Deborah Thien, Ph.D. University of Edinburgh, 2005 Postdoctoral Research Fellow Geography Program University of Northern British Columbia 3333 University Way Prince George, B.C. V2N 4Z9 CANADA Phone: (250) 960-5935 Fax: (250) 960-6533 Email:thiend@unbc.ca

Research

My interdisciplinary research interests have primarily focused on women's emotional and mental health; on health and well-being in rural, remote, and northern communities; on the sociology and geography of emotion; and on feminist theory as a framework for empirically grounded studies of gender and geography. I have conducted qualitative research in Scotland and New Zealand, for my Ph.D. and MA studies, respectively. I currently hold a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in which I have shifted my focus to the Royal Canadian Legions (RCL) in rural, northern, and small town BC. I am investigating how the RCL is part of an "emotional geography" in these communities. The Legion is a ubiquitous part of the Canadian landscape, so familiar, we forget it is there. But, the Legion holds an important place in the care of communities, both as a provider of various health and care-related services, and as a place of community for its members. As the Legion enters its 80^th year, and its original membership ages, what are the consequences? I hope to find out by talking to Legion members in 8 communities on Northern Vancouver Island. 

As a postdoctoral researcher, I have also been part of a cross-Canada project looking at Canada's new rural economy (http://nre.concordia.ca).

My postdoctoral research is supervised by Dr. Greg Halseth and is currently funded by Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and UNBC.

Future Research Plans

Another research project in development examines feelings of belonging and experiences of place through considering the historical and ongoing cultural links between Shetland and New Zealand as a consequence of migration in the 1870s. This research will commence in 2006/2007.

Current CV (PDF) (May 2006)