Hi!
Thanks for dropping by to the academic and writing side of my site. I’m a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada. I often speak about and research public washrooms access issues. I find this topic particularly interesting because of its intersections with harm reduction policy and housing policy.
More recently, I am researching the career paths of Canadian housing activists for my PhD work. My goal with this research is to understand how people in this field learn the skills they need to do their jobs, and what are their stated motivations and inspirations to enter the field.
Below, you’ll find links to my publications, media appearances, and science communications material. I’m passionate about communicating social science to a broad audience, so you’ll find an assortment of material here, from popular publications to podcasts.
If you’d like to contact me about any of my work, would like a copy of my résume, or would like to work together on a project, please contact me at edith@uoguelph.ca
Print publications
“Look Who’s Talking”, Issue 63: Fire!, Spacing Magazine, June 2023.
“Long term renters evicted during housing boom face homelessness”, The Conversation, 5 October 2022.
“Customers-Only Washrooms are a Crappy Deal”, Issue 50: Laneways, Spacing Magazine, June 2019.
“In Memory of Stephen Hawking”, The Ontarion, 2018
“Confessions of a Dumpster Diver”, NOW Magazine, 2014
Audio and video media
I’m the production and audio assistant on Edible Oceans podcast, hosted by Prof. Tony Winson. Follow the podcast on instagram @edibleocean_podcast, and listen here: https://rss.com/podcasts/edibleoceans/
I am one of the top 25 SSHRC Storytellers Challenge winners from 2022 – I created this video to explain Prof. Mervyn Horgan and Prof. Saara Liinamaa’s Sociable Cities Project, which I am also a research assistant for. Click this link to check out the video on YouTube!
Selected media appearances
Nov. 25th 2022, CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-park-winter-port-a-potty-1.6663480
Oct. 21, 2021, CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/winter-park-maintenance-1.6231186
En français:
July 8, 2023, Radio Canada, À l’échelle humaine: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/a-echelle-humaine/segments/entrevue/449058/recherche-besoin-base-accessibilite-itinerance
Edith Wilson 