Jill Vickers
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jill McCalla Vickers, Ph.D (born 1942) is a notable Canadian
feminist
political scientist
and professor at Carleton University
in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada. Dr. Vickers is particularly notable for her groundbreaking work in the field of gender in politics.
mother followed her father to Canada, where they resided in Hamilton
until her parents' divorce. Thereafter, she and he mother moved to Toronto, where she graduated from Harbord Collegiate.
She briefly attended Queen's University
, transferring to Carleton, where she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1965. She moved to London, England where she studied at the London School of Economics
, eventually earning a Ph.D.
in political philosophy. She has been a professor at Carleton since 1971.
She is currently married to retired Carleton history professor, Keith Johnson. She has two children: Michael Vickers, her son from her previous marriage, and her second son, Matthew Johnson.
and long-time activist and supporter of the New Democratic Party
, Vickers ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
, during the 1979 federal election
as the candidate for the NDP for the riding of Ottawa—Carleton
.
Although she finished third, behind Progressive Conservative
incumbent Jean Pigott
and victorious Liberals
candidate Jean-Luc Pépin
, the experience was an important development in her understanding of the challenges faced by women involved in partisan politics in Canada.
She (with Dr. Gerald Caplan
) debated Objectivist philosophers Dr. John Ridpath
and Dr. Leonard Peikoff
, defending socialism against their advocacy of laissez-faire capitalism.
has announced that The Jill Vickers Prize, will be awarded to the author of the best paper presented, in English or French, at the annual conference of the Canadian Political Science Association on the topic of gender and politics.
In 2003 Vickers was selected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
. Vickers is also a Chancellor's Professor of Political Science at Carleton.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
political scientist
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and professor at Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada. Dr. Vickers is particularly notable for her groundbreaking work in the field of gender in politics.
Personal
Vickers was born in Britain during World War II, to an English mother and a father who was a Canadian serviceman posted in England. After the war she and her war-brideWar-bride
War bride is a term used in reference to wartime marriages, especially - but not exclusively - during World War I and World War II.One of the largest and best documented war bride phenomenons is American soldiers marrying German "Fräuleins" after World War II. By 1949, over 20,000 German war brides...
mother followed her father to Canada, where they resided in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
until her parents' divorce. Thereafter, she and he mother moved to Toronto, where she graduated from Harbord Collegiate.
She briefly attended Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, transferring to Carleton, where she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1965. She moved to London, England where she studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, eventually earning a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in political philosophy. She has been a professor at Carleton since 1971.
She is currently married to retired Carleton history professor, Keith Johnson. She has two children: Michael Vickers, her son from her previous marriage, and her second son, Matthew Johnson.
Politics
A self-described socialistSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and long-time activist and supporter of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, Vickers ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, during the 1979 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
as the candidate for the NDP for the riding of Ottawa—Carleton
Ottawa—Carleton
Ottawa–Carleton was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988. This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Carleton, Ottawa East and Russell ridings....
.
Although she finished third, behind Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
incumbent Jean Pigott
Jean Pigott
Jean Elizabeth Morrison Pigott, OC is a former Canadian politician and businessperson.Pigott's family has lived in the Ottawa Valley for four generations. She was president and CEO of her family's business, Morrison-Lamothe Bakery, one of only three women CEOs in Canada in the early 1970s...
and victorious Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate Jean-Luc Pépin
Jean-Luc Pépin
Jean-Luc Pépin, PC, CC was a Canadian academic, politician and Cabinet minister.Pepin was a political science professor at the University of Ottawa when he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1963 election as a Liberal Member of Parliament from Quebec.From 1965 to 1972, he...
, the experience was an important development in her understanding of the challenges faced by women involved in partisan politics in Canada.
She (with Dr. Gerald Caplan
Gerald Caplan
Gerald Lewis Caplan, PhD is a Canadian academic, public policy analyst, commentator and political activist. He has had a varied career in academia, as a political organizer for the New Democratic Party, in advocacy around education, broadcasting and African affairs and as a commentator in various...
) debated Objectivist philosophers Dr. John Ridpath
John Ridpath
John B. Ridpath, Ph.D. is a Canadian Objectivist intellectual historian and retired associate professor of economics and intellectual history at York University in Toronto. He also taught courses at Duke University...
and Dr. Leonard Peikoff
Leonard Peikoff
Leonard S. Peikoff is a Canadian-American philosopher. He is an author, a leading advocate of Objectivism and the founder of the Ayn Rand Institute. A former professor of philosophy, he was designated by the novelist Ayn Rand as heir to her estate...
, defending socialism against their advocacy of laissez-faire capitalism.
Awards and recognitions
The Canadian Political Science AssociationCanadian Political Science Association
The Canadian Political Science Association is an organization of political scientists in Canada. It is a bilingual organization and publishes the bilingual journal Canadian Journal of Political Science ...
has announced that The Jill Vickers Prize, will be awarded to the author of the best paper presented, in English or French, at the annual conference of the Canadian Political Science Association on the topic of gender and politics.
In 2003 Vickers was selected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
. Vickers is also a Chancellor's Professor of Political Science at Carleton.