Yoriko Gillard will defend her PhD proposal on Wednesday, June 13, from 9am to 11am, in Ponderosa Commons 1306A. All are welcome to attend.
Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Carl Leggo,
Dr. Manuel Pina,
Dr. Rita Irwin
Title: “KIZUNA: Catastrophe, Creativity, and Trust”
Abstract:
Catastrophic events occur every day in the world and research supporting human recovery from these destructive events has become paramount. Using arts-based research methods, I will examine two catastrophic events affecting Japanese people. First, I will research the experiences of people in Fukushima, Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Second, I will research the experiences of Japanese Canadians in Canada who have suffered from internment during the Second World War in 1942 to1949. My research question is: How can we gain a sense of trust through our creative social acts? I will use the Japanese concept of Kizuna which can be defined as “affectionate, respectful, and trustful reciprocal relationships.” My sub-questions are: What kind of creative practices helped make their bonds stronger and enabled them to rebuild their new communities? Who have they been able to trust in order to express their emotions freely? As part of my research, I will interview a social activist in Fukushima and the Director of Nikkei National Museum in British Columbia as they have been involved with community recovery related to my research. My dissertation will be a narrative autobiography that will include visual art, poetry, film, and performance.