Barbara A. Mitchell
Simon Fraser University, Department of Gerontology and Sociology
Barbara A. Mitchell is jointly appointed as a Professor of Sociology and Gerontology at Simon Fraser University and the incoming Chair for the Department of Gerontology (three-year term, commencing January 1, 2025). As a public sociologist with extensive media experience, Barbara’s work focuses on families and aging, life course research, family transitions, intergenerational relations, health promotion, and multi-methods. She received her BA (Hon.) and MA in Sociology at the University of Waterloo and a PhD in Sociology from McMaster University. Her publications include two solo-authored books, “Family Matters: An Introduction to Family Sociology in Canada,” 4th ed., 2021 (Canadian Scholar’s Press) and “The Boomerang Age: Transitions to Adulthood in Canada,” 2006 (Routledge), along with extensive publications in a wide range of journals (e.g., Journal of Family Issues, Family Relations, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Journal of Marriage and the Family) and other venues. She has also served as the Social Sciences Editor for the Canadian Journal on Aging (2011–2015), and other editorial boards. Her current SSHRC-funded project (2023–2027) focuses on family history, ancestry/genealogy and the psycho-social impacts of discovering previous unknown family members drawing upon historical and archival records, family stories/memories, and home-based DNA kits.
