Shyla Pogany

M.A. Candidate
Canadian Social and Military History

 

 

I recently graduated from Queen's with a B.A. Honours degree with a Major in History and Minor in English Language and Literature. I studied abroad at Herstmonceux Castle in Hailsham, England during the first year of my undergraduate studies and achieved an International Studies Certificate.  I have particular interests in twentieth century Canadian social and military History and in the complex interplay of gender relations during periods of war.  Under the supervision of Allan English, my graduate studies will focus on the role of Canadian women during the Second World War and in its immediate aftermath. By analyzing women's collective and individual experiences in the war, including the role of propaganda, I will argue that women understood their wartime involvement as a temporary measure. Although women gained substantial freedoms during the war, not all of these were rescinded in the postwar period. Many women wanted to return to domesticity after the war and had achieved more freedom and power in the home. I aim to argue that mainstream view of women as oppressed and repressed in the postwar period needs to be reassessed.

Outside of my studies, you can find me working at the Wally Elmer Youth Center as the lead staff at a drop-in center for high-risk youth. I enjoy teaching Zumba and love to dance, read, watch movies and spend time with friends and family.