Karen Gallant (She/Her), PhD

Education

• PhD - Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Ontario Canada, 2011

• Certificate in University Teaching - Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo, Ontario Canada, 2008

• MSc - Planning, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Ontario Canada, 2006

• Bachelor of Journalism - University of King's College, Nova Scotia Canada, 1999

• Honors BSc (Chemistry) - Mount Allison University, New Brunswick Canada, 1998

Bio

​​My research focuses on how people come to feel that they belong (or don’t) within communities, and particularly how community-based recreation experiences influence feelings of belonging (or not). I am currently focused on exploring the roles and meanings associated with short-duration leisure experiences that I call ‘everyday moments of leisure’, and the contributions of these leisure experiences to belonging and social inclusion. I draw on qualitative, community-based methodologies and art-based approaches and methods.

As a faculty member in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University, I also teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including supervising Honours and graduate students.

I welcome inquiries from potential graduate students who are interested in leisure studies, particularly the areas described above.

In 2020 Dr. Gallant was cross appointed to the School of Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University and was the recipient of the Dalhousie Faculty of Health Teaching Excellence Award in 2018.

Recent Publications:

1. Gallant, K., Alexander, R., Lauckner, R., & Hutchinson, S. (2024). Introducing ‘everyday moments of leisure’: Highlighting enjoyable breaks and pauses. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, 7, 231-256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-024-00153-5
2. Tomas, G., & Gallant, K. (2023). “You’re Filipino, you know what I mean”: Navigating co-researcher roles, relational graduate supervision, and shared reflexivity. Leisure/Loisir, 48(2), 333-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2023.2295329
3. Fortune, D., & Gallant, K. (2023). Challenging ideas of inclusion to work toward a more just future: Introduction to special issue on leisure, inclusion and belonging. Leisure/Loisir, 47(4), 527-533. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2023.2253238
4. Lauckner, H., Gallant, K., Akbari, M., Tomas, G., White, T. & Hutchinson, H. (2022). Picturing recreation: Newcomers’ perspectives on experiences of recreation. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 23, 2101-2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00921-2
5. Gallant, K., Hutchinson, S., White, C., Litwiller, F., Hamilton-Hinch, B., & Moran, R. (2021). Are we done yet? Reflections on the sustainability of knowledge products. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211060925
6. Gallant, K. (2021). Creating conversational interview podcasts to replace guest lectures. Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2021.1986438
7. Gallant, K., & Yuen, F. (2021). Unraveling the research process: Humanizing leisure scholars. Leisure Sciences, 43(3-4), 347-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.1832633
8. White, C. M., Hutchinson, S., Gallant, K., & Hamilton-Hinch, B. (2020). Beyond the barriers: First-voice perspectives on facilitators of leisure participation. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 39(1), 119-131. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2020-008
9. Gallant, K., Hutchinson, S., White, C., Hamilton-Hinch, B., Litwiller, F., Lauckner, H., & Burns, R. (2020). Reaching out to welcome in: Guidelines for socially inclusive recreation settings and programs for people with mental health challenges. Leisure/Loisir, 44(3), 327-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2020.1780933