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Campbell Lori, Associate Professor

Lori Campbell

Associate Professor

Emeritus Faculty
Department of Health Aging & Society

Area(s) of Interest:

Biography

Lori Campbell is a sociologist who studies family and family relationships through the lenses of gender and aging.  Much of her published research has focused on family caregiving, and on a population that has received little attention – adult sons who provide care to older parents. 

Unpaid caregiving has long been provided predominately by family, and mainly by women.  Although it had been expected that the entry of more and more women into the labour force would result in more men providing care to older parents that has not proven to be the case. Even so, there has long been a significant minority of caregivers who are men, and Dr. Campbell’s study of these adult son caregivers (as part of a SHRCC-funded project) provides insight into how men perform gender in a caregiving role usually associated with women and what that then tells us about masculinity within the context of family care.

Campbell’s scholarly curiosity about relationships within aging families has also led her to an exploration of the experience and meaning of family inheritance as PI on another SSHRC-funded project.  Inheritance remains an important mechanism for passing on family wealth and property from older to younger generations.  And inheritance decisions made by older people affect individual family members, family relationships, and the entire family network.  Inheritance decisions can benefit heirs financially, but also emotionally (through the passing on of cherished family possessions).  What their research has found is that although most people want to make decisions about inheritance in a fair and equitable manner, these decisions often create conflict within families and feelings of anger between and among heirs, or potential heirs. Surprisingly, perhaps, conflict within families tends not to be about money but rather about “precious possessions” (very often the family cottage) to which sibling heirs have an emotional attachment. 

When she was Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Social Sciences (2010 - 2018), Campbell has turned some of her research attention to developing and assessing strategies designed to help undergraduate students make a successful transition into and through their university studies.  This work includes exploring the value of first year Inquiry in developing academic skills as well as co-creating the “PAWSS” program in the Faculty of Social Sciences, a program where SPCA therapy dogs visit campus to interact with students.  This initiative has led to the ‘hiring’ of a canine member of the Faculty advising team – Lily.

Education

1993 - 1997 Ph.D., Family Relations and Human Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

1991 - 1993 M.A. Sociology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

1986 - 1991 Honours B.A. Sociology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Research

Selected Publications

BOOKS:

Novak, M., & Campbell, L . (2005). Aging and Society: A Canadian Perspective: 5 th edition . Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Publishing. (Auxiliary materials accompanying text: Aging & Society: Test Bank, 5 th Edition, and Aging & Society: Instructor Manual, 5 th Edition)

Novak, M., & Campbell, L . (2001). Aging and Society: A Canadian Perspective: 4 th edition . Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Publishing. (Auxiliary materials with text: Aging & Society: Test Bank, 4 th Edition, and Aging & Society: Instructor Manual, 4 th Edition)

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS:

Campbell, L. D . (2002). Singles/Never Married Persons. In the International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family Relationships, Second Edition . NY: Macmillan Reference USA.

Rosenthal, C., & Campbell, L. D . (2002). Kin. In Ekerdt, D. J., R. A. Applebaum, K. C. Holden, S. G. Post, K. Rockwood, R. Schulz, R. L. Sprott, and P. Uhlenberg (eds.), Encyclopedia of Aging . New York: Macmillan Reference USA.

Connidis, I. A., & Campbell, L. D . (2001). Closeness, Confiding, and Contact Among Siblings in Middle and Later Adulthood. In A. J. Walker, M. Manoogian-O'Dell, L. A. McGraw, and D. L. G. White (eds.), Families in Later Life: Connections and Transitions , pp. 149-155. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

Campbell, L. D . (1996). Caring sons: Exploring the context of caregiving, in Joseph, G. (ed.), Difficult Issues in Aging in Difficult Times , pp. 1-19, published by Department of Family Studies, University of Guelph.

Martin Matthews, A., & Campbell, L. D . (1995). Gender roles, employment and informal care. In S. Arber and J. Ginn (eds.),Connecting Gender and Ageing * , pp. 129-143. Milton Keynes, U.K.: Open University Press. * Book won the Age Concern Book of the Year Award , in Great Britain, 1996.

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Ploeg, J., Campbell, L. D ., Denton, M., Joshi, A., & Davies, S. (2004). Helping to build and rebuild secure lives and futures: Intergenerational financial transfers from parents to adult children and grandchildren. Canadian Journal on Aging, Vol. 23 (supplement 1), S131-S143.

Campbell, L. D ., and Martin-Matthews, A. (2003). The gendered nature of men's filial care. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences , 58B, S350-S358.

Campbell, L. D. & Martin-Matthews, A. (2000). Primary and proximate: The importance of co-residence and being primary provider of care for men's filial care involvement. Journal of Family Issues , 21, 8: 1007-1031.

Campbell, L. D ., & Martin-Matthews, A. (2000). Caring sons: Exploring men's involvement in filial care. Canadian Journal on Aging, 19, 1: 57-79.

Campbell, L. D ., Connidis, I. A., & Davies, L. (1999). Sibling ties in later life: A social network analysis. Journal of Family Issues , 20, 1, 114-148.

Connidis, I. A., & Campbell, L. D . (1995). Closeness, confiding, and contact among siblings in middle and later adulthood. Journal of Family Issues , 16, 6, 722-745.