Research summary
Dr. Karen Foster’s Canada Research Chair research program focuses on work, economy and development in rural Atlantic Canada, with an eye to understanding changing livelihoods, regional economic and development policy, shifting social inequalities, and intergenerational relationships therein. Supported by Foster’s Canada Foundation for Innovation-funded Rural Futures Research Centre at Dalhousie University, the research has two overarching aims: The first is to gather and analyze data to help Atlantic Canadians understand themselves, and to contribute to policy discussions about the region. The second is to bring Atlantic-focused research in conversation with international scholarly work on rural sustainability and development. Specific studies carried out under this umbrella include examining: occupational succession in rural businesses, import replacement, rural housing stock and needs, and the gig and informal economy in rural areas.