Dr James Gomez
BA, BSocSci (Hons) National University of Singapore,
MA (University of Essex, UK), PhD (Monash)
Lecturer in Public Relations
James Gomez joined Monash in May 2009. He has over 15 years of international experience as a policy and communications specialist in inter-governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations. Before joining Monash, James was Visiting Scholar, Department of Political Science, at Keio University, Japan (2008-9). Prior to that, from 2006 to 2008, he was Programme Officer at International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) in Stockholm, Sweden. He was Regional Research and Communications Manager with the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung - a German political foundation - based 2006 -2001 in Thailand and 2000-1996 in Singapore.
James Gomez has a broad range of research interests which include the use of new media such as the internet for citizen journalism, advocacy campaigns, policy communication, public relations and its relationship with democracy and human rights. Beginning with a focus on Singapore, James has expanded his research to include crisis and risk management and strategic communications with a special focus on the East and Southeast Asian region.
- "New Media and Human Rights in Southeast Asia" as part of Routledge's Media, Culture and Social Change in Asia series co-edited with Dr. Mike Hayes (Mahidol University, Thailand)
- "Politics and Identity: Negotiating Power and Space in Asia" special issue of Copenhagen Journal of Asia Studies -- guest-edited with Dr Carole Faucher (Tsukuba University, Japan) - in August 2010
Apart from in-depth field experience in East and Southeast, James has spent time in post-conflict and crisis affected societies of Columbia, Nepal and Sudan. He has been involved in the communications and web strategies of the organisations that he has worked in. He has also supervised and mentored interns and research assistants. James has undertaken consultancy projects for the inter-governmental agencies International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and international non-governmental organisations such as International Republican Institute and Article 19 and consulting firms Ergo Advisors and Gerson Lehrman Group to name a few. James is also active in civil and political society in Singapore and in the East and Southeast Asian region. For his use of the Internet for political communication and mobilizing people, he was identified separately at various times in 2001 as one of "Asia's 50 most powerful communicators" by Asiaweek, "An Asian Trailblazer" by Newsweek and an "Asian Making a Difference" by the Far Eastern Economic Review.
Over the years James has brought his field experience into the classroom, in various capacities, at the undergraduate level at National University of Singapore (1996) and for the Masters in Asia-Pacific Studies for the University of Leeds' (1998) distance learning course in Singapore. Additionally he has taught a Masters level course at Thammasat University (2002-2004) and guest lectured at various times at Mahidol University, Thailand (2002-2009). He has also acted as advisor to various student research projects. In 2009, he designed and delivered a Masters level course "New Media and Political Culture" at Tsukuba University in Japan. James has done short term research fellowships at the Baptist University of Hong Kong (2002), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2005) and at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan (2008). He sits on the editorial board of Asia Rights, (Online Journal of Human Rights), the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
Research Interests/Publications
Books
- Internet Politics: Surveillance and Intimidation in Singapore. (2002) Singapore: Think Centre (Singapore & Asia).
- Self-censorship: Singapore's Shame. (1999) Singapore: Think Centre (Singapore).
Books (edited)
- Publish and Perish: The Censorship of Opposition Party Publications in Singapore. (2001) National Solidarity Party (Singapore).
Books (co-edited)
- Asia Cyberactivism: Freedom of Expression and Media Censorship (co-ed). (2004) Bangkok: Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
- September 11 and Political Freedom: Asian Perspectives (co-ed). (2003) Singapore: Select Publishing.
- Democratic Transitions in Asia (co-ed). (2001) Singapore: Select Books.
- The Political Dimensions of the Asian Crisis (co-ed). (2000) Singapore: Select Books.
Chapters in Books
- Introduction. In: Steven Gan, James Gomez and Uwe Johannen (eds). Asia Cyberactivism: Freedom of Expression and Media Censorship. (2004) Bangkok: Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
- Introduction: September 11 and Political Freedom: Asian Perspectives. In: Uwe Johannen, Alan Smith and James Gomez (eds). September 11 and Political Freedom: Asian Perspectives. (2003) Singapore: Select Publishing.
- Civil and Political Society in East and Southeast Asia: The Contest for Political Space. In: Khoo Kay Kim, Michael L.R. Smith and Andrew Tan (eds). Seeking Alternative Perspectives on Southeast Asia. (2002) London: ASEAN Academic.
- Introduction. In: Uwe Johannen and James Gomez (eds). Democratic Transitions in Asia. (2001) Singapore: Select Books.
- Singapore: New Technologies, Old Values. In: Sheila Coronel (ed). Access to Information in Southeast Asia. (2001) Manilla: Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism.
- Introduction. In: Uwe Johannen, Jurgen Rudolph and James Gomez (eds). The Political Dimensions of the Asian Crisis (2000), Singapore: Select Books.
- A Political Evaluation of the Asian Crisis: Prospects for Democracy. In: Uwe Johannen, Jurgen Rudolph and James Gomez (eds). The Political Dimensions of the Asian Crisis (2000), Singapore: Select Books.
Journals (guest-edited)
- Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies Special Issue: Stability, Risks and Opposition in Singapore. (2006) 23. (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
- Sojourn: Special Focus on Democracy and Civil Society: NGO Politics in Singapore. (2005) 20 (2). (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore)
- Asia Rights Online, Asia-Pacific Research School. (2005) 5 (Australian National University, Australia)
- Asia Pacific Media Educator (APME) New Media and Journalism in Asia: Freedom of Expression, Censorship and Ethics. (2002) 12. (Graduate School of Journalism, University of Wollongong, Australia)
Articles in Journals
- Democracy Promotion in Asia: Emerging Policy Issues, Keio Journal of Politics, Vol 14/2009, Keio University Press, Japan.
- Online Opposition in Singapore: Communications Outreach Without Electoral Gain, (2008) Journal of Contemporary Asia. Vol.38, No.4
- Citizen Journalism: Bridging the Discrepancy in Singapore's General Elections News Sudostasien Aktuell - Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs. (6/2006) German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Germany
- Restricting Free Speech: The Impact on Opposition Parties in Singapore. (2006) Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies Special Issue: Stability, Risks and Opposition in Singapore. 23. (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
- International NGOS: Filling the civil society "gap" in Singapore. (2005) Sojourn: Special Focus on "Democracy and Civil Society: NGO Politics in Singapore. 20 (2) (Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore)
- Dumbing down democracy: trends in internet regulation, surveillance and control in Asia. (2004) Pacific Journalism Review. 10 (2). (School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
- September 11: Asian Perspective. (2003) Indiana International and Comparative Law Review. 13 (3). (Indiana University School of Law, USA)
- Policing the Global Communications Infrastructure. (2002) Commentary - Special Issue on Globalisation, Journal of the National University of Singapore Society. 18.
- Information Technology as a Tool for Control in Singapore. (2002) Development Dialogue. 1. (Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Sweden)
- Think Centre: Politics in the New Economy (2002) Asian Journal of Social Science - Special Issue "Internet and Society" (Brill Academic Publishers, USA)
- Consolidating Indian Identities in Post-Independence Singapore: A Case Study of the Malayalee Community (1998) Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science. (Brill Academic Publishers, USA)
- Proportionalisng Political Representation in Singapore: Problems and Prospects. (1998) Journal of the National University of Singapore Society.
Articles in Journals (co-edited)
- Introduction: Stability, Risks and Opposition in Singapore. (2006) Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies Special Issue: Stability, Risks and Opposition in Singapore. 23
- Moving Beyond the OB Markers: Rethinking the Space of Civil Society in Singapore. (2005) Sojourn, Special Focus on "Democracy and Civil Society: NGO Politics in Singapore.
Occasional/Working Papers
- Ooi, Can-Seng and James Gomez (2006) Singapore's Vulnerable Risk Free Democracy, INT Working Paper. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School, Dept. of International Economics and Management.
- Between Freedom and Censorship: Asian Political Parties in Cyberspace. (2005) Occasional Paper 10, Potsdam, Germany: Liberal Institute.
Reports
- Political Parties in South Asia: The Challenge for Change (2007), International IDEA, Stockholm, Sweden. (co-contributor)
- Singapore: Freedom of Expression and the Media. (2006) London: Article 19.
- Shame. (2000) Singapore: Think Centre.
- Tomorrow's Leaders: Bridging Asia and Europe (co-ed). Conference Report of the First Asia-Europe Foundation Young Parliamentarians Meeting, 13-16 November 1998, Cebu, Philippines.
Book Endorsements
- Jonathan Woodier, The Media and Political Change in Southeast Asia, Edward Elgar Publishers (2008)
- Sorpong Peou, Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific: Theory and Practice (forthcoming 2010)
Contact Details
Phone:
03 9903 1692
Fax:
03 9903 2795
Office:
B4.55
Email:
James.Gomez@arts.monash.edu.au
Address:
Public Relations Section
School of Humanities, Communications & Social Sciences
Monash University, Caulfield Campus
900 Dandenong Road
Caulfield East 3145