Faculty

After working in child welfare in Manitoba and Québec, Robert moved to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in 1989 to work in the public health system as a community development consultant and policy advisor. In 1998, he joined UFV where he led the university in partnering with the Stó:lō Nation to develop an Indigenous social services diploma program based on traditional principles of healing and helping. Today, the four courses of the First Nations Social Service diploma, developed in collaboration with local Indigenous people, are now key requirements for the university’s BA with a Major or Minor in Indigenous Studies program. He has taught in the Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs as well as the Global Development Studies program. His research orbits social issues such as poverty and homelessness as well as news representations of Indigenous issues. Robert has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and book reviews, as well as an edited textbook on social policy and is currently co-writing a book with Dr. Brianna Strumm on community development. In 2020, he received UFV’s 2020 Research Excellence Award.

Ph.D.
Faculty of Applied Sciences
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC
School of Communication & First Nations Studies Program
Dissertation: Re/framing Aboriginal social policy issues in the news: Old stereotypes and new opportunities (see http://summit.sfu.ca/item/2681)

Master of Social Work
McGill University
Montréal, PQ
Research Report: Ethical considerations for community organizers
Project: Helped organize community council for Côtes-des-Neiges/Snowdon

Bachelor of Social Work
University of Manitoba
Specialization: Clinical social work in a hospital setting

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature
University of Manitoba

I begin all my classes by asking students to be open to new knowledge and learning and to bring a sense of wonder to their educational adventures. This is not always easy as each of us have had diverse, and sometimes difficult, experiences (sometimes with the educational system itself) and hold unique sets of values that have shaped how we understand the world. It takes hard work, intellectual courage, and emotional resilience to be able to look at issues, ideology and personal and professional values from a different point-of-view and open oneself up to considering new knowledge and perspectives. The only way I can ask my students to engage in such a challenging process is by being prepared myself to be open-minded every time I step into the classroom. I believe in facilitating an interactive learning experience and listening to students and really hearing their ideas.

I feel that learning is a lifelong process for everyone, whether we are engaged in formal education or not. Each student has a gift, a unique set of experiences and personal characteristics and, of course, a specific social location in the world. Many students in our programs are older than students in other disciplines – indeed, some come to our school after having raised families – and bring a great deal of life experience – with poverty, social services, parenting, racism, sexism, and so on – to the class that directly and indirectly relates to core social work curriculum. I see my role as facilitating an educational process and creating a “safe” and respectful space where students can present and critique ideas and share relevant experiences with their student colleagues. To accomplish this, I need to have critical self-awareness of the power inherent in my formal role of university professor as well as in my social positioning as a middle-class male from a (mostly) White background.

In part, classes are based on asking questions about core curriculum such as social work with Indigenous peoples or professional social work practice. While I often challenge students’ assumptions, some of the most important learning results from students themselves challenging my own pre-conceived ideas or posing thought-provoking questions such as how does the Indian Act affect social work practice with Indigenous people on reserves? Or how do social workers apply the Social Work Code of Ethics in social work practice situations where a social service agency’s mandate conflicts with one of the Code’s provisions? I employ a variety of teaching methods including interactive lectures, structured small group discussions and exercises, guest speakers (e.g., Social Work practitioners and Indigenous Elders), video presentations and discussions, and occasionally field trips as well as exams and critical thinking essays. This critical and dialectical process yields an educational sum far greater than its parts that is enriching for instructor and students alike.

Social policy, community development, and Indigenous research methodology, and Indigenous social work.

Robert’s research focuses on social work practice, social policy, poverty, and Indigenous issues, as well as corporate and Indigenous news media representations of social issues. At the invitation of Canadian embassies in Berlin and San Jose, Robert embarked on speaking tours of Germany and Costa Rica. He has presented his research at dozens of universities and other venues in Canada, the US, Costa Rica, Scotland, Finland, Italy, Germany, and Austria. He has also facilitated webinars, including a series of 8 online sessions (with Dr. Gwen Point) for members of the Association of Canadian Land Surveyors (ACLS) on “Understanding Indigenous Issues & Building Respectful Relationships with First Nations.”

Robert has published book chapters, book reviews, and articles in journals such as the Canadian Journal of Communication, Canadian Review of Social Policy, Discourse and Society, Intersectionalities, Canadian Journal of Native Studies, International Indigenous Policy Journal, and the American Indian Culture and Research Journal. In 2018, he co-edited and co-wrote Canadian Social Policy for Social Workers for Oxford University Press. He was awarded UFV’s Research Excellence Award in 2020 – see: https://blogs.ufv.ca/blog/2020/05/research-excellence-award-2020-robert-harding-is-recognized-for-his-extensive-work/ Currently, he is co-authoring a textbook for Oxford University Press, entitled, Transformative Community Development in the 21^st Century.