Our Research Interests

In conducting its research, the CSCR draws upon experts from a range of disciplines, including political science, law, literature, psychology, and economics. Some of the Centre's research areas are:

Civic Institutions
Public concern over civic engagement and interest in using "civil society" organizations to substitute for, or supplement, government action to solve social problems, have increased in recent years. Some key questions in this area on which we're working are:

Is civic engagement dwindling? What levels of accountability ought "helping institutions" to uphold in seeking to meet the needs of society's most vulnerable members? How has citizens' relationship to the state changed? What roles can civic institutions, the state, and citizens play in addressing these changes?

Health Care
Canada's population is aging, and meeting Canadians' health care needs is likely to prove challenging in the years to come. Medical technologies are also changing. And our understanding of "health" as a complex concept, related to social and psychological well-being, as well as to physical health, is steadily evolving. A host of ethical and philosophical questions, as well as economic and administrative ones, flow from these developments. From where will answers to these questions come and what will they look like?

International Law and Our Global Society
To say our planet is now "globalized" has become a cliché. But what, exactly, does this mean? Which regulations, institutions, standards of conduct, and cultural or moral traditions shall determine how societies and cultures come together or interact? How is this to be decided? And by whom?

Child Development/Education
Research suggests there are strong links between happy, nurturing childhood experiences; high quality, accessible education; and a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous society.

Some of the questions the Centre seeks to answer in this area are: What is an effective school? Are our education dollars having maximum positive impact? How are knowledge and values transmitted from one generation to the next? How can we ensure every Canadian child has the best possible start in life?