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Education

Ph.D.

Policy Studies, Ryerson University, October 2014

Dissertation: Unemployed Women in Neo-Liberal Canada: An Intersectional Analysis of Social Well-being

M.A.

Labour Studies, McMaster University, 2011

B.A.

Women and Gender Studies & History, University of Toronto, 2010

Academic Appointments

2020–Present

Faculty Associate, Manulife Centre for Community Health Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2020–2021

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo, Department of Political Science, Basillie School of International Affairs

2019–2020

Faculty Researcher, Georgian College, “Positive Practices Serving Newcomers in Employment Ontario Employment Services” Project

2016–Present

Adjunct faculty, Wilfrid Laurier University, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

2015–2016

Visiting Researcher, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

Research & Teaching Interests

• Social Policy
• Policy Studies
• Women’s Studies
• Labour Studies
• Immigration

Publications

Career Totals

• 1 Edited book
• 7 Book chapters
• 1 Edited journal issue
• 12 Journal articles
• 1 Report
• 1 Media/op-eds

Edited Book

2019

Editor, Working Women in Canada: An Intersectional Approach. Toronto: Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

2020

Nichols, Leslie. Canada’s Self-Employed Workers: Differential Treatment under Employment Insurance and the Special Benefits Program. (Under review).

2020

Nichols, Leslie, Belinda Ha, and Vappu Tyyskä. Canadian Immigrant Youth and the Education-Employment Nexus. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth 12(1): 178 – 199.

2018

Newcomer Women’s Experiences of Immigration and Precarious Work in Toronto. Women’s Health and Urban Life 14(1): 7–30.

2018

Women and Precarious Work: Health Implications. Women’s Health and Urban Life 14(1): iii–vi.

2018

Combining Diaries and Interviews in Time Use Studies. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 38(9/10): 766–779.

2018

Nichols, Leslie J., Taraneh Etemadi, and Vappu Tyyskä. Time Poverty of Pakistani Immigrant Women in Toronto. South Asian Diaspora 10(1): 31–44.

2016

Motherhood and Unemployment: Intersectional Experiences from Toronto and Halifax. Canadian Review of Social Policy 76: 1–24.

2016

Lived Experiences of Unemployed Women in Toronto and Halifax, Canada, Who Were Previously Precariously Employed. Alternate Routes 27: 162–186.

2013

Analyzing Policy Frames for Unemployed Workers’ Supports within Canada. AG: International Journal of Gender Studies 2(3): 219–245.

2012

Orloff versus Misra et al.: Assessing Feminist Approaches to Gender, the State, and the Transition to Employment Insurance in Canada. MP: An Online Feminist Journal 3(6): 172–207.

2012

Labour Market Policy in Canada and Denmark: “Flexicurity” and the Possibilities for Progressive Labour Market Reform. Socialist Studies: The Journal for the Society of Socialist Studies 8(2): 163–188.

2012

Alliance Building to Create Change: The Women’s Movement and the 1982 CUPW Strike. Just Labour: A Canadian Journal of Work and Society 19: 59–72.

Peer-reviewed Book Chapters

2019

Young Women: Navigating the Education-Employment Divide. In Working Women in Canada: An Intersectional Approach, edited by Leslie Nichols. Toronto: Canadian Scholars/ Women’s Press.

2019

Unemployed and Underemployed Women in Canada. In Working Women in Canada: An Intersectional Approach, edited by Leslie Nichols. Toronto: Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press.

2019

Immigrant Women’s Work: Paid and Unpaid Labour in the Neoliberal Economy. Co-authored with Vappu Tyyskä and Pramila Aggarwal. In Working Women in Canada: An Intersectional Approach, edited by Leslie Nichols. Toronto: Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press.

2019

Women, Work, and Intersectionality: An Introduction. In Working Women in Canada: An Intersectional Approach, edited by Leslie Nichols. Toronto: Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press.

2016

Impacts of Unemployment on Women in Toronto and Halifax. In Reading Sociology, edited by Patrizia Albanese, Lorne Tepperman, and Emily Alexandra. Oxford University Press.

2016

Motherhood and Unemployment: Immigrant Women’s Experiences from Toronto. In The Migrant Maternal: “Birthing” New Lives Abroad, edited by Anna Shultes and Helen Vallianatos. Bradford, ON: Demeter Press.

2015

Immigrant Women in Canada and the United States. Co-authored with Vappu Tyyskä. In Immigrant Experiences in North America: Understanding Settlement and Integration, edited by Harald Bauder and John Shields. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press. Reprinted in Gender and Women’s Studies in Canada: A Critical Terrain, edited by Margaret Hobbs and Carla Rice. Toronto: Canadian Scholar’s Press, 2018.

Peer-Reviewed Report

2016

Turcotte, Joseph F., Leslie Nichols, and Lisa Philipps. Maximizing Opportunity, Mitigating Risk: Aligning Law, Policy and Practice to Strengthen Work-Integrated Learning in Ontario. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

Newspaper Article

2016

Phillipps, Lisa, Joseph Turcotte, and Leslie Nichols. The Downsides of Post-Secondary Co-op Work Placements. Globe and Mail, Oct. 27.

Fellowships & Awards

2018

Institutional Nomination for Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from University of Ontario Institute of Technology

2017

App Development Design Award, Cossette Health $50,000 (co-awardee, Rupa Banerjee, Ryerson University)

2017

App Scalability Award, Interact $1,000 (co-awardee, Rupa Banerjee, Ryerson University)

2014

Doctoral Completion Award, Ryerson University $7,000

2014

Nominated for Governor General’s Gold Medal by PhD Program in Policy Studies, Ryerson University

2014

Nominated for Ryerson’s Gold Medal by PhD Program in Policy Studies

2014

Nominated for C. Ravi Ravindran Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award by Ph.D. Program in Policy Studies

2013, 2012, 2011

Ryerson Graduate Scholarship, Ryerson University $7,000 x 3

2013, 2012, 2011

Ryerson Graduate Award, Ryerson University $1,000 x 3

2011

McMaster Graduate Scholarship, McMaster University $4,500

Grants

2020

Gendered Division of Household Labour During the COVID-19
Pandemic: Unpaid Labour for Teaching Children at Home $2,000
Wilfrid Laurier University 28.9 Research Grant Support

2019

Older Women under Neoliberal Capitalism: Working Past Retirement
Age for Survival $2,000
Wilfrid Laurier University 28.9 Research Grant Support

2018

Part 4—Women and Work in Canada $1,500
Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Research Fund # 28.8
Vice-President of Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2018

Self-Employed Special Benefits $1,500
Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Research Fund # 28.8
Vice-President of Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2017

Self-Employed Special Benefits $8,000
Wilfrid Laurier University 28.9 Research Grant Support

2017

Co-investigator, Destress and Take Control: An $63,400
E-Mental Health Application to Support Precarious and
Unemployed Immigrant Workers in the Greater Toronto Region
(PI, Rupa Banerjee, Ryerson University)
CIHR, Catalyst Grant: Work Stress and Wellbeing Hackathon

2016

Part 3—Women and Work in Canada $1,500
Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Research Fund # 28.8
Vice-President of Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2016

Immigrant Women’s Unemployment Experience in Canada $9,990.85
Partnership for Change: The RBC Immigrant,
Diversity and Inclusion Project at Ryerson University

2016

Socialist Studies Travel Grant $350

2016

Part 2—Women and Work in Canada $3,250
Ryerson University, Faculty of Arts

2016

Immigrant Women’s Experience of Unemployment $2,500
Queen’s University

2016

Unemployment in Canada $1,500
Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Research Fund #28.8
Vice-President of Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2015

Socialist Studies Travel Grant $300

2014

Part 1—Women and Work in Canada $1,500
Contract Academic Staff (CAS) Research Fund # 28.8
Vice-President of Research, Wilfrid Laurier University

2014

Part 2—A Study of Women’s Time Use $3,800
Ryerson University, Yeates School of Graduate Studies

2013

Part 1—A Study of Women’s Time Use $3,800
Ryerson University, Yeates School of Graduate Studies

2013

Ph.D. in Policy Studies Research Funding $500
Ryerson University, Ph.D. in Policy Studies Program

2012

Ryerson University Student Union Travel Grant $500

2011

McMaster Labour Studies Research Grant $150
Labour Studies Department at McMaster University

2011

Socialist Studies Travel Grant $300

Conference Activities

Invited Talks

2016

“Maximizing Opportunity, Mitigating Risks: Aligning Law, Policy and Practices to Enhance Work-Integrated Learning.” Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Toronto, September 29. With Joseph Turcotte and Lisa Philipps.

2016

“Maximizing Opportunity, Mitigating Risks: Aligning Law, Policy and Practices to Enhance Work-Integrated Learning.” Higher Education Quality Council Stakeholders, Toronto, May 10. With Joseph Turcotte and Lisa Philipps.

2015

“Legal Frameworks for Work-Integrated Learning: The Role of Law in Promoting Expansion of Quality WIL Programs.” Higher Education Quality Council, Toronto, September 28 and November 23. With Joseph Turcotte and Lisa Philipps.

Panels Organized

2019

“Women in Gendered Workplaces.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Vancouver, June 1- 7. Panel organizer and session chair.

2019

“Gender, Health-Care and Care Work.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Vancouver, June 1- 7. Panel organizer and session chair.

2019

“Women, Gender, Work, and Labour Market Policies.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Vancouver, June 1–7. Panel organizer and session chair.

2015

“Constructing Masculinities and Femininities: Citizenship and Cultural Processes.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Political Science Association, Ottawa, June 2–4. Session chair.

2015

“Workplace Precarity: Marginalization and Resistance.” Labour Pains, Capital Gains: The Paradox of Low-Wage, No-wage Work. Ryerson University, March 27. Session chair.

2013

“Policy Research in Times of Austerity and Uncertainty.” Next Generation Policy Research, Ryerson University, May 10. Panel organizer.

Papers Presented

2019

“Impacts of Systemic Underemployment on the Health and Career Trajectories of Emerging Women Scholars.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Vancouver, June 1–7.

2018

“Review of the Unemployment Benefits Program for Self-Employed Canadians: Are Marginalized Workers Disadvantaged?” Annual Conference of the International Sociological Association, Toronto, June 15–June 21.

2018

“Review of the Unemployment Benefits Program for Self-Employed Canadians: Are Marginalized Workers Disadvantaged?” Annual Conference of the Society of Socialist Studies, Regina, May 29–May 31.

2017

“Motherhood and Unemployment in Canada: Immigrant Women’s Experiences.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Toronto, May 29–June 2.

2017

“Retraining and Unemployment in Canada.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Toronto, May 29–June 2.

2016

“Social Reproduction, Motherhood and Unemployment.” Annual Conference of the Society of Socialist Studies, Calgary, May 28–June 3.

2016

“Motherhood and Unemployment in Canada.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Calgary, May 28–June 3.

2016

“Health Impacts of Unemployed Women in Canada.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Calgary, May 28–June 3.

2016

“How do Immigrant Women in Toronto and Halifax Navigate Dependency while Unemployed?” Annual Conference of the Metropolis, Toronto, March 4–6.

2016

“How do Women in Toronto and Halifax Navigate Dependency while Unemployed?” Annual Conference of the Society of Socialist Studies, Ottawa, June 2–5.

2015

“Should We Create a Comprehensive Methodology for Conducting Intersectionality Research?” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association and Society of Socialist Studies, Ottawa, June 1–5.

2015

“Psychological Impact of Unemployment and Underemployment Among Foreign-trained Professional Immigrants and their Families.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Ottawa, June 1–5.

2015

“Time Use of South Asian Immigrant Women.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Political Science Association, Ottawa, June 2–4. Co-presenter Vappu Tyyskä.

2015

“Time Use of South Asian Immigrant Women: Balance of Work and Leisure.” 9th European Feminist Research Conference—Sex & Capital, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, June 3–6. Co-presenter Vappu Tyyskä.

2015

“How Do Women in Toronto and Halifax Navigate the Precarity of Unemployment?” Labour Pains, Capital Gains: The Paradox of Low-wage, No-wage Work, Toronto, March 27.

2013

“How to Approach Policy Studies in an Ever-Changing World?” Policy Research in Times of Austerity and Uncertainty: Next Generation Policy Research, Ryerson University, May 10.

2012

“Women and Social Policy: Moving Out of the Family and beyond the ‘Caregiver Paradigm.’” Feminists Face the State, University of California, Berkeley, November 6.

2011

“Would ‘Flexicurity’ Work to Address the Needs of a Changing Labour Market in Canada, Where Precarious Employment Is High and Employment Insurance Payments Are Low?” Emerging Realities, University of Waterloo, October 21.

2011

“Seven Dollars a Day: The Implications of Quebec’s Child Care Policy for the Labour Market.” Annual Conference of the Society of Socialist Studies, June 2–4.

Sample List of Courses Taught

Undergraduate

• Women, Gender, and Work
• Discovering Feminist Research
• Doing Feminist Research
• Sociology of Gender
• Sociology of Work
• Work, Equity and Diversity
• Woman, Sexuality and the Welfare State

Graduate

• Social Policy and Activism
• Social Inequality, Poverty, Income Support: A Comparative Perspective
• Research 1

Professional Service

Peer Manuscript Reviewer

• International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
• Canadian Review of Social Policy
• Alternate Routes

Service to Profession

• Planning Committee, Feminist Cluster of Canadian Sociological Association for Congress 2019
• Planning co-organizer for social event for the feminist cluster CSA (with Ann Denis, University of Ottawa) at the International Sociological Association for its 2018 conference, 2017–2018
• Planning Committee, Gender, Women and the Workplace Event, International Women’s Day 2016, Wilfrid Laurier University, Women and Gender Studies Program, 2015–2016
• CUPE 3904 Unit 3 Sociology Steward, Ryerson University, 2011–2015
• Policy Studies Conference Organizing Committee, Ryerson University, PhD program in Policy Studies, 2013
• PGraduate student representative for Work and Society Program to the General Faculty of Social Science Committee, McMaster University, 2010–2011

Membership in Professional Associations

• Canadian Sociological Association, 2012–present
• Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies, 2017–present
• The Society for Socialist Studies, 2011–present
• Canadian Political Science Association, 2015–present
• Women and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes, 2014–present

Citizenship

• Canadian

References available upon request