“Dr. Clément is an internationally recognized authority and Canada’s leading expert on the history of social movements and human rights.”—Royal Society of Canada, 2018.

My scholarship examines the history and sociology of human rights, as well as social movements and the nonprofit sector in Canada. I am working on variety of projects that include topics such as human rights law and activism; public funding for the nonprofit sector; national security policies and counterterrorism; settlement and integration of immigrants; and freedom of information policy. I pioneered some of the first historical-sociological studies on human rights in Canada. My work challenges dominant (celebratory) narratives around human rights. It demonstrates how a rights framework often presumes legal solutions to systemic social problems. And the inadequacy of law in addressing issues such as poverty or climate change. This research has led to invitations to publish in American, Australian, British, Chinese, and Canadian journals as well as serving as a visiting professor in Australia, Belgium, China, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

The impact of my work extends to public policy. I have testified before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights; served as an expert witness in criminal court; collaborated with NGOs to advocate for reforms to human rights law; contributed to the development of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights; worked to foster transparency in government finances; assisted immigrant-serving agencies in advocating for more funding; supported training programs to support 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers; and collaborated with human rights commissions to produce educational programming.

My 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.