Laura Nimmon is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, Department of Language and Literacy Education.

In Progress: Health Literacy as Social Practice: A Theoretical Perspective

The transmission of information will never be sufficient in addressing the complex health literacy challenges faced by marginalized populations around the world. Laura has constructed a theory that perceives elements of the human symbolic world, such as culture, language, education, and its broader overarching power relations, as mediating health literacy capacities. Unravelling the structural dimensions of the social world, she reveals how knowledge and action occur in patterned symbolic structure, in constant interdependence with cultural models, health literacy as social practice, discursive and dialogic language processes, and other aspects of human activity. Presented at the National Reading Conference, 2009, New Mexico.

Laura Nimmon is a research assistant for The Cultural Practices of Literacy Study (CPLS). Each case study is framed by theory that views literacy as social and cultural practices, patterned by institutions, historical events, values, beliefs, and power relationships. Each case study is also designed with the goal of developing early literacy instruction, particularly for marginalized and underachieving children, that builds on community literacy practices. This project has drawn on data from communities in Uganda, Oaxaca, Bolivia, Botswana, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Vancouver.

Laura Nimmon volunteers as a health literacy teacher to African Muslim refugee and immigrant women in Vancouver, and for the BC Children's Hospital where she evaluates pediatric educational resources. Last year, she volunteered on a health literacy research project with homeless street youth that examined the political and social relations that impacted the youth's health. The project "Surviving in the Cracks" was presented in the form of a play in Vancouver, and was turned into a documentary film shown at the Vancouver Short Film Festival (2009), and at the World Community Film Festival (2010). Contact: nimmon@interchange.ubc.ca