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Julie James

Associate Professor
EducationPhD
OfficeSHE-625, Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre for Studies in Community Health
Phone416-979-5000, ext. 554595

Julie James is an assistant professor in the School of Child and Youth Care. She holds a Ph.D in Sociology from Queen’s University and a Master’s degree of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She has worked with young people in school, in healthcare, in child welfare, and in community settings for over twenty years. Her main research interests include youth-led activism, Indigenous youth resurgence, and trans, gender diverse, and gender non-conforming youth-led work. She uses quantitative, qualitative, and artistic methodologies. She is particularly interested in critical approaches of therapeutic practices.

Full member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies  

CYC 101 - Introduction to Child and Youth Care

CYC 301 - Interpersonal Communications  

CYC 347 - Professional Issues

CYC 405 - Therapeutic Foundations

CYC 517 - Practice in Developmental Services  

CYC 800 - Intensive Family In-Home Support

CYC 803 - Advocacy in Child and Youth Services

CYC 900 - Diversity Issues for Children and Youth

Research interests  

  • Access to justice for trans youth 
  • Non-Indigenous support of Indigenous youth-led activism
  • Feminist and queer theorization 
  • Parental advocacy for trans and gender diverse children and youth
  • Trans, gender diverse, and/or gender non-conforming youth-led research 
  • Child and Youth Care pedagogy and curriculum

Restoring the Circle: Stories of Racialized and Indigenous Trans Youth. Forthcoming. Podcast Series.

MNI WICONI: Mitakuyelo - Standing Rock Water Protector Documentary. Screened at TIFF Bell Lightbox, October 25th, 2019. I am the Executive Producer in charge of securing resources and overall supporting the film project.

Selected Publications

James J. (2020). Fiction, Empathy, and Gender Diversity: Exploring the Impact of Using a Novel in a Child and Youth Care Classroom. International Journal of Child, Youth, and Family Studies. Vol 11 No 3 (2020): Special Issue: An Exploration of Child and Youth Care Pedagogy and Curriculum (external link)  doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs113202019707 (external link) 

James J. (2020). Refusing Abjection: Transphobia and Trans youth Survivance. Feminist Theory. November 2020. doi:10.1177/1464700120974896 (external link)    

James, J., & Rehal, P. (2020). Beginning from Within: Deploying the ARDC Principles to Provide Competent Service for Trans Youth. Mental Health Commission of Canada.

James, J. (2019). Transforming CYC Practice with Trans Children, Youth, and their Families. In K. Gharabaghi & C. Grant (Eds.) Child and Youth Care Across Sectors. Canadian Scholars Press

James, J., Bauer, G., Peck, R., Brennan, D., Nussbaum, N., & Herbert, W. (2018). Legal Problems Facing Trans People in Ontario, Summary Report One: (PDF file)  Downloadable in English and French www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TransFJ-Report2018Sept-EN.pdf (external link)