Brenda O’Neill
Canadian political behaviour and public opinion; gender and political leadership; feminism and the feminist movement; research methods and methodology
- Honours BA (Brock) MA (McMaster) MA (McMaster) PhD (UBC)
Professor
Brenda O’Neill is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University and Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary. After obtaining a BA in Economics and Politics at Brock University, she completed an MA in Economics and an MA in Public Policy and Administration at McMaster University, followed by a PhD in Political Science at the University of British Columbia.
Her research addresses several topics including political behaviour and gender and politics, focused largely on Canada. She is currently working with Susan Franceschet (Calgary) on an edited collection on gender and party leadership, as well as a single-authored monograph reviewing the challenges currently faced by Canadian universities. Her publications include edited collections with Routledge and Oxford University Presses, textbooks (with Nelson Thompson and Pearson), and over 50 journal articles and book chapters, including articles in top journals such as Political Studies, Politics, Groups and Identities, Canadian Journal of Political Science, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Party Politics. She has held several SSHRC grants and recently held the Thelma Margaret Horte Fellowship in Women and Society at the University of Calgary. Between 2017 to 2020, she served as the English-language editor of the Canadian Journal of Political Science.
She previously held academic positions at the University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Lethbridge. She has also held several academic leadership positions, most recently as Dean, Faculty of Public and Global Affairs (Carleton University) and before that Head of the Department of Political Science (University of Calgary). At the University of Manitoba, she served as Graduate Chair of the Department of Political Studies and later as Provost of the University of Manitoba’s University College. She has received several awards in recognition of her teaching, research and service contributions, including the Jill Vickers Paper Prize by the Canadian Political Science Association and the University of Manitoba Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research, Teaching and Service.
Selected Publications
“Concepts and Methods: How Definitions and Techniques Matter for Understanding Women’s Political Participation,” in Amanda Bittner, J. Scott Matthews, and Stuart Soroka, eds., Foundations of Canadian Political Behaviour, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2024.
With Antonio Franceschet, Jack Lucas, Elizabeth Pando, and Melanee Thomas, “Editor Fatigue: Can Political Science Journals Increase Review Invitation-Acceptance Rates?” PS: Political Science & Politics, 55(1) (2022).
With Scott Pruysers and David Stewart, “Glass Cliffs or Partisan Pressure? Examining Gender and Party Leader Tenure and Exits,” Political Studies, 69(2) (2021).
With Katrine Beauregard and Elisabeth Gidengil, “Women, Support for Sovereignty, and Feminism: The Case of Québec,” Politics, Groups, and Identities, 10(1) (2020).
With Taruneek Kapoor and Lindsay McLaren, “Politics, Science and Termination: A Case Study of Water Fluoridation Policy in Calgary in 2011,” Review of Policy Research, 36(1): (2019).
“Continuity and Change in the Contemporary Canadian Feminist Movement,” Canadian Journal of Political Science, 50(2) (2017).
With Elisabeth Gidengil, “Motherhood’s Role in Shaping Political and Civic Participation,” in Melanee Thomas and Amanda Bittner, eds., Mothers and Others: The Impact of Family Life on Politics, Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2017.
“Variation in Women’s Status Across the Provinces, 2005–2015,” in Christopher Dunn, ed. Provinces: Canadian Provincial Politics, 3rd ed., North York, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2016.
With Melanee Thomas, “Because it’s 2015: Gender and the 2015 Election,” in Jon Pammett and Chris Dornan, eds., The Canadian Federal Election of 2015, Toronto, ON: Dundurn, 2016.
With Elisabeth Gidengil, Catherine Côté and Lisa Young. “Freedom of Religion, Women’s Agency and Banning the Face Veil: The Role of Feminist Beliefs in Shaping Women’s Opinion,” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 38:11 (2015).
“The Alberta Advantage? Women’s Political Representation in Alberta,” in Linda Trimble, Jane Arscott and Manon Tremblay, eds. Stalled: The Representation of Women in Canadian Governments, Vancouver: UBC Press, 2013, 36-54.
With Elisabeth Gidengil and Lisa Young. “Her Mother’s Daughter? The Influence of Childhood Socialization on Women’s Political Engagement,” Journal of Women, Politics and Policy, 31:4 (2010).
“Indifferent or Just Different? The Political and Civic Engagement of Young People in Canada,” prepared for Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) research series Charting the Course for Youth Democratic and Civic Participation, September 2007.
Edited with Elisabeth Gidengil, Gender and Social Capital. New York: Routledge, 2006.