Post-Industrial Communities Research: Dr. Lachlan MacKinnon
Research projects at Cape Breton University are world-class, with a history of partnership and collaboration. CBU Assistant Professor, Dr. Lachlan MacKinnon, is building on that reputation with a study of post-industrial communities, as part of a research contingent from North America and Western Europe. The team will consider Deindustrialization and the Politics of Our Time, a seven-year project supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Concordia University is leading the project, with Dr. MacKinnon playing a key role.
Dr. MacKinnon is the Tier II Canada Research Chair in Post-Industrial Communities听补苍诲听recently launched his first book,听Closing Sysco: Industrial Decline in Atlantic Canada鈥檚 Steel City.听Born in Cape Breton,听he is engaged in the history of industry and society as a citizen and a听researcher and听looks forward to this new听辫谤辞箩别肠迟.听
鈥淭he research will look at all the听social听aspects听of deindustrialized communities that can be overlooked when examining the economic picture of lost industry,鈥� says Dr. MacKinnon. 鈥淕ender, race,听class and immigration are some of the facets of deindustrialization that we will consider during this research.鈥�听CBU鈥檚听Unama鈥檏i听College听is also engaged with the project team as an official partner.听听
Supporting CBU鈥檚 focus on building on our past, Dr. MacKinnon听is working to digitize information collected during his ongoing research.听鈥淎ccess to a high-quality research stream in post-industrial development has direct implications for Nova Scotia economic policy making, systemic poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth,鈥�听explains Dr. MacKinnon.听听
As a professor of history at CBU, Dr. MacKinnon looks forward to providing a student experience with听a digital learning platform looking at听industrial legacies and the political and societal landscape that continues to听grow from those legacies.听He is听also听eager听to build on the collective history of post-industrial outcomes in other countries听补苍诲 share听Cape Breton鈥檚 stories听of resilience.听Congratulations Dr. MacKinnon on this exciting and important research collaboration!听