About
Rebecca Raby is a Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. Her research focuses on sociological analyses of childhood, youth, and their intersections with gender, race, class, and sexuality. She investigates school discipline, youth agency, and the socio-cultural construction of childhood. Current projects include SSHRC-funded studies on young people’s first jobs and homeless children’s experiences in transitional housing. Raby employs qualitative methodologies, including photo-elicitation and focus groups, to explore topics like youth labor, pandemic impacts, and digital activism.
Her work spans edited collections such as The Sociology of Childhood and Youth in Canada and Smart Girls: Success, School and the Myth of Post-Feminism. She collaborates extensively, notably with Wolfgang Lehmann on teen work studies and Christine Tardif-Williams on housing projects. Raby critiques systemic inequalities in education and youth governance, emphasizing participatory research approaches.
Notable contributions include analyzing dress codes as gender politics, pandemic-era children’s coping mechanisms, and the gendered dynamics of part-time work. Her research bridges theory and practice, addressing policy implications for youth equity and social justice.
