Culture + Society – Views & Research

a man wraps his arms around a woman, both face forward. behind them is an olive tree.

Netflix’s ‘Mo’ delivers humour, heartache as it explores Israel-Gaza war and Palestinian and Mexican migrant life in the U.S.

Faiza Hirji, McMaster University

Drug dealers are plundering people’s homes into ‘trap houses,’ driving up homelessness and violence in Thunder Bay

Marta-Marika Urbanik, University of Alberta; Carolyn Greene, Wilfrid Laurier University; Katharina Maier, University of Winnipeg, and Matthew Valasik, University of Alabama

New age-gating laws aimed at making the internet safer actually threaten free speech

Neil McArthur, University of Manitoba

The European Union excluded Greenland from public consultations on the EU seal product ban. Why?

Danita Catherine Burke, University of Southern Denmark

A person is photographed from behind in colourful clothing looking out at open water.

Two dark-haired men hold hands above their hands. One carries a set of maracas.

The triumph of the Oasis reunion: Resilience rules the day as the Gallaghers end their feud

Ramona Alaggia, University of Toronto

Climate change is profoundly affecting livelihoods across Canada

Sara Dorow, University of Alberta

a small two-storey building with a sign reading Robertson trading co.

Here’s why Canada’s parents and grandparents reunification program is problematic

Megan Gaucher, Carleton University; Asma Atique, Toronto Metropolitan University; Ethel Tungohan, York University, Canada, and Harshita Yalamarty, Toronto Metropolitan University

A young couple sits with their young children on the grass with the children's grandparents.

Is your diet influencing your dreams? Here’s what our research says about food and nightmares

Jade Radke, University of British Columbia; Claudia Picard-Deland, Université de Montréal; Russell Arnold Powell, MacEwan University, and Tore Nielsen, Université de Montréal

Grok 4’s new AI companion offers up ‘pornographic productivity’

Jul Parke, University of Toronto

a generated composite image of a man in a suit standing next to two female anime characters dressed in black with their shoulders exposed.

Expressing gratitude isn’t necessary, but a little appreciation may still go a long way

Lara B Aknin, Simon Fraser University; Anurada Amarasekera, Toronto Metropolitan University; Kristina K. Castaneto, Simon Fraser University, and Tiara A Cash, Simon Fraser University

a hand holding a handwritten thank you note

Censoring video games with sexual content suppresses the diversity of human desire

Jean Ketterling, University of Saskatchewan; Ashley ML Guajardo, New York University; Carl Therrien, Université de Montréal, and Kenzie Gordon, University of Alberta

close up of a keyboard with purple backlighting

Is AI coming for your creative job? Maybe not – with some human intervention

Afsoon Soudi, Toronto Metropolitan University; Gavin Adamson, Toronto Metropolitan University; Lorena Escandon, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Reem El Asaleh, Toronto Metropolitan University

A robot looking like a woman with a bob haircut stands in front of two large black and white paintings

Screenshot of a white woman in a tattered wedding dress looking upwards as she stands at the base of a ladder

‘Eat the rich’ — Why horror films are taking aim at the ultra-wealthy

Heather Roberts, Queen's University, Ontario

Iranian Canadians watch the Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran from afar

Fateme Ejaredar, University of Calgary and Pallavi Banerjee, University of Calgary

Why Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign is part of a wider cultural backlash

Meaghan Furlano, Western University

A person looks up at an advertisement that says 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' alongside a picture of a blonde woman in denim jeans and a jacket

‘Better Than Chocolate’ highlights lost 90s decade of lesbian Canadian cinema

Tamara de Szegheo Lang, Queen's University, Ontario and Dan Vena, Queen's University, Ontario

Two women, one with chocolate on her shoulders.

A young man sits at a desk playing a video game on a desktop computer. He is wearing headphones

‘Stop Killing Games’: Demands for game ownership must also include workers’ rights

Louis-Etienne Dubois, Toronto Metropolitan University and Miikka J. Lehtonen, Rikkyo University

Caught on the jumbotron: How literature helps us understand modern-day public shaming

Jason Wang, Toronto Metropolitan University

A white man in a blue t-shirt and black pants with the night sky and moon in the background sings into a microphone while pointing off camera

From ‘God Emperor Trump’ to ‘St. Luigi,’ memes power the politics of feeling

Stuart J. Murray, Carleton University

A paper mache sculpture of Donald Trump dressed up as a ruling emperor.

A man holds the hand of his deceased son. A large sticker that says "press" is taped to his shirt.

Flawed notions of objectivity are hampering Canadian newsrooms when it comes to Gaza

Gabriela Perdomo, Mount Royal University

Hockey Canada sex assault verdict: Sports culture should have also been on trial

Laura Misener, Western University and Treena Orchard, Western University

Photos of five young white men in suits are spliced together in a grid

High-profile sex assault cases — and their verdicts — have consequences for survivors seeking help

Lisa Boucher, Trent University

A crowd of protesters holding signs in support of the victim of the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial

I analyzed more than 100 extremist manifestos: Misogyny was the common thread

Karmvir K. Padda, University of Waterloo

a woman in a red t shirt looks scared as she hugs someone

A painting of a nature scene: trees, a river and rocks. On either side of the river bank, about ten men sit and some are holding opened up scrolls of paper

A 16th-century Chinese writer spoke of workplace burnout, leaving a blueprint for radical acts of rest

Jason Wang, Toronto Metropolitan University and Xiao He, University of Toronto

Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism

Kawser Ahmed, University of Winnipeg

Not just a few bad apples: The Canadian Armed Forces has a nagging far-right problem

Stéphane Leman-Langlois, Université Laval; Aurélie Campana, Université Laval, and Samuel Tanner, Université de Montréal

A long line of people in green army uniform and black berets. Canadian flags on their shoulders

Accessible, high-quality summer programs and Black joy support Black children’s return to school

Ardavan Eizadirad, Wilfrid Laurier University

Students stand in a group with arms raised.

A woman in rubber gloves and an apron stands with her hands on her hips facing away from the camera

All women — not just mothers — could benefit from more workplace flexibility

Anja Krstic, York University, Canada; Ivona Hideg, York University, Canada; Janice Yue-Yan Lam, York University, Canada, and Winny Shen, York University, Canada

How to improve university EDI policies so they address Jewish identity and antisemitism

Lilach Marom, Simon Fraser University and Ania Switzer, University of British Columbia

People stand with placards including one saying 'I stand against hate and antisemitism.'

Yellowknife’s Giant Mine: Canada downplayed arsenic exposure as an Indigenous community was poisoned

Arn Keeling, Memorial University of Newfoundland and John Sandlos, Memorial University of Newfoundland

A sign reading Giant Mine remediation project, a tall headframe seen in the background

‘Canada is not for sale:’ But Ontario law prioritizes profits over rights

Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo, York University, Canada

A man has his eyes closed and is putting on a toque that says 'Canada is not for sale.'

Parental controls on children’s tech devices are out of touch with child’s play

Sara M. Grimes, McGill University and Riley McNair, University of Toronto

A woman sits on an outdoor concrete stairs holding her phone for her children to look at. One child appears delighted.

Cancellations at Canadian film festivals raise questions about accountability

Dorit Naaman, Queen's University, Ontario

A man standing at a wall cementing large stone bricks together.

‘Indigenous helpers’ are essential to culturally responsive mental health care

Louis Busch, University of Toronto

Two people walk through the forest on a paved road

a woman sits on a plastic white chair in front of a taped tent

How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens

Mary Vaccaro, McMaster University

a close up of a blurred newsprint inbetween a roller in a silver machine

Local news is essential to democracy

Magda Konieczna, Concordia University

Canada’s proposed Strong Borders Act further threatens the legal rights of migrants

Shiva S. Mohan, Toronto Metropolitan University

a sillouette of two hands. one is extending from a car, the other with a document in hand, from a booth.

Misogyny as a political strategy

Brianna I. Wiens, University of Waterloo; Nick Ruest, York University, Canada, and Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo

Protesters congregate in front of a white, Hellenistic style buliding. One protester holds a sign that says 'we are not things' with the image of a uterus on it

Why corporations are backing away from supporting Pride

Leah Hamilton, Mount Royal University; Corinne L. Mason, Mount Royal University, and Gini (Virginia) Weber, Mount Royal University

Close up of a hand holding a small Progress Pride flag in frotn of a crowd of people also holding Pride flags

Do people really resemble their dogs?

Renata Roma, University of Saskatchewan

Two people seen from behind, each holding a dog that is looking over their shoulder.

tarot cards with vivid drawings of faces

Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us

Hanna Tervanotko, McMaster University

Refugee separation is harming families

Christina Clark-Kazak, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

a pair of hands holds a phone which displays a photo of a family

Netflix drama Secrets We Keep exposes the dangers of domestic migrant work

Reena Kukreja, Queen's University, Ontario

Resurrecting John A. Macdonald statues ignores critical lessons about Canada’s history

Eric Strikwerda, Athabasca University

Yellow barricades surround a statue of a man in front of a stone building.

AI clones supermodels so they can be in two places at once

Jul Parke, University of Toronto

A Black model stands next to a computer screen showing an AI replica of her.

Trump’s tariff threat devalues foreign cinema

Gaelle Planchenault, Simon Fraser University

A woman in red stands in on the red carpet, with the press dressed in black behind her.

Queer-themed shows evoke bittersweet nostalgia for missed childhoods

Rena Bivens, Carleton University

two boys look up towards the sky, one has his arm around the other.

Paying For It reimagines ex-lovers, friendship, family and sex work

Ummni Khan, Carleton University

A woman and man staring straight ahead, lying against pillows.

a man holds up an automatic weapon. several people behind him do the same; most wear masks

Haiti on the brink: Gangs fill power vacuum as current solutions fail a nation in crisis

Greg Beckett, Western University

How far-right ideas in Canada are working their way into mainstream politics

Lisa Gasson-Gardner, Mount Royal University

a woman claps and looks at a man in a suit who speaks at a podium gesturing with his hand

Air India crash in Ahmedabad

Chandrima Chakraborty, McMaster University

A group of hands, arms showing bangles, bodies showing colourful clothing, hold onto each other

For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’

Masaya Llavaneras Blanco, Western University

A woman with a red headscarf and wrapped in a red blanket walks on a concrete road under a car garage ceiling of lights. to the left are women sitting down in a line

Two men have their heads together - they are viewing something from behind a chain link fence

Musk apologizes but the bromance is over: What network science tells us about the Trump-Musk breakup

Anthony Bonato, Toronto Metropolitan University

Borders and orders: How settler-government occupations violate Kashmiri sovereignty

Binish Ahmed, Toronto Metropolitan University

a woman in a yellow sari stands wth her baby looking through a large whole in her brick house

Trump’s military parade: A ‘big big celebration’ or an authoritarian ritual?

Irene Gammel, Toronto Metropolitan University

Men in red coats and white pants march along a road

Christian nationalism in the U.S. is eerily reminiscent of ‘dominionist’ reformers in history

Gary K. Waite, University of New Brunswick

A drawing of four men dressed in 17th centry clothing walking in a row carrying swords

MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous

Michael Cameron, Dalhousie University and Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square, Mount Allison University

A colourful cartoon drawing of a fat man with a hat that says psychedelic profits. The man has many arms. Each arm holds something like a red mushroom, a building, a screen, a crane and a factory.

The rise of psychedelic capitalism: Work harder and be happy about it?

Kevin Walby, University of Winnipeg and Jamie Brownlee, Carleton University

The politics of blame: Accusing immigrants won’t solve Germany’s antisemitism problem

Oliver Schmidtke, University of Victoria

A balding white man with dark glasses wearing a blue suit

The ‘entourage effect’ — what we don’t know about how cannabis works

Jonathan Simone, Brock University

Stress, not identity, drives riskier cannabis use among sexually diverse youth, new study finds

Kira London-Nadeau, Université de Montréal; Charlie Rioux, Texas Tech University, and Natalie Castellanos-Ryan, Université de Montréal

Crypto platforms feel like gambling because they are: Users are drawn to high-risk behaviour

Amy Swiffen, Concordia University and Martin A. French, Concordia University

a green table with plastic chips and playing cards, A hand holds cards, revealing 2 kings.

A police officer stands between two police cruisers.

How can Mark Carney reduce violent crime in Canada? Through prevention and youth outreach

Jeffrey Bradley, Carleton University and Irvin Waller, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Why more youth are landing in the ER with vomiting from cannabis use

Jamie Seabrook, Western University and Jason Gilliland, Western University

Exterior of a hospital emeregency entrance

The distant dream of owning a home: Canada sees growing inequality in home ownership

Yushu Zhu, Simon Fraser University

A row of different coloured houses on a residential street

Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council: A collaborative approach to strengthening food systems

Charles Z. Levkoe, Lakehead University; Jill K. Clark; Johanna Wilkes, Lakehead University, and Peter Andree, Carleton University

orange tiled grocery store aisle with shelves of food on either side

Service closures in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside leave sex workers without vital support

Jennie Pearson, University of British Columbia; Andrea Krüsi, Simon Fraser University, and Melody Wise, University of British Columbia

A photo of a long two-way street in a city with multi-floor buildings on either side

Decades of neglect: Migrant farm worker housing needs national regulatory standards

C. Susana Caxaj, Western University; Anelyse Weiler, University of Victoria; J. Adam Perry, St. Francis Xavier University, and Jill Hanley, McGill University

A trailer housing migrant farmworkers in Canada

Skilled migrants are leaving the U.S. for Canada — how can the north gain from the brain drain?

Ashika Niraula, Toronto Metropolitan University and Iori Hamada

Women wearing scrubs and masks stand together

Trump’s English language order upends America’s long multilingual history

Mark Turin, University of British Columbia and Ross Perlin, Columbia University

An old man with orange-tinged skin and whiteish hair wearing a dark suit and yellow tie holding a document with an oversized signature

Promoting social inclusion through pet companionship

Renata Roma, University of Saskatchewan and Christine Yvette Tardif-Williams, Brock University

A Bernese mountain dog with its front paws dangling over the edge of a step

Indigenous

A black and white photo of wheat farm land with a horse and rider in the foreground.

‘Cows and plows:’ The settlement over a broken Indigenous treaty shows the urgent need for more transparent governance

Jas M. Morgan, Simon Fraser University

How AI could help safeguard Indigenous languages

Anna Luisa Daigneault, Université de Montréal

A smiling Indigenous man wearing a cowboy hat stands next to a sign featuring the names of town in the Tsilhqot’in language.

Trump’s tariffs threaten Indigenous businesses in Canada — the government must take action

Andrew J. Karesa, The King's University Canada and Douglas A. Stuart, University of Victoria

A totem pole is seen in the foreground, while a domed building with a Canadian flag over it is seen in the background

How one research project is ‘re-neighbouring’ two Indigenous communities

Vanessa Watts, McMaster University

A black and white photo of a large brick building surrounded by trees

‘I am sorry’ — A reflection on Pope Francis’s apology on residential schools

Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, University of Toronto

As Canada is threatened, it’s urgent to revisit Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood

Frank Deer, University of Manitoba

A circle of tipis and flags seen against a skyscraper skyline.

A First Nations power authority could transform electricity generation for Indigenous nations

Christina E. Hoicka, University of Victoria; Adam J. Regier, University of Victoria; Anna Berka, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, and Sara Chitsaz, University of Victoria

Solar panels in the foreground, blurred vehicles seen in the distance

Inuit children in Nunavut face a preventable food security crisis

Vandna Sinha, McGill University; David Wheatley, Wilfrid Laurier University; Jessica Penney, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Nicholas Li, Toronto Metropolitan University

An Inuit woman wearing a purple parka carries a baby on her back. She stands at a grocery till with another woman behind the counter

Living to tell the story: Lawsuit accuses ER doctor of anti-Indigenous racism

Mary Jane Logan McCallum, University of Winnipeg and Adele Perry, University of Manitoba

An old black and white photo of a man in a full suit and hat

Black style and resistance: The Met Gala, dandyism and blackface in Canada

Cheryl Thompson, Toronto Metropolitan University

How I’m teaching Holocaust literature in light of Canadian recommendations around combatting antisemitism

Regan Lipes, MacEwan University

A man in grey suit and had signs a poster.

Lessons from the fashion industry: Why some DEI efforts fail to resonate with consumers

Jordan Foster, McMaster University and David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto

A large poster in a shop window showing women in underwear

Canada’s audiovisual industry should better reflect the country’s diversity

John Schoales, Toronto Metropolitan University

A man holds a camera while a woman beside him assists and another looks on

Violent attempt to set fire to Muslim woman in Ajax exposes persistent Islamophobia in Canada

Nadiya N. Ali, Trent University and Nadia Hasan, York University, Canada

A woman wearing a hijab sits in front of four microphones.

How Asian immigrants to the U.S. resisted pressures to assimilate, creating a vibrant American suburbia

Bianca Mabute-Louie, Rice University

Black and white photo of an Asian woman surrounded by schoolchildren.

Understanding the backlash against corporate DEI — and how to move forward

Camellia Bryan, University of British Columbia and Brent John Lyons, York University, Canada

Black on the ballot: New research sheds light on the experiences of Black Canadians in politics

Erin Tolley, Carleton University

Black men and women sit in a row along a table with Canadian fags in the background. A man in a dark blue suit in the centre speaks into a mic

Why queer-themed shows evoke a bittersweet nostalgia for missed childhood moments

Rena Bivens, Carleton University

Alberta’s proposed Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is anything but fair

Celeste Pang, Mount Royal University; Gio Dolcecore, Mount Royal University, and Marty Clark, Mount Royal University

Fewer college students indicate they are nonbinary amid backlash

Genny Beemyn, UMass Amherst

People hold a variety of flags -- including the LGBTQ rainbow flag.

Cancellation of Taiwan Pride event shows China’s influence extends far beyond its borders

Kuan-Wei Chen, McGill University

A city building illuminated with rainbow colours at night.

Trans people affirmed their gender without medical help in medieval Europe − history shows how identity transcends medicine and law

Sarah Barringer, University of Iowa

Tapestry of woman holding a mirror up to a unicorn with hooves in her lap, surrounded by woodland creatures

Quarter Life

Quarter Life, a series for people in their 20s and 30s

The love we seek: How to build authentic and healthy relationships

DaLissa Alzner, Adler University

A young man and woman sit on a ledge on a rooftop together smiling.

AI dating is about data, not love: How to resist the tech takeover of romance

Treena Orchard, Western University

How to set healthy boundaries

Gio Dolcecore, Mount Royal University

Two people sit apart from each other on a couch

How to handle difficult conversations in your early career, from salary negotiation to solving conflict

Leda Stawnychko, Mount Royal University and Anamika Choudhary, University of Calgary

A man and a woman have a conversation while seated at a table near a window

Sport

A woman in a red rugby uniform runs down a rugby pitch while holding the ball

Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game

Kathryn Dane, University of Calgary; Isla Shill, University of Edinburgh, and Stephen West, University of Calgary

Why Serena Williams joining the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo as a part-owner is so important for women’s sports

Treisha Hylton, Wilfrid Laurier University

A black woman with blonde, shoulder-length wavy hair in a black dress speaks into a microphone while standing on a stage

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s record-breaking contract with the Toronto Blue Jays is a win-win deal for both sides

Ryan Clutterbuck, Brock University

A black man in a blue baseball jersey that reads blue jays

The TGL golf league might signal that indoor sport is the future, for better or worse

Brad Millington, Brock University; Brian Wilson, University of British Columbia; Michael L. Naraine, Brock University, and Parissa Safai, York University, Canada