PhD Oral Exam - Bettina Koschade, Humanities

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

This thesis examines the persistence of the housing crisis in Nunavik, Quebec by conducting an in-depth analysis of government policies and social, cultural, and economic motivations. Using a phronetic research approach based on Bent Flyvberg’s work, the analysis is conducted using ethical knowledge and “practical common sense” (known as phronesis) to derive an interpretation of the status of values and interests expressed in housing policies, agreements, and Inuit-Crown partnerships. The analysis reveals a disconnect between the intentions and promises made by governments and the programs and actions actually proposed, evidenced in the details of housing policies and plans. The major gap can be identified in the goal towards wellbeing, a term that is neither well-defined nor Inuit-specific in government policies. Moreover, the foundational role of housing in Inuit wellbeing is not understood. Assumptions made about what wellbeing means and how it can be reached are largely influenced by neoliberal policies that identify solutions in economic terms. Inuit housing is framed by a capitalist welfare model that responds to housing needs rather than housing as a right. Housing is dealt with through social policy. In this context, the story of social housing as welfare, as a response to poverty, and as a drain on government resources, can only be countered with a discourse of housing as an economic asset. However, I argue that reducing the housing discourse to economic terms and technical issues (such as questions about construction and logistics) leaves no room to insist on critical political issues related to housing such as autonomy, control, and self-determination. Housing is political. It is part of the larger Inuit-state relationship framed by legal, constitutional, and policy contexts. By expressing the political, historical, and cultural contexts of the housing discourse, I survey the vast potential of the idea of home as a new focal point. Shifting from housing to home opens the door to reflect on housing for Inuit wellbeing and for self-determination. Building on Julia Christensen’s work with northern Indigenous populations that showed the material, relational, emotional, and spiritual qualities of homemaking, I explore the idea of home in detail from the literature and from reflections drawn from Inuit sources. Because home is part of what makes us human, something everyone can relate to at some level, and because home is also political, I suggest that it has the potential to change the housing dialogue and bring ethics, justice, care, and the shared value of mutual respect as key themes to include in Inuit housing decisions.