Justin Leifso

Dr Justin Leifso

Small Group Project 2026

Unlearning Oil: A Comparative Study of Energy Knowledge Production in Aberdeen and St. John's

This comparative study examines how oil-dependent communities learn to understand and value oil through institutional and cultural processes, focusing on Aberdeen, Scotland and St. John’s, Canada. While both cities face mounting pressure to transition away from fossil fuels, their communities struggle to envision post-oil futures despite clear economic and environmental imperatives. Rather than focusing on traditional economic or technical barriers, this research investigates how institutional structures, cultural narratives, and social networks shape community understanding and attachment to oil industries.

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Areas of interest

Political Science Politics Canada North America Power Policymaking Bureaucracy Public Sector Reform Elections & Referenda Oil Political Affect Affect Emotions Sport

Cohort

FG11

Biography

Justin Leifso is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Victoria.

He received his PhD and MA from the University of Alberta and his BA (High Honours) from the University of Regina. He grew up on Treaty 4 Territory, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Before pursuing an academic career, he served as a public servant in Saskatchewan where he was worked for the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Provincial Auditor.

Justin is a scholar and teacher of Canadian politics. His research explores the relationship between broad discursive formations and specific practices. In other words, he studies power, policy and politics in Canada. He has written about the history of bureaucracy in Canada, the emergence of lean management in public sector organizations, policy mobility, parties and elections, the role of oil in the political identities of provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, the political dimensions of affect and emotions and the politics of sport.

Biographical details correct as of 26.06.25