UAED Background Briefs:
Community University Institute for Social Research
Condensed from source documents by Julia Schwamborn, Community Development Institute
University of Saskatchewan
R.J.D. Williams Building
432 - 221 Cumberland Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7N 1M3
University Co-Director: Louise Clarke
Phone: (306) 966-8409
Facsimile: (306) 966-2122
E-Mail:clarke@edwards.usask.ca
Community Co-Director: Bill Holden
Phone: (306) 975-2687
Facsimile: (306) 975-7712
E-Mail:bill.holden@saskatoon.ca
CUISR facilitates partnerships between the university and the larger community in order to engage in relevant social research that supports a deeper understanding of our communities and that reveals opportunities for improving our quality of life. (CUISR website)
CUISR was established at the University of Saskatchewan over seven years ago with the objective of forming true partnerships based on trust and respect between communities and the university. Research conducted by CUISR teams is to be beneficial to both partners. Partnerships that include the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) and Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) allow for good working relationships with Aboriginal communities. As a forum for academics with interests in social subjects and for community agencies with interests in research projects, CUISR brings together many disciplines and community entities.
CUISR is committed to collaborative research and to accurate, objective reporting of research results in the public domain, taking into account the needs for confidentiality in gathering, disseminating, and storing information. (CUISR website)
The organization identifies ways to spread knowledge and research outcomes, such as “newsletters, brown bag luncheons, reports, monographs, listserve, website, and the CUISR Resource Room” (CUISR Background). CUISR also provides training and experience to students as well as community members to familiarize both sides with research practices and risks, especially with respect to vulnerable communities. In their research, CUISR members follow five guiding principles to ensure commitment to CUISR’s “vision, mandate, goals, and holistic approaches”:
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Ensuring open communication; sharing knowledge, rationales, and decisions; recognizing and resolving conflicts
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Learning and building knowledge together though multiple methods and approaches
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Responding to community and university needs, concerns, and priorities
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Working cooperatively to achieve mutually beneficial decisions through consensus
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Value diverse contributions and actively listening to multiple points of view
The CUISR Board consists of equal community and university representation. The Community Co-Director position and Research Co-Director for the Quality of Life Research Module is held by Bill Holden, a Senior Planner with the City of Saskatoon Community Services Department. The University Co-Director and Research Co-Director of the Community Economic Development Module is Louise Clarke, Associate Professor at the Department of Industrial Relations and Organizational Behaviour. Further Board members are Research Co-Directors as well as Affiliates for Health, Community Economic Development, and Quality of Life research modules representing the community and the university; Community Board members at large represent organizations and programs such as the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, Communities for Children, and KidsFirst.
Research Modules and Strategic Directions
Originally, CUISR established three Research Modules, the Health Module, the Economic Module, and the Quality of Life Module (QoL). The modules were closely related and many projects and participants were part of more than one of them. The main focus of all research projects was community health and sustainability.
The Health Module was concerned with research that aimed at preparing communities to improve their health based on a number of socioeconomic, health service, and cultural factors.
The Economic Module focused on Community Economic Development (CED) and was based on the insight that low-income communities tend to be unable to hold and accumulate capital, which instead is drained because land, housing, industries, and financial institutions are owned and controlled by entities outside the communities. Moreover, CUISR recognized that Saskatoon’s Aboriginal population did not benefit from existing economic development models and was in need of culturally adequate CED programs. Aspects such as increasing urban migration and urban concentration of economic activities had to be taken into account. CUISR’s goal was to combine two separate views of CED, the supply-oriented approach which promotes reduction of barriers and increase of mobility to attract business, and the demand-oriented approach which is in favour of support for skills and education, and assistance for businesses and entrepreneurs.
CUISR research was directed towards identifying long-term success determinants, considering interrelations between economy, society, and environment, ultimately developing and providing tools to measure success of community organizations and their CED programs. In addition, the Economic Module examined the link between local CED and socio-economic, political, and demographic situations and global structures and mechanisms. The roles of external organizations and government programs in CED were analyzed, keeping in mind that outside influence should always regard community goals and aim at vesting control in the community. Of three factors identified to contribute to CED, physical infrastructure, personal infrastructure, and social capital, the third one is thought to have been neglected in research. Therefore, CUISR aimed its CED research at identifying social capital components to allow communities to build on their social capital and fully benefit from their infrastructural advantages.
The QoL research module was mainly concerned with identifying indicators that enable communities to measure and ultimately improve their QoL. Since QoL issues were increasingly met with policy-making strategies, CUISR saw the need to provide indicators and identify ways to use them for policy development.
More recently, CUISR has categorized its work into five strategic directions to allow adaptation and evolution of research areas in response to community realities. The first strategic direction is Saskatoon Community Sustainability. This element has been developed out of the QoL Research Module. Partnerships have been strengthened and the UAS has become an integral part of the collaborative work.
The Social Economy strategic direction has evolved out of CUISR cooperation with the Province on a regional level. The partnership with Linking, Learning, Leveraging: Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies, and Sustainable Communities is a central element of this work.
Rural-Urban Community Links is a project with focus on opportunities for rural and urban areas to remain sustainable so that citizens can choose where to live or move repeatedly between the two, as opposed to being forced by socio-economic decline of an area. CUISR points out that this is especially interesting for Aboriginal people who tend to move between their communities of origin and urban centres.
Another community development focus is on Building Alliances for Indigenous Women’s Community Development. Work in this area includes the national level as well as Central and South America and aims at understanding what fosters and what hinders community development on a local and on a global level and how it affects subordinated populations.
Finally, CUISR has dedicated a strategic direction to the Analysis of Community-University Partnerships. CUISR sees itself as a pioneer in this field and wants to investigate development and opportunities of such partnerships so that other organizations can learn from CUISR as a role model and a source of information and experience.
Linking, Learning, Leveraging: Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies, and Sustainable Communities
This initiative is involved in CUISR’s Social Economy research. Academic researchers, students, and community partner organizations work together in this project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Twenty-four academic partners representing ten disciplines and twelve Canadian and American universities working in collaboration with over forty community partners from across Canada, the USA, and beyond are working together on this project. Apart from CUISR, the Winnipeg Inner-City Research Alliance, the Community Economic and Social Development Unit, and the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives form the foundation of the research.
The term Social Economy refers to “community-based organizations, co-operatives, community economic development organizations, not-for-profits, and other voluntary-sector initiatives”, which pursue both social and economic goals. As such, social economic enterprises enable communities to address multiple issues at the same time, e.g.” sustainable livelihoods, place-based redevelopment, capacities, and social supports” (LLL website). Individuals and communities benefit and profit, while capital stays in the community and contributes to sustainable CED. The initiative intends to examine challenges, success factors, and crucial links and partnerships in order to learn from existing social economic enterprises and establish a pool of best practices, knowledge, and experience to allow new social enterprises to build on others’ experiences and expertise.
Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing
The Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing (Bridges and Foundations) is one of CUISR’s publications. The project goal was to build “functional sustainable relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations to design and develop culturally supportive communities and quality affordable housing options” (CUISR Publications). This three-year project, funded by SSHRC and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, was initiated in 2001 as part of the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA). CURA supports and funds innovative community-university collaborative initiatives that focus on cultural and socio-economic community development. Bridges and Foundations is headed by three Co-Directors:
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Dr. Alan Anderson; professor at the University of Saskatchewan
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Priscilla Settee; director of the Extension's Indigenous People's Program at the University of Saskatchewan
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Keith Hanson; president of the Sun Ridge Group
Their work addresses and facilitates relationships and cooperation of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations with the intent to contribute to culturally supportive communities and, at the same time, respond to housing issues, which are closely linked to QoL matters. Areas of research are urban Aboriginal housing, urban Aboriginal socio-demographics, urban Aboriginal involvement in the construction sector, and urban Aboriginal home ownership.
In form of Sharing Circles, the Co-Directors share concepts and ideas with university and community stakeholders. In their Final Report, they state that one of their main areas of success was the creation of trustful relationships between the Aboriginal community, the university, and other local stakeholders and the recognition on all parts that this form of collaboration is generally beneficial to all parties involved. Moreover, the authors of the Report emphasize that the project has enabled the Aboriginal community to take control and actively participate in decision-making processes. The Aboriginal community is not to be seen as the subject of the study but as an equal partner in the project.
The Value of CUISR to Urban Aboriginal Economic Development (UAED)
One of the most valuable lessons to be learned from CUISR in a UAED context is the establishment and appreciation of partnerships. CUISR shows mainly university-community relations but also includes businesses and industries. The examples demonstrate how partnerships can and should be beneficial to all parties. From a UAED perspective, inclusion in academic studies brings useful material and statistics, which can be used to leverage funding, identify areas in need of attention, and initiate programs.
Academic partners can provide a communication platform and help with the identification of areas of study conducive to UAED. CUISR’s development from the initial research modules to more defined strategic directions shows that partnerships and their work can evolve with changing realities, needs, and insights.
Especially the Bridges and Foundations project is relevant to UAED as it addresses crucial issues such as housing, sustainable relationships within the community, cultural support, and employment. The idea of facilitating relationships between communities, academics, and businesses is of importance in UAED, and the findings of CUISR’s study point at success in the area of relationships and cooperation, as all parties agreed that their collaboration had been beneficial to all of them.
Contacts
Community University Institute for Social Research
University of Saskatchewan
R.J.D. Williams Building
432 - 221 Cumberland Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7N 1M3
University Co-Director: Louise Clarke
Phone: (306) 966-8409
Fax: (306) 966-2122
Email:clarke [at] edwards.usask.ca
Community Co-Director: Bill Holden
City Planning Branch
222-3rd Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5
Phone: (306) 975-2687
Fax: (306) 975-7712
Email:bill.holden [at] saskatoon.ca
Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing
9 Campus Drive, Arts Building
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5
Dr. Alan Anderson - Research Director
Email: alan.anderson [at] usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966-6927
Fax: (306) 966-6950
Priscilla Settee – Indigenous Director
Indigenous Peoples Program
Extension Division,
Room 134 Kirk Hall
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
Email: priscilla.settee [at] usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966-5556
Fax: (306) 966-5567
Keith Hanson – Community Director
2308 Arlington Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7J 3L3
Email: khanson.sr [at] sasktel.net
Phone: (306) 665-2525 Ext. 114
Fax: (306) 652-6161
Linking, Learning, Leveraging: Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies, Sustainable Communities
Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
101 Diefenbaker Place
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B8
Phone: 306-966-8509
Fax: 306-966-8517
Heather Acton, Project Administrator
Email: heather.acton [at] usask.ca
Sources and Related Links
Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing. University of Saskatchewan. Accessed May 14, 2010.
________. Reports. Final Report: Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing. Accessed May 17, 2010.
Centre for the Study of Cooperatives. University of Saskatchewan. Accessed May 17, 2010.
Community University Institute for Social Research. University of Saskatchewan. Accessed May 14, 2010.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. About. Office of the Federal Interlocutor. Urban Aboriginal Strategy. Accessed May 17, 2010.
Linking, Learning, Leveraging: Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies, and Sustainable Communities (LLL). Accessed May 14, 2010.
________. Community Economic and Social Development Unit (CESD). Accessed May 17, 2010.
Prince Albert Grand Council. Accessed May 17, 2010.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Government of Canada. Accessed May 17, 2010.
________. Community-University Research Alliance (CURA). Accessed May 17, 2010.
Winnipeg Inner-City Research Alliance (WIRA). University of Winnipeg. Institute of Urban Studies. Accessed May 17, 2010.