With its ability to capture evocative images that are often more powerful than words, the camera is the tool of choice for Trent ’s Dr. Bharati Sethi in her research on international students’ perceptions of climate change. 

As Canada Research Chair in Care Work, Ethnicity & Aging at Trent, Professor Sethi is tapping into international students’ perspectives – through the lens of a camera – of how climate change affects the health and well-being of individuals and societies. The research, undertaken by a multidisciplinary team, is funded by a $250,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). 

“This is the first study specifically focusing on international students and climate change in Canada, to our knowledge,” says Prof. Sethi. “We want to understand what they think about climate change. And then based on the findings, we are hoping to create visibility to climate change issues and inform important guidelines to address the immediate response to the climate crisis.” 

Examining perceptions of climate change

Using Photovoice research methodology, the team will ask participating students in Peterborough, Hamilton, Kingston and Vancouver to capture their perceptions of climate change through their photographs using their cell phones or a camera. 

The team of researchers will then analyze the photos through interviews with the students to examine their perceptions of climate change. 

Prof. Sethi’s research is being funded by SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future Ideas Lab, a pilot program that creates innovative research partnerships and projects. She was a successful applicant in the Lab’s Global Health and Wellness for the 21st Century competition. 

Why focus on international students in the study?   

Prof. Sethi notes that Canada welcomes about 800,000 international students each year to study at postsecondary institutions, and many come from countries in the global south that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Yet, in her conversations with some of her students prior to this project, she found they had little knowledge about the issue. 

“Students may recognize the direct impacts of extreme weather on their health and wellbeing but are less likely to understand more complicated consequences of extreme climate change-related events,” she says. “It's misinformation. And because we live in a privileged world, even though we can see the forest fires in B.C., there is still misinformation about the extent and the urgency of climate change in Canada.” 

That is why one of the goals of the study is to identify strategies and best practices that can be used to increase overall understanding of climate change and to encourage greater advocacy for taking action.  

Prof. Sethi says the findings will be shared with the government, policy leaders from diverse sectors, health care providers, NGOs, media, and climate change advocates. 

Prof. Sethi leads the multidisciplinary team of researchers that includes colleagues from institutions across the country including: Assistant Professor Rubee Dev, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia; Full Professor Dr. Allison Williams, School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University; Dr. Claire Davies, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University; Dr. Nomusa Mngoma, a clinician-scientist, and artist; and Dr. Kelvin Fong, Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. 

The team will collaborate with three community-based organizations: Kawartha World Issues Centre, a grassroots charitable organization in Peterborough; Peterborough Public Health; and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.