Tracey Peter is a professor and associate head in the Department of Sociology at the University of Manitoba. She specializes in applied statistical research methods and survey design, and has published widely in the area of sexual and gender minority youth and other marginalized populations, particularly in the areas of inclusive education, mental health, and suicide prevention.
Teaching
As an educator, I believe that both learning and teaching involve a shared responsibility between instructor and student. The primary goal of this relationship is for students to become independent learners and problem solvers. My relationship with students is something that is very important to me, and I strongly believe that my job as a teacher does not end with the classroom lecture. I enjoy one-on-one discussions with my students, and encourage them to contact me outside of class. I also try to create a safe, relaxing, and comfortable environment where students can openly share their opinions, questions, and concerns. This is something I take great pride and care in developing – whether the student is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree.
Courses Taught
• Research Methods (SOC2290)
• Sociology of the Criminal Justice System and Corrections (SOC2610)
• Research Methods (SOC4580)
• Advanced Quantitative Research Methods (SOC7400)
Teaching Awards
Merit Award for Teaching, Service and Research, University of Manitoba, 2017
Winner, Teaching Excellence Award (Established Faculty), Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, 2016
Nominee, Teaching Excellence Award (Established Faculty), Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, 2015
Merit Award for Teaching, University of Manitoba, 2014
Student Thesis Supervision
Graduate
MacInnis, Nicole, Advisor, M.A. (Sociology), 2017. Thesis title: Sexual assault reporting rates in Canada: An exploration of factors involved in victims reporting decisions.
Edkins, Tamara, Advisor, M.A. (Sociology), 2016. Thesis title: Does “It Get Better?” Childhood bullying and the positive mental health of LGBTQ Canadians.
Patterson, Jillian. Advisor, M. A. (Sociology), 2015. Thesis title: Deconstructing neoliberal rationality in an increasingly punitive society: Canadian public support for ‘tough on crime’ policies.
Gordon, Reagan. Co-advisor with Dr. S. Brickey, M. A. (Sociology), 2010. Thesis title: The effect of abuse on adolescent behaviour: An empirical analysis of abused adolescents and observed negative functioning.
Dengate, Jennifer. Advisor, M. A. (Sociology), 2009. Thesis title: The effects of religious commitment on well-being: Exploring the relative importance of public versus private expressions of faith.
Wortman, Shauna. Co-advisor with Dr. S. Brickey, M. A. (Sociology), 2009. Thesis title: Empirically assessing the threat of victimization: How victimization and gender mediate the relationship between perceived risk, fear of victimization and constrained behaviour.
Undergraduate
Turner, Paul, honours theis (Sociology), 2018. Thesis title: Understanding the relationship between unemployment and mental health problems in the military population.
Edkins, Tamara, honours thesis (Sociology), 2015. Thesis title: Stop the hate: Understanding hate crime trends in Canada.
Biegun, Jeff, honours thesis (Sociology), 2015. Thesis title: Living dangerously: Analyzing the relationship between homelessness and victimization in Canada.
Yurkowski, Steven, honours thesis (Sociology), 2015. Thesis title: Positive mental health: The impact of pathological indicators of illness on the subjective well-being of Canadians.
Rieger, Slade, honours thesis (Psychology), 2013. Thesis title: “Give me a reason to live!” Examining reasons for living across levels of suicidality.
Taylor, Sharon, honours thesis (Sociology), 2010. Thesis title: Heterosexism and how it affects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer homeless youth.
Sullivan, Danielle, honours thesis (Sociology), 2009. Thesis title: An examination of the effects on marijuana on social well-being.
Research
Selected Publications
Books
Roberts, L. W., Edgerton, J., Peter, T., & Wilkinson, L. A. (2015). Understanding Social Statistics. Toronto: Oxford University Press (472 pp.).
Roberts, L. W., Kampen, K., & Peter, T. (2010). The statistics coach: Learning through practice. Toronto: Oxford University Press (176 pp.).
Roberts, L. W., Kampen, K., & Peter, T. (2009). The methods coach: Learning through practice. Toronto: Oxford University Press (160 pp.).
Journal Articles
Dengate, J., Peter, T., & Farenhorst, A. (2019, accepted). Gender and the faculty care gap: "The obvious go-to person" for Canadian university students' personal problems. Canadian Journal of Higher Education.
Dengate, J., Ferenhorst, A., & Peter, T. (2019, accepted). Sensible, mythical, or outdated? Gender and definitions of scholarly success in Canada. Canadian Journal of Higher Education.
Frohard-Dourlent, H. Saewyc, E., Veale, J., Peter, T., & MacAulay, M. (2018, accepted). Conceptualizing gender: Lessons from the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey. SIGNS.
Meyer, E.J., Quantz, M., Taylor, G., & Peter, T. (2019). Elementary teachers' experiences with LGBTQ-inclusive education: Addressing fears with knowledge to improve confidence and practices. Theory into Practice, 58(1), 6-17.
Saj, D., Peter, T., & Farenhorst, A. (2018). Perceptions of underrepresentation among students in STEM fields: An empirical analysis. Proceedings of Manitoba's Undergraduate Science and Engineering Research, 4(1), 17-23.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., & Short, D. (2018). Religious beliefs and the queer classroom: Measuring the impact of religious affiliation on LGBTQ-inclusive education practices. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 185, 19-31.
Watson, R.J., Peter, T., McKay, T., Edkins, T., & Saewyc, E. (2018). Evidence of changing patterns in mental health and depressive symptoms for sexual minority adolescents. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 22(2), 120-138.
Peter, T. (2018). Mind the Gap: Examining the positive mental health of sexual minority Canadians. Health Promotion International, 33, 665-675.
Peter, T. (2018). More than a feeling? An empirical analysis of the dual-continua model on a national sampe of lesbian, gay, and bisexual identified Canadians. Journal of Homosexuality, 65(6), 814-831.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., & Edkins, T. (2017). A call for “trans-action”: The role of enacted stigma in mediating the relationship between school climate and school attachment among gender minority students. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 63(4), 328-343.
Veale, J.F., Peter, T., Travers, R., & Saewyc, E. (2017). Enacted stigma, mental health, and protective factors among transgender youth in Canada. Transgender Health, 2 (1), 207-216.
Veale, J.F., Watson, R.J., Peter, T., & Saewyc, E.M. (2017). Mental health disparities among Canadian transgender youth: Population-based comparisons with a large online sample. Journal of Adolescent Health, 60, 1, 44-49.
Peter, T., Edkins, T., Watson, R.J., Adgei, J., Homma, Y., & Saewyc, E. (2017). An empirical investigation of suicidality disparities among sexual minority youth using a Canadian school-based population cohort study. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 4, 1, 115-123.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., & Campbell, C. (2016). “You can’t break… when you’re already broken”: The importance of school climate when examining LGBTQ youths’ experiences with suicide and suicide behaviour. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 20, 3, 195-213.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., & Edkins, T. (2016). Are the kids all right? The impact of school climate among students with LGBT parents. Canadian Journal of Education, 39, 1, 1-25.
Taylor, C., Peter, T., Short, D., Ristock, J., Meyer, E., & Campbell, C. (2016). Gaps between beliefs, perceptions and practices: The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-inclusive education in Canadian schools. Journal of LGBT Youth, 13, 1-2, 112-140.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., Ristock, J., & Edkins, T. (2015). Pride and prejudice: Factors affecting school attachment among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual girls. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 19, 2, 249-273.
Meyer, E., Taylor, C., & Peter. T. (2015). Perspectives on Gender and Sexual Diversity (GSD) inclusive education: Comparisons between gay/ lesbian/bisexual and straight educators. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society, and Learning, 15, 3, 221-234.
Peter, T., Taylor, C., & Chamberland, L. (2015). A queer day in Canada: Examining Canadian high school students’ experiences with school-based homophobia in two large-scale studies. Journal of Homosexuality, 62, 2, 186-206.
Rieger, S.J., Peter, T., & Roberts, L.W. (2015). “Give me a reason to live!” Examining reasons for living across levels of suicidality. Journal of Religion and Health, 54, 6, 2005-2019.
Peter, T. & Taylor, C. (2014). Buried above ground: A university-based study of risk/protective factors for suicidality among sexual minority youth. Journal of LGBT Youth, 11, 2, 125-49.
Taylor, C. & Peter, T. (2011). “We are not aliens, we’re people and we have rights:” Canadian human rights discourse and high school climate for LGBTQ students. Canadian Review of Sociology (for a special issue on sexuality, sexual health, and sexual rights), 48 (3), 631-668.
Peter, T., Roberts, L. W., & Dengate, J. (2011). Flourishing in life: An empirical test of the dual continua model of mental health and mental illness among Canadian university students. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 13, 1, 13-22.
Peter, T., Edgerton, J. E., Roberts, L. W. (2010). Welfare regimes and educational inequality: A cross-national exploration. International Studies in the Sociology of Education, 20(3), 241-264.
Peter, T. & Roberts, L. W. (2010). ‘Bad’ boys and ‘sad’ girls? Examining internalizing and externalizing effects on parasuicides among youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(5), 495-503.
Book Chapters
Peter, T., & Taylor, C. (2017). Hidden rainbows in plain sight: Human rights discourse and gender and sexual minority youth. In L. Samuelson & W. Antony (Eds.), Power & resistance: Critical thinking about Canadian social issues. Winnipeg: Fernwood.
Peter, T., & Taylor, C. (2012). “Homophobia High”: Sexual and gender minority youth in Canadian schools. In L. Samuelson & W. Antony (Eds.), Power & resistance: Critical thinking about Canadian social issues (pp. 72-97). Winnipeg: Fernwood.
Taylor, C. & Peter, T. (2012). Left behind: Sexual and gender minority students in Canadian high schools in the new millennium. In T. Morrison, M. Morrison, D. T. McDermott, & A. Carrigan (Eds.), Sexual minority research in the new millennium (pp. 127-156). Hauppauge: Nova Science.
Taylor, C., Peter, T., & Paquin, S. (2011). School is not a safe place for anyone like me: The first national climate survey on homophobia in Canadian schools. In W. Craig, D. Pepler, & J. Cummings (Eds.), Creating a world without bullying (pp. 67-85). Toronto: PrevNet.
Taylor, C., Peter, T., & Paquin, S. (2011). Homophobia research as discourse intervention: Ecological factors in the success of the first national climate survey on homophobia in Canadian schools. In L. Sokal & K. McCluskey (Eds.), Community connections: Reaching out of the ivory tower (pp 130-139). Ulm: International Centre for Innovation in Education.
Taylor, C., & Peter, T. (2010). Facts of life in Homophobia High. Findings of the first national climate survey. In A.P. Grace & S.J. Flynn (Eds.), Queer issues in the study of education and culture: A 2010 Canadian Society for Studies in Education (CSSE) Pre-Conference (pp. 55-62). Edmonton AB: University of Alberta.
Research Reports
Dengate, J., Farenhorst, A., Peter, T., Franz-Odendaal, T., Saj, D., Marchand, S., & Lepage, M. (2018). Canadian Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) Faculty Workplace Climate Survey Results -- Atlantic Canada. Winnipeg: Department of Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 12 pp.
Farenhorst, A., Peter, T., Degate, J., Saj, D., Lepage, M. (2018). Canadian Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) Faculty Workplace Climate Survey Results -- Prairie Provinces. Winnipeg: Department of Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 11 pp.
Anderson, K., Brass, A., Farenhorst, A., & Peter, T. (2018). Household water survey results. Winnipeg, MB: CREATE H2O Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, 104 pp.
Edkins, T., Peter, T., Veale, J., & Saewyc, E. (2017). Being safe, being me in the prairie provinces: Results of the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey in Saskatchewan & Manitoba. Vancouver, BC: Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC), School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, 76 pp.
Taylor, C., Peter, T., Edkins, T., Campbell, C., Emond, G., & Saewyc, E. (2016). The national inventory of school district interventions in support of LGBTQ student wellbeing: Final report. Vancouver, BC: Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, School of Nursing (SARAVYC), University of British Columbia, 48 pp.
Taylor, C., Peter, T., Campbell, C., Meyer, E., Ristock, J., & Short, D. (2015). The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-inclusive education in Canada’s K-12 schools: Final report. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Teachers’ Society. 163 pp.
Veale, J., Saewyc, E., Frohard-Dourlent, H., Dobson, S., Clark, B. & the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey Research Group (Peter, T.) (2015). Being Safe, Being Me: Results of the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey. Vancouver, BC: Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC), School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, 75 pp.
Taylor, C. & Peter, T., with McMinn, T. L., Elliott, T. Beldom, S., Ferry, A., Gross, Z., Paquin, S., & Schacter, K. (2011). Every class in every school: The first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools. Final report. Toronto, ON: Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, 151 pp.
Service
Service to the University
Selected Service
Member, Senate Committee on the Calendar, University of Manitoba, June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2022.
Member, Academic Schedule Review Committee, University of Manitoba, November 2018 to present.
Member, Ad hoc Introductory Sociology Committee, Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Manitoba, October 2018 to April 2019.
Member, Tenure Committee (Dr. Christopher Fries), Department of Sociolog and Criminology, University of Manitoba, September 2018 to November 2018.
New Faculty Mentor (Soodeh Saberian, Economics), Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, September 2018 to June 2019.
Member, Senate Committee on Rules and Procedure, University of Manitoba, June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2021.
Member, Department of Sociology and Criminology Head Search Committee, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, March 2018 to April 2018.
Member, Behavioural Policies Advisory Committee (Respectful Work and Learning Environment (RWLE) and Sexual Assault Policy Advisory Committee), University of Manitoba, December, 2017 to present.
Member, Gender-based salary differential committee, University of Manitoba Faculty Association, February 2017 to present.
Member, U of M Sexual Assault and Violence Steering Committee, University of Manitoba, February 2017 to present.
Member, UM Mental Health Research Network, University of Manitoba, January 2017 to present.
Associate Head, Sociology Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, July 2016 to present.
Chair, Curriculum Committee, Sociology Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, July 2016 to present.
Member, Advisory Committee, Sociology Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, July 2016 to present.
Co-Chair, Faculty of Arts, Local Area Safety and Health Committee, University of Manitoba, July 2016 to June 2018.
Member, University of Manitoba Senate, July 2015 to June 2017.
Member, Sociology/Psychology Research Ethics Board, September 2013 to December 2015, University of Manitoba
Member, Champions for Mental Health Group, December 2014 to present, University of Manitoba.
Member, Nominations Committee, Faculty of Arts, 2012-2014.
Member, Committee for Equity, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR), Faculty of Arts, 2011-2012.
Member Curriculum Committee, Department of Sociology, 2009-2010, 2011-2013.
Service to the Community
I am currently an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of LGBT Youth.
In 2008 I was awarded the University of Manitoba Outreach Award for my work with organizations such as Klinic Community Health Centre, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and Manitoba Health. In recent years, most of my community service is achieved by applying my expertise in research methods and statistics. I am frequently approached, both within and outside the academic community, and asked to consult on various research projects, especially in the area of survey construction and data analysis using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), and other statistical software programs of which I am fluent in.
(revised May, 2019)