Andrea Doucet facts for kids

Andrea Doucet (born around 1960) is a Canadian expert who studies how people live and interact in society. She is also a writer. She works as a professor at Brock University. There, she teaches about how society works (sociology) and about gender. She also holds a special title called the Canada Research Chair in gender, work, and care. This means she is a leading researcher in these areas.

About Andrea Doucet

Andrea Doucet is known for her important work on families and how roles change. She studies how parents share responsibilities at home and at work. Her research helps us understand modern families better.

Early Life and Family

Andrea Doucet was born in 1960 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. She grew up in a family that spoke English. Her sister, Lyse Doucet, is a well-known journalist. Lyse works as a chief correspondent for the BBC.

Education and Learning

Andrea Doucet went to university to study many interesting subjects. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from York University in Toronto. She studied political theory, which is about how governments and societies work.

Later, she got her Master of Arts (MA) degree from Carleton University. For this, she studied international development. This field looks at how countries can help each other grow and improve. In 1995, she earned her highest degree, a PhD, from Cambridge University. Her PhD was in social and political sciences.

Her Career and Research

Andrea Doucet has taught at several universities. From 1995 to 1998, she was a professor at St. Mary's University in Halifax. Then, she taught sociology at Carleton University from 1998 to 2011.

Since 2011, she has been a professor at Brock University. She teaches sociology and gender studies. Gender studies explores how gender affects people's lives and society. She also became a Canada Research Chair in gender, work, and care in 2011. This title means she is a top expert in these areas. People see her as an expert in how families balance work and caring for each other.

She used to be an editor for an academic journal called Fathering. This journal published research about men as fathers.

In 2009, when she was at Carleton University, Professor Doucet started a big study. It was called the "Bread and Roses Project." She looked at families where women earned most of the money. She collected information from families in both Canada and the United States.

In an interview, Professor Doucet explained that when women earn more and men take on more caregiving, families have to adjust. She said, "You can't just reverse the genders." She also noted that it's normal for there to be some stress when traditional roles change. She mentioned that job losses can make these changes happen very quickly. This can be a tough learning experience for everyone in the family.

Professor Doucet's project showed that women's education and jobs have steadily increased. She said there has been a "remarkable leap" in women becoming the main earners in their families. This change is connected to how the economy has changed over time.

Studying Fathers as Caregivers

From 1998 to 2002, Andrea Doucet led an important research project. It was called "Fathers as Primary Caregivers." This project received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The SSHRC is a Canadian government agency that supports research in social sciences.

Awards and Recognition

Andrea Doucet has received awards for her work.

• In 2007, she won the John Porter Tradition of Excellence Book Award. This award came from the Canadian Sociological Association.