The Research Centre for Social Innovation and Transformation brings an interdisciplinary lens of inquiry to the complex linkages between innovation and social transformation, as seen across multiple perspectives. In exploring these questions, we prioritize emancipatory theories, grounded in an analysis of systems of oppression. In doing so, we seek to contribute to a deeper and more interconnected understanding of the logics and strategies employed by social movements and grassroots communities, as well as the role of institutions. In particular, we are interested in their impacts on diverse systems of oppression including sexism, colonialism, racism, capitalism and extractivism.
Working in close collaboration with the Élisabeth-Bruyère School of Social Innovation and the Mauril–Bélanger Atelier of Social Innovation, the CRITS creates space open to the community in order to co-construct and bring into being diverse collective action projects. This environment enables graduate students to become invested in a dynamic research space where they can build capacities in the production and dissemination of engaged research.
