Who is Family and Why Should We Care?

Join the Department of Human Ecology and the Vanier Institute for the Family for a panel discussion exploring, “Who is Family and Why Should We Care?” Panelists will challenge the dominant cultural understanding of who belongs to a family, what a family looks like and how it functions. Social gerontologist Norah Keating will moderate the discussion to cover different perspectives brought by each member of the expert panel: 

• Yue Qian, Associate Professor of Sociology at University of British Columbia, whose research focuses on family, gender and inequality. 
• Sue Languedoc, recently retired Executive Director of Aboriginal Counselling Services Association of Alberta. 
• Doug Stollery, lawyer, member of the Order of Canada and co-counsel in Vriend vs. Alberta, the first successful case in support of 2SLBGTQ+ rights before the Supreme Court of Canada. 

This conversation will advocate for a more inclusive definition of family and its role in fostering the well-being of its members.