Sarah-Mae Rahal

Office: Storytelling Research Lab, IIC 2006
Email: ssrahal[at]mun[dot]ca

Supervisor

Dr. Julia Christensen

Previous Education

BA Political Science (major), Indigenous studies (minor), York University 2018

Title of Project:

Nothern Urbanization: Homelessness in Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Research Project Description:

Happy Valley-Goose Bay is a critical hub for services, resources, and opportunities for many rural, coastal, Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Labrador. The town is a complex and diverse meeting place as the centre of administration and governance for Indigenous nations and the provincial government in Labrador as well as a core site for significant military and resource development activities. Since 2008, the town has experienced the emergence of visible forms of homelessness, which includes a growing transient population. The Housing and Homelessness Coalition of Happy Valley-Goose Bay has been actively engaged in addressing this social phenomenon, however little is formally understood about the factors contributing to homelessness in the community, nor the housing and support service needs of those experiencing homelessness. The aim of my research is to examine the factors contributing to visible homelessness in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and to explore what these factors tell us about the social dynamics of urbanization in the community. I will further build on this aim to explore the rural-urban unevenness/disparity of health and social services relied upon by people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurities.

Teaching Assistantship
Teaching Assistant, Winter 2019. Geography of the Arctic, (GEOG3905)
Research Groups:
ACE Space Lab

Research Interests:

  • Indigenous Knowledge
  • Health and Well-being
  • Policy and Governance