Adwoa Onuora
Associate Professor
Honors B.A (University of Toronto); M.A. (OISE/University of Toronto); Ph.D. (OISE/University of Toronto).
Durham Campus, DUR A169, adwoaonuora@trentu.ca
Classes I teach:
- SOCI 2151FA: Researching Social Life
- SOCI 2630WI: Sociology of Health and Illness
- SOCI 4850WI: Sociology of the Body.
Research Interests:
- Health Equity and Social Justice
- Black and Intersectional feminist theories
- Black and African Diaspora 2SLGBTQ+ issues
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
- Social Reproduction, Care Policies and the Care Economy
How does your research translate into your teaching, both through courses and supervision?
My research focuses on the myriad ways in which structures and systems (healthcare, education, and the legal system) reproduce the social exclusion of Black women, children and Black 2SLGBTQ+ citizens. My research directly informs and enriches my teaching practice, while my teaching and supervisory experiences continually shape and inspire my research inquiries. My research findings, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks serve as foundational knowledge that I bring into the classroom. Research allows me to infuse my teaching with real-world examples, case studies, and contemporary issues that reflect the lived experiences of Black individuals within diverse socio-cultural contexts. This in turn helps learners to connect theoretical concepts to tangible realities, fostering a deeper engagement and critical analysis of the subject matter. In my teaching, I challenge learners to think about how factors such as race, age, ethnic origin, class, and accessibility intersect with gender identity and sexual orientation to exacerbate disparities in health outcomes for Black/African-descended communities.
In essence, I see the relationship between my teaching and research as reciprocal. My research informs the content and approach of my teaching, while my teaching inspires and informs my research inquiries. This synergy ensures that my teaching remains current, research-driven, and responsive to the needs of students, while my research remains grounded in the realities of those I teach. In terms of my teaching, I prioritize the individual and center the lived experiences of my co-learners. As an interdisciplinary scholar, my research, teaching and supervision is rooted in the principles of critical feminist and Afro-indigenous pedagogies, particularly the valuing of experiential and embodied knowledges. I provide learners with the opportunity to start with their lived experiences as a way of making connections between structural inequities and social justice. To this end, I encourage learners to challenge the accepted, the norm, and what is seen as “ordinary” in society.
Five publications that exemplify your work:
Onuora, A.N. and Spence, N. (2023). Space, Place and Queerness: An Examination of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus’ Queer Landscaping. In Nelson Rodriguez, Louisa Allen, and Rob Cover (Eds.), Queer Studies in Education: An International Anthology. (pp. 27-46). Oxford University Press.
Onuora, A.N., Perkins, A.K. & Nangwaya, A., (Eds.). (2020). Rough Riding: Tanya Stephens and the Power of Music to Transform Society. Kingston, Jamaica: The University of West Indies Press. Award-Winning Finalist in the Performing Arts Category of the 2022 International Book Award.
Nangwaya, A. and Onuora, A.N. (2020). Toward a Working-Class Queer Agenda and Leadership in Jamaica. In Erin McLeod and Moji Anderson (Eds.), Beyond Homophobia: Centring LGBTQ Experiences in the Anglophone Caribbean. (pp. 191-213). Kingston, Jamaica: The University of West Indies Press.
Onuora. (2017). Writing Against the Grain: M(othering) and Violence on Sacred Ground. Canadian Woman Studies//CWS/cf’s, 32(1-2), 35–41.
Onuora, A.N (2015). Anansesem: Telling Stories and Storytelling African Maternal Pedagogies. Bradford, ON: Demeter Press.
What achievements and/or contributions in research are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my service as the 17th Nancy Rowell Jackman Chair (Nancy’s Chair) in Women's Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU). The Nancy's Chair was established in the mid- 1980s by feminist philanthropist and former Canadian Senator Nancy Ruth to raise global awareness of women's issues and to recognize distinguished scholars and activists who have significantly contributed to women's advancement through their work in women's, gender, and sexualities studies. In terms of research accomplishments, I coordinated Jamaica’s first pilot diary-based, time use survey, which produced statistics on gender and unpaid care work. The findings from the survey has served as the basis for follow-up interventions made by the Minister of Finance, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica and other key national stakeholders. Community engagement is an important pillar of my work. As such, I have long been involved in community organizing in Jamaica around Gender Based Violence and legislative reforms with respect to Jamaica’s Sexual Offences Act and related Acts (2014-2017). I have organized and facilitated numerous women’s rights workshops and events in Jamaica and have worked collaboratively on advocacy-related committees championing the rights of LGBTQ+ citizens, women and girls. I have supported advocacy activities and events funded by United Nations entities and worked with academic and civil society partners on campaigns related to social justice, human rights, gender, as well as queer rights and citizenship. I have also served on national and regional advisory boards such as Jamaica’s National Strategic Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence (NSAP-GBV). Other commitments have included service on the UN Women’s Regional Advisory Group on the Measurement of SDG 5.4.1 (unpaid care work).
Accepting new UG and Graduate student supervisions:
Yes, please contact.