School of Sociology
Building information resilience through accessible communication practice: The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia title
During any crisis event, trustworthy communication is crucial for fostering safe and informed societies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, considerable disparities in access to reliable information (including vital health advice and resources) were observed; especially for migrants and people with disability.
Mechanisms of invisibility: Contradictions of localising humanitarianism and questions of participation title
Localisation refers to shifting the ownership and leadership of crisis response to local actors. Within the humanitarian sector, localisation has been framed as making aid more reflective of needs on the ground, supporting more equitable structures, and addressing concerns related to colonisation by Western-European actors operating in the Global South. In light of debates about “going local,” this article contributes to the literature on the “local turn” by offering a feminist critique.
Unfolding plans: Projections, time, and political possibilities in Mumbai title
This paper explores how plans unfold over time, shaped by urgency, waiting, and tactical foresight. Based on long-term ethnographic research in Mumbai, it follows the revision of the city’s urban plan to show how plans operate simultaneously as images and as documents, moving through different stages and lifespans—from initial sketches to official drafts, public reviews, and eventual implementation or expiration.
'The Male Complaint: The Manosphere and Misogyny Online' title
Join us for an interesting conversation with Hannah Leary and author Dr. Simon Copland, to celebrate the launch of his latest book, The Male Complaint, published by Polity Press and distributed in Australia by Wiley Press. (Pre-order here.)
About the book
Let's ‘slip the surly bonds’ of academic prose! Writing for a 'broader audience' title
An interactive hybrid workshop for colleagues interested in writing for a ‘broader audience’ – whatever that means! – and other forms of science communication. This draws on my extensive experience in this area (including written media contributions, broadcast writing, podcasts, and books) and focuses on the work of producing something that is accessible, enjoyable to read, and still academically respectable. This entertaining (hopefully!) session could be of interest to colleagues of all career stages – anyone who is interested in writing, and in communicating their research.
The Economies of Life in the Platform Economy: Social Reproduction, Depletion, and Disposability title
This paper examines the dynamics of the platform economy through the lens of social reproduction theory and feminist technoscience approaches to economics and capitalism. Both perspectives converge in their focus on situating bodies and the embodied experience of working and existing at the core of capitalist exploitation. Drawing on data from the action-research project Fairwork Colombia—an initiative that evaluates digital platform working conditions—Oscar analyses the different temporalities of gig work in relation to the life cycle of platform workers.
How to Build a Stock Exchange—Public Lecture by Professor Philip Roscoe title
Join us for a public lecture by Professor Philip Roscoe, RSSS Visiting Fellow in Sociology, on his book How to Build a Stock Exchange: The Past, Present and Future of Finance (2023).
About the Book
Why is finance so important? How do stock markets work and what do they really do? Most importantly, what might finance be and what could we expect from it?
Temporary: We wanted workers but we got people title
An exhibition and panel discussion by Kaya Barry, Matt Withers, Kirstie Petrou, Jeanette Tanghwa, Ema Moolchand. The exhibition brings together images and stories of temporary migration from the Pacific to Australia.
Hosted by ABC Radio National's Natasha Mitchell, this public panel discussion will be recorded for later broadcast on the program Big Ideas, and will feature:
Building a research narrative and identity in a precarious academic labour market title
This workshop will discuss strategies for building a clear research narrative to contribute to building a competitive CV whilst doing a PhD or being an ECR in the everchanging and increasingly demanding academic labour market. Building a coherent research narrative and trajectory is paramount, as is building a network, where the emphasis is on the work, not the net.
Religious exemptions as public pedagogies of homophobia title
The concept of public pedagogy (Sandlin et al. 2010) explores how societal norms are conveyed outside formal education. This framework helps to understand how religious exemptions to discrimination laws in Australian schools function as a means of teaching homophobia. Religious exemptions allow faith-based schools in Australia to exclude LGBTQIA+ students and staff based on religious beliefs, reinforcing certain values and behaviours.