Gender and education expert presents 2005 May Cohen Lecture in Women’s Health

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/blye_frank.jpg” caption=”Blye Frank”]While women's health research, due largely to feminist critiques, has acknowledged that health problems are socio-culturally influenced, such analytic work is generally lacking in men's health literature.

Blye Frank, a recognized expert in the field of gender and education, will discuss this topic for the 2005 May Cohen Lecture in Women's Health on Thursday, Oct. 6.

Entitled “Men have no gender? Expanding the analysis and raising the politics”, this presentation will take as its central focus the issue of gender to include both women and men in its conceptualization. However, beyond that, it will also see individuals as not only gendered but as raced, sexed, classed, regioned and cultured.

Frank will argue that these are important considerations in our teaching and education of health care professionals. Using a specific model of change for teachers and institutions, language, pedagogy, curriculum and policies, all of which inform institutional climate, will be discussed. The talk is framed by an understanding that, if in Canada we are committed to issues of social justice, universal health care and equity, then knowledge about all forms of inequities must be addressed.

Frank is the director of faculty development in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. He is a recognized expert in the field of gender and education and has been called upon to provide expert advice on issues of equity in schools and in health care environments. He has researched extensively in the area of social and psychological construction of masculinities and has held three Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants in this area. His other research interests include gender and equity, health and diversity and medical education. He holds cross appointments to the Faculty of Health Professions and the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University, and the Tri-University Department of Women's Studies. Frank also holds an adjunct professorial appointment at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.

The lecture will take place in the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, Rm. 3020. from 4-6 p.m.

Frank also will offer an interdisciplinary workshop on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., entitled “Mainstreaming the Message: Gender in Health Education”. This interdisciplinary and interactive workshop exploring gender in health sciences education, will be held in the Skylight Room in the Commons Building at McMaster. There are a few spots left in the workshop. To register e-mail Margaret Shkimba at shkimba@mcmaster.ca or phone 905-525-9140 ext. 22133.