Rachelle Miele

Photo of Rachelle Miele

Postdoctoral Fellow Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work Waterloo, Ontario rmiele@wlu.ca

Media Relations

Aonghus Kealy
Communications and Media Relations Officer
akealy@wlu.ca
(548) 889-4855

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Media Relations

Aonghus Kealy
Communications and Media Relations Officer
akealy@wlu.ca
(548) 889-4855

Lori Chalmers Morrison
Director: Integrated Communications
lchalmersmorrison@wlu.ca
(548) 889-4857

Vaness Barrasa
Director: Communications & Issues Management
vbarrasa@wlu.ca
(548) 889-3812

Brantford Campus:

Beth Gurney
Interim Senior Executive Officer
bgurney@wlu.ca
(548) 889-4199

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Bio/Research

I received my PhD in Sociology from Western University in 2020 where I analyzed the constructions of NHL injuries in Canadian newspapers. My research is motivated by social change and is guided by a critical feminist, an anti-oppressive, and an intersectional approach to research.

Prior ...


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Bio/Research

I received my PhD in Sociology from Western University in 2020 where I analyzed the constructions of NHL injuries in Canadian newspapers. My research is motivated by social change and is guided by a critical feminist, an anti-oppressive, and an intersectional approach to research.

Prior to starting my current position at Laurier, I completed my undergraduate and masters degree at Laurier. After completing my masters degree in Sociology, I worked as a program coordinator at a soup kitchen and food bank where I worked with children, seniors, and parents experiencing homelessness and poverty. Inspired to work towards social change, I went on to complete my doctorate.

I currently research, teach, and live on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

My research areas include health and illness, sport and health, and gender, health, and masculinities. The main focus of my research is on exploring how dominant ideals and performances of masculinity influence how men understand their health and their bodies in various social settings and how these ideals are upheld, legitimized, reframed, and challenged. I focus on uncovering taken-for-granted assumptions regarding masculinities, men's health, and men's bodies.

Currently, I am focusing on critical health and illness research on risk and responsibilization. I am conducting an autoethnography that focuses on my experiences as a hospital entrance screener in the early months of the pandemic in Ontario, Canada. Preliminary analysis reveals themes related to responsibilization, the normalization of risk, and the policing of health.


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