* All times are based on Canada/Eastern EDT.
Canada/Eastern
2 parallel sessionsThe Sociology of Development Cluster of CSA invites scholars and practitioners to contribute to a critical dialogue on the multifaceted challenges posed by neoliberalism and the pathways towards a more sustainable world. Session Organizer and Chair: Jasmin Hristov, University of Guelph
How do fat studies scholars commit sociology? That is the heart of this panel: How does fat studies research get disseminated, what are the benefits of an emancipatory and social justice oriented fat studies? How does fat scholarship meet fat activism? And what are the challenges fat studies scholars face when trying to commit fat sociology? As Ellison (2020) highlights in her work Fat Activism in Canada, since the mid-1970s, generations of women have taken up fat activism and this activism has taken many forms, ranging from burlesque performances (Ellison, 2020) to the emergence and uptake of fat studies as an interdisciplinary academic discipline (Solovay & Rothblum, 2009). In her work, Kathleen LeBesco highlights how activists have been challenging the marginalized understandings of fatness for over forty years (LeBesco, 2004). One example of this, she argues, is the Health at Every Size model put forward by Bacon and Aphramor (2011), which was a radical reimagination of fatness focusing on healthy day-to-day practices and positive self-acceptance. And the emergence of this model brought with it more ways to commit fat sociology! Scholars in fat studies, such as Brady and Gingras (2016) and even one of the original authors themselves, Lucy Aphramor (2021) challenge the ‘benefits’ of a Health at Every Size model, noting its roots in healthism and lack of real contribution to an emancipatory future for fat folks. These are just some examples of committing fat sociology. Session Organizers: Kelsey Ioannoni, Wilfrid Laurier University Ramanpreet A. Bahra, Wilfrid Laurier University
Canada/Eastern
2 parallel sessionsThe CSA Fat Studies Research Cluster extends an invitation to new members who are interested in engaging in critical research related to weight, bodies, stigma, ‘health’, and social justice. This cluster serves as a communication hub and a meeting place for sociologists who work in the field of fat studies, both within Canada and globally. As a space committed to advancing scholarship, attendees will have the opportunity to network and share their research. We welcome feedback on our current activities and encourage suggestions for future initiatives Session Organizers: Kelsey Ioannoni, Wilfrid Laurier University Ramanpreet A. Bahra, Wilfrid Laurier University
Systemic housing inequity has for decades been a hallmark of Canada’s housing system. In 2017, the Trudeau Liberal government promised to “solve” the housing crisis by implementing a national housing strategy, going so far as to legislate a right to housing. As one of only a handful of countries with such legislation, the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) sets Canada apart as a global normative leader. However, far too many people, especially those who are marginalized, continue to be unable to access or remain in appropriate housing. This has only worsened since the NHSA was legislated. Meanwhile, Canada’s economy is uniquely reliant on housing, with real estate representing the single largest contributor to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is in part a function of deepening housing financialization, which has intensified stratification and inequity in housing markets worldwide. To date, the social and economic barriers to the realization of the right to housing has largely been unexplored, including how stratification of groups along the lines of disability, gender, race, class, sexual orientation, immigration status, and familial status sustains the profitability of Canada’s predominantly private housing market. This session features presentations that “commit sociology for social impact,” beginning with the proposition that housing inequity is an unintentional by-product of a marketized housing system that is actively produced and reproduced to sustain the profitability of housing in Canada. Ensuring the right to housing requires attention to issues such as the availability of affordable and accessible housing, the supports required by people to remain housed, the availability and appropriateness of income supports to sustain tenancy arrangements, and fair adjudicative processes surrounding evictions. We are particularly interested in research that addresses the housing crisis, housing insecurity, and homelessness, and which centres itself in intersectional analysis. Session Organizers: Kristen Hardy, University of Winnipeg Michelle Owen, University of Winnipeg Jeremy Wildeman, Candian Centre for Housing Rights Sophie O'Manique, Candian Centre for Housing Rights Session Chair: Michelle Owen, University of Winnipeg
Canada/Eastern
Public health purportedly functions as a system for promoting and protecting the health of communities and improving the well-being of populations. However, as critical scholars and activists have indicated (Berthelot-Raffard, 2022, Mitchell, 2022), it frequently operates to reinscribe oppressive norms and to further marginalize populations who already experience systemic oppression. This session explores the intersections of disability justice and the operation of public health systems and initiatives. Specifically, we look to center the experiences, perspectives, and needs of disabled people, Black and Indigenous people, queer and trans people, fat people, and other marginalized people and groups. Session Organizers: Kristen Hardy, University of Winnipeg Jessica Braimoh, York University Foroogh Mohammadi, Acadia University Session Chair: Kristen Hardy, University of Winnipeg