I am a public sociologist and engaged social change theorist who believes that the best thinking is done with – not about – the world. My research is premised on the inherent relationality of existence, and the view that the biggest crisis we face is one of disconnect: from ourselves, others and earth. My work focuses on how we might work collaboratively across deep diversity to transform individualist, ego-centric ways of being towards relational, eco-centric ways of being. While there is no shortage of ideas, capacities and know-how, my research focuses on the critical gap of sustained dialogue and collaborative engagement across deep diversity in an ever-polarizing world.
Supporting, leading and teaching collaborative change processes has been a central focus of my work not only as a scholar but as a practitioner. For the past twenty years, I have worked with dozens of organizations, institutions, communities and movements around the world on social change projects – from UN agencies to small non-profit agencies. Most recently, I worked with youth climate justice activists promoting the rights of nature to understand what they teach us about social change and how it happens. I have also taught collaborative leadership and advised global leaders for the past five years at Royal Roads University, where I am Associate Faculty. Through this work, I have learned that transformative systems change happens when everyone in a system is engaged in genuine and sustained collaborative processes.
My recent publications are on deep democracy, climate change, empathy and decolonizing higher education. My current research focuses on engaged theorizing, collaborative living, post-Covid conceptions of home and kin, eco-social empathy, and collaborative social change methodologies. I am honoured to live with my family as a sixth-generation guest of Irish/Scottish/British descent on the ancestral lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples today also known as Victoria, BC.
Phone: 1-250-896-9304 or 1-800-270-9640 Office hours: Tuesdays 2:00 MST (or by appointment)
Research interests
Epistemic Justice
Eco-Social Justice
Youth Climate Justice Movement
Grounded Normative Theory
Transformative Social Change Theory
Engaged Research Methodologies (Relational, Participatory, Decolonizing, Indigenous and Arts-Based)
Decolonizing Human Rights and the Rights of Nature
Eco-Social Empathy
Collaborative Co-Parenting
Educational credentials
PhD, Sociology/Cultural, Social & Political Thought, University of Victoria
MA, Social and Political Thought, York University
BA, University of Toronto
Professional affiliations
Associate Faculty, School of Leadership, Royal Roads University (RRU)
Associate, International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD)
Founding member, Cedar Trees Institute (CTI), University of Victoria (UVic)
Rebeccah Nelems. (2022). What the Tree Canopies Know: Other Wise Democracies. Pp. 152-171 in Keith Cherry, Fonna Forman, Jeanne Morefield, Rebeccah Nelems, Pablo Ouziel, David Owen, Oliver Schmidtke and James Tully (Eds.), Democratic Multiplicity: Perceiving, Enacting & Integrating Democratic Diversity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009178372.011
Agger-Gupta, Niels and Rebeccah Nelems. (2023). Mapping the Action-Oriented Inquiry Process. In Doug Hamilton, Elizabeth Childs, Devina Dandar and Richard Kool (Eds.), Active Learning for Real World Inquiry. Creative Commons. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/activelearningforrealworldinquiry/
Lickers, Michael, Teara Fraser, Catherine Etmanski, Cheryl Heykoop, Niels Agger-Gupta and Rebeccah Nelems. (2023). Indigenous Scholar in Residence. In Doug Hamilton, Elizabeth Childs, Devina Dandar and Richard Kool (Eds.), Active Learning for Real World Inquiry. Creative Commons. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/activelearningforrealworldinquiry/
Rebeccah Nelems. (2019). Short Walk Home. Pp. 40-44 in Catriona Sandilands (Ed.), Rising Tides: Reflections for Climate Changing Times. Galiano Island: Caitlin Press.
Nelems, Rebeccah J and LJ (Nic) Theo. (2018). Introduction. Pp. vii-x in Rebeccah J Nelems and LJ (Nic) Theo (Eds.), Exploring Empathy: Its Propagations, Perimeters and Potentialities. Boston: Brill.
Nelems, Rebeccah J. (2018). What is this thing called Empathy? Pp. 17-40 in Rebeccah J Nelems and LJ (Nic) Theo (Eds.), Exploring Empathy: Its Propagations, Perimeters and Potentialities. Boston: Brill.
Rebeccah J Nelems and LJ (Nic) Theo, Eds. (2018). Exploring Empathy: Its Propagations, Perimeters and Potentialities. Boston: Brill.
Nelems, Rebeccah J. (2015). The Horizons of Empathic Experience. Pp. 165-176 in Veronica Wain and Paulus Pimomo (Eds.), Encountering Empathy: Interrogating the Past, Envisioning the Future. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press.
Blanchet-Cohen, N., & Nelems, R. (2013). A Child-centered Evaluation of a Psychosocial Program for Children Post-Disaster. Children, Youth and Environments, 23(1):23-42.
Blanchet-Cohen, N., & Nelems, R. (2010). Preparing children for disasters: Evaluation of the ready and resilient program. Journal of Emergency Management, 8(4):17-24.
Cedar Trees Institute (CTI), Centre for Global Studies, UVic. (2020). Human Rights in a Decolonizing Key: British Columbia Office of the Human Rights Commissioner Baseline Study Framework. (Contributing author)
International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD). (2012). Child and Youth-Centred Accountability: A Guide for Involving Young People in Monitoring and Evaluating Child Protection Systems. Victoria: IICRD. (Contributing author)
GeoSpatial Salasan Inc. (2006). Evaluation of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance’s (IDEA) Gender Policy and Women in Politics Project. Victoria: Salasan. (Primary author)
GeoSpatial Salasan Inc. (2005). Evaluation of the Canadian Urban Institute’s International Partnership Program for Good Urban Governance. Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency. (Sole author)
Universalia and GeoSpatial Salasan Inc. (2005). The Power of Volunteering: A Review of the Canadian Voluntary Cooperation Program: Evaluation Report. Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency. (Contributing author)
GeoSpatial Salasan Inc. (2005). Review of UNHCR’s Partnerships with National Non-Governmental Organizations. Victoria: Salasan. (Primary author)
Nelems, R. (2003). Historical Review of the International Development Research Centre’s Gender Programming. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre. (Sole author)