Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #133: Social well-being and the polar environment: Social and political attitudes to the natural and lived environment of the Canadian north  (Social well-being and the polar environment)

Outline
This project measures the human dimension of environmental processes by exploring attitudes towards traditional practices, political governance, and a changing physical and social environment in a survey of territorial residents in Canada. The project has three main goals: 1. Identify traditional and contemporary practices dependent on the past and present natural environment of the north 2. Identify attitudes towards environmental and political change occurring in the north 3. Speak to debates about healthy communities, social well-being and social capital given current and past attitudes and behaviours related to the social and physical environment of the territorial north The proposal argues that southern-based notions of social well-being, grounded as they are in the market economy, may not capture northern realities. It argues further that a better understanding of individual and community health in the north must acknowledge the importance of the social and physical environment to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Research on suicide-prevention, for example, emphasises the importance of social networks and land-based initiatives to healthy communities and individuals. This proposal supplements data from the Canadian component of the Survey of Living Conditions (SLiCA), which does not contain some of the social and political attitudinal questions posed within the Greenlandic and American components of the survey. This proposal thus seeks to create comparable data where Greenlandic and American data already exists. In addition, it will provide data to advance our understanding of the importance of social and physical environments to social well-being. The methodology will be based on a 3,000-person survey in the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. In addition it will contain a 500-person booster sample from Labrador and northern Quebec. This sample is large enough to compare northern residents to existing data gathered on southern residents, while allowing for comparisons within the north, something that is rarely possible given existing data. The project acknowledges that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations may have different perspectives on social well-being and social capital, and that policy initiatives in each of the territories may produce different perspectives on the environment and environmental change. Throughout, the project relies on survey data to speak to the impact of the physical environment on social networks in the north, and the impact of social networks on social, material and mental health and wealth. A better understanding of these differences will advance our understanding of the link between the natural and lived environment of the polar north.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This proposal focuses on the human dimension (theme 6) of the polar region in Canada and will provide a clear vision of the attitudes and behaviours of northern residents. At the same time it focuses on the role that the environment (theme 1) and environmental change (theme 2) play in conceptions of healthy communities. It thus examines the present environmental status and its impact on practices that contribute to social engagement and social well-being, while attempting to understand how previous environmental and governmental changes may have had an impact on such practices. As a result, the survey will help us to understand the human dimension of environmental status and change.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
International collaboration is welcomed and I have begun discussing the project with the Statistics Bureau in Greenland.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Nunavut, NWT, Yukon

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 02/05-09/05       02/06-09/06      02/07-09/07
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Computing facilities (hardware and software) Translation and interpretation

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will leave behind a database that may be used by future researchers. In addition, it will have educational benefit as future teachers and students may explore themes within the data adjusted to their own research questions or communities.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
National agency
Own support
Other sources of support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council has granted funding to a Nunavut social and political attitudes survey to be conducted by the researcher, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc and Qikiqtani Inuit Association in summer 2005. This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: Healthy and Sustainable Communities: Sustainable Communities

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Expansion
This proposal extends a currently-funded project examining similar issues in Nunavut. Funded by SSHRC the Nunavut Social Attitudes Survey will explore issues of social well-being and social capital in the three regions of Nunavut (Baffin, Kivalliq, Kitikmeot) through a telephone survey of 1000 respondents.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Project will involve an advisory board composed of members of research institutes, partner organizations and statistics bureaus. Community consultations will provide content for the survey. All activities will be coordinated by research partners. All materials will be co-authored.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Results will be communicated in person in Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Iqaluit, and via a research website. In addition, community summaries will be distributed to allow settlements to compare average responses to the region and territory in which they live. Project will involve an advisory board to speak to research ethics, privacy concerns, and the validity of the survey instrument.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data will be cleaned and lodged with the relevant research institutes in the territories. Data for the Nunavut component, for example, will be housed with the Nunavut Research Institute, QIA and NTI. Data stripped of identifiers will be publicly available. In addition, community summaries will be located in local libraries.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Nunavut portion funded by SSHRC Northern Research Development Grant($40,000) Awaiting funding result from SSHRC Aboriginal Grant competition ($70,000) Further grant applications to include a SSHRC standard grant for the NWT and Yukon portion ($90,000)

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Ailsa Henderson
Waterloo, ON


N2H 4J3
Canada

Tel: (519) 884 0710 Ext 3896
Mobile: (416) 571 5527
Fax: (519) 746 3655
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information