Faculty

Rebecca Matthew’s research examines the institutions, models and practices that foster healthy and equitable communities. Calling upon methodologically and theoretically diverse approaches and perspectives, her efforts have focused in four areas: caring labor, safe and affordable housing, youth development, and access to healthcare and social services. Feminist theory and qualitative research frame her exploration of the ways in which worker-owned cooperatives can (and do) prioritize quality services and dignified labor conditions among care providers, disproportionally low-income and women of color.

In collaboration with several Canadian colleagues, she has also explored the low-income housing market, findings from which emphasize housing stabilization, nonprofit housing provision, and efforts to support community (re)building and social capital development among rental households.

Community engagement and collaborative partnerships define her efforts to support youth development and healthcare access. Beginning in 2017, her interdisciplinary research team launched and continued to develop a community health worker/promotoras de salud program by training local Latina community leaders to provide peer education, resource navigation, and systems-level advocacy.