Gerry Veenstra

he/his/him
Professor
location_on ANSO 1321
file_download Download CV
Research Area
Education

PhD, McMaster University, 1999
MA, McMaster University, 1994
BA, University of Waterloo, 1993
BMATH, University of Waterloo, 1992


About

Bio

Born in southern Ontario, Gerry Veenstra received undergraduate degrees in Pure Mathematics and Sociology from the University of Waterloo and graduate degrees in Sociology from McMaster University. He is past holder of a New Investigator career award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, an Early Career scholar award from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, a Senior Scholar career award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a Killam Research Fellowship from UBC.


Teaching


Research

Research

Veenstra has primarily investigated how social class and racial/ethnic identity are associated with physical and mental health. His research has been based mostly in Canada but also in China, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. This research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Public Health Agency of Canada and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.

One of his longstanding areas of interest concerns the relationship between social class (or socioeconomic status) and health. For example, he has applied Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power to health-related factors, identifying class groupings and a range of aesthetic tastes and dispositions in the Canadian field of power that illuminate the logic of health practices dispersed in the field. He has studied interplays between capitals – economic, cultural and social – as determinants of health in Canada, Switzerland and the United States and used fixed effects models applied to panel data to investigate whether associations between family income and self-rated health and mental health in Canada are causal in nature. He has also studied the health effects of intergenerational socioeconomic reproduction in Canada, China, South Korea and Switzerland and the health effects of intergenerational mobility in Canada.

Veenstra has also contributed to the literature on racial health inequalities in Canada. He has studied associations between health and incongruities between the racial identities people express to others and the racial identities they believe that others believe them to be, as well as the health implications of colourism, discrimination targeted at relatively darker skinned people of colour. He has investigated health inequalities by way of the racial identities (Asian, Black, South Asian, White) reported by respondents to nationally representative surveys and examined the degree to which they intersect with gender and immigrant status. He has also examined correspondences between multiracial identities and health.

In the last decade or so, Veenstra combined his interests in social class and racial health inequalities under the auspices of intersectionality theory, examining whether “intersections” between ‘race,’ class, gender and sexuality are associated with health and health-related practices in Canada.

Finally, Veenstra is interested in the class bases of cultural phenomena such as musical tastes and sporting knowledge and participation. In particular, he has endeavoured to contribute to the debate regarding the relative merits of the homology approach (specific cultural tastes and practices are aligned with specific class positions) and the cultural omnivorism perspective (elites are increasingly characterized by the breadth and eclecticism of their cultural tastes and practices). He has recently embarked upon a study of the lived experience — and health effects — of pickup soccer in a sample of middle-aged men in Vancouver.


Publications

Social Class and Health

Social Capital and Health

Racial Health Inequalities

Intersectionality and Health

Culture and Class


Graduate Supervision

Current students
Madani, Rana (MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences; committee)
Prisk, Dan (MA Sociology; committee)

Former students
Abichahine, Hayfa (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Ahmadi, Naseam (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Bombard, Yvonne (PhD Interdisciplinary Studies; committee)
Burnett, Patrick John (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Burnett, Patrick John (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Buse, Christopher (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Capell, Jennifer (MSc Rehabilitation Sciences; committee)
Chen, Minheng (MA Sociology; committee)
Christy, Kayonne (MA Sociology; co-supervisor)
Gu, Jiaxin (MA Sociology; committee)
Jaffe, Kaitlyn (PhD Sociology; committee)
Legun, Katharine (MA Sociology; committee)
Ma, Amy (MA Educational Studies; committee)
Nannar, Rumnique (MA Journalism; committee)
Patterson, Andrew (MA Family Studies; supervisor)
Patterson, Andrew (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Shortt, Jennifer (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Sutherland, D. Kyle (PhD Sociology; committee)
Valdes, Mirah (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Wang, Zhonghao (MA Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Feng (PhD Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Xueqing (MA Sociology; supervisor)


Google Scholar


Gerry Veenstra

he/his/him
Professor
location_on ANSO 1321
file_download Download CV
Research Area
Education

PhD, McMaster University, 1999
MA, McMaster University, 1994
BA, University of Waterloo, 1993
BMATH, University of Waterloo, 1992


About

Bio

Born in southern Ontario, Gerry Veenstra received undergraduate degrees in Pure Mathematics and Sociology from the University of Waterloo and graduate degrees in Sociology from McMaster University. He is past holder of a New Investigator career award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, an Early Career scholar award from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, a Senior Scholar career award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a Killam Research Fellowship from UBC.


Teaching


Research

Research

Veenstra has primarily investigated how social class and racial/ethnic identity are associated with physical and mental health. His research has been based mostly in Canada but also in China, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. This research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Public Health Agency of Canada and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.

One of his longstanding areas of interest concerns the relationship between social class (or socioeconomic status) and health. For example, he has applied Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power to health-related factors, identifying class groupings and a range of aesthetic tastes and dispositions in the Canadian field of power that illuminate the logic of health practices dispersed in the field. He has studied interplays between capitals – economic, cultural and social – as determinants of health in Canada, Switzerland and the United States and used fixed effects models applied to panel data to investigate whether associations between family income and self-rated health and mental health in Canada are causal in nature. He has also studied the health effects of intergenerational socioeconomic reproduction in Canada, China, South Korea and Switzerland and the health effects of intergenerational mobility in Canada.

Veenstra has also contributed to the literature on racial health inequalities in Canada. He has studied associations between health and incongruities between the racial identities people express to others and the racial identities they believe that others believe them to be, as well as the health implications of colourism, discrimination targeted at relatively darker skinned people of colour. He has investigated health inequalities by way of the racial identities (Asian, Black, South Asian, White) reported by respondents to nationally representative surveys and examined the degree to which they intersect with gender and immigrant status. He has also examined correspondences between multiracial identities and health.

In the last decade or so, Veenstra combined his interests in social class and racial health inequalities under the auspices of intersectionality theory, examining whether “intersections” between ‘race,’ class, gender and sexuality are associated with health and health-related practices in Canada.

Finally, Veenstra is interested in the class bases of cultural phenomena such as musical tastes and sporting knowledge and participation. In particular, he has endeavoured to contribute to the debate regarding the relative merits of the homology approach (specific cultural tastes and practices are aligned with specific class positions) and the cultural omnivorism perspective (elites are increasingly characterized by the breadth and eclecticism of their cultural tastes and practices). He has recently embarked upon a study of the lived experience — and health effects — of pickup soccer in a sample of middle-aged men in Vancouver.


Publications

Social Class and Health

Social Capital and Health

Racial Health Inequalities

Intersectionality and Health

Culture and Class


Graduate Supervision

Current students
Madani, Rana (MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences; committee)
Prisk, Dan (MA Sociology; committee)

Former students
Abichahine, Hayfa (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Ahmadi, Naseam (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Bombard, Yvonne (PhD Interdisciplinary Studies; committee)
Burnett, Patrick John (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Burnett, Patrick John (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Buse, Christopher (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Capell, Jennifer (MSc Rehabilitation Sciences; committee)
Chen, Minheng (MA Sociology; committee)
Christy, Kayonne (MA Sociology; co-supervisor)
Gu, Jiaxin (MA Sociology; committee)
Jaffe, Kaitlyn (PhD Sociology; committee)
Legun, Katharine (MA Sociology; committee)
Ma, Amy (MA Educational Studies; committee)
Nannar, Rumnique (MA Journalism; committee)
Patterson, Andrew (MA Family Studies; supervisor)
Patterson, Andrew (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Shortt, Jennifer (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Sutherland, D. Kyle (PhD Sociology; committee)
Valdes, Mirah (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Wang, Zhonghao (MA Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Feng (PhD Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Xueqing (MA Sociology; supervisor)


Google Scholar


Gerry Veenstra

he/his/him
Professor
location_on ANSO 1321
Research Area
Education

PhD, McMaster University, 1999
MA, McMaster University, 1994
BA, University of Waterloo, 1993
BMATH, University of Waterloo, 1992

file_download Download CV
About keyboard_arrow_down

Bio

Born in southern Ontario, Gerry Veenstra received undergraduate degrees in Pure Mathematics and Sociology from the University of Waterloo and graduate degrees in Sociology from McMaster University. He is past holder of a New Investigator career award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, an Early Career scholar award from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, a Senior Scholar career award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a Killam Research Fellowship from UBC.

Teaching keyboard_arrow_down
Research keyboard_arrow_down

Research

Veenstra has primarily investigated how social class and racial/ethnic identity are associated with physical and mental health. His research has been based mostly in Canada but also in China, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. This research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Public Health Agency of Canada and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.

One of his longstanding areas of interest concerns the relationship between social class (or socioeconomic status) and health. For example, he has applied Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power to health-related factors, identifying class groupings and a range of aesthetic tastes and dispositions in the Canadian field of power that illuminate the logic of health practices dispersed in the field. He has studied interplays between capitals – economic, cultural and social – as determinants of health in Canada, Switzerland and the United States and used fixed effects models applied to panel data to investigate whether associations between family income and self-rated health and mental health in Canada are causal in nature. He has also studied the health effects of intergenerational socioeconomic reproduction in Canada, China, South Korea and Switzerland and the health effects of intergenerational mobility in Canada.

Veenstra has also contributed to the literature on racial health inequalities in Canada. He has studied associations between health and incongruities between the racial identities people express to others and the racial identities they believe that others believe them to be, as well as the health implications of colourism, discrimination targeted at relatively darker skinned people of colour. He has investigated health inequalities by way of the racial identities (Asian, Black, South Asian, White) reported by respondents to nationally representative surveys and examined the degree to which they intersect with gender and immigrant status. He has also examined correspondences between multiracial identities and health.

In the last decade or so, Veenstra combined his interests in social class and racial health inequalities under the auspices of intersectionality theory, examining whether “intersections” between ‘race,’ class, gender and sexuality are associated with health and health-related practices in Canada.

Finally, Veenstra is interested in the class bases of cultural phenomena such as musical tastes and sporting knowledge and participation. In particular, he has endeavoured to contribute to the debate regarding the relative merits of the homology approach (specific cultural tastes and practices are aligned with specific class positions) and the cultural omnivorism perspective (elites are increasingly characterized by the breadth and eclecticism of their cultural tastes and practices). He has recently embarked upon a study of the lived experience — and health effects — of pickup soccer in a sample of middle-aged men in Vancouver.

Publications keyboard_arrow_down

Social Class and Health

Social Capital and Health

Racial Health Inequalities

Intersectionality and Health

Culture and Class

Graduate Supervision keyboard_arrow_down

Current students
Madani, Rana (MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences; committee)
Prisk, Dan (MA Sociology; committee)

Former students
Abichahine, Hayfa (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Ahmadi, Naseam (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Bombard, Yvonne (PhD Interdisciplinary Studies; committee)
Burnett, Patrick John (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Burnett, Patrick John (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Buse, Christopher (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Capell, Jennifer (MSc Rehabilitation Sciences; committee)
Chen, Minheng (MA Sociology; committee)
Christy, Kayonne (MA Sociology; co-supervisor)
Gu, Jiaxin (MA Sociology; committee)
Jaffe, Kaitlyn (PhD Sociology; committee)
Legun, Katharine (MA Sociology; committee)
Ma, Amy (MA Educational Studies; committee)
Nannar, Rumnique (MA Journalism; committee)
Patterson, Andrew (MA Family Studies; supervisor)
Patterson, Andrew (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Shortt, Jennifer (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Sutherland, D. Kyle (PhD Sociology; committee)
Valdes, Mirah (MSc Food Sciences; committee)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (MA Sociology; supervisor)
Vanzella Yang, Adam (PhD Sociology; supervisor)
Wang, Zhonghao (MA Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Feng (PhD Sociology; committee)
Zhang, Xueqing (MA Sociology; supervisor)