Research Interests and Recent Publications

  

Research Interests

On-going Research Projects
  • My current SSHRC funded 3 year research project: Racialization, Immigration and Citizenship: Alberta 1900-1960s explores how processes of immigration and racialization affected the social formation of African Canadian communities in Alberta. I am particularly interested in examining how these early experiences enabled or constrained these pioneers in their quests for citizenship and belonging in Alberta from 1900-1960s. The research will examine (through a critical cultural studies framework) the place and contributions of African Canadians within Alberta and the broader Canadian mosaic. The study will build capacity in the area of policy-relevant research within African Canadian communities. The research will fill a lacuna in historical knowledge as it relates to African Canadians, racialization, and citizenship in Alberta.
    Co-investigators: Dr. George Richardson, Secondary Education, U of A; Dr. Malinda Smith, Political Science, U of A

A recent report by Statistics Canada gives an overview of the past and present African Canadian communities in Canada Blacks in Canada.pdf

Canadian Black History - Interview and Dub Poetry of Afua Cooper

  • I also have an on-going oral history research project with Jamaican teachers who immigrated to Alberta during the 1960s. In addition I am continuing to publish research on youth, media and production of black subjectivities.

Community Service & Initiatives

  • Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI) Vice Chairperson–a group of historians, activists, and archivists who are concerned with collecting oral histories of working peoples in Alberta. We have recently produced a website of oral histories, photographs, time line and teaching guide to the website. The site can be accessed by education institutions and the general public: Alberta Labour History Institute
  • Living History Group : facilitator –involves disseminating knowledge of and about lived experiences of peoples of African descent. Often requires working with academic communities and organizing public presentations/ dissemination of knowledge.

Working across faculties at U of A (Dr. Malinda Smith, Political Science) towards the development of an African Diasporan Initiative that promotes and enables understandings of the continent of Africa and its diasporan communities.

--offering workshops to support the tutors working in the Saturday schools that are organized by the Council.

--Afro Quiz: involves researching and writing materials for an annual quiz for Edmonton youth on the experiences of peoples of African descent.

--Workshop for youth on “Visible Minority Youth Accessing Higher Education.”

--supporting students undertaking a summer research project on education of African Canadians.

  • 2004-2005 -Appointed as the Faculty of Education representative on the Alberta Teachers Association, Committee on Membership Eligibility.
  • Aspen Foundation for Labour Education : commenting on new social studies unit on labour unions. At present we are facilitating the writing of a teachers’ guide for use with the ALHI website. In the future we hope to produce teaching units for various subject areas.
  • Over the past few years I have also worked with:

Action Group Racial Equity in Education (AGREE, Public) meeting monthly with representatives from Edmonton Public Schools, members of various communities, Northern Alberta Antiracism Race Relations (NAARR) to discuss the implementation of a system wide policy to prevent racial harassment in schools. The committee's work culminated in a meeting (May, 2005) with the Assistants to the Superintendent and presentation of documents relating to the possible adoption of a policy on racial harassment in schools. A presentation was also made to the Edmonton Public School Board. http://www.naarr.org/pdf/EquityinEdmontonSchoolsFull.pdf

  • I am a member of the Canadian Association of Cultural Studies. At present the offices of the Association are located in the Department of Education al Policy Studies (Ed North 7-119). Please free to drop by the offices to find out more information about the Association or to get involved in our various projects.

Recent Publications and Presentations

Books

This book draws on a cultural studies perspective to examine how a group of African Canadian school youth in Edmonton produces meaning through consumption of media.

  • Kelly, J. (1998). Under the gaze: Learning to be Black in White society. Halifax: Fernwood (pp.1-144). The book has been used on various post secondary courses (graduate and undergraduate courses). http://www.fernwoodbooks.ca/

Book Chapters & Encyclopedia Entries

  • Kelly, J. (submitted August). Diasporan moves: African Canadian youth and identity formation. In N. Dolby, & F. Rizvi, (Eds.), Youth Moves . New York: Routledge.
  • Kelly, J. (2006). Hip hop globalization and youth culture. In S. Steinberg., P. Parmar & Brigit Richards (Eds.), Contemporary youth culture: An internationalencyclopedia Vol 1 Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
  • Kelly, J. (2006). Building Black identity and community . In T. Fenwick, T. Nesbit, & B. Spencer. Learning for life: Canadian readings in adult education. Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing Inc.
  • Kelly, J. (2006). Black Canadian Studies: A move towards diasporan literacy New Dawn ~electronic journal on Black Canadian cultural issues based at OISE/UT
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Africentrism. In L. English,(Ed.), Encyclopedia of adult education. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Kelly, J. (2000). Black feminist consciousness. In L. Code (Ed.), Encyclopedia of feminist theories. UK: Routledge.

Printed Courses

  • Spencer, B., & Kelly, J. (2000). Educational Issues and Social Change II: Current Debates. Alberta: Athabasca University (3-credit university course: 4 unit 56 page study guide plus manual and readings file).
  • Kelly, J. (1999). Educational Issues and Social Change1: Historical Social Perspectives. Alberta : Athabasca University (3-credit university course: 3 unit 49 page study guide plus manual and readings file).

Published Conference Papers (referred abstracts)

  • Kelly, J. & Spencer, B. (2006). Cultural studies and adult education: From class to race. 36 th Annual Standing Conference on University Teaching Research in Education of Adults, (SCUTREA). Trinity & All Saints College, Leeds, UK.
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Learning and the “circuit of culture”. An exploration of universal student rating of instruction at a university worksite. RWL4 4 th International conference on Researching Work & Learning. University of Technology, Sydney , Australia
  • Kelly, J. (2004). Borrowed identities: A tale of media and representation. Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations.
  • Spencer, B.L., & Kelly, J.R. (2003, July). Crediting workplace learning. Proceedings:
  • Work and lifelong learning in different contexts Theme 8: Learning and learners at work (pp. 225-233). 3rd International Conference on Researching Work & Learning Department of Education, University of Tampere, Finland.

Conference Presentations

  • Kelly, J. (2006 October accepted). Diasporan literacy. Association of Canadian Studies, Vancouver , B.C.
  • Kelly, J. (2006). SociNet/CSSE, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities University of York.
  • Richardson , G. Johnson, I., Kelly, J. Abdi, A. (2006). CACS/CSSE, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities University of York.
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Learning and the “circuit of culture”: An exploration of universal student rating of instruction at a university worksite. 4 th International Conference on Learning & Work (RWL4). Sydney, Australia.
  • Richardson , G., Johnson, I., Carson, T., Kelly, J. et al., (2005). 10 th International Metropolis Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Diasporan literacy. Cross-Cultural Anti-racism Education conference, University of Alberta
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Teaching as a form of accountability: IDQs and the “Circuit of Culture” CSSE/SS, SOCINET, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.
  • Kelly, J. (2005). Diasporan communities as sources of learning. American Education Research Association, Montreal, Quebec.
  • Kelly, J. (2004). Up the down staircase: Feminists building critical mass between the fifth and seventh floor. CASW, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities Winnipeg, University of Manitoba.
  • Kelly, J. (2004, June). Race, ideas and place. SOCINET, CSSE, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
  • Kelly, J. (2004, May). Consuming Black identities. Curriculum Association CSSE, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities. Winnipeg, University of Manitoba.
  • Kelly, J. (2004, Feb). North south-East west –We’re not really like the rest. Canadian Association of Cultural Studies. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
  • Kelly, J. (2003, November). Culture & pedagogy. Intercultural and Second Languages Council , (ATA). Calgary, Alberta. Kelly, J. (2003, May). Diaspora as collectivity. Socinet (CSSE/SS), Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.
  • Kelly, J. (2003, January/Feb). Education and Cultural Studies. Panel, Canadian Association of Cultural Studies. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

Invited Guest Presentations

  • 2006 (February) Black history month. Queen Elizabeth High School CALM class, Edmonton.
  • 2005. (March) African Canadian history. EDPS 310: Classroom Management, Department of Educational Policy Studies.
  • 2005. (February) Black Canadian History. Caribbean Women’s Network, Grant MacEwan Community College, Edmonton.
  • 2004 (June). “Borrowed identities” Black Studies 25, J. Percy Page High School, Edmonton.
  • 2004 (May). Consuming Identities, Curriculum Association of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • 2004 (April). “Culture” EDPS 310: Managing the Classroom Environment. University of Alberta
  • 2004 (March). “Career Paths and Decisions” HECOL: 690 (PhD Seminar). Department of Human Ecology.
  • 2004 (March) “Community” Human Ecology 200: Family and Community Diversity Department of Human Ecology.
  • 2004 (February 26 & 27). “Culture and Schooling” EDPS 310: Classroom Management, Department of Educational Policy Studies.
  • 2004 (January). Borrowed identities (Department Seminar) Department of Educational Policy Studies.
  • 2003 (February). “Black Community?” Human Ecology 200: Family and Community Diversity University of Alberta.

Anti-Racism Resources