieting, body shame, and radical self-acceptance. I propose a renewed and vigorous embracing of such knowledges where our questions and observations are not made of the other, but of ourselves as HAES researchers. This is known as an evocative, reflexive turn where our stories, ripe with contradiction, consternation, and convolution are laid bare to those who we rely on to give voice as research participants. Simply, it seems like the right and fair thing to do as we seek to flesh out knowledges beyond the bounds of mainstream inquiry.
In this session, Jacqui Gingras outlines the principles of Health at Every Size (HAES) to foster the integration of a health-centred perspective into nutrition practice. In a departure from a weight-centred philosophy, nutritionists and... more
In this session, Jacqui Gingras outlines the principles of Health at Every Size (HAES) to foster the integration of a health-centred perspective into nutrition practice. In a departure from a weight-centred philosophy, nutritionists and dietitians in FHTs have an opportunity to enlarge and enrich their practice. The change to HAES, while respecting the multiple determinants of body shape and weight, is not without its challenges and critiques, which will be addressed in the session along with the recent and compelling evidence in support of dietetic professionals’ adoption of HAES. Along with the embracing of new approaches to health comes the potential to advocate for this approach among allied health colleagues including FHT members and likely even dietitian colleagues. To offer a chance to apply HAES, a case study will be presented and participants will be invited to follow-up with the facilitator after three months to share what enables and/or thwarts a shifting paradigm regarding body weight and nutritional health.
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- identify the tenets of HAES
- outline the critiques of HAES and evidence in support of HAES
- apply HAES to a case study
- determine enablers and barriers to integrating HAES into nutrition practice
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- identify the tenets of HAES
- outline the critiques of HAES and evidence in support of HAES
- apply HAES to a case study
- determine enablers and barriers to integrating HAES into nutrition practice
Authors: Jennifer Brady, Amber Farrell, Lauren Fleming, Anna Liu, David Smith, Leigh-Ann Dejonge, Jen Atkins, Jacqui Gingras Intro: Welcome to the SPARC Guide! This student-designed toolkit is intended as a resource for both educators... more
Authors: Jennifer Brady, Amber Farrell, Lauren Fleming, Anna Liu,
David Smith, Leigh-Ann Dejonge, Jen Atkins, Jacqui Gingras
Intro:
Welcome to the SPARC Guide! This student-designed toolkit is intended as a resource for both educators and students at Ryerson University and beyond.
Teamwork is often an expectation of many professors and employers and is, at times, a dreaded aspect of learning. However, with adequate resources and sufficient training, teamwork can become an engaging, dynamic, and hands-on means through which to learn a variety of transferable skills.
While several professors and students dive into teamwork under the impression that the experience mirrors the ‘real working world’ there are distinct, attention-worthy differences, which inevitably and invariably influence the overall experience of students engaging in teamwork as well as the quality of work and learning associated with teamwork assignments.
David Smith, Leigh-Ann Dejonge, Jen Atkins, Jacqui Gingras
Intro:
Welcome to the SPARC Guide! This student-designed toolkit is intended as a resource for both educators and students at Ryerson University and beyond.
Teamwork is often an expectation of many professors and employers and is, at times, a dreaded aspect of learning. However, with adequate resources and sufficient training, teamwork can become an engaging, dynamic, and hands-on means through which to learn a variety of transferable skills.
While several professors and students dive into teamwork under the impression that the experience mirrors the ‘real working world’ there are distinct, attention-worthy differences, which inevitably and invariably influence the overall experience of students engaging in teamwork as well as the quality of work and learning associated with teamwork assignments.