Jean Golden, Professor OFFICE:  JOR-312 TELEPHONE:  416-979-5000 ext 6211 EMAIL:   jgolden@soc.ryerson.ca

EDUCATION:

B.A. Honours (University of Toronto, Sociology), M.A. (University of Toronto, Sociology),
Certified Solution Focused Therapist, CSFT (University of Toronto, Social Work),
Certificate in International Human Rights (University of Sherbrooke, Quebec)

Law courses: Human Rights; Employment and Equity Rights (University of Toronto Faculty of Law)

TEACHING INTERESTS:

Human Rights; Women Studies; Feminism; Race and Racialization; Diversity Issues

Professor Golden has been teaching at Ryerson University since the 1970's and played a key leadership role in the development of critical, community-focused curriculum in the Sociology Department. She has taught a variety of courses over the years, such as Development and Underdevelopment, Social Change, Race and Ethnicity, Women's Studies and Introductory Sociology. She also taught Black History to students in the public school system. More recently she studied Human Rights and Employment Equity at the University of Toronto Law School and the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec and has integrated international human rights law into her teaching curriculum. She is a past Chair of the Department of Sociology and was awarded two SHERO Awards by the Ryerson Student Union for excellence in teaching, 2000 and 2001. As senior administrator of Ryerson Human Rights Office, she delivered educational and employment equity workshops to senior administrators, faculty, staff and students.

RECENT COURSES:

SOC 111 and 112   The Social World
SOC 608       Women Power and Change
SOC 609       Women and Human Rights

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Biracial Identity; History of the Ryerson Sociology Department, 1948 to present; Equity and Human Rights; Black History

Professor's Golden's research and writing over the past 30 plus years have been on equity policy development and process implementation and on curricular innovation, for university and community groups. In the late 1970's she held a visiting research Fellowship at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad which began her leadership in the development of Caribbean Studies at Ryerson University.  She was the first Director of the Ryerson Caribbean Research Centre in 2003-04. In the 1980's she wrote employment and educational equity policies for OCUFA, the Ryerson Faculty Association and Ryerson University Administration. In the 1990's she received several research grants from the Ministries of Colleges and Universities and of Education and Training for the development of Violence Prevention Programmes on University campuses, and from the Ministry of Health for an Ontario Community Workplace Safety Programme. In the late 1990's and early 21st century she received funding from Heritage Canada and Ryerson University to research resources for teaching Black History in the public school system and for research on mixed race identity. Professor Golden is currently working on a book on Biracial Identity in Canada and on the history of the feminist movement in Canada from the 1850's to the present.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Professor Golden has an extensive background in anti-sexist, anti-racist public education and community work. She has taught Black history in the public school system, created Black History teaching resources and implemented a model for joint parent/teacher anti-racist, pro-equity practice in Toronto Public Schools. At Ryerson University she developed Ryerson's first Policy on Human Rights and the first Office of Harassment Prevention Services. She served for over 25 years on the Ryerson Faculty Association and for several years on the OCUFA Status of Women's Committee, creating equity policies and procedures for academic unions and administrations. For her this Ryerson community work, she received two separate 'Ryersonian of the Year' Awards, in 1998 and 2009.

Professor Golden is currently developing an institutional relationship between Ryerson University and the Every Child Counts School for Children with Disabilities in the Bahamas. This relationship will provide the framework for the delivery of educational support and community programmes for children with disabilities, in collaboration with Bahamian teachers, parents and community leaders.

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