Name:

Sally McNamee

Department:

Associate Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Programs, Childhood and Social Institutions Program

What courses do you currently teach?
  • CSI1025f/g Introduction to Childhood and Social Institutions
  • CSI 3311 Researching Childhood
  • CSI 3370 Children, youth and leisure
  • CSI 3371 Intimate relations and personal life
  • CSI 3392 Geographies of Childhood
Areas of Research

My PhD thesis was an exploration of childhood, gender and leisure with a focus on computer and video games.  I have worked on numerous projects in the UK before moving to Canada, including studies on youth, sexuality and disability; children’s understanding of the social organization of time; the constructions of childhood held by practitioners working with children in the family justice system; and a National Evaluation of British Government funding for children

Are you working on any current research projects?

I have most recently been working on a small-scale study of adult recollections of growing up in Mennonite communities in South Western Ontario; and have recently completed a study that investigated methodological issues in published research with children.  

How does your program make a difference?

We are interested in the discourses of childhood; childhood as structured by society; children’s voices and perspectives; children’s rights, and children’s experiences.  Many students taking our course find the shift in perspective very rewarding.  In addition, we train our honours students in research methods and practices to enable them to carry out their own research on childhood in their 4th year of study.  Many of our students go on to study at Colleges of Education and thus the unique perspective gained in CSI enhances their teaching education and their later practice in the classroom.

What do you enjoy about working at King’s?

King’s is a small, friendly University College, which combines a great student experience with dedicated faculty and staff. The faculty at King’s are passionate about their research areas and bring that passion into the classroom.  Our research informs our teaching and students benefit from that. One of the most enjoyable things about my time here at King’s has been the engagement with students, many of whom keep in touch with us after they graduate.

What are your interests outside of King’s?

I came to Canada from England in 2006 to work on the CSI program and while I have loved my time here, I confess to feeling homesick at times!  My weekends are usually spent catching up with family and hearing their news.  Recently I traveled to PEI in an RV in fulfillment of a dream held ever since reading ‘Anne of Green Gables’ as a child. I enjoy reading and listening to a wide variety of musical genres.