A research project launched by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing with the help of Calgary Transit is asking Calgarians to share photos of their feet on Instagram. People are invited to post the pictures with a short comment about themselves.
It’s part of a research project called EMPaThY? to encourage people to feel more connected with others.
“My interest is in the role that every day experiences and empathy play in our world and how awareness of each other can lead to positive health outcomes,” says Suzanne Goopy, an associate professor of nursing at the U of C.
To get the ball rolling, posters with images of shoes will be appear on buses and CTrains throughout September with comments such as “I had a hard childhood”, “I’m lonely”, “live life to the fullest” and “Calgary is a great city.”
MORE: Alberta expands Empathy, a mental health support program for youth
Goopy says the shoes are a metaphor for “journeying through life” and a “visual representation of the old adage that we can only truly understand others if we take a walk in their shoes.”
With over half a million people using transit everyday, Calgary Transit director Doug Morgan says “everyone has a story, an experience, a commonality that we can all relate to. This project is a brilliant way of sharing those stories which gives other riders a chance to reflect on their own lives and experiences.”
Calgarians can participate by posting photos of their shoes with a few words to Instagram using the hashtag #empathyconnects. The Instagram account for the project is @calgaryconnects2015.
MORE: Abused dogs elicit more empathy than adult humans, study finds
Comments