Sunday, September 1, 2019

From Vietnam to Canada: Exploring through Photographs, Footprints and Fingertips

In July 2017, my family and I returned to Vietnam, thirteen years after our last visit. Duong Bui, my father, took my younger brother, Allan, and I to visit his childhood home. He lived there from birth until he escaped Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Like many others, he became a refugee and made his way to Canada, in search of better... More

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Language Past, Present and Future: Being Memon, Expressing Life in Kutchi

In this paper, I highlight the significance of language as a key feature supporting cultural and community practices. Starting with my ethnic community, Memon, and the language we speak, Kutchi, I argue that it is important for us to find ways to preserve. Currently, it is only an oral language. Without an official script, I am concerned that this... More

Sunday, September 1, 2019

From Asia to North America: Praying Here, There, and Everywhere

This paper aims to explore social belonging for Muslims and Muslim immigrants in North America using the object of a janamaz (prayer mat). I argue that in the face of rising intolerance and an inherent ‘othering’ of Muslims embedded in legal structures and social awareness, being backed by a community creates a sense of social belonging that... More

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Growing up in a Bengali Kitchen

In this paper, I share how as an immigrant in Canada, I felt detached from my home country of Bangladesh in my early years due to a desire to assimilate into dominant Canadian culture. As I grew older, I actively sought a connection to cultivate my ‘Bengaliness’ by holding onto Bengali food customs and practices. I use my personal narratives... More

Sunday, September 1, 2019

A Song for my Mother: No Turning Back

In this essay, I contest ideas and representations about migrants as “vulnerable” and “other” from a presumed “us”. I argue that migrants are strong figures who deal with uncertainties over which they have little control. I have composed a music composition entitled No Turning Back. This analyses features my mother’s migration to... More

Monday, August 12, 2019

ALiGN researchers participate in the Forced Migration Training camp in Nairobi

ALiGN is proud to announce that, thanks to its partnership with LERRN: the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network at Carleton University, two of our writers and researchers, Kathy Dobson and Ghadah Alrasheed, have been invited to participate in the annual "Forced Migration Training" camp at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi at the... More

Thursday, August 1, 2019

ALiGN Publications & Media Coverage

We're still enjoying our summer break. However, it doesn't mean nothing's going on at ALiGN :-) We're busy working on various things, our own research and, of course, the next special issue! In the meantime, in the last couple months, several publications from ALiGN folks are published. These include: Dobson, K. (2019). Connecting, Bypassing, and... More

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Mobilizing Emotion, Not Knowledge

  May 2019 IN THE SPOTLIGHT MERLYNA LIM Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Digital Media and Global Network Society Mobilizing Emotion, Not Knowledge As Canada prepares for a federal election, Canada Research Chair Professor Merlyna Lim is analyzing how social media users—human and otherwise—are mobilizing emotions rather... More

Thursday, May 2, 2019

[Workshop] Public Sector Writing

On 11 April 2019 the ALiGN Media Lab held a "Public Sector Writing" at the School of Journalism and Communication Studies, Carleton University. Organized by Ghadah Alrasheed (Postdoctoral Fellow, ALIGN Media Lab, Carleton University) and Aden Dur-e-Aden (PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto), the workshop was led... More

Thursday, May 2, 2019

[Workshop] Pathways to Digital Literacy

On 3 April 2019, the ALiGN Media Lab held a "Pathways to Digital Literacy"workshop for the middle grade students (7th and 8th) at Abraar Secondary School. Organized by Ghadah Alrasheed (ALiGN postdoctoral fellow), in four 60-minute sessions, participants learned about media literacy and media production. Two media literacy sessions, facilitated... More

Monday, April 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] Disappearing Comment Sections on News Websites: Cause for Concern?

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. A simple saying to remind children that words can’t hurt. But what happens when the children grow into adults and words can do more than hurt? In the real world words can shape perceptions and alter realities. Words become devices used... More

Monday, April 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] Attacking the Political Sphere with Fake News

The indictment last February of 13 Russians for interfering in the 2016 US Election prompted further reports discussing how ‘fake news’ is being weaponized to manipulate political processes by taking advantage of the lack of governance within social media. The CBC (Brown, 2018) published an article in March about a young journalist, Vitaly... More

Monday, April 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] News and Journalism in the Age of Social Media

I am concerned with the alarming rate with which social media is changing conventional news and journalism. Today, there is widespread application of digital technology that allows for the creation and dissemination of information across the Internet. Currently, highly accessible publishing techniques on social media platforms such as Facebook,... More

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Lim’s “10 DON’Ts in Writing”

Merlyna Lim has developed a list of 10 things to be avoided in good writing. Now, we are sharing it with you for your own use in writing or teaching. She said: Don't be Cardi B of writing!", "This thesis is too Kardashian!", "Spidey moment!" Those are among feedback I give students to improve... More

Friday, March 1, 2019

“Braids” and Raids

By Ghadah Alrasheed  A gendered perspective is generally ignored in understanding causes of war. It is equally disregarded in understanding its dynamics and impact.  Attempts to figure out war through a gender perspective have largely been inhabited by, among other factors, the myth that war is a gender-neutral phenomenon, affecting all types of... More

Friday, March 1, 2019

Can media framing be a good thing? How the ways we talk about climate change impact public perceptions

By Scott Mitchell  When we talk about ‘media framing’ it’s usually in a negative light. We’re drawing attention to how the news might cover something in a way that takes information out of context, sensationalizes it, or connects it to some kind of larger narrative.1  But could there be an upside to framing? Is it always necessarily... More

Friday, February 15, 2019

Is it me? Or is it You(Tube)?

At the end of 2018, popular Canadian YouTube vlogger, Lilly Singh, otherwise known as her YouTube personality, Superwoman, posted a short video to her 14 million subscribers sharing her reasons for leaving the platform that grew her success as a comedian and artist. In her video, she cites a few other YouTubers who have... More

Friday, February 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] Is Streaming killing Pirating?

by: Mohammed Eldali Am I a thief or in some way morally wrong for pirating a song or movie? Or is the company that is attempting to charge me 2$ for each song or 30$ for a movie the real thief? I have torrented almost everything—movies, music, video games. You put a name on... More

Friday, February 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] Copyright Wars in the Internet Age: Taking the Good with the Bad in Stride

by: Rahib Ahmad  Copyright crusaders and the media industry are fighting a battle that simply cannot be won. It has been proving more difficult for content creators to enforce their copyrights in an age marked by digital openness and the overwhelming presence of online piracy. We’ve all see these websites and done the dirty... More

Friday, February 1, 2019

[Millennials’ Voices] Copyright in the Academy: Aaron Swartz’s Martyrdom and Obstacles to Progress in the Developing World

by: Omer Jamshaid When we see other people who are less fortunate, whether it is their lack of access to food, education, or safety, naturally we are heartbroken and desire to help. This leads some to join activist groups, raise money, and speak up on social media to raise awareness. But have we ever... More

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

[Cartoon] Toxic Masculinity

In conversation with Gillette's "We Believe: The Best Men Can... More

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

From the Director’s desk: Have a Wonderful 2019!

Dear friends and colleagues of ALiGN, On behalf of the Alternative Global Network (ALiGN) Media Lab at Carleton University, I would like to wish you an exciting year of 2019 with hopes for a wonderful new beginning and a memorable past.  As we begin the new year, let me recite my not-so-little wishes for all of us. May you find... More

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Lim on Big Data from the South

On 4 December 2018, Merlyna Lim spoke at the public plenary on "Big Data from the South: -- with Nick Couldry (London School of Economics), Ulises Mejias (SUNY Oswego), and Payal Aurora (Erasmus University Rotterdam). The event was held in advance of the workshop  “Big Data from the South: Towards a Research Agenda” which took place at... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

ALiGN participated in the AgroEcology Field School 2018

Last August, ALiGN participated in the AgroEcology Field School and Research Summit 2018, hosted by FLEdGE, Lakehead University, USC Canada, and Just Food. The event took place from August 16th to 18th, with two days of field-visits and a full-day workshop on the future of agroecology in Canada. In the workshop, farmers, researchers, community... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

[Millennials’ Voices] The Fall of Net Neutrality

by Philippe Des Rivières Have you ever been scrolling through Instagram and all of a sudden received a notification from a friend linking you to a post they thought would interest you, but upon clicking on that link you are confronted with the dreaded “Sorry, this content is unavailable” message? Quite annoying, right? Now imagine... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

[Millennials’ Voices] The Filter Bubble: Democratic Toil and Trouble?

by Christopher Breen You follow the #OnPoli hashtag religiously, and you certainly know your way around the Google search engine. All things considered, you might think you are a reasonably well-informed voter. But when you go to the polls in the upcoming Ontario election, will you really know all there is to know? It’s... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

[Millennials’ Voices] Privacy: A New Luxury?

by Jansen Allen You wake up in the morning, while still lying in bed you leisurely scroll through your Facebook feed and check Twitter for the latest radical tweets from today’s celebrity politicians. Your morning ritual continues, as you sip your daily double-double and pull your car out of the parking space, your favourite... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

[Millennials’ Voices] Social media and the Democratization of Authority

by Matt Hammar Since the bulk of our society began adopting the Internet in the 1990s, it has been anticipated as being the most influential innovation to the democratization of authority since the printing press. Through such an evolution it was predicted to bring with it a profound shift from that of vertical to... More

Saturday, December 1, 2018

[Millennials’ Voices] Digital Democracy: Myth or Reality?

by Rachel Farah The term “digital democracy” has a nice ring to it. It sums up everything that we want the internet to be, and perhaps, what it once was before the emergence of Web 2.0. It denotes a utopian ideal of the possibilities that the internet affords such as open dialogue, free speech,... More

Friday, November 30, 2018

Punching and Kicking: Leaving Canada’s Toughest Neighbourhood

On November 30th, 2018, ALiGN Media Lab--in a collaboration with the Faculty of Public Affairs, School of Journalism and Communication, and Véhicule Press--proudly co-hosted a launch for ALiGN researcher Kathy Dobson’s latest book Punching and Kicking: Leaving Canada’s Toughest Neighbourhood. The book shares Dobson’s experience of growing... More

Thursday, November 22, 2018

[Publication] Disciplining Dissent: Freedom, Control, and Digital Activism in Southeast Asia

Professor Merlyna Lim has just published a piece titled "Disciplining Dissent: Freedom, Control, and Digital Activism in Southeast Asia" [PDF]. Urbanized parts of Southeast Asia have been places with the most vibrant digital activism for the past two decades. And, yet, the region has been marginalized from "global accounts” of the role of... More

Monday, November 5, 2018

Rajani at Mediating Change conference

ALiGN researcher Nasreen Rajani presented a paper titled “Silencing violence 2.0: Examining online activism by marginalized groups in ending violence against women in Canada” at the Mediating Change Conference, held on 1-2 November 2018 at University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, USA. The conference was an interdisciplinary media and... More

Thursday, November 1, 2018

I’m burning for a Silicon Valley revolution!

  It’s time to stop the culture of online harassment and “networked misogyny” (because let’s face it, these online attacks are disproportionately gendered). While increasing the number of women in leadership roles is a necessary condition for effecting cultural change, it is by no means sufficient. Assuming we want to foster diversity... More

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Anti-clickbait: These online communities are helping fight against the “clickbait economy”

Scientists are working to resurrect woolly mammoths!   You might remember headlines from a while ago proclaiming this Jurassic Park-esque possibility. It had something to do with retrieving frozen DNA. Or maybe something about using that gene-editing technique that everyone keeps talking about? CRISPY, or CRISPER, or whatever it’s called?... More

Thursday, November 1, 2018

[Publication] Dis/Connection: The Co-Evolution of Sociocultural and Material Infrastructures of the Internet

Merlyna Lim just gets another publication out. Titled "Dis/Connection: The Co-Evolution of Sociocultural and Material Infrastructures of the Internet in Indonesia", her latest article is part of the special issue #105 of Indonesia (published by Cornell University's Southeast Asia Program) on "Infrastructures". About this article: From warnet to... More

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