People’s History Lab

The People’s History Lab is a hub for researchers in history whose work investigates populations that were previously left out of or misrepresented in mainstream historical narratives. The lab studies historical populations for the purpose of better understanding our shared history as well as present populations.

The lab aims to serve the people by running a seminar series for researchers; serving as a hub for students interested in economic history; and most importantly, engaging with members of the general public either through media and community outreach so that our work has impact beyond the academy.

Mission

PHL’s Director

Shari Eli is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto where she holds a joint appointment in the Economics Department and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. She is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Her fields of research are economic history, health economics and demography. One section of her research explores the ways in which individuals of low socioeconomic status used cash transfers to improve their health status over the lifecycle. Another section explores the intergenerational persistence of welfare receipt as well as the relationship between social assistance and marriage decisions.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, National Public Radio, the Financial Post and the CBC, among other outlets, and she has publications in academic journals including the American Economic Review, Journal of Economic History and Journal of Economic Literature. The National Institutes of Health, Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Social Science Humanities and Research Council have awarded grants to fund her research.

She received her Ph.D. in Economics from U.C. Berkeley in 2011 and has been on faculty at the University of Toronto ever since.

PHL Scholars