April 25-26, 2018, University of Waterloo
QUALITATIVE METHODS AS TOOLS IN ENACTING A SYSTEMS APPROACH
April 26, 2018 (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
Lyle Hallman Institute, University of Waterloo
April 26, 2018 (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
Lyle Hallman Institute, University of Waterloo
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
In this workshop, which is ideal for beginners and those with intermediate knowledge and experience with complex systems or qualitative approaches, we will provide an overview of various qualitative methods that can be used in research exploring human and planetary health. We will begin with an overview of how these methods have been useful in our own research and how qualitative systems approaches may complement other, more well-known methods of analyses (i.e., mathematical models, traditional statistical analyses). Following this, we will highlight specific qualitative approaches to tackling systems issues, including:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
WORKSHOP MATERIALS
Slides - concept mapping (PDF)
Slides - cross-impact balances (PDF)
FACILITATORS
Dr. Vanessa Schweizer: Using complex systems approaches, Dr. Schweizer studies the human dimensions of climate change (i.e. how human activities cause and are vulnerable to changes in climate). She teaches courses in design thinking, problem-solving, and decision analysis. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Knowledge Integration in the Faculty of Environment and holds a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Steven J. Mock: Dr. Mock is Research Director of the Ideological Conflict Project, a research professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and associate member of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation. He completed a Ph.D. in Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2009. He is a former chair of the Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) and has served as assistant editor of the journal, Nations and Nationalism. His current research interests focus on modeling the myths, symbols and rituals associated with the constructs of national and other forms of political-cultural identity, further to understanding the impact of these constructs on conflict and conflict resolution. He is the author of Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
Kirsten Lee: Kirsten is PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests are primarily focused on understanding the influence of food environment interventions on food selection and dietary patterns. In her doctoral studies, she will investigate the influence of interpretive menu labelling formats on food selection and purchasing behaviour among post-secondary students. More broadly, she is interested in investigating the interplay of social and environmental influences on the food system and how they influence our overall health.
Amanda Raffoul: Amanda is a PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo.
Her research interests include psychosocial contributors to weight status, such as dieting, body image, and weight bias, and how they influence our overall health. She has investigated patterns of co-occurrence between dieting and various health-compromising behaviours among adolescent girls in a national school-based study, and works with Dr. Kirkpatrick in investigating the complexities of nutrition that impact dietary assessment. In her doctoral studies, she will investigate the potential unintended consequences of obesity prevention initiatives on weight-related attitudes and behaviours among Canadian young adults.
In this workshop, which is ideal for beginners and those with intermediate knowledge and experience with complex systems or qualitative approaches, we will provide an overview of various qualitative methods that can be used in research exploring human and planetary health. We will begin with an overview of how these methods have been useful in our own research and how qualitative systems approaches may complement other, more well-known methods of analyses (i.e., mathematical models, traditional statistical analyses). Following this, we will highlight specific qualitative approaches to tackling systems issues, including:
- concept mapping, and the development and analysis of these visual diagrams and figures that represent complex relationships between multiple factors;
- cognitive-affective maps (CAMs), highlighting conceptual and emotional structures that drive human thinking and decision-making; and
- cross-impact balance analysis, which can formalize concept maps into basic versions of system models.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understand the role of qualitative methods in systems approaches and apply this knowledge to several brief examples, including those generated by workshop participants
- Describe and compare varying qualitative methods, including concept-mapping, cognitive-affective maps, and cross-impact balances and their uses in research exploring human and planetary health
WORKSHOP MATERIALS
Slides - concept mapping (PDF)
Slides - cross-impact balances (PDF)
FACILITATORS
Dr. Vanessa Schweizer: Using complex systems approaches, Dr. Schweizer studies the human dimensions of climate change (i.e. how human activities cause and are vulnerable to changes in climate). She teaches courses in design thinking, problem-solving, and decision analysis. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Knowledge Integration in the Faculty of Environment and holds a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Steven J. Mock: Dr. Mock is Research Director of the Ideological Conflict Project, a research professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and associate member of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation. He completed a Ph.D. in Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2009. He is a former chair of the Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) and has served as assistant editor of the journal, Nations and Nationalism. His current research interests focus on modeling the myths, symbols and rituals associated with the constructs of national and other forms of political-cultural identity, further to understanding the impact of these constructs on conflict and conflict resolution. He is the author of Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
Kirsten Lee: Kirsten is PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests are primarily focused on understanding the influence of food environment interventions on food selection and dietary patterns. In her doctoral studies, she will investigate the influence of interpretive menu labelling formats on food selection and purchasing behaviour among post-secondary students. More broadly, she is interested in investigating the interplay of social and environmental influences on the food system and how they influence our overall health.
Amanda Raffoul: Amanda is a PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo.
Her research interests include psychosocial contributors to weight status, such as dieting, body image, and weight bias, and how they influence our overall health. She has investigated patterns of co-occurrence between dieting and various health-compromising behaviours among adolescent girls in a national school-based study, and works with Dr. Kirkpatrick in investigating the complexities of nutrition that impact dietary assessment. In her doctoral studies, she will investigate the potential unintended consequences of obesity prevention initiatives on weight-related attitudes and behaviours among Canadian young adults.