Research

My primary research area is in sexuality. My scholarship in this area has been epistemologically situated in social constructionist and feminist frameworks with foci on 1) construction of sexuality knowledge, 2) sexual pleasure in relation to women’s sexuality, and 3) media’s portrayals of sexual pleasure.  
 
The broad aim of my research in the area of sexuality knowledge has been to identify and examine the predominant discourses in North American human sexuality textbooks as well as to note which discourses and themes are marginalized or absent. Also in the area of sexuality, I am interested in examining women’s accounts of sexual pleasure and the ways in which women negotiate its absence. In this collaborative research with Dr. Lafrance (St. Thomas University), we have explored the ways in which women account for exaggerating sexual pleasure, the discursive and material distinctions between faking orgasm and exaggerating sexual pleasure, and resistance of the culturally normative practice of faking. My final research exploration of this fascinating area is into media’ presentations (e.g., women’s magazines) of sexual pleasure, its absence, and faking orgasm. 
 
More recently, I developed an interest in the area/s of human-nature connection, including but not limited to Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). In the past, I conducted research and published in the areas of social identity/ies, values, and immigration. 
 
Each year, I typically supervise one honours student. Their thesis project is in one of the research areas described above.