Gilbert Émond

Associate Professor, Applied Human Sciences

Gilbert’s research program takes up phenomena of risk in several ways. HIV prevention and homophobia are the central topics, and his basic thinking frameworks are human systems and people interaction, looking for some conciliation of micro actions with macro complex structuration of action and practices. This approach recognizes that, while objective risks may be present in the space where people act, risk taking is not equal for everyone. As an example, a person takes some risk when he climbs mountains, but his training helps him to reduce this level of risk taking. In contrast, for a person with no training, mountain climbing represents a significantly more risky activity than it does for a person with training. However, suppose both climbers are in Nepal or a geologic zone. They, along with all other people in this place, face an objective risk of being affected by an earthquake. How they cope with this risk may be different and depends on a variety of complex factors. This example suggests that objective risks are also relative risks. Risk prevention has to be adapted to the person and the condition of their own experience in the milieu they act in. It is this relativity, and its complex grounds, that interest Gilbert in relation to domains like HIV, homophobia and sexual diversity issues.