معرفی
Isabelle Perreault is a Professor in the Department of Criminology within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She serves as Co-director of the research axis "Biopolitical Issues and Minority Groups" at CIRCEM (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities) and is an affiliated researcher at the Centre d'histoire des régulations sociales (CHRS) at UQAM. Her institutional roles include co-leading the Quebec Suicide and Mood Disorders Research Network (2020-2024) and co-researching the Historical Sociology of Suicide in Quebec project (2014-present).
Her educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in History, University of Ottawa (2009)
- M.A. in History and Feminist Studies, Université du Québec à Montréal (2003)
- B.A. in History, Université du Québec à Rimouski (1999)
Perreault's research centers on biopolitics and necropolitics in criminological contexts, with specific focus on suicide history (1763-present), unclaimed bodies, and minority group experiences within medical, judicial, and police institutions. Her work critically examines Canadian biopolitics through archival traces related to assisted suicide, abortion, sterilization, and non-procreative sexual practices, with particular attention to francophone minorities and marginalized populations. Methodologically grounded in qualitative approaches and archival research, her scholarship bridges criminology, history, and cultural studies.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong thematic continuity in historical criminology and biopolitical analysis. Over half examine archival materials from Quebec's Saint-Jean-de-Dieu psychiatric hospital (1873-1973), while recurring motifs include suicide documentation, postmortem photography, and the intersection of music with historical narrative. Her 2021-2025 output demonstrates expanding interdisciplinary reach into visual studies, musicology, and performance theory while maintaining core criminological focus on power structures and marginalized experiences.
Perreault actively supervises graduate research through doctoral seminars (CRM 8500) and methodology courses (CRM 8510), directing specialized instruction in biopolitical criminology (CRM 4710) and advanced research methods (CRM 6780). Her current sabbatical reflects ongoing commitment to major research projects rather than teaching obligations.
Her laboratory work centers on CIRCEM's research axis where she leads archival analysis of biopolitical traces, developing methodological frameworks for interpreting historical documents related to suicide, mental health, and minority experiences. This includes digital archive construction and ethical management of sensitive historical materials, particularly regarding unclaimed bodies and psychiatric records.
