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Research and publications

Social Work, Community and Human Services staff are all experienced practioners who are actively engaged in research and consultancy activities. The following are some key research areas for the discipline:

Dr June Allan

  • Application of critical theoretical frameworks, including gender-sensitive and social change perspectives, to social work practice
  • Family support services program development
  • Parenting, family and children’s services, including parenting education and support
  • Processes for researching consumer perspectives

Susan Costello

  • Critical Social Work Practice with Families
  • Domestic Violence and Perpetrator Groups
  • Fitzroy Housing Estate Redevelopment
  • Masters Thesis: ‘The Views of Women whose Partners Attend Groups for Violent Men’ (1997)
  • Research Projects, Consultancy and Student Project
  • Social, Political and Environmental Issues in Burma
  • Study tours to Thai Burma border
  • Video project: Critical Social Work in Practice
  • Women’s view of perpetrator groups

Christine Craik

  • ‘Nip and Tuck Off’ - Research into the effects of plastic surgery shows and advertising on the future of young women
  • Exploring the effects of State School education on the accessibility of tertiary education for young women - issues around gender, class, education
  • Sexual abuse (especially around depression and anxiety)
  • Social models of health
  • Young People and body image - specifically media influences

Dr Heather Fraser

  • Anti-oppressive practice and human rights work
  • Advocacy and social action
  • Gender theorising
  • Intersections between structural feminism and postmodernism love, abuse, sexuality
  • Narrative analysis and narrative therapy

Linette Hawkins

  • Cross cultural: Cambodia and Bangladesh
  • Field Education
  • Human Service organisations
  • Information technology and flexible modes of education
  • Reflective practice

Associate Professor Jennifer Martin

  • Action research
  • Child, youth and family services
  • Conflict resolution and mediation
  • Cross cultural and international
  • Health and mental health including forensic mental health
  • Information technology, education and the human services
  • Multidisciplinary collaboration
  • Social theory and social justice
  • Social policy

Professor Catherine McDonald

  • The experience of the long term unemployed of the Job Network (ARC Linkage)
  • Children’s Lived Experience of Poverty (in conjunction with the NSW Children’s Commission). This is a seed project funded by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)
  • The impact of welfare reform on the practice of social work in Centrelink

Marjorie Quinn

  • Community work and education for community work
  • Cross cultural education and learning

International development Working across cultural divides


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