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Biography
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Teaching & Research Interests
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Scholarship, Research & Creative Activities
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Grants
Sara is an award winning applied sociologist with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Waterloo. Sara's doctoral work focused on the intersections of gender, social policy, and work for lone mother families across Canada. She has expanded her work to focus specifically on collaborative and participatory approaches to solving community based issues for vulnerable populations.
Selection of Publications
Cumming, Sara J. (forthcoming). Sociology Unlocked 2nd edition: An Introduction to Sociology for the College Classroom. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Siddiqui-Ghafar, S., Pulis, Jessica E. and Cumming, Sara J. (2022). Orientalism, Feminism and the Rhetoric of Fear: Muslim Women and the Veil in Angelini, P. (Ed.), Global Perspectives: An Introduction to World Issues. Toronto: Tophat.
Caragata, L., Waters, B. and Cumming, S (2021). Changing the Game: The Continuous Adaptation of Resilient Single Mothers. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 8(1).
Milne, Emily and Cumming, Sara J. (2021). Introduction: The State of Applied Sociology in Canada. Journal of Applied Social Sciences.
Cumming, Sara J. (2020). Sociology Unlocked: An Introduction to Sociology for the College Classroom. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
McNamara, Michael J., Cumming, Sara J. and Pulis, Jessica E. (2019). Innovations from the Margins: Creating Inclusive and Equitable Academic-Community Research Collaborations. Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research.
Cumming, Sara J. (2019). Social Inequality in Pulis, J. and Angelini, P. (Eds). Our Society: Diversity and Inclusion. Toronto: Nelson.
Watters, Elizabeth, Cumming, Sara J., and Caragata, Lea. (2018). The Resiliency Project: A Secondary Qualitative Analysis. Forum: Qualitative Social Research 19(2).
Cumming, Sara J. (2017). The Sociological Perspective in Angelini, P. and Pulis, J. (Eds). Social and Behavioural Sciences. Toronto: Nelson.
Duffy, Ann and Cumming, Sara J. (2016). Social Inequality in Tepperman, L. and Albanese, P. (Eds.), Principles in Sociology 4th edition. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Teaching Interests
- Introduction to Sociology, Dimensions of Inequality, Gender and Sexuality, Social Policy, Sociology of Work, Theory, Sociology of Work,
Research Interests
- As a certified clinical sociologist, my research interests surround community engaged researched aimed at breaking down barriers and ameliorating hardships for marginalized individuals.
- Research Grants (Ongoing and Past)
- “Moving Beyond Money & Macronutrients: Understanding Food Insecurity and Supports for Canadian Older Adults”: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-Community and College Social Innovation Fund ($350,000), 2023-2026. Co-applicant with Karen Slonim (PI), Lia Tsotsos, Kathryn Warren-Norton and Kate Dupuis.
- “Community Ideas Factory: The Life Skills Project”. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-Community and College Social Innovation Fund ($356,400), 2021-2024. Principal investigator.
- “Youth at Works-Kenya: TVET 14: Thematic Partnership on Gender Equality Policies and Training”. CiCan and the Mastercard Foundation ($543,375), 2021-2024. Co-investigator with Jane Ngobia, Michaelann George, Amira El Masri, Oleksandra Gora,
- “Homeward Bound Youth”, Ontario Trillium Foundation ($314,900), 2020-2023. Project Director.
- “Community Ideas Factory: enhancing creativity and innovation in Oakville’s charitable sector”. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-Community and College Social Innovation Fund ($174, 593), 2016-2018. Co-Applicant with Project Director Michael McNamara.
Journal Articles
Cumming, S., McNamara, M., Pulis, J. (2018). Negotiating Bottom-up Participation in the Complex Game of Philanthropy: Insights from the Community Ideas Factory.Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, Vol. 9 (2), 41-61.
Cumming, S., McNamara, M., Pulis, J. (2018). Negotiating Bottom-up Participation in the Complex Game of Philanthropy: Insights from the Community Ideas Factory.Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, Vol. 9 (2), 41-61.
Grants
"Putting food on the table: addressing food security among isolated older adults during COVID 19". Natural Science and Engineering Research Counsel . COVID 19 Research Grant. $75,000. 2020.
Sara Cumming (Co-Investigator), Leigh Hayden and the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research (Principle Investigator), Food For Life (Collaborator), Community Development Halton (Collaborator)."Community Ideas Factory: enhancing creativity and innovation in Oakville’s charitable sector". Social Sciences Research Council of Canada. Community College Social Innovation Fund. $174,593. 2016.
Sara Cumming (Co-Principle Investigator), Michael McNamara (Co-Principle Investigator), Jessica Pulis (Collaborator), Rory Sommers (Collaborator), Kirsten Madsen (Collaborator), Michelle Szabo (Collaborator), Jennifer Phenix (Collaborator)."Resilience among At-Risk Groups in Canada". Human Resources Skills Development Canada. $60,000. 2011.
Sara Cumming (Co-Investigator), Lea Caragata (Principle Investigator).
