Darius Scott

Dr. Darius Scott’s research investigates how social stigmas and historical violence shape the ways people perceive and inhabit urban and rural environments in North America. Grounded in archival research, qualitative methodologies, and phenomenological theories of emplacement, his work examines how memory, cultural meaning, and belonging shape people’s perceptions of places and the stories they tell about them—across discrete contexts such as families, cities, and public infrastructure.

Two major threads organize his scholarship: first, an investigation into how communities develop and maintain meaningful forms of connection under historically challenging conditions; and second, an analysis of how overlapping forms of marginalization and historical trauma shape social and geographic experience, with particular attention to Black communities.  Currently supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and previously funded by the Ford Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council, Dr. Scott’s work contributes to interdisciplinary fields such as health geography, Black geographies, and the study of social and spatial disparities.

Please Note: Professor Scott is unavailable for summer undergraduate research supervision while focusing on existing projects, but encourages students to stay in touch for future opportunities.

Current Projects:

• Analyzing effects of intersectional stigma on health and perceptions of urban environments
• Identifying challenges to well-being for Black gender and sexual minorities in Montreal