Actor Details

Chairholder, Canada Research Chair in Gender, Migration, and Health

Denise Spitzer, PhD, is the Canada Research Chair in Gender, Migration and Health, an Associate Professor with the Institute of Women’s Studies and a Principal Scientist in the Institute of Population Health. In addition to undergraduate studies in Biology, Chinese, and Music, she holds graduate degrees in Anthropology. Dr. Spitzer is interested in how global processes—intersecting with gender, ethnicity, migration status and other social identifiers—are implicated in health and wellbeing. With the support of graduate students, academic investigators, and community partners, Dr. Spitzer’s current research focuses on immigrant and refugee women and engages with: critical perspectives of the body; transnationalism and identity; the impact of policy on health; agency and social support; community-based research, and gender and diversity-based analysis.

Books Edited

Spitzer, D. L., Engendering Migrant Health: Canadian Perspectives, Toronto, University of Toronto Press

Chapters In Books

Torres, S., Spitzer, D. L., Hughes, K., Oxman-Martinez, J., and Hanley, J., “From Temporary Worker to Resident: The LCP and Its Impact Through an Intersectional LEns.”, Legislated Inequality: Temporary Foreign Migrants in Canada., Lenard, P. and Straehle, C., Ottawa, McGill-Queen's University Press.

Spitzer, D. L., “Engendering Migrant Health in Canada”, Engendering Migrant Health: Canadian Perspectives, ed.Spitzer, D. L., Toronto, University of Toronto Press

Spitzer, D. L., “Work, Worries and Weariness: Towards an Embodied and Engendered Migrant Health”, Engendering Migrant Health: Canadian Perspectives, ed. Spitzer, D. L., Toronto, University of Toronto Press

Spitzer, D. L., “Engendering Migrant Health: Final Reflections.”, Engendering Migrant Health: Canadian Perspectives, ed. Spitzer, D. L., Toronto, University of Toronto Press

Spitzer, D. L., “Oppression and Im/migrant Health in Canada”, Oppression and Health, ed. McGibbon, E., Halifax, Fernwood Publishing

Spitzer, D. L., “Policy (In) Action: Policy-Making, Health and Migrant Women”, Migrant Women’s Quest for Social Justice, ed.V. Agnew, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 2009, 137-162

Spitzer, D. L., Neufeld, A. Harrison, M. Hughes, K. and Stewart, M., “Caregiving in Transnational Perspective: My Wings Have Been Cut: Where Can I Fly?”, Global Dimensions in Gender and Carework, eds.M. Zimmerman, J. Litt and C. Bose, Stanford, Stanford University Press, 2006, Pp. 176-194

Papers In Refereed Journals

Vissandjee, B., Human, I., Spitzer, D. L., Apale, A., and Kamrun, N., “Integration, Clarification, Substantiation: Sex, Gender, Ethnicity and Migration as Social Detrimants of Women’s Health”, Journal of International Women’s Studies, 8(4), 2007, 32-48

Stewart, M., Neufeld, A., Harrison, M., Spitzer, D. L., Hughes, K., and Mwakwarimba, E., “Immigrant Women Family Caregivers in Canada: Implications for Policies and Programs in Health and Social Sectors”, Health & Social Care in the Community, 14(4), 2006, 329-340

Papers In Non-Refereed Journal

Spitzer, D. L. and Walker, K., “Moving to the Margins: Migration Outside of Canada’s Major Urban Centres”, Cultures West, 24(2), 2006, 22

Major Invited Contributions And/Or Technical Reports

Labonte, R., Packer, C. and Spitzer, D. L., Globalization and the Health Worker Migration Crisis, WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Geneva, 2007

Working Papers

Spitzer, D. L., (2009), Live-In Caregivers in Rural and Small City Alberta., Edmonton: PCE Working Paper.

Spitzer, D. L. and Torres, S., (2008), Gendered Barriers to Settlement and Integration for Live-in Caregivers: A Review of the Literature., Toronto: CERIS Working Paper No. 71.

Book Reviews

Spitzer, D. L., Migration and Domestic Work: A European Perspective on a Global Theme., Lutz, Helma (Aldershot, UK, Ashgate, 2008), Journal of International Migration and Integration

Communications In Learned Societies

Spitzer, D. L., “Is Migrating to Canada Bad for Your Health?”, People's Health Matters, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF.

Spitzer, D. L., “Home Work: Foreign Domestic Labour, Globalization and Health.”, American Anthropological Association, New Orleans, USA, Nov. 16-21.

Spitzer, D. L., “"I am a LCP": Reconfigured Identities and Foreign Domestic Workers in Canada.”, 15th International Metropolis Conference., The Hague, Netherlands, October 4-8, 2010.

Spitzer, D. L., “Private Work, Public Bodies: Gender and Foreign Domestic Labour in Malaysia”, Migration in China and Asia: Experiences and Policy, Beijing, China, Metropolis, May 20-21, 2010

Spitzer, D. L., “Engendering Migrant Health.”, Migrants and the Right to Health., London, UK,, Birbeck College, University College London, May 26, 2010

Spitzer, D. L., “Gender Matters: Transnational Care Workers in a Globalizing World.”, University College of Lillehammer, Lillehammer, Norway, May 30, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Ruptured Lives and Reconfigured Identities: The Impact of Foreign Domestic Work on the Lives of Migrant Women in Canada.”, Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA) & Korean Association for Feminist Studies in English Literature, Seoul, South Korea, June 12-13, 2010

Torres, S., Spitzer, D. L., Hughes, K., Hanley, J., and Oxman-Martinez, J., “Struggles, Resistance and Resilience: Permanent Residency after the LCP”, 11th National Metropolis Conference, Calgary, AB, March 20, 2009

Spitzer, D. L., Torres, S., Hughes, K., Oxman-Martinez, J. and Hanley, J., “The Land of Milk and Honey? Findings, Policy Implications and Recommendations.”, 11th National Metropolis Conference, Calgary, AB, March 20, 2009

Spitzer, D. L., Torres, S., Hughes, K., Oxman-Martinez, J. and Hanley, J., “Searching for the Promised Land: Foreign Domestic Care Workers in Canada.”, 11th International Metropolis Conference, Bonn, Germany, October 31, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Ruptured Lives and Reconfigured Identities: The Impact of Foreign Domestic Work on the Lives of Migrant Women in Canada.”, European Social Anthropology Association Meeting, Ljubljana, Slovenia, August 27, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “We're Survivors....It's in the Blood: Foreign Domestic Workers in Canada”, Women's Worlds 2008, Madrid, Spain, July 7, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Intersecting Women's Work, Women's Health and Migration Status: The Case of Foreign Domestic Workers in Canada”, Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA), Leiden, Netherlands, June 28, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Gender, Labour and the Loss of the Healthy Immigrant Effect”, 2nd Conference on Migrant Health in Europe, Malmö, Sweden, May 22, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Work, Worries and Weariness: Engendering Migrant Health in Canada”, Globalization of Intimacies: Body, Gender and Commodification, Bergen, Norway, University of Bergen, May 26, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Out of the Shadows: Live-In Caregivers in Canada”, 10th National Metropolis Conference, Halifax, April 5-8, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Globalization, Health and Foreign Domestic Workers.”, Society for Applied Anthropology Conference, Memphis, March 25-31, 2008

Spitzer, D. L., “Embodying Inequalities: Globalization, Health and Foreign Domestic Care Workers”, 6th Pan-European International Relations Conference, Torino, Italy, September 12-15, 2007

Spitzer, D. L., “Is Migrating to Canada Bad for Your Health? Examining the Intersections of Gender, Migration and Health”, Health and Immigration in the Global Space, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel, June 20-21, 2007

Spitzer, D. L., Torres, S., Oxman-Martinez, and Hanley, J., “The Land of Milk and Honey? After the Live-in Caregiver Program”, 9th National Metropolis Conference, Toronto, Ontario

Oxman-Martinez, J., Davis, G., Hanley, J., Spitzer, D. L., and Hughes, K., “Facets of Violence in the LCP: A Critical Analysis of Migrant Workers’ Rights”, 9th National Metropolis Conference, Toronto, Ontario, March 2, 2007

Spitzer, D. L., Hughes, K., Oxman-Martinez, J., and Hanley, J., “Making the Most of It: Life after the Live-In Caregiver Program”, Presentation to the 11th Metropolis Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, October 5, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “The Land of Milk and Honey? Or Is Migrating to Canada Bad for Your Health?”, Invited presentation to the Asia Research Institute, Migration Study Group, National University of Singapore, September 6, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “Illuminating the Loss of the Healthy Immigrant Effect: The Case of Foreign Domestic Care-Workers in Canada”, Presentation to the 11th World Congress on Public Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 25, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “Canada’s Live-In Caregiver Program: In Whose Interests?”, Presentation to the COMPAS Annual Conference, Oxford University, UK, July 2, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “Is Migrating to Canada Bad for Your Health? Examining the Intersections of Gender, Migration and Health”, Invited presentation to Gender, Migration and Integration in the New Europe, University of Catania, Italy, June 30, 2006

Oxman-Martinez, J., Spitzer, D. L., Hanley, J., and Hughes, K., «Une terre promise», McGill University, Montréal, May 16, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “You’ve Got Nowhere to Go: Live-In Caregivers in Rural and Small City Alberta”, 8th National Metropolis Conference, Vancouver, B.C., March 24, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “Is Migrating to Canada Bad for your Health? A Case Study with Live-in Caregivers”, Invited presentation to Institute of Population Health Speaker’s Series, March 14, 2006

Spitzer, D. L., “Negotiating Sex and Sexuality: Midlife Perspectives from Migrant Women”, Presentation to the 7th National Metropolis Conference, Montreal, April, 2004

Spitzer, D. L., Thurston, W. and P. Liamputtong, “Gender, Identity and Migration: Workshop Synthesis Report” , Paper written for the 9th International Metropolis Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004

Spitzer, D. L. and Alvardj-Korenic, T., “Sex in the New City: Migrant Perspectives on Reproduction and Sexuality: Workshop Synthesis Report” , Paper written for the 7th National Metropolis Conference, Montreal, 2004