Greg Yerashotis, Assistant Professor
Hons. B.A., (Distinction) Sociology, University of Toronto; M.A., Criminology and Socio-legal Studies, University of Toronto, Ph.D., Physical Cultural Studies University of Toronto
Otonabee College 221.9, ext. 7750
gregyerashotis@trentu.ca
Classes I Teach at Trent
- SOCI 4510 – Sociology of Sport and Leisure
- SOCI 4850 – Sociology of the Body
- SOCI 3631 – Sociology of Healthcare
- SOCI 2430 – Sociology of Gender
- SOCI 2151 – Researching Social Life
- SOCI 1002 – Introduction to Sociology II
Research Interests:
- Sport and Social Inclusion
- Immigrant Integration
- Gender Equity in Sport
- Urban Ethnography
My research interests include:
My research program is focused on assessing – empirically, theoretically, and critically – the capacity of sport to facilitate social inclusion in the lives of marginalized groups. My research on the inclusion-exclusion dynamic in sport can be organized and described through the following three streams:
- Sport and immigrant youth integration
- Gender (in)equity in sport for inner-city girls
- Transformative visions of sport-for-development programming
How does your research translate into your teaching, both through courses and supervision?
My pedagogical approach has been heavily influenced by my work in sport-based community development initiatives. As a community-engaged educator, I seek to leverage my experiences and contacts in the social service sector to bring the classroom into the community, and the community into the classroom. My academic research on the inclusion-exclusion dynamic in the lives of marginalized youth in Canada, also means I bring a strong social justice focus to all my courses. I am therefore not only interested in teaching about inequality, but also, in helping students explore potential best-practice strategies in attending to it.
My current or recent projects include:
I have just concluded research work with Dr. Simon Darnell at the Centre for Sport Policy Studies (UofT) on a research project funded by the Province of Ontario, entitled ‘Participatory Action Research to Understand Sport and Social Development.’ I have also worked on numerous SSHRC-funded projects with prominent academics across the fields of social work, criminology, physical education and public health. Currently I am working toward securing a book contract to publish the results of my dissertation.
Four publications that exemplify my work:
- Yerashotis, G. Kickin’ it in the Hood: Sport and Social Inclusion in Global Toronto. PhD Thesis. Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto. 2022.
- DiLisio, A., G. Yerashotis and C. Fusco. ‘Playing in the Shadows of Event-Led Urbanism: Newcomer Youth Neighbourhood Change and TO 2015’ in International Review for the Sociology of Leisure, 2019.
- Lynch, M., and G. Yerashotis. ‘Sporting Chancers: Three Canadian Corporations’ Representations of Sport-Based Youth Development’ in International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 2017.
- Yerashotis, G., B. Gwilliam, and S. Darnell. ‘Urban Youth and Informal Outdoor Education: Including Environmental Justice Perspectives into Sport-for-development Programming’ in Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health (pending publication).
What achievements and/or contributions in research are you most proud of?
Academically speaking, my greatest scholarly achievement to date has been the completion of my PhD dissertation, because it provided rarely seen evidence for how community sport participation can positively impact the integration experiences of immigrant youth in the Canadian context. My greatest contribution as a community developer has been my advocacy work for gender equity in community sport programming, namely via the creation of girls-only sport spaces with the City of Toronto. Still, my proudest moment as a professional came while co-presenting with 3 young women who took part in these programs at the (2018) Race and Canadian Sport Conference as part of a participatory action approach to sport-for-development research.
Accepting new UG and Graduate student supervisions:
No.