Evan Morris

I work half-time teaching sociology at the U of R. The rest of my time is spent at my consulting business, EcoTech Research Ltd, where I perform contract work for various government departments, companies and non-profit organizations. I have a background in geophysics as well as in sociology, . To see what I am up to in this field, look at my Geology page. I also know how to have a good time.

Contact Info

Room 226, Classroom Building

Phone: 352-2468

Fax: 352-2315

E-Mail: ecotech@sasktel.net

Teaching

I often teach a course in research methods (Social Studies 203). While many students dread this course and try to avoid it like some social disease, it is really not that bad. Research methods can be interesting, creative and fun. Have a look at my class description.

Courses: Fall Semester - 2005

Sociology 213

Sociology of the Family

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Recent and Current Research

These are some projects I have worked on during the last five years.

Sociology of Science

To what extent do scientists develop new knowledge through formal and informal non-competitive practices?
What leads scientists to choose one mathematical model over another when investigating physical problems?

Sociology of Health

To what extent does a drop in health status result in poverty in Saskatchewan?
Impact of social policies on the health status of poor families.
Health barriers to education for welfare recipients.
A comparison of health service use by urban and rural low-income families.
Health differences between welfare recipients and the working poor in Saskatchewan.

Statistics

Properties of sampling distributions taken from small populations.
Development of confidence intervals for maximum entropy estimators of time series data
Evaluating the accuracy and robustness of various spectral analysis methods for the determination of periodicities in time series of short durations, or with multiple discontinuities.

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Consulting: What type of work do I do as a sociologist?

Here are some examples of the consulting work I have done since 2000.

Evaluation of the Family Health Benefits program

In 1998 the departments of health and social services created a new program to provide supplementary health benefits for low-income families in Saskatchewan. The program was intended to make it easier for parents on social assistance to take low-wage or part-time employment, and prevent them from returning to social assistance due to the burden of out-of-pocket expenditures for health services. It was also intended to prevent working poor families from having to go on social assistance due to unforeseen medical costs. In 2000 I worked with a team consisting of individuals from the Department of Social Services and the Department of Health to evaluate this program.

Was the program successful? Read the government report, or read the article: Livingstone, T, Lix, L., McNutt, M., Morris, E., Rosenbluth, D., Scott, D., & Watson, F. (2004). An investigation of the impact of supplementary health benefits for low-income families in Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 95(1), 74-78.

Problem Gambling in Saskatchewan

In 2001 I worked as project manager with a team of other individuals to survey over 1,800 Saskatchewan adults in order to determine the gambling patterns of Saskatchewan residents. This survey data allowed us to estimate how many individuals in the province are at risk for problem gambling behaviours. Want to know more? Check out the Gambling and Problem Gambling in Saskatchewan final report.

Other projects

I have worked on projects dealing with alcohol and drug addictions and drinking and driving offences. I have also developed profiles of clients in treatment for gambling problems. I have created a computer program for use in the field of health promotion, and I have revised an educational assessment tool that measures the developmental level of pre-school children.

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Downloads

Best practices in health promotion
In 2001 I wrote the computer program: The Interactive Domain Model Framework for Best Practices in Health Promotion for the Best Practices Project, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto. This project was funded by Health Canada. This framework assists groups develop health promotion programs that apply the best practices to their particular situation.

For more information on best practices in health promotion, and on the Interactive Domain Model, visit the IDM best practices web site.

To download the computer program (free of charge), go to: IDM Framework Computer Program.

Revisions to the Preschool Evaluation Scale
Educators at the Regina Early Learning Centre and elsewhere in North America use the Preschool Evaluation Scale in order to assess children for developmental delays, and to measure changes in development over time. Teachers had complained that the age standardization tables resulted in inaccuracies when children were assessed close to their birthdays. I improved the accuracy of the age standardization tables, and developed an Excel spreadsheet that would automate the calculations required to determine if a child was developmentally delayed. While I hold the copyright on this spreadsheet and accompanying manual, it is available to anyone free of charge as long as they give me credit and don't try to sell it.

This downloadable file is in a zipped format. It consists of one file in Excel format and one file (the documentation) in MS Word format.

Download the Revisions to the Preschool Evaluation Scale

Calculation of minimum sample sizes required for a survey
For information on sampling from small populations, go to the small populations page.

To download the Excel file (in Zipped format) that calculates the minimum sample size click here

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Useful web sites

A great site for information on social policy issues and programs in Canada

Statistics Canada

Canadian statistics on poverty, welfare and income

Statistics tutorials

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) home page

Raynald's SPSS Tools is one of the best sites available for information on how to do practical things with SPSS.

A few links to sociology resources on the web

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Careers in sociology

Opportunities for sociologists exist in Regina. The government of Saskatchewan has been a major employer. Sociologists have worked in such departments as Justice, Health, Housing and Social Services. Recently there has been a reorganization of government departments, and the Department of Social Services has been given the somewhat awkward name of Department of Community Resources and Employment (DCRE). Everyone pronounces it "decree".

Individuals can work as consultants in the field of sociology, carrying out surveys, evaluating programs, determining organizational needs, etc. In the last few years there has been an increase in the demand for this type of work in Regina from non-profit organizations. When such organizations receive grants from foundations or from various levels of government to develop new programs, the funding agencies often require an evaluation of the program in order to determine if the money was well spent. This is where sociologists may be called in.

Whether you work for government or as an independent consultant, experience in research methods is required. Don't be afraid to take my research methods class! Most positions require familiarity with statistics. Previous experience with a statistical computer package like SPSS or SAS can be very handy when seeking a job.

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