Dr. Annie Bernatchez
Sociologist. Interdisciplinary systems thinker. Transforming research into meaningful action.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Complex Problems
Dr. Annie Bernatchez leads our work as a Canadian-trained sociologist and true polymath, conducting research in public health, social movements, and human–animal relations, while also working at the intersection of business innovation — including blockchain, NFTs, and digital product strategy.
Interdisciplinary approach isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity in today’s fast-moving, interconnected world.
She teaches at the university level, presents at interdisciplinary conferences, and supports students and researchers in developing critical, creative approaches to complex issues. Her strength lies in connecting interdisciplinary insight with practical application to inform thoughtful, cross-sector solutions.
Research-Driven. Culturally Wise. Impact-Oriented.
Dr. Bernatchez’s work is grounded in a deep understanding of how knowledge, emotion, culture, and power shape the way people experience the world — and how these dynamics can inform more intentional product and service design.
From examining the social forces that drive change to exploring the epistemological implications of artificial intelligence, she brings a rigorous, interdisciplinary lens to every project. Her research into human–animal relationships and human–technology relations, combined with a sociological commitment to cultural competence, positions her to help individuals, teams, and industries navigate complexity in a multicultural, rapidly evolving world.
Through client and customer experience research, strategic consulting, and academic inquiry, she helps partners design services, systems, and knowledge environments that are impactful and culturally wise.
Redefining the Future of Consulting
Rooted in a rare combination of academic depth, cultural analysis, and real-world innovation, Dr. Bernatchez’s background shapes a consultancy vision that challenges conventional models.
She doesn’t just deliver insights — she redefines how organizations think about experience, knowledge, and impact. At Bernatchez & Company, we believe the future of consulting lies in bridging disciplines, centering cultural intelligence, and designing with purpose.
This is more than a service — it’s a new standard for what thoughtful, socially attuned consultancy can be.
University Courses & Pedagogy
Dr. Bernatchez teaches in both French and English, embracing a democratic, student-centered approach in the classroom. Her teaching spans a wide range of subjects — including Sociology, Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Critical Animal Studies.
Her teaching philosophy is grounded in open dialogue, respectful debate, and active participation. She fosters an environment where students are encouraged to think critically, express ideas freely, and engage deeply with complex questions. For her, teaching is not only about transmitting knowledge, but about cultivating the intellectual freedom and creativity needed to shape a more thoughtful and just society.
Sociology
Theorizing in Sociology
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Qualitative Analysis
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Social Structures and Relations Between the Sexes
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Social Psychology and Everyday Life
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Life Course and Social Tie
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Theorizing in Sociology | Qualitative Analysis | Social Structures and Relations Between the Sexes | Social Psychology and Everyday Life | Life Course and Social Tie |
Anthropology
Psychological Anthropology
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Food And Food Systems
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Psychological Anthropology | Food And Food Systems |
Interdisciplinary Studies
Learning, Knowing, and Teaching in a More-Than-Human World
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Religion, Animal, and Nature
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Introduction to Critical Animal Studies
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Creativity and Innovation
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Learning, Knowing, and Teaching in a More-Than-Human World | Religion, Animal, and Nature | Introduction to Critical Animal Studies | Creativity and Innovation |
Selected Research Work
These selected projects reflect the breadth of Dr. Bernatchez’s academic and applied research. Spanning doctoral and master’s work, collaborative research initiatives, and UX-focused studies, each project contributes to a deeper understanding of social issues, design ethics, and user experience — all through an interdisciplinary and culturally informed lens.
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Bernatchez, A. (2023). Animal justice citizen activism and the politics of sight. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Ottawa]. uOResearch. View Dissertation →
Bernatchez, A. C. (2015). Inégalités sociales dans la diffusion d’une innovation en transport actif : Le cas des vélos en libre-service à Montréal. [Master thesis, University of Montreal]. Papyrus. View Thesis →
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With Centre InterActions, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. All co-authored with Bernard-Simon Leclerc and collaborators (2020).
Project (French): Food Insecurity and Collaborative Social Development in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Report 1 – Theoretical and Methodological Frameworks View Report →
Report 2 – User Needs and Service Utilization View Report →
Report 3 – Service Provision and Network Building View Report →
Report 4 – Collaborative Practice View Report →
Report 5 – Evaluation of Service Integration View Report →
Report 6 – Summary of Findings View Report →
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Bernatchez, A. (2022). User test for HomeGency, a digital alert system for seniors. Capstone project, UX Research and Design Specialization.
Bernatchez, A. (2022). Preference test: Metamask, a cryptocurrency wallet. UX Research at Scale course.
Bernatchez, A. (2022). User test for kayak.com, a travel fare aggregator. Evaluating Designs with Users course. -
Bernatchez, A. and López, J.J. (2025, under review). The politics of sight and bearing witness to animals suffering: Lessons from human rights. (Des)Troços Journal.
Bernatchez, A. (2024). Emotional reflexivity in the animal justice politics of sight: Embodied moral shock and limit of the emotional repertoire. Emotions & Society Journal, 1-16. View Article →
Bernatchez, A. (2022). Animal justice citizen activism in Canada: Paradox in the politics of sights. Journal for Critical Animal Studies, 19(2), 4-26. View Article →
Bernatchez, A. C., Gauvin, L., Fuller, D., Dubé, AS. and Drouin, L. (2015). Knowing about a public bicycle share program in Montreal, Canada: Is diffusion of innovation and proximity enough for equitable awareness? Journal of Transport and Health. 2(3), 360-368. View Article →
Featured Recognition
Dr. Annie Bernatchez’s article has been selected for the Emotions and Society Student Reading List Collection, recognized for its cutting-edge research and essential contribution to understanding the politics of policymaking.
Now freely accessible until October 31 2025, the article is part of a curated collection for students and educators exploring the role of emotion in social and political life.
Emotional reflexivity in the animal justice politics of sight: embodied moral shock and limit of the emotional repertoire
Abstract
Farm occupation is a recent tactic and enacts a politics of sight, which makes visible hidden animal violence by the animal industry complex. Animal justice citizen activists (AJCAs) identify and enter farms to protest lawful violence against animals by documenting and sharing images from the inside. This article examines activists’ subjective experience of immersion in animal violence. The analysis shows that a politics of sight requires and introduces extreme, conflicting emotional demands on AJCAs, requiring a level of emotional reflexivity and negotiation that is sufficiently grasped by existing conceptions of emotional habitus and moral shock. The empirical study seeks to contribute to filling this gap. To do so, I investigated the role of emotional reflexivity during, and after, AJCAs’ bodily immersion in the context of animal violence. The latter is also at its core of an unexpected moral shock for which there is not an established emotional repertoire among AJCAs. Thus, I explored the conflictual tension and the emotional consequences that AJCAs must manage during and after immersion in animal violence.
Book & Contributions
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Emerging New Voices in Critical Animal Studies
Co-edited by A. Nocella II, N. Poirier & A. Bernatchez (2022), Peter Lang.
A collection of interdisciplinary essays advancing the field of vegan and critical animal studies. View Book →
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The V-Stamp: An Indirect Crime Against the Animals
In Emerging New Voices in Critical Animal Studies, pp. 71–85.
This essay explores the ethical tensions within veterinary practice as it operates under capitalist systems of consumption.
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Who Are the Antispeciesists?
Review of Jérôme Segal’s Animal Radical, published in L’Amorce (2020).
A critical reflection on the identity, politics, and diversity of the antispeciesist movement. View Review (French) →
Interview
In January 2025, I appeared on a CBC (French) program for youth, where I had the opportunity to answer the intriguing question, “Why do we say that cats have 9 lives?”
Speaking & Conferences
Dr. Bernatchez shares her research and ideas through invited talks, academic conferences, university lectures, and public events. Whether addressing scholarly audiences or the broader community, she aims to spark critical thinking, invite dialogue, and bridge knowledge across disciplines and sectors.
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Bernatchez, A. (2019, November). Research project: The everyday life of animal liberation activists. Guest Lecturer, Principles of Methodology (SOC2111), University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. C. (2016, May). Inégalités dans la sensibilisation en transport actif: Les vélos en libre-service à Montréal. 2nd Student Colloquium on Population Health, University of Ottawa.
Leclerc, B.-S., Lessard, S., & Bernatchez, A. C. (2015, November). Taxonomie de Bradshaw : Applications en nutrition. Nutrition Seminar, University of Montreal.
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Bernatchez, A. C., & Leclerc, B.-S. (2016, July). Concertation intersectorielle et relations interorganisationnelles dans un réseau local de sécurité alimentaire et de protection sociale. École d’été – École de santé publique de l’UdeM.
Leclerc, B.-S., Bernatchez, A. C., Couturier, Y. (2016, April). Dépannage alimentaire : Regard croisé sur l’utilisation de services et les besoins des usagers. Les midis InterActions, CIUSSS du NIM.
Bernatchez, A. C. & Leclerc, B.-S. (2015, September). Résultats préliminaires: De la sécurité alimentaire au développement social collaboratif à Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Comité local ARIMA du Suroît.
Bernatchez, A. C. & Leclerc, B.-S. (2015, March). Résultats préliminaires : Déterminer les trajectoires de demandes de services des usagers d’aide alimentaire. Comité local ARIMA du Suroît.
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Bernatchez, A. (2024, October). Farm Occupations: Animal Justice Activism and the Rise of Ag-Gag Laws in Canada. Guest Speaker, Civil Law Section and the Public Law Centre, University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. (2023, May). Recherche sociologique sur la justice pour les animaux. Workshop Lecturer, Camp d’anticipation 2023, University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. (2022, November). Justice for the animals: A nonviolent politics of sight. Guest Speaker, Nonviolence: From the Personal to the Political (AHL2100), University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. (2021, November). Political suppression and the politics of sights. Guest Speaker, Feminism, Animality, Posthumanism (SFEM3109), University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. (2021, November). Political suppression of animal justice citizens in Canada: Paradox in the politics of sights. 21st Annual North American Conference for Critical Animal Studies. (Cancelled)
Bernatchez, A. (2020, November). The everyday life of animal liberation activists. Guest Panelist, Feminism, Animality, Posthumanism (SFEM3109), University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. (2020, May). The criminal narrative of dissidence on behalf of nonhuman animals. Critical Animal Studies in the Age of Mass Extinction. (Cancelled)
Bernatchez, A. (2018, April). Militantisme pour la cause animale : idéaux et défis. Semaine des Sciences du CEGEP de l’Outaouais, University of Ottawa.
Bernatchez, A. C. (2017, April). Croisades pour les droits et la libération des animaux. Une perspective de conversion idéologique. Annual Doctoral Colloquium, University of Ottawa.
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Bernatchez, A. C. (2019, June). Enviro Panel Discussion: It’s Time to Panic. Panelist, VegFest, Ottawa, Ontario.