Chris Sinding

Overview

Dr. Chris Sinding is a Professor in the Department of Health, Aging & Society and School of Social Work in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. Her research investigates how experiences of illness and care, particularly among older adults, are shaped by and in turn shape social identities, as well as how health professionals sustain ethical practice in contemporary care contexts. She has led participatory projects with older women living with breast cancer and explored narratives of older adults asking (and not asking) for help after a fall. Central to her work is an interest in how people and their stories enter social and health service systems, and the tensions this creates around representation, responsibility, choice and expertise.

In additional to this work, Dr. Sinding examines broader questions of how social justice work connects with the arts, including visual art, theatre, and poetry. She studies how social science researchers, teachers, and practitioners collaborate with artists and engage artistic methods, as well as the motivations and outcomes of such initiatives.

Affiliations

• Member, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), McMaster University
• Professor, School of Social Work & Department of Health, Aging & Society, McMaster University

Education

• BA, Western University
• MA, McMaster University
• PhD, University of Toronto