Is empathy changing in a world where social media and globalization are rapidly transforming how we interact with others? The University of Victoria’s Rebeccah Nelems is investigating empathy and youth as part of a prestigious three-year scholarship announced today from the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation. She is one of only 16 Canadian doctoral students receiving a $180,000 award.
Nelems is conducting her research at a time when other studies are suggesting that empathy is sharply declining amongst North American youth. She will explore and compare youth conceptions of empathy alongside an examination of how empathy is increasingly being taught in Canadian schools. Her research will also consider what empathy as a social good can mean at this particular juncture in Canadian history.
