Tarah Brookfield
Areas of Expertise
- Canadian History
- Canadian Politics and Government
Biography
I have worked at Laurier since 2009. I received my PhD in history from York University. I also studied history at the University of Waterloo (MA) and McGill University (BA). Prior to teaching at Laurier, I taught at York University, Trent University, and Brock University. I am a member of the Canadian Historical Association and the Society for the History of Children and Youth.
My research focuses on the social and political history of modern Canada, with a particlar interest in Cold War Canada, children's health and welfare, women’s political activism, and representations of children's history in film and literature.
My current SSHRC-funded research project, Experiments in Peace: Activists, Families, and State Representatives on Grindstone Island examines how an island in Big Rideau Lake became a gathering spot for wilderness tourism, community building, and efforts to change the world.
I am also conducting research about living under the fear of Polio in Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations, 1920s-1970s.
I am part of a team at Laurier collecting stories of learners from care and their experiences in Post-Secondary Education, funded by the Hallman Foundation.