Although born in Edmonton, Rod Murray was raised in Camrose, a community from which he has benefited greatly, and to which he is passionate about contributing.

Rod came to the University of Alberta for the first time as a third-year undergraduate student, transferring from Augustana University College in the 1997-1998 academic year.  The quality of his experience at Augustana, however, compelled him to return to complete his degree. 

Strange as it may sound, it was Rod’s positive experience at the University of Alberta that ultimately led him to leave: “it was meeting Dr. Debra Shogan during my time at U of A, and meeting some other Augustana graduates working with Debra at the time, that opened the door for me to come to return for my Masters in 2001, followed by my doctoral program in 2003.”

Funded by the Faculty of Physical Education & Recreation, as well as through collaborative work on Dr. Shogan’s SSHRC funded research, Rod’s doctoral project examines issues of racism in contemporary sport and society. “Basically, what I am trying to do in this research is explore some of the many narratives of “what it means to be Canadian” and how they are informed by Canadian sport institutions like hockey and the Canadian Football League.  Despite the fact that hockey, and many of its prominent spokespeople (Don Cherry for example), are highly valued for their role in weaving together a national fabric, this narrative doesn’t resonate with all Canadians.  Similarly, there are those who we don’t commonsensically associate as lining up with a “Don Cherry” worldview, but actually do.  If Canada is truly a Multicultural nation, then I am interested in the ways in which the markers of difference are accounted for in these parallel or competing narratives.”

Rod’s research was inspired by his experience growing up in Camrose, so Augustana seemed like the most natural place to do it.  “Growing up in a small city on the Canadian prairies, issues of racial diversity were probably the farthest thing from my daily experiences.  However, I also grew up in an age of rapid globalization.  My favorite sports team wasn’t the Oilers, it was the Los Angeles Lakers.  The differences between Canadian hockey culture and the culture of the NBA are vastly different, most notably along racial lines.  And not to just contrast two different national contexts, there are also very noticeable differences between Canadian hockey and Canadian football (of which I am also a huge fan) along those same racial lines.  So, I wondered, what makes hockey so uniquely “Canadian” when its milieux is so markedly white in comparison to the changing landscape of Canada and other sports?”

Since beginning his graduate studies at Augustana, Rod has chosen to give back to his community, a community from which he, himself, has benefited so greatly.  “I think the most direct impact my research has on my community stems from the critical pedagogy I practice in the classroom, from which students can make changes in their own lives, and from public interventions made in the popular press, via opinion editorials in response to problematic flashpoints.  Growing up I didn’t have any one to help me negotiate issues of racial difference or to foster better cross-cultural understanding.  I hope that my work can help the next generation find a better, easier-to-use handle on these incredibly complex and ever-changing issues.”

By Dawn Alexandrea Berry, Research Profile Project Officer