Elizabeth Shaffer
Research Interests
Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs
Graduate Student Supervision
Master's Student Supervision
Theses completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest theses.
The aim of this thesis is to explore the futurity of two international archival initiatives: Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) and the Endangered Archives Programme (EAP). To accomplish this, the mechanics of archival work as articulated by the Association of Canadian Archivists, the Society of American Archivists, and the International Council on Archives were synthesized and placed in conversation with theories of intergenerational justice to argue that archivists can be obligated out of considerations of justice to conduct their practice for the benefit of future generations. A framework for 鈥渟ustainable archives鈥濃攁rchives which enable present generations to meet their recordkeeping needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own recordkeeping needs鈥攚as developed to aid archivists in reconfiguring their practice to be more future-oriented in nature. A grounded theory approach to content analysis was utilized to discern the underlying assumptions about records, archives, and the applicability of archival praxis in future-oriented contexts exhibited through the websites of SUCHO and the EAP. This thesis concluded that neither SUCHO nor the EAP were entirely compatible with the sustainable archives framework, but that archives and archival associations can more intentionally become 鈥渇uture-beneficial鈥 institutions by implementing 鈥渇uture beneficial鈥 mechanisms in their institutions to achieve a better balance between the legitimate recordkeeping needs of present generations and the potential recordkeeping needs of future generations.
If this is your researcher profile you can log in to the portal to update your details and provide recruitment preferences.