"All My Relations", led by Kim Anderson, is one of five clusters part of the Live Work Well Research Centre. Their work consists of Indigenous mentoring and networking and providing land-based learning and activities. This blog post was written by a graduate student, Emma Stelter, working in Kim Anderson's lab. Below, Emma provided us with very interesting updates on the research being done in their lab.
At the Live Work Well Research Centre, we are committed to starting from the margins. We want to make space for voices and experiences that are often left out or seen as ‘less valuable.’ People with disabilities, and especially those occupying more than one marginalized social identity, are commonly on the margins. This has certainly been the case for LGBT+ people with disabilities. On this topic, we interviewed Angela Stanley, a PhD candidate in the Gender, Feminist and Women's Studies Department at York University, to learn more about her fascinating research and what she does to live and work well.
Despite the numerous stories of persons with disabilities achieving their life goals and thriving, they still face the struggle of society’s response to their condition. Currently, nearly 22% of Canada’s population aged 15 and over are living with some form of disability. Moreover, this population endure significantly higher rates of unemployment and poverty. Acording to Statistics Canada, as the prevalence of disabilities becomes more severe, the probability of being hired decreases and the probability of living in poverty increases even more. This situation, however, does not affect everyone in the same manner. For instance, while men with disabilities are more likely to report negative educational experiences, women with disabilities were less likely to report attending a special education school. These gender gaps are also extended to others economic aspects. On average, women with disabilities have lower personal income than men with disabilities and men and women without disabilities.
Read more about "Research and Knowledge: a Key for a Better Future"
Hey, it’s Shreya! Just your average undergraduate student here at the University of Guelph. I am here to help you find the hidden, and sometimes not so hidden, gems on campus. These places are great for you to relax, maybe take a nap, and get some delicious food to keep you going. Sometimes life can be a bit overwhelming for us students, especially during the pandemic, so it is important for us to take steps to still live and study well. Some of these places may be closed or have restrictions currently but be sure to check them out once they reopen.
I am a public health PhD candidate in the Department of Population Medicine which falls under the Ontario Veterinary College here at the University of Guelph. As such, the majority of researchers in my department differ significantly in focus and methodology from myself, a scholar exploring lived experiences of people with disabilities living in Ontario. When I was preparing for my qualifying exam about a year ago, I set out on a mission to find an examiner who had a similar research focus, someone who could provide content feedback. I typed something along the lines of, “disability studies uog” into Google. One of the first hits was Deborah Stienstra, the director of the Live Work Well Centre. After scheduling a meeting, discussing research interests and learning more about the Centre, I wanted to be involved. It seemed like a perfect fit and a group of supportive collaborators. Through something close to luck, I was hired as a graduate research assistant for the Disabilities and Livelihoods in Canada project. I have learned, unlearned and been motivated to broaden my scope in this role. My science/health educational background did not introduce me to terms and approaches such as ‘intersectional’ and ‘livelihoods’. The interview for this position highlighted this gap in my knowledge well. I was asked to describe my understanding of intersectional research. I made something up only later to realize this was a theoretical approach that I should certainly be able to describe… Needless to say, I went home and read as much as I could about intersectionality. Despite this mishap, I have been presented with more opportunities than I thought possible in less than a year to work with accomplished scholars who continue to push my learning and who adhere to some of the most inclusive research practices I have been a part of.
Read more about "My Experience at the Live Work Well Research Centre by Erin Rodenburg"
Indigenous tradition and culture have been passed down for generations through storytelling and artwork. With this reading, watching, listening list, we seek to bring attention to the unique experiences of Indigenous people that are often overlooked and undervalued. These authors and artists imaginatively engage their readers and viewers with the ways in which colonization, residential schools, and settler policies/practices have influenced their lives, culture, traditions and future. We hope you find something on this list that will inspire and challenge you. Enjoy!
Read more about "“All My Relations” Indigenous ways of knowing Reading, Watching, Listening List"
ntegrating care in our lives requires us to consider our families, friends, livelihoods and living environments. With this list, we explore the ways in which care can bind individuals and communities together, especially when facing the unknown during times such as these. By telling their experiences, these authors, artists and activists describe what it means to give and receive care, through exploring complex social relationships.
Read more about "Integrating Care and Livelihoods Reading, Watching, Listening List"
Everyone deserves to live a life free from poverty and a chance to thrive. Billions of people around the world don’t have enough money to pay for food, housing, clean water, access to health care or education. In this reading, watching, and listening list, the authors and creators illustrate the many challenges people face as a result of capitalism, colonialism, inequality and poverty. This list provides many great resources on social movements, recognizing and resisting settler colonialism, homelessness and housing precarities. Readers will gain a deeper insight to the importance of understanding how communities respond to displacement to ensure families, livelihoods and living environments thrive.
Read more about "Displacement, Emergence and Change Reading List"
A disability lens explores the relationship between bodies and the social environment. With this list, we dive deep into disability culture, exploring the assumptions and exclusions of what how we think about being normal, independent, and healthy. These authors, artists, and activists rethink access and justice by imagining a world that values all bodies. By telling their stories of discrimination and resistance, they explore how their disability experiences are shaped by gender, race, sexuality, and geography. Enjoy!
Read more about "Disabilities, Access and Inclusion Reading, Watching, Engagement List"
This summer update your reading, watching, listening lists to include stories of people from the LGBTQ2S+ community. For many LGBTQ2S+ folks, books, movies, tv shows and podcasts may be a resource they turn to for connection, understanding, and entertainment. These resources about the LGBTQ2S+ experience have the power to educateand empower their audiences, making us question what we take for granted in our relationships and social world. Queerness opens up possibilities to explore the relationship between desires, identity, and relationship, and disrupts the binary between biology and culture, and between men and women. This list provides readers the opportunity to learn about Queer Theory and to engage with personal experiences of coming out, self-discovery and creating an identity and community,, providing a vital opportunity for self-reflection and allyship for readers.
Email: liveworkwell@uoguelph.ca
Phone: 519 824 4120 x54930
Location: MacKinnon Building, Office 501, University of Guelph
