U of T Sociology professor Jerry Flores has been on research leave this past year, expanding his investigation of vulnerable populations in urban centres.
Professor Flores used his research leave to make significant progress on his new book, with the working title Disappearing in the City: An Urban Ethnography of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This book focuses on Indigenous women at risk in the city of Toronto, building on entirely new research. Flores and colleagues conducted 50 interviews in Toronto and scraped data from YouTube and from the Government of Canada’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, combining various research methodologies to gain new insights.
Though based on new research, Flores’ upcoming book builds thematically on his previous one, which was written about incarcerated Latinx girls in Los Angeles. He found that many of the same dynamics he observed in his previous research persisted in his investigations in Toronto. Beyond writing and researching for his new book, Flores travelled to New Zealand while on leave to examine archives about the creation of prisons there. He also visited Edmonton, Ottawa, and Saskatoon to further his research of Indigenous women at risk in Canada.
Professor Flores also took advantage of his leave to travel to Belize and Cancún with family. He explored the Greater Toronto Area, often on foot, appreciating the act of reflection that can accompany walking. Flores looks forward to returning to the classroom to teach!
We are excited to welcome Professor Flores back for the 2024-2025 academic year!