Health, Well Being & Social Change Research Cluster
Suzanne Fraser
Francesca Collins
Alan Petersen (Cluster Leader)
Jo Lindsay
Roseanne Misajon
Mark Davis
Luke Howie
Kirsten McLean
Dharma Arunachalam
JaneMaree Maher
Email: arts-hwsc-research-cluster-L@monash.edu
Cluster introduction:
Health and wellbeing are profoundly shaped by our social and physical environments. Increasingly, it is recognised that health is more than a product of genes or 'luck'. Where we live, work and recreate can powerfully influence our life chances. While biomedical knowledge has brought improvements to our lives, we need to better understand how social contexts and social change shape healthy behaviours and illness experiences.
This research cluster encompasses a broad array of interests in the socio-cultural aspects of health, illness and wellbeing. It includes researchers who are working at the forefront of their fields, engaged in studies of issues such as chronic illness, ageing, sexual health, emergency care, and drug use. Research involves diverse populations, including young people, minority ethic groups, groups with particular conditions (e.g. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C) Strong links have been established with the Faculty of Medicine and with clinicians working outside the University.
The cluster offers a point of contact and support network for colleagues and practitioners with an interest in this field. It aims to host events of wide interest, to help nurture research through higher degrees and other means, and to develop links between scholars and practitioners, including at the international level. It has established ties with a number of overseas' institutions (e.g. King's College, London, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Vienna) and welcomes visiting scholars from within Australia and overseas.
Members:
Dharma Arunachalam: morbidity, mortality and women's health in Australia; quantitative analysis of hysterectomy in Australia; child malnutrition, child and reproductive health in developing countries with a particular focus on India.
Francesca Collins: dissociation and trauma responses in non-clinical populations; the psychological impact of appearance altering conditions, especially hair loss; and psychosocial factors affecting treatment seeking and compliance. I have advanced skills in quantitative methods and psychometrics. Francesca is a trained clinical psychologist.
Mark Davis: public health governance, especially with respect to HIV/AIDS; sexual health; the social aspects of health technologies; internet mediated psychosocial care, and qualitative methods. Mark is presently co-editing a book of case studies from Africa, Asia and Europe, regarding the links between HIV treatment and prevention.
Suzanne Fraser: the body, health, technology and gender. Current projects focus on the politics of health and disease, in particular, illicit drug use, blood-borne viruses and obesity. My training is in gender and cultural studies, and my PhD thesis analysed cosmetic surgery discourse as a technology of gender.
Luke Howie: terrorism and behavioural responses; terrorism and the consequences for workers and businesses; virtual medical training and patient simulators; opthamology and ageing
Jo Lindsay: health and young people's social lives, specifically alcohol and drug consumption and sexual health. She takes a sociological approach and is interested in gender and class dynamics. Her most recent research is on the youth alcohol consumption and she is working on a project entitled 'What a great night: The cultural drivers of alcohol consumption among young people' with Dr Peter Kelly, Behavioural Studies PSI Monash University, Dr Lyn Harrison, Education Deakin University and Dr Chris Hickey, Education Deakin University. This project aims to gather important qualitative information about the cultural drivers of alcohol consumption by young people in Australia.
JaneMaree Maher: pregnancy and birthing (rethinking the pregnant body and birthing experience using theories of embodiment); qualitative research with birthing women and midwives focusing on ideas of pain and time as they shape contemporary Western birthing
Kirsten McLean: gay, lesbian and bisexual health; same-sex couples and families; and the intersections between sexuality and social health. Current research projects include an investigation of the human geography of Australian same-sex couple families (together with colleagues from the University of Wollongong) and a project investigating the relinquishment of bisexual and lesbian sexual identities by Australian women.
RoseAnne Misajon: the wellbeing of people with disability and chronic illness (particularly in South East Asia and migrant communities), the psychosocial aspects of quality of life and mental health, and the development of quality of life measures.
Alan Petersen: sociology of public health and health promotion; sociology of risk (particularly the media and the communication of risk); the body and society; gender and health (e.g. prostate cancer); the social context and implications of new technologies, particularly biotechnologies and nanotechnologies; the impact of the new genetics on public health and preventive medicine; genetic testing and counselling; biobanks; stem cell research and applications (especially issues of public engagement)
International collaborations (Members of PSI only):
Mark Davis:
University of East London: 'HIV, technology and subjectivity' An edited collection for Palgrave of case studies from Africa, Europe and Asia concerning HIV prevention in the era of anti-retroviral treatment. (Editors, Dr Mark Davis and Professor Corinne Squire, School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies, University of East London.)
Glasgow Caledonian University: 'Health, wellbeing and the internet in Scotland and Victoria. Preparation of conjoint ARC DP and ESRC grant applications concerning a comparative, mixed methods study of the contribution of the internet to sexual health, mental health and physical fitness. (Mark Davis and Paul Flowers, Department of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University)
Suzanne Fraser:
Lancaster University: Celia Roberts (Sociology)
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: Tim Rhodes
Alan Petersen:
University of Plymouth (Honorary Visiting Professor): Alison Anderson (Sociology, School of Law and Social Sciences), Heather Skirton (School of Nursing and Community Studies, Plymouth University)
Bournemouth University: Stuart Allan (The Media School)
Royal College of Arts, London: Dale Harrow, Rob Thompson
Loughborough University: Sue Hignett (Department of Human Sciences)
University of West of England: Jonathan Benger (and United Bristol Healthcare Trust)
City University (Honorary Visiting Professor): Anthony Pryce (School of Health Sciences)
University of Kent: Iain Wilkinson (Sociology, Social Policy and Social Research)
University of Vienna: Herbert Gottweis (University of Political Science)
Norwegian University of Technology and Science: John-Arne Skolbekeen (Department of Social Work and Health Science), Lars Ursin (Philosophy Department)
King's College London (Honorary Visiting Professor): Professor Clare Williams and Professor Steven Wainwright (Centre for Biomedicine & Society)
Associate members and international collaborations
Current and ongoing projects (Members of PSI only):
Mark Davis
2008- 'Aussies online: health, wellbeing and social relations in the age of the internet' Qualitative interviews conceptualised as 'technobiographies' of the internet and related technologies with special reference to subjectivity and health. (Funded by Faculty of Arts, New Researchers Grant.)
Ongoing 'The technological determinants of gambling-related harms in Australia' NHMRC grant application for 2009. (Mark Davis, Suzanne Fraser, Alan Petersen and Shane Thomas (Primary Care Research, Faculty of Medicine)).
Suzanne Fraser
2007-2010
'Under construction: the social and cultural
politics of hepatitis C in Australia' (Suzanne Fraser, Carla Treloar, David Moore)
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/womens-studies/research/projects/childobesity.php
2009-2011
'Childhood obesity: mothers, children and public health, 2009 – 2011' (Suzanne Fraser, JaneMaree Maher)
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/womens-studies/research/projects/socialpolitics.php
2006-2009
'Substitution, enhancement, autonomy: making treatment regimes with
methadone and HRT, 2006-2009' (Suzanne Fraser, Kylie Valentine, Celia Roberts)
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/womens-studies/research/projects/substitution.php
2008-2010
'Intimate injectors: Injecting practice among heterosexual hepatitis C
sero-discordant couples' (Suzanne Fraser, Carla Treloar, Joanne
Bryant, Lisa Maher and Tim Rhodes)
JaneMaree Maher
'Childhood obesity, agency and responsibility: the challenge to
contemporary public health' (Research Team: Suzanne Fraser, Jan Wright (UNSW), JaneMaree Maher, Alan Petersen) ARC Discovery to be submitted (2010-2012)
New Configurations of Work and Family: Nurses and Builders Working and
Caring (Research Team: JaneMaree Maher, Jo Lindsay, Anne Bardoel).
Funding: PSI/ACREW $20, 000).
Globalisation of Motherhood (Research Team: JaneMaree Maher, Wendy Chavkin, Columbia University)
Interim Outcomes: Symposium convened, October 2008; London, Book
How we talk about birth: women and babies in contemporary Australia (comprising several projects):
- Medical Narratives in Birth Experience (Funding: Faculty of Arts $7193)
- Giving Birth Manuscript in development.
Alan Petersen
2003-ongoing
'Nanotechnologies, risk and communication' Includes an ESRC proposal: 'News reporting of nanotechnologies: a comparative study of UK and Australian print and online coverage' (with Alison Anderson (University of Plymouth, UK) and Stuart Allan (University of Bournemouth, UK). This builds on an earlier ESRC funded project, 'Nanotechnologies and news production: a study of scientists', journalists' and editors' views' (2003-2005) Recent book: Nanotechnology, Risk and Communication (Palgrave, 2009) (with Alison Anderson, Stuart Allan and Clare Wilkinson)
2006-ongoing
'Science, policy and public representations on nanotechnologies' (British Academy funded project 2006-2007; 2008 Symposium (jointly funded by PSI, Law and Monash Institute of Nanosciences, Materials and Manufacture. See NanoVisions website: http://lauthiamkok.net/tmp/nanovisions/tmpls/nanovisions.php?pid=1)
1998-ongoing
'Socio-political implications of the new genetics' This has included a series of projects, focusing on the impacts of genetics on public health and health promotion (e.g. The New Genetics and the Public's Health (Routledge, 2002 (with Robin Bunton); Genetic Governance: Health, Risk and Ethics in the Biotech Era (2005) (Edited with Robin Bunton)); the portrayal of genetics and medicine in the print news media and other media; the discourses and practices of genetic counselling and genetic testing; and the ethics and governance of biobanks (Biobanks: Governance in Comparative Perspective (Routledge, 2008) (edited with Herbert Gottweis)
2007-2009
'Smart pods to reconfigure urgent healthcare delivery' (Co-Investigator with Sue Hignett (PI) (Loughborough University), Jonathan Benger (CI) UWE, and Nigel Caldwell (CI) (Bath University)) £502,757 (excl. FEC) – EPSRC,
2008-2009
'Review of literature on social and economic implications of nanotechnologies' Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. (With Kate Seear (PSI) and Diana Bowman (Law, Monash)
2008-2009
'Stem cell technologies: how scientists , policymakers, and other stakeholders engage with the public' (with Kate Seear, PSI)
2009
'Ethical aspects of academic publishing in the health sciences: problems and practical strategies' (with Kate Seear (PSI), Paul Komesaroff and Samantha Thomas (Centre for Ethics in Medicine and Society) Arts/Medicine Collaborative Grant.
2008-2010
'The politics of bioethics' (Book contract, Routledge, London and New York)
Keywords: health, public health; HIV; sexual health; internet; biotechnology, gender, women's health; men's health; Foucault; endometriosis; law; nanotechnology; genetics; body, technology, addiction; Data Security, Medical Informatics, Privacy, Hospital Information System, Clinical Informatics, Data Standards, Information Privacy, mental health and illness, rural, regional and sub regional health, inter-professional education, learning and practice, dissociation, trauma responses, health psychology, quantitative methods; qualitative methods, ageing, care, dementia care, multicultural, intergenerational, widowhood; anthropology, wellbeing, consciousness/ spirituality/ religion; behavioural sciences, criminal justice, outcome measurement, India, genetic testing, haemophilia, reproductive decision making, medical ethics; opthamology, terrorism