Suzanne Huot, PhD

My research program centres on the axes of occupation, immigration, and Francophone minority communities. My research primarily addresses the occupational implications of international migration to Canada through focused, critical examination of governmental legislation, policies and discourses; of service providers and their roles; and of the experiences of individual immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Using research approaches informed by occupational science, critical social theory, and qualitative methodologies, I specifically examine ways in which governmental decisions and actions are experienced at the local scale in relation to people’s daily occupations, interrogating the effect of these high-level decisions on peoples’ social inclusion and civic engagement. My ongoing research focuses on occupational justice and the health equity issues that newcomers confront within contemporary policy contexts as they navigate post-migratory transitions within their host communities.

I believe the classroom is a primary space of knowledge development and research dissemination, where students learn the foundational theories and applicable skills that prepare them for what they will endeavour beyond the course. I strive to enable students’ critical thinking and ongoing reflection about what they are learning, recognizing the necessity of an equitable and respectful environment for sharing diverse views.

Students are encouraged to voice their opinions and to discuss the differences in views that arise. Pluralism is encouraged, in part through dialogue within the classroom, as well as ongoing reflection.

By taking an interactive approach to teaching, students can learn both from my experience and also from each other. My research on migration situated within a critical theory paradigm is reflected in my course design, which challenges students to question their own views and opinions that may stem from or be influenced by assumptions embedded within dominant societal discourses.

Current Research Graduate Students

I am currently supervising four doctoral students: Natasha Damiano, Anne-Cécile Delaisse, Atieh Razavi Yekta and Holly Reid. Their qualitative research engages with a range of issues experienced by immigrant and equity-seeking groups.

Topics include children’s belonging through collective music-making, experiences of recent Vietnamese migrants in Vancouver and Paris, immigrant workers’ experiences in the platform economy, and the occupational participation of 2SLGBTQ+ Indigenous peoples.

Future Research Graduate Students

I welcome graduate students interested in Francophone immigration to Canada and community cohesion in Francophone minority communities.

• Board member: International Society for Occupational Science
• Member: Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists
• Collaborator: Pathways to Prosperity: Canada
• Member: Standing Committee on Francophone Immigration, Pathways to Prosperity: Canada
• Member: Francophone Committee, Canadian Association of University Teachers
• Member: Occupational Opportunities for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• Member: International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research
• Member: Network of applied research on Francophone health in Ontario
• Member: Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities

*link to articles provided when possible*

Delaisse, A.-C., & Huot, S. (in press). Embracing transnational approaches for a more exhaustive and critical understanding of occupation in migration research. Journal of Occupational Science.

Huot, S., Brower, J., Tham, A., & Razavi Yekta, A. (2021). Cultivating occupations, spaces and networks: Service provider perspectives on enabling immigrants’ social participation. Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 29, elocation. https://doi.org/10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAO2184.

Sall, L., Veronis, L., Huot, S., Piquemal, N., & Zellama, F. (2021). Immigration et francophonies minoritaires canadiennes : les apories de la cohésion sociale. [Immigration and Canadian Francophone minorities: the aporias of social cohesion]. Francophonies d’Amérique [American Francophonies]. (in press)

Huot, S., Elliott, P., Fells, L. (2021). Navigating intersecting forms of oppression in the search for employment. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 41(2), 132-139.

Delaisse, A.-C., Huot, S., Veronis, L., & Mortenson, B. (2020). Occupation’s role in producing diverse and inclusive community spaces. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. Early online (8 pages).

Huot, S., Aldrich, R., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Stone, M. (2020). Picturing precarity through occupational mapping: Making the (im)mobilities of long-term unemployment visible. Journal of Occupational Science. Early online.

Delaisse, A.-C., Huot, S., & Veronis, L. (2020). Conceptualizing the role of occupation in the production of space. Journal of Occupational Science. Early online (15 pages).

Aldrich, R., Laliberte Rudman, D., Park, N. E., & Huot, S. (2020). Centering the complexity of long-term unemployment: lessons learned from an occupational science inquiry. Societies, 10(3), 65 (22 pages).

Delaisse, A.-C. & Huot, S. (2020). Using theory to inform understandings of occupation in a migration context. Journal of Occupational Science, 27(3), 359-375.

Huot, S., McKay, J., Barbic, S., Wylie, A., Weis, D., Bean Sherman, S., & Holsti, L. (2020). Tackling complex social challenges within neoliberal constraints: The context shaping ‘Intellectual Quality of Life’ (iQoL) in a Canadian university context. Societies, 10(1), 26. (13 pages). FA. Open Access publication

Huot, S., Ho, H., Ko, A., Lam, S., Tactay, P., MacLachlan, J., & Raanaas, R. K. (2019). Identifying Barriers to Health Care Access in the Circumpolar North: Important insights for Health Professionals. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 78(1), 1571385. (9 pages). FA. Open Access publication.

Veronis, L., & Huot, S. (2019). La pluralisation des espaces communautaires francophones en situation minoritaire : défis et opportunités pour l’intégration sociale et culturelle des immigrants [The pluralisation of Francophone community spaces in minority contexts: challenges and opportunities for immigrants’ social and cultural integration]. Francophonies d’Amérique [American Francophonies], 46-47, 171-195.

Veronis, L., & Huot, S. (2019). Imaginaires géographiques de la francophonie minoritaire canadienne chez des immigrants et des réfugiés d’expression française [Geographic imaginations of the Canadian Minority Francophonie among French-speaking immigrants and refugees]. Diversité Urbaine [Urban Diversity], 19, 115-137.

Lieblein, V., Warne, M., Huot, S., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Raanaas, R. K. (2018). A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 77(1), 1421369, (11 pages).

Hand, C., Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S., Gilliland, J., & Pack, R. (2018). Toward understanding person-place transactions in neighbourhoods: A qualitative-participatory geospatial approach. The Gerontologist, 58(1), 89-100.

Gerlach, A., Teachman, G., Aldrich, R., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Huot, S. (2018). Expanding beyond individualism: Engaging critical perspectives on occupation. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 25(1), 35-43.

Cardinal, L., Normand, M., Gauthier, A. P., Laforest, R., Huot, S., Prud’homme, D., Castonguay, M., Eddie, M.-H., Savard, J., & Yaya, S. (2018). L’offre active de services de santé mentale en français en Ontario : une étude du centre sud-ouest [The active offer of mental health services in French in Ontario: a study of the Central Southwestern region]. Minorités linguistiques et société [Linguistic Minorities and Society], 9, 74-99.

Huot, S. (2018). Co-constructing the field for a critical ethnography of immigrants’ experiences in a Canadian Francophone minority community. Qualitative Research, 19(3), 340-355.

Hand, C., Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S., Pack, R., & Gilliland, J. (2018). Enacting agency: exploring how older adults shape their neighbourhoods. Ageing and Society, 40(3), 512-520.

Pack, R., Hand, C., Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S. (2018). Governing the Ageing Body: Explicating the Negotiation of ‘Positive’ Ageing in Daily Life. Ageing and Society, 39(9), 2085-2108.

Huot, S., Cao, A., Kim, J., Shajari, M., & Zimonjic, T. (2018). The power of language: Exploring the relationship between linguistic capital and occupation for immigrants to Canada. Journal of Occupational Science, 27(1), 95-106.

Raanaas, R. K., Aase, S. Ø., & Huot, S. (2018). Meaningful occupation in refugees’ resettlement experiences: A study of amateur choir singing in Norway. Journal of Occupational Science, 26(1), 65-76.

Huot, S., Raanaas, R. K., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Grimeland, J. (2018). Integrating occupational and public health sciences through a cross-national educational partnership. Journal of Occupational Science, 25(3), 431-441.

Huot, S. (2017). ‘Doing’ capital: examining the relationship between immigrants’ occupational engagement and symbolic capital. Migration Studies, 5(1), 29-48.

Huot, S., & Veronis, L. (2017). Examining the role of minority community spaces for enabling migrants’ performance of intersectional identities through occupation. Journal of Occupational Science, 25(1), 37-50.

Laliberte Rudman, D., Aldrich, R., Grundy, J., Stone, M., Huot, S., & Aslam, A. (2017). “You got to make the numbers work”: Negotiating managerial reforms in the provision of employment support service. Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Inquiry, 28, 47-79.

Hand, C., Huot, S., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Wijikoon, S. (2017). Qualitative-Geospatial Methods of Exploring Person-Place Transactions in Aging Adults: A Scoping Review. The Gerontologist, 57(3), e47-e61. CA

Hand, C., Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S., Gilliland, J., & Pack, R. (early online). Toward understanding person-place transactions in neighbourhoods: A qualitative-participatory geospatial approach. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx064

Gerlach, A., Teachman, G., Aldrich, R., Laliberte Rudman, D., & Huot, S. (2017). Moving beyond individualism: Critical perspectives in occupation-focused research and practice. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23, 1-9. DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2017.1327616

Huot, S. (2017). ‘Doing’ capital: examining the relationship between immigrants’ occupational engagement and symbolic capital. Migration Studies, 5(1), 29-48. https://doi.org/10.1093/migration/mnw023

Hand, C., Huot, S., Wijikoon, S., & Laliberte Rudman, D. (2017). Qualitative-Geospatial Methods of Exploring Person-Place Transactions in Aging Adults: A Scoping Review. The Gerontologist, early online. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw130

Laliberte Rudman, D., Aldrich, R., Grundy, J., Stone, M., Huot, S., & Aslam, A. (2017). “You got to make the numbers work”: Negotiating managerial reforms in the provision of employment support service. Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Inquiry, 28, 47-79.

Warren, K., Huot, S., Magalhães, L., & Evans, M.(2016). Exploring the Daily Lives of People on Methadone Maintenance Treatment: An Occupational Perspective. Societies, 6(27), 1-14. doi:10.3390/soc6030027

Huot, S., Chen, X., King, C., Painter-Zykmund, E., & Watt, K. (2016). Making difficult decisions: Employment experiences of immigrants to London, Ontario, Canada. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 54, 709-720. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162316.

Huot, S., Kelly, E., & Park, S. (2016). The occupational experiences of forced migrants: a scoping review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(3), 186-205. DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12261

Huot, S., Bobadilla, A., Bailliard, A., Laliberte Rudman, D. (2016). Constructing undesirables: A critical discourse analysis of ‘othering’ within Bill C-31, the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act. International Migration, 24(2), 131-143. DOI: 10.1111/imig.12210

Huot, S. & Laliberte Rudman, D. (2015). Extending beyond qualitative interviewing to illuminate the tacit nature of everyday occupation: Occupational mapping and participatory occupation methods. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35(3), 142-150. DOI: 10.1177/1539449215576488

Huot, S., Dodson, B., & Laliberte Rudman, D. (2014). Negotiating belonging following migration: Exploring the relationship between place and identity in Francophone minority communities. The Canadian Geographer, 58(3), 329-340. DOI: 10.1111/cag.12067

Huot, S. (2013). Francophone immigrant integration and neoliberal governance: the paradoxical role of community organizations. Journal of Occupational Science, 20(4), 326-341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2013.803272

Huot, S., Laliberte Rudman, D., Dodson, B., & Magalhães, L. (2013). Expanding policy-based conceptualizations of ‘successful integration’: Negotiating integration through occupation following international migration. Journal of Occupational Science, 20(1), 6-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2012.717497

Shaw, L., Jacobs, K., Rudman, D., Magalhães, L., Huot, S., & Prodigner, B. et al. (2012). Directions for advancing the study of work transitions in the 21st century. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 41, 369-377. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1438

Huot, S., & Laliberte Rudman, D. (2010). The performances and places of identity: Conceptualizing intersections of occupation, identity and place in the process of migration. Journal of Occupational Science, 17(2), 68-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2010.9686677

Spafford, M., Laliberte Rudman, D., Leipert, B., Klinger, L., & Huot, S. (2010). When self-presentation trumps access: Why older adults with low vision go without low vision services. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 29, 579-602. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464809345494

Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S., Klinger, L., Leipert, B., & Spafford, M. (2010). Viewing occupation through a lens of risk: the experiences of older adults with low vision. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 30(2), 87-96.https://doi.org/10.3928/15394492-20100325-04

Laliberte Rudman, D., Huot, S., & Dennhardt, D. (2009). Shaping ideal places for retirement: occupational possibilities within contemporary media. Journal of Occupational Science, 16(1), 18-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2009.9686637

Laliberte Rudman, D., Dennhardt, S., Fok, D., Huot, S., Molke, D., Park, A., & Zur, B. (2008). A vision for occupational science: reflecting on our disciplinary culture. Journal of Occupational Science, 15(3), 136-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2008.9686623