Ralston, Helen

Sister Helen Ralston, RSCJ, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Sociology at Saint Mary's University. She received a BA in Sociology in 1965, and in 1969 she received her MA, both from Boston College. In 1968, she joined the Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. With a reference from Everett Hughes, she obtained a Canada Council doctoral fellowship and went to Carleton, where she graduated in 1973 as their first Ph.D. in Sociology (Eichler 2001).

Christian Ashrams a New Religious Movement in Contemporary India

1987 0-88946-854-0
Focuses on the emergence and development of the Christian ashram (ashram: "a spontaneous community of seekers or disciples gathered around a spiritual leader, called a guru, who points a way toward salvation"). Classifies Christian ashrams as a new religious movement that seeks to amalgamate elements of traditional Christianity and traditional Hinduism in contemporary Indian society.

Lived Experience of South Asian Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada

1996 0-7734-8761-1
This study made use of historical records, census data, and in-depth interviews with 126 first-generation women to generate a detailed portrayal of the demographics of South Asian women immigrants and their lived experiences. It begins with a discussion of the major theoretical issues in studying South Asian women in Canada and the impact of Canadian immigration policy on this group of women. It then provides a profile of these women and the socio-demographic context of their everyday lives in three domains: work in the home, work outside the home, and participation in community organizations, notably religious and cultural organizations.