My scholarship is divided into two fields: human rights and social movements. I am working on variety of projects that include state funding for women’s movements in Canada; human rights law and activism; Canada’s nonprofit sector; national security policies and counterterrorism; security and the Olympics; and freedom of information policy. In general, my scholarship is concerned with social and political change in Canada and the ability of marginalized people to challenge state power as well as the hegemony of law.

One of my recent projects was leading a national research team that examined the impact of state funding on Canada’s nonprofit sector. We explored how the relationship between the funding and the movements differs across movements, regions, and time periods with a particular focus on environmental, human rights, Indigenous peoples, and women’s movements. Public funding in Canada has enabled the emergence of a thriving social movement sector, but recent changes in government policy have brought the sustainability of social movements to the forefront of public debate. Some organizations have struggled under these conditions whereas others have thrived because of innovations in leadership, governance, fundraising, and community outreach. This project addressed a broad range of themes including governance, federalism, social change, state policy, citizenship, gender, Indigenous and environmental issues, and leadership and innovation in civic engagement. It was the first systematic examination of the history and breadth of state funding for non-governmental organizations in Canada. In this way, it offers the most comprehensive survey of how the sector has evolved over time. One of our primary deliverables was an experimental history database of government grants to nonprofits since the 1960s.

My recent books include studies on the history of feminist activism in Canada, human rights law and activism, and the sociology of human rights. The link below to the presentations page includes videos of recent presentations arising from my research. There are also recent pieces in The Conversation and ActiveHistory that explore some of the themes arising from the State Funding for Social Movements project.