Graduate student spotlight: Jillian King (MA)

Why are some parents saying no to vaccinations?

It wasn’t until she took an undergraduate anthropology course at the University of Lethbridge that Jillian King (BASc ’12) discovered she had an interest in medical anthropology, the study of human health and health-care systems. Since then, she has taken her interest to a new level and is currently investigating why some parents are saying no to immunizations for their children in favour of natural alternatives.

It’s a current and controversial subject – and one Jillian is exploring through multiple perspectives as part of the U of L’s individualized multidisciplinary major in the Master of Arts program.

“This is something public-health officials are concerned about, so I want to investigate why parents are choosing to explore more natural ways of dealing with immune health as opposed to getting immunizations,” she explains.

“There is a lot of misunderstanding and possibly misrepresentation about this issue. It’s useful to have an understanding of the parental perceptions and practices, and to add an ethnographic perspective to the literature.”

"I have been able to learn from experienced professors from other disciplines, which helps me think about my research from different perspectives."
Jillian King, (BASc '12) Master of Arts Student