Arts, Social Sciences Get Federal Support

SSHRC awards U of G $900,000 for range of innovative research

U of G research in the arts, humanities and social sciences has received a $900,000 boost from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

SSHRC is investing nearly $81 million in research projects at 94 universities and colleges. Guelph's share is for 12 projects, with topics ranging from the history of health food stores to the federal judicial appointment process.

Prof. Steve Crawford, Integrative Biology, received $189,963 to support his efforts to improve communication between aboriginal and western science knowledge systems. The award will allow him to develop a model to represent the structure and function of both systems.

“This model should be a very practical tool to compare and contrast aboriginal traditional knowledge and western science in a neutral environment,” he says.

Prof. Renée Sylvain, Sociology and Anthropology, was awarded $70,973 to study human rights and social justice from the perspective of marginalized indigenous San living in remote areas of three southern African countries.

“I'm quite pleased because this is an opportunity to contribute to research capacity-building among San, publicize human rights issues that don't get a great deal of attention internationally, and promote networks between the academics at the University of Guelph and southern African scholars,” Sylvain says.

SSHRC funding was also awarded to:

• Prof. James Amegashie, Economics, $35,401 to study revenge and third-party intervention in conflicts.
• Prof. Catherine Carstairs, History, $43,009 for research on the history of Canada's health food stores (see story on page 10).
• Prof. Rob de Loë, Geography, $97,030 to examine water allocation in Alberta and New South Wales, Australia.
• Prof. Michael Hoy, Economics, $38,900 for a project on the effectiveness of private and social insurance policy options.
• Prof. Ric Knowles, English and Theatre Studies, $68,258 to study how Toronto's multiculturalism is reflected in its performance arts (see story on page 6).
• Prof. Jesse Palsetia, History, $107,022 to examine the public career of Indian businessman Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy.
• Prof. Troy Riddell, Political Science, $65,842 for research on the federal judicial appointment process.
• Prof. Norman Smith, History, $75,015 to explore Chinese narratives of alcohol and opiate addiction in the popular culture of Manchuria from 1900 to the 1940s.
• Prof. Henry Thille, Economics, $47,377 to study the link between the size of firms in a market and the use of inventories to smooth prices.
• Prof. David Walters, Sociology and Anthropology, $54,772 to look at the earnings and employment outcomes of post-secondary graduates.