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In this paper I critically reflect on “Overstepping the Bounds,” an essay I wrote for the Journal of Bisexuality in 2003 (Volume 3, Number 2, 2003). I conclude that, while much has changed in my own life and the wider world over the last decade, there is still work to be done at the intersection of bisexuality, gender and sociology. I consider, in this regard, the impact of same-sex marriage in Canada, the legal struggle over polygamy, and the rise of transgender, queer and intersex politics. I also ponder the concept of bisexual identity in the (post)modern-day context. While a greater awareness of non-heterosexual relationships has had a positive effect, some queer people are deemed more acceptable than others. Bisexuals continue to occupy marginalized positions and misperceptions about bisexuality thrive. I am disappointed by this lack of progress but wonder if the terminology is outmoded. Perhaps a better indicator would be number of people who embrace “queer” and “questioning,” or rejecting labels altogether. I end by reviewing the texts I investigated in the original essay for information pertaining to bisexuality. I still believe that bisexuality is about choice and, as such, has the power to denaturalize and destabilize categorization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite recent critiques of contemporary obesity discourses that link 'modern Western lifestyles' to an 'obesity epidemic', the population's weight remains a central concern of current dietary guidelines. Food choices that are considered beneficial to maintaining a certain weight are understood to play a key role in one's health. This concern reflects medico-moral assumptions about the properties of food and what people should eat. However, the impact of obesity discourses on different individuals and social groups is rarely considered, although there is some evidence that people do generate, reflect and resist the norms and standards set for them, including those that relate to food/weight. In this paper, we will examine the perspectives on fatness and food choice amongst Black and White women and men living in Vancouver and Halifax, Canada. With this examination, we will challenge conventional assumptions about the singular 'modern Western lifestyle' that leads to obesity concerns by teasing out some of the social, cultural and political contexts within which people conceptualise issues regarding weight and make their food choices. By examining the experiences of both women and men we will also provide important insights into the gendered ways in which people engage with obesity discourses and the injunction to 'eat healthily' as a form of weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the modern face of filial piety enactment among Chinese families living away from their homeland. It empirically assesses filial piety practices among a random sample of diasporic Chinese Canadians, by studying the role of sons, daughters and spouses in providing assistance with basic activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living and perceptions of support; the relative contribution of the traditional Chinese caring unit (son plus daughter-in-law) with assistance provided; whether source of assistance changes when amount of care is taken into account, when the gendered nature of tasks is taken into account and when controlling for other factors in multivariate analyses. N = 2,272 Chinese seniors (age 55+) living in seven cities across Canada. The findings reveal that, among these diasporic Chinese, patterns found in other Chinese societies are evident in their tendency to live with children, even when the spouse is still living, and the involvement of sons and the son/daughter-in-law unit in providing care. However, similar to recent findings for China, daughters and spouses are involved in all 3 areas of support examined and importantly, their involvement increases as more assistance is provided while that from sons decreases, notably in terms of IADL. The participation of daughters-in-law tends to be lower than that of either sons or daughters. The involvement of spouses increases for perceived or emotional support. The findings suggest a blending of Chinese and Canadian patterns of care and are discussed in terms of the changing but still gendered nature of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the status of women scholars who study Canadian foreign policy (CFP)? Our study, the first of its kind to concentrate on the Canadian situation, addresses this question by studying publications and authorship. We assess the status of women in CFP since 1945 using the Canadian Foreign Relations Index, supplemented by studies on women in the academy. We show that the number of publications by women is substantially lower than those of men, and work by women remains underrepresented in the so-called “core” of what is traditionally defined as CFP. Regardless of the nature of the work, women scholars are less represented, and they appear to be disadvantaged by mixed collaborative work. These findings speak to the culture and personality of the discipline. They invite us to revisit assessments of the discipline as “mature” and “robust.” [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article draws on the sociology of knowledge literature to bring to light several social mechanisms used to police the production and circulation of criminological knowledge. The discussion draws from actor-network theory and feminist analyses in science and technology studies to make visible mechanisms of construction, filtering, negotiation and appropriation. By way of illustration, the article draws on an actual case of scientific, political and media marginalization of disquieting research findings on prison conditions in Canada. Taking these reactions as a starting point, the analysis discusses, among other things, the hierarchy of paradigms and the gendered structures that affect researchers' admission into a scientific community and their access to discursive resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]