The Live Work Well Research Centre is committed to nourishing families, livelihoods and living environments. We anticipate and respond to the changing needs of families, work and well-being in all their diverse forms and we do this through research, teaching, knowledge sharing, policy, and community-engaged activities -and have done so for 20 years.
Our founding mission was to direct research and promote family and individual well-being, responsive workplaces, and sustainable communities. Our renewed mission embraces and continues this tradition of research impact and innovation, while also cultivating and connecting with communities where all families, livelihoods and living environments flourish.
We engage in work through research, communities of practice, knowledge mobilization, student engagement, teaching, and learning. Beginning from the margins, our research is focused on five intersecting research clusters, each cluster exploring complex themes and the ways they influence work, family and well-being in all their diverse forms.
When we look at the research within and across each cluster and beyond, we explore the effects on diverse families and individual well-being, changes in work and livelihoods, factors that shape work and family relationships, needed policy changes, and community actions.
The Dragonfly
The dragonfly is a symbol of the Centre's work. We chose this dragonfly because of the mosaic pattern within its wings. In this dragonfly we see diverse individuals, forms of family, livelihoods, and beings within our living environment. To some, the dragonfly is representative of change, transformation and swiftness. Its ability to move in all six directions radiates a sense of strength and poise - something that often comes with age and experience.
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| An attendee at our relaunch placing his thoughts about the meaning of family onto a hexagon piece that fits into the dragonfly. |
Thoughts about family, work, and well-being on puzzle pieces fit together to create a dragonfly. |
The Dragonfly Project represents our commitment to a diverse understanding of families, work, and well-being. From November 29, 2018 until May 5, 2021, we asked our team and the broader community to share their thoughts on family, work, well-being and living environments. We compiled all participant responses, and we are pleased to present the Live Work Well Dragonfly:
Image description: Word cloud in the shape of a dragonfly. The dragonfly emphasizes love, balance, support, care, happiness, health, home, connected, security, safety and fulfilment. Prominent, but less emphasized words include wholeness, space, accessible, nurture, stability, belonging, mental health, unconditional love, protection, compassion, acceptance, understanding, self-care, life and collaboration.
Those who participated were asked to complete the following questions using one or two words:
To me, family means ___________
To me, work and livelihoods includes ___________
To me, our living environment needs ___________
To me, well-being is ___________
All answers were submitted anonymously.
Thank you to all who participated in this project! The Centre will continue to highlight and share our knowledge on diverse experiences of families, livelihoods and well-being.