Nathaniel is a doctoral student in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies at McGill, and is currently supported by a research fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He is broadly interested in the discourses of altruism and global citizenship within international volunteerism programs that are targeted at Canadian youth participants. His current research explores how these types of programs might incorporate components of reflective practice when training volunteers. Nathaniel has also recently come to wonder about the nature of ‘empowerment’; is it still a useful way to conceive of building critical consciousness, or is it just a neoliberal buzzword?
Prior to residing in Montreal, Nathaniel completed a BA in Arts and Contemporary Studies at Ryerson University (2007) and an MA in Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto (2009). He has previously lived and worked in Toronto, Paris and Lima.