Mike Bulthuis
Ph. D. Candidate
Research
My research arises from interest in the varied ways that diverse individuals might experience inclusion or practice citizenship within urban settings. I am interested in both the ways by which social relations are embedded in the on-going (re)production of urban landscapes and by which individual identities inform experiences of belonging. Various projects have sought to explore these processes with particular attention to issues of housing, homelessness and age.
My dissertation research, entitled 'Finding Place: uncovering the meanings and experiential qualities of (sub)urban space for youth in Orléans,' centres on the experiences of teenagers living and growing up within an Ottawa suburban community. In collaboration with community partners, I am investigating some of these young people's spatial narratives, the socio-spatial characteristics of environments within their everyday landscapes, and the meanings or functions assigned to a variety of environments – particularly those drawn upon for purposes of restoration and healthy development. In this and other projects, I am interested in working with community – as organizations and as individuals – towards a shared research practice that strengthens the capacities of each of us involved.
Biography
I completed my BA (Political Science and International Development Studies) at Dalhousie University, Halifax (1999), and my MA (Political Science) at Carleton University, Ottawa (2000).
During my PhD studies, I have been employed as a part-time instructor (Political Geography, 2008), have offered guest lectures in political and urban geography and have held a number of research assistantship positions on faculty-led research projects. One project centred on the pathways to housing for newcomers within the Ottawa-Gatineau region while another continues to investigate the ways the Ottawa-Gatineau border is experienced by various sub-populations in the region.
From 2001 to 2006, I served in various policy development positions within the Government of Canada, at the National Secretariat on Homelessness and Infrastructure Canada. Since 2006, I have provided policy and research-related consultant support to various organizations, including the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, United Way Canada and Toronto Community Housing, on various dimensions of social policy and social infrastructure. I have authored and co-authored a number of publications in these positions, discussing: an approach towards assessing neighbourhood vitality, the particular impacts of poor housing on children and youth and the role of the public sector in local poverty reduction efforts.
Selected Conference Presentations
(2009) ”Space in the City: conceptualizing an approach to assess various young people's experiences of restoration" Paper presentation at Association of American Geographers, March 2009, Las Vegas, USA.
(2009) "Newcomers’ negotiations of Ottawa’s housing system: a river runs through it" Mike Bulthuis, Brian Ray, Caroline Andrew. Paper presentation at 11th National Metropolis Conference, March 2009, Calgary.
(2008) "Helping Youth Feel 'at home': considering young people's geographies of 'home' in an urban environment' Paper presentation at Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association Conference, October 2008, Ottawa.
(2008) "Moving Through Space: Youth Mobilities and the Right to the City" Poster Presentation at: Right to the City Conference, European Science Foundation, October 2008, Vladstena, Sweden.
(2008) "Whose Refuge? Governance and the marginalization of 'citizen-others' in narratives of decline and renewal" Paper presentation at Association of American Geographers, April 2008, Boston, USA.
(2007) “Youth as a ‘Moving Experience’: Theorizing youth home spaces in urban landscapes” Association of the American Geographers, April 2007, San Francisco, USA.
(2005) “Action for Neighbourhood Change: Practicing and assessing approaches to support neighbourhoods in their movement to strength and sustainability” Life in the Urban Landscape, May 29-June 4, 2005. Gothenburg, Sweden.
(2003) "Contesting the Limits of Social Polarization in Urban Communities: The construction(s) of Tent City, Toronto" Eleventh Biennial Conference on Social Welfare Policy, June 15-17, 2003, University of Ottawa.
(2001) "Arranging Community: the Place of Discourse in Fostering Canadian Social Cohesion at the end of the 20th Century" Tenth Biennial Conference on Social Welfare Policy, June 17-20, 2001, University of Calgary.
Publications
Papers in Refereed Journals
(2004) Ballay, Patrick and Bulthuis, Michael. "The Changing Portrait of Homelessness" in Caroline Andrew, ed. Our Diverse Cities (Ottawa: Metropolis), pp. 119-123.
Career
From 2001 to 2006, I served in various Policy Development capacities within the Government of Canada, including positions at the National Secretariat on Homelessness and Infrastructure Canada. Since 2006, I have continued to provide policy and research-related consultant support with various organizations, including the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, United Way Canada and Toronto Community Housing, on various dimensions of social policy and social infrastructure. I have authored a number of publications through the Caledon Institute on the role of the public sector in local poverty reduction efforts.
Bio
I completed my BA (Combined Honours, Political Science and International Development Studies) at Dalhousie University, Halifax (1999), and my MA (Political Science) at Carleton University, Ottawa (2000). During my graduate studies, I have held Teaching Assistantship and Research Assistantship positions.
