OPUS: Open Ulethbridge Scholarship

Open ULeth Scholarship (OPUS) is the University of Lethbridge's open access research repository. It contains a collection of materials related to research and teaching produced by the academic community.

Self-archiving your research in OPUS is one way to meet Open Access policies of granting agencies. It is important to retain your final, post-peer-reviewed drafts for submission to OPUS, as this is often the only version publishers will allow to be archived. Click here for information on the U of L Open Access Policy.

Check here for more information about OPUS.

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Recent Submissions

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Divine intervention: multimodal pragmatics and unconventional opposition in performed character speech in Dragon Age: Inquisition
(Benjamin Johns, 2021) Villanueva, Emily; Ensslin, Astrid
Despite the fact that video games often take place in fictional worlds, the performed accents of game characters are very real reflections of the language ideologies of a game's creators and its indended audience. This chapter demonstrated how these ideologies are at play in the game world of Bio Ware's popular fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), through its linguistic differentiation of two of its primary female characters. On many levels of representation the characters are presented as counter to one another; however both are linguistically othered from the majority of in-game characters by way of their accented English. Video games allow players a number of medium-specific affordances absent from other forms of media, such as agency and interactivity, which gives players the unique opportunity to shape their own narrative. Thus, using medium-specific multimodal discourse analysis and the concept of procedural rhetoric, this chapter examines the ways in which Leliana and Cassandra's accents participate in the construction of social and ideological meanins during gameplay, and how the dynamic, performative nature of gameplay affects players' perception of these characters.
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Review of the book Algorithms of resistance: the everyday fight against platform power
(Iowa State University Digital Press, 2024) Villanueva, Emily
A brief review of Tiziano Bonini and Emiliano Treré's book Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight against Platform Power. Cambridge: The MIT Press. 256 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/14329.001.0001 (open access eBook); ISBN 9780262547420, 30.00 USD (paperback).
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Patterns of sedentary time and physical activity in older adults: do sex and gender matter?
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Kinesiology and Physical Education, 2024) Zdjelar, Milena; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Copeland, Jennifer
Prolonged sedentary time and inadequate physical activity are detrimental to the health of older adults. Sex and gender may influence health and movement behaviours that impact health. The purpose of this research was to scope the available literature on sex and gender in sedentary behaviour and then explore the relationship between biological sex and gender traits on movement behaviour patterns among older adults. In the scoping review, 210 articles were screened and 41 were identified that examined sex and/or gender in relation to sedentary behaviour in older adults. Almost all studies used sex- and/or gender-related terms interchangeably. Of the 41 articles, 28 studies suggested the division of household labour is the main explanation for any observed sex and/or gender differences in sedentary behaviour. The remaining 13 studies identified other factors that may influence this relationship, like social support, access to transportation, and area-level crime incidence. To further explore the relationship, observational data from 72 healthy older adults (80.1 ± 9.4 years) were examined. Movement behaviours were assessed using ActivPAL4™ inclinometers and participants completed the 30-Item Bem Sex-Role Inventory to assess masculine and feminine traits. There were no statistically significant associations between movement behaviour variables, sex, and masculine and feminine scores. This exploratory study demonstrates a need for consistent use of sex and gender terminology and better tools to assess gender. A more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of sex and gender in relation to health is needed to enable the creation of tailored movement behaviour interventions for the aging population.
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Mental health and well-being of African immigrant women in southern Alberta, Canada
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2024-05-01) Odekina, Hannah I.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Lokanc-Diluzio, Wendi
The aim of this study was to delve into the experiences of African immigrant women in Southern Alberta and the ensuing impact on mental health. Employing an exploratory descriptive qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven (11) African immigrant women. Thematic analysis revealed that these women encountered intersecting challenges in Canada stemming from factors such as race, gender, social class, and immigration status, leading to negative effects on their mental health. Nevertheless, the participants employed various coping strategies to alleviate these challenges, with culture playing a significant role in shaping perceptions and coping mechanisms. The study underscores the importance of implementing culturally safe programs by stakeholders, policy makers, and mental health practitioners to facilitate the successful transition and integration of African Immigrant women into their new environment.
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Kinematic and gaze behaviour differs between hyper and hypo-affordants completing manual materials handling tasks
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge. Dept. of Kinesiology and Physical Education, 2024) Walker, Kayla D.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Doan, Jon B.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a significant global health challenge, representing a substantial portion of lost work hours, reduced productivity, disability, injury, and pain across industries worldwide. Low back discomfort and disease is the most prevalent work-related musculoskeletal disorder. Low back disorders often result from the cumulative loading from repetitive bending, grasping, lifting, and carrying present in manual materials handling tasks. while much research has focused on safe and injurious manual materials handling behaviour, it may be useful to identify the perceptual strategies and outcomes that both couple with and precede manual materials handling actions, enabling the development of targeted interventions to modify those behaviours and reduce the risk of injury. This study investigates the differential impact of affordance perceptotype (hyper or hypo-affordant) and gaze behaviours on handling kinematics within ecologically relevant manual materials handling tasks. Specifically, this research aims to identify if differences exist in kinematic measures and visual attention strategies between affordance perceptotype sub-groups. The study used motion capture technology and vision tracking to quantify kinematics and gaze behaviour and examined two manual material handling tasks, with a static and dynamic target respectively. We predicted the hyper-affordant participants would identify with higher risk-taking behaviour plus demonstrate a limited visual attention strategy and injury-risk handling kinematics, with those behaviours connecting to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort. This research revealed that hyper-affordants did exhibit larger values for relevant handling kinematics plus different gaze behaviours, potentially increasing their risk of injury. The role of state and trait characteristics and gaze behaviour in occupational behaviour were not significantly associated to kinematic measures, task condition, or perceived affordance distance. This research contributes to the understanding that individual differences in perception then action may affect occupational behaviour and risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, thus emphasizing the value of considering perception when developing and delivering ergonomic interventions.