By: Natalie Cooke, News Writer 

Tiffany Muller Myrdahl is a senior lecturer at SFU and her research analyzes urban inequalities and inclusion strategies that target women and the LGBTQIA2S+ community. In an interview with Myrdahl, she told The Peak how urban inequalities exist today, and how researchers can alter their methodologies to improve engagement with and inclusion of marginalized communities. 

The National Institutes of Health defines urban inequalities as, “differences in access to services and/or health outcomes as an unequal state between one group and another within a city or town.” Therefore, inequalities exist in urban spaces based on one’s social standing, the privileges they have, or the disadvantages they face — including disability, race, or age restrictions. 

Myrdahl told The Peak her interest in examining urban inequalities “has focused on those who have historically been left out of decision-making processes, including women and LGBTQIA2S+ folks.” It is important for her to have a diverse range of communities “included in processes to build more equitable cities.”

Myrdahl explained many cities are developed for a “universal user,” who does not reflect the variety of livelihoods that exist within society. “There are very particular expectations wrapped up in this notion: that the ‘universal user’ is able-bodied and unhindered in their mobility.” She explained how public spaces often neglect safety and comfortability for all. “The [universal user] never needs to worry about sexual harassment or sexual violence; they do not need to be concerned that they will be questioned when they use public toilets; they will not be accused of loitering in public space; and they are never encumbered with caretaking responsibilities, like moving through public space with a stroller.” 

She added, “Cities are built on heteronormative assumptions of a nuclear family,” with gendered expectations about who does care and domestic labour, who is expected to stay home, or who requires access to the family car. “At a basic level, diverse family forms are rarely accommodated.” 

The inequalities women have faced for years are still in existence. Myrdahl explained, “We are far from parity when it comes to the gender wage gap, or when it comes to womens’ participation in public decision-making.” 

Canadian women who are transgender or racialized often face these inequalities most; transgender hate crimes have reportedly been on the rise in Canada and 41% of BIPOC people in Canada have faced discrimination in the last five years. Systemic barriers result in compounded inequalities for trans women and women of colour in areas such as health care, labour, housing, and community support.  

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported in 2019, “Women are more likely to vote in local elections, but in large cities they make up only one-third of city councillors and only one in five mayors.” In the workplace, “women make up 48% of all employees but only one-third of managers [ . . . ] Women earn less than men even when they have the same education, experience, and work in the same field.” 

SFU’s Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) is working to address these inequalities. Faculty and staff, including Mydrahl, want to work with the community to conduct research. Mydrahl emphasized, “Under ‘traditional’ research approaches, researchers are trained to extract data from their research subjects and there is little discussion of how the researcher is accountable to the community involved in providing data. This dynamic has caused a lot of harm and made many communities rightfully distrust researchers.”

Myrdahl has made suggestions for the SFU community regarding how we can improve our research practices. “SFU has a responsibility to set a different standard for research practice, including how community-centred research is valued.” Myrdahl noted, “If we are committed to community engagement, we should ask ourselves how that is reflected in the paths we’re carving out for the next generation of researchers.” 

To learn more about community engaged research, read Myrdahl’s post on the CERi blog.