Welcome to News that Nourishes, the newsletter from the
Live Work Well Research Centre at the University of Guelph!
We are excited to share our work, news, and upcoming events. We publish and distribute our newsletter four times each year, with collaboration and input from diverse individuals families, organizations, and communities. There are many ways you can contribute, including guest posts, research spotlights, Twitter take-overs, and more. Got other ideas? Get in touch and let us know. We look forward to hearing from you!
1. Around the Centre
2. Announcements
3. Research Spotlight
4. Upcoming Events
5. Project Updates
6. Congratulations
7. Past Events
8. Notes from the Field
9. Stay Engaged
|
|
Around the Centre:
Introducing new additions to the
Live Work Well Research Centre
 Malissa Bryan
The Live Work Well Research Centre is excited to welcome Malissa Bryan (she/they/them), who joins the Live Work Well Research Centre as co-lead of the Sexual and Gender Diversity Cluster. Malissa comes from a specialized background in sociology, focusing on race, diversity, work, and inclusion. She is currently completing a Ph.D. degree in Sociology at the University of Guelph. Malissa is the founder and director of the Rainbow Diversity Institute, an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consultancy that supports organizations in meeting their EDI goals. Malissa currently serves as a co-chair for the Guelph Pride committee, is a member of the University of Guelph’s Black studies minor committee as well as the University of Guelph's presidential advisory committee on anti-racism and various community equity initiatives. Malissa joins Dr. Adam Davies and Dr. Ruth Neustifter in leading the cluster.
 Dr. Adam Davies
A warm welcome to Dr. Adam Davies, new co-lead of the Sexual and Gender Diversity Cluster. Adam is Assistant Professor in the Family Relations and Nutrition Department, and his research spans the fields of child studies, psychology, and gender and sexuality. Using queer, feminist, and poststructural lenses, Adam's work addresses issues of gender policing, the experiences of LGBTQ2IA+ children and youth, inclusion for children with disabilities, and sexuality education. Adam joins Malissa Bryan and Dr. Ruth Neustifter in leading the cluster.
Kate Ducak
The Centre is also very pleased to announce the arrival of Kate Ducak, who joins the Live Work Well Research Centre team as the project manager for the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development partnership grant. Kate has a background in project management, community engagement, collaborative qualitative and mixed methods research, program evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. She applies an intersectional approach to health equity issues thanks to her honours undergraduate and masters education in Health and Aging from McMaster University. Kate lives with invisible and intermittent disabilities and has extensive experience with people living with disabilities in health care and community settings. When not involved in social justice advocacy, Kate enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, camping, and spending time with her fur family.
|
|
Announcements
Sexual and Gender Diversity co-lead Thomas Sasso stepping down
 After many years of success as the co-lead of the Sexual and Gender Diversity Cluster, Thomas Sasso is turning his focus to his many other tasks and responsibilities. Thomas, who is Assistant Professor in the Department of Management in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, has been part of the LWWRC since 2013, and is the co-founder of the Sexual and Gender Diversity Research Lab. Thomas is well known on campus and in the community for his research and professional work on organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are grateful for Thomas’s many contributions to the Centre, and his engaging, supportive approach will continue to provide a model for us to follow. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with him in the future!
The Sexual and Gender Diversity Lab has a new name!
To distinguish the lab from the larger cluster, and to encapsulate more fully the broad range of research underway, the lab’s new name is the Anti-Oppression Rainbow Lab, or AO Rainbow Lab.
A new project in the Anti-Oppression Rainbow Lab, led by Dr. Neustifter and Dr. Davies, is using TikTok videos to share stories and information about relationships, communication, mental health, and sexuality for an international audience. The videos will be shared on a new TikTok channel created for the project, called “AORainbow." Stay tuned for more information on this project. Check out the other ongoing projects at the Sexual and Gender Diversity cluster!
Podcast explores how policies affect caregiving relationships
ReCentering: Caregiving Relationships, hosted by students Kathryn Reinders, Grace Pires, and Tiffany Jaglall, explores policy approaches to caregiving in Ontario. The podcast investigates who is made visible and invisible by these policies and what these in/visibilities mean for the caregiving relationship. The hosts discuss a wide range of topics including young caregivers, and race and disability in caregiving. Kathryn, Grace, and Tiffany hope that this podcast gives listeners the opportunity to reflect on their own positionality within their own caregiving relationships, as well as gain insight into current caregiving policies in Ontario. This podcast was prepared as part of course requirements for Women, Justice, and Public Policy in Fall 2020. Access the podcast and transcript here.
About Canada: Disability Rights audiobook launches this month
The second edition of About Canada: Disability Rights, written by LWWRC director Dr. Deborah Stienstra, will be available as an audiobook on all digital platforms February 15, 2021. In the book, Dr. Stienstra explores the historical and current experiences of people with disabilities in Canada, as well as the policy and advocacy responses to these experiences. As the book demonstrates, disability rights enable people with disabilities to make decisions about their lives and future, claim rights on their own behalf, and participate actively in all areas of Canadian society. Disability rights can and does increase access to and inclusion in critical areas like education, employment, transportation, telecommunications and health care.
Creating Spaces of Engagement: Policy Justice and the Practical Craft of Deliberative Democracy book launch
The authors and editors of Creating Spaces of Engagement: Policy Justice and the Practical Craft of Deliberative Democracy celebrated the book's launch on January 29. 2021.
Co-edited by Dr. Leah Levac, co-lead of the Displacements, Emergence and Change cluster, and Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, with a chapter contribution co-authored by Dr. Deborah Stienstra, this book offers critical reflections on the need for diverse voices and experiences if we are to ensure policy justice.
|
|
Research Spotlight
Dr. Kim Anderson, lead of the “All My Relations” cluster at the Live Work Well Research Centre, and two other Indigenous scholars at the university, Dr. Brittany Luby (Anishinaabe, History) and Dr. Sheri Longboat (Haudenosaunee, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development), are creating a “grandmother research space” entitled  "Nokom's House," which is based on kitchen table methodologies. In Métis, Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabe cultures, grandmothers are a vital part in maintaining well being among other community members.
This project aims to provide a culturally safe space for community Grandmothers, knowledge keepers, Elders, and other community partners to participate in focus groups/talking circles, Indigenous protocols/ceremonies, community gatherings/feasts, land-based knowledge acquisition, knowledge mobilization and much more!
Read more about Nokom’s House on our blog
Watch a video about Nokom’s House
|
|
Upcoming Events
Local Intersections of Poverty and COVID-19: Community Experts Share Insights
DATE: March 2021
TIME: TBD
Join Drs. Leah Levac and Laura Pin and a panel of community experts for an insightful and engaging discussion on the policies, systems, and responses that impacted the lived experiences of people living with poverty during COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic.
**Stay tuned for updates on this webinar as well as confirmation of dates.
|
|
Project Updates
Disability Inclusion Analysis of Lessons Learned and Best Practices of the Government of Canada’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
A final report and plain language fact sheets will be released in early March to share the findings of this project, which was conducted this fall  in partnership with the DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada. The research assists Employment and Social Development Canada in understanding how diverse people with disabilities in Canada have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related government COVID-19 measures. The final report includes information from government policies, websites, and media, as well as from interviews and focus groups with policy makers, community organizations, and disability leaders. This research was the first thematic study of the EDID partnership (see below). The results were presented to the Minister’s Disability Advisory Group in December 2020 by Dr. Deborah Stienstra and Valérie Grand’Maison.
Disabilities and Livelihoods in Canada Project
This research explores three areas of livelihoods (volunteering, the arts, and employment) as a way of exploring how people with disabilities survive and thrive. We will use what we learn to develop a broader framework for understanding and using a livelihoods approach. The project is currently in the data collection and analysis phase, and a project website is coming soon.
Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development (EDID)
The SSHRC-funded EDID international partnership project to improve the lives of women and girls with disabilities in Haiti, Vietnam, South Africa, and Canada continues to move forward by adapting to COVID-19 challenges. The EDID country teams have been meeting in safe ways. The Haitian and South African teams have been meeting while the Canadian and Vietnam teams are kicking off their initial meetings. Country teams are working on their research and knowledge mobilization plans that will guide their work throughout this 7-year collaborative  project.
The EDID Leadership Team reviewed and adjusted the project’s timelines and activity plans in light of what is possible during the pandemic. This was done knowing the pandemic will continue to affect our lives during the next few years. Upcoming EDID events in the early stages of planning are virtual Disability Partners’ Caucus meetings starting in April led by Bonnie Brayton from the DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) of Canada, and a Canadian Policy Forum being held virtually, or with virtual and in-person options later this year depending on how the pandemic evolves.
Storied Lives: Shifting Perspectives on Poverty
Last year, the project--a partnership between the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination--developed four composite stories that highlight diverse experiences of poverty in our community. The team has applied for a SSHRC Connection Grant to bring the stories to life in live readings and digital recordings. This outreach project, "Storied Lives: Amplifying Experiences of Poverty," will enable us to share the stories of those who have experienced poverty and help promote more informed conversations among policy-makers and community members about the complex and intersectional nature of poverty.
Intersections of Poverty and COVID-19: Mobilizing Marginalized Knowledges and Practices for Structural Transformation
Funded through a University of Guelph Catalyst Grant, this community-engaged project examines how social policy changes related to COVID-19 affect people living with poverty in small urban and rural communities. This project is co-led by Dr. Leah Levac and Dr. Laura Pin, with support from a larger academic team.
Working with our community-partners, the Guelph-Wellington Task Force on Poverty Elimination, Services and Housing in the Province, and A Way Home Canada, from July-Sept 2020, we were able to engage with 23 people living with poverty in small urban and rural communities to hear about the impact of COVID-19 on their livelihoods and wellbeing. Of the participants, 73% identified as women, 78% discussed receiving social assistance, and 45% referred to having a disability. Some of the participants were youth, and some were seniors. Some lived in their own homes, while others lived with friends or family, or in shelters or motels.
The results highlight a range of challenges, including those associated with service disruptions and loss of income. The research results help illuminate the depth and breadth of challenges experienced among a group of people coping with the COVID-19 pandemic while experiencing poverty. We are looking forward to hosting a community launch of the project's key findings in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more details.
|
|
Congratulations
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC)
 Dr. Kim Anderson was elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). The fellowship consists of Canadian scholars, artists, and scientists who have made remarkable contributions in their fields. Dr. Anderson was honoured for her work focusing on rebuilding healthy Indigenous societies, playing a role in the effort to advance Indigenous methodologies as well as Indigenous mentoring and networking. Through her work, Dr. Anderson promotes understanding and support of Indigenous cultural wellness and reconciliation.
Best of luck in your future endeavours, may you continue to be inspired in your research and teaching.
|
|
Past Events
Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development - Live Q&A Sessions
In November, the EDID-GHDI project hosted two live Q&A sessions for research project members with our Community Engaged Scholarship Institute colleagues, Liz Jackson and Lindsey Thomson. Liz and Lindsey responded to questions about two how-to videos they had created for the group on critical community-engaged scholarship and integrated knowledge mobilization.
|
|
Notes from the Field
By keeping up with our Notes from the Field blog, you will read fascinating interviews with community organizations, people with lived experiences, and researchers; uncover new ways to think about and practice living and working well; and learn about the work being done at the Live Work Well Research Centre. Over the past few months, our blog has focused on student engagement, partner engagement and accessibility. In the upcoming months, we will focus on themes such as Black History Month, International Transgender Day of Visibility and more!
Your stories, musings and learning are welcome! Email us at liveworkwell@uoguelph.ca and share your ideas on the related themes listed above or any other ideas you may have about living and working well.
Visit the blog.
|
|
Stay Engaged
Become a member!
It's free and all researchers, students and community members are welcome. We also encourage and welcome organizations that are interested in or already doing work in responding to the changing needs of families, livelihoods and living environments. Become a member and participate, collaborate and contribute to knowledge sharing, research and teaching in many areas.
Twitter Take-over!
If you are a researcher, student or community member, and you are interested in communicating to diverse individuals about a topic or issue related to families, work and well-being, share your voice and experience through our social media. Contact us and we would be happy to chat with you about it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
