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Thesis Topics and Supervisors - Sociology

The following is a list of Sociology postgraduates and their thesis topics. If you are a postgraduate student in sociology and would like to have your name added or removed from this list, or if you would like to have your email or and abstract listed as well, you can do so simply by contacting our Postgraduate Coordinator Sue.Stevenson@monash.edu

PhD
Name Thesis Title / Topic Supervisor/s
Yarina Ahmad Social marketing in enhancing the effectiveness of child abuse prevention programs in Malaysia. Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Handun Athukorala Ethnic identity of second generation Sri Lankan immigrants in Australia Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Dr Jo Lindsay
Charlotte Baines Freedom of religion and belief: A sociological exploration Dr Andrew Singleton / Prof. Gary Bouma
Janice Boey Addressing gender blindness in research on international education Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Dr Wendy Smith
Susan Carland How are Australian and American Muslim women redefining leadership roles within their Islamic traditions and communities? Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Pete Lentini
Halil Chalid The effectiveness of the Indonesian ADS Program in contributing to organisation development: A study on reintegration of ADS alumni into their home organisation Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Stephen Derrick A case study of representations of sustainability in higher education institutions Dr Janet Stanley / Prof. Alan Petersen
Ian Grant Contextualising Christian leadership among the Enga of Papau New Guinea (lapsed under reg. 18.2) Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Matt Tomlinson
Caroline Hart The medicalisation of childhood: Family experiences when a child is diagnosed with mental illness Assoc. Prof. Renata Kokanovic / Dr Mark Davis
Brigit Henley Drinking among young university women Dr Jo Lindsay / Dr JaneMaree Maher
Rachmad Hindayat Understanding Muslim masculinities and its relationship to the issue of domesic violence Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton
Peter Iatrou Governing the Gay Christian self: An ethnographic study of gay Christians Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Steven Angelides
Kate Johnston-Ata’ata Transition to parenthood for mothers and fathers: Expectations and experiences of support Dr Renata Kokanovic / Dr Jo Lindsay
Daria Ledovski Fairest of them all: The princess fantasy in popular culture Dr Andrew Singleton/Dr Kirsten McLean
Dunya Licina Parental separation through children’s eyes: Negotiating new family life Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Davina Lohm Who are they? How do young residents of Australia perceive their national identities? Dr Kirsten McLean / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Vanessa Longo Australian grandmothers, mothers and daughters negotiating ethnicity, culture and identity in their everyday lives" (lapsed under reg 18.2) Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam / Prof. Denise Cuthbert
Kate Maher

Social and radical hope: Their relevance for positive social interactions (peers and institutions)
Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam / Prof. Denise Cuthbert
Jennifer Martin Why don’t you go back to where you came from? National and cultural identity in Australia and the impact of Anglo-Celtic dominance and division in post-WWII Australia to the present day Assoc. Prof. Anita Harris / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Tebeje Mekonnen Neo-liberal educational agendas and higher education reform in Ethiopia: Gender equity in focus Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam / Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Dr Anita Devos
Debra Parkinson Women’s experience of violence in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires Dr Kirsten McLean / Prof. Denise Cuthbert
Tisna Prabasmoro Identity, fandom and globalization: An investigation of Persib Bandung fans Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Julian Millie
Chendi Priyatna Smoking culture in Indonesia Prof. Alan Petersen / Dr Mark Davis
Gerald Rose Ministry identity in a Australian evangelical Church in a postmodern, globalizing World: A socological analysis (lapsed under reg 18.2) Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Matt Tomlinson
Zachary Russell Relative fit and the minority experience: Understanding intergroup relations and acculturative stress as by-products of acculturation orientations Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam / Dr RoseAnne Misajon
Budi Sudarto A colourful romance: Gay Asian men-gay white men couples (lapsed under reg. 18.2) Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Mark Davis
Matthew Walker Environmental discourse on population growth: A comparative study of environment groups in Western democracies Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam / Dr Bob Birrell / Prof. Alan Petersen
Delanie Woodlock Why so sad? Antidepressants, and the girl power generation (lapsed under reg 18.2) Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr JaneMaree Maher
Master of Arts (100% Research)
Name Thesis Title / Topic Supervisor/s
Tim Barrett Men negotiating friendship across sexual orientation Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton
Zuhal Caliskan Islam: The religious identity of married Turkish women in Melbourne Prof. Denise Cuthbert / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam
Rachel Goff Exiting Exodus: Narratives of Gay Christians Dr Andrew Singleton /Prof. Denise Cuthbert
Alex Riquier A pressured identity’: Exploring expressions of contemporary motherhood in Australia media Dr Jo Lindsay / Dr JaneMaree Maher
Andrea Waling The Melbourne man: Understanding current ideas of personhood, nationality and masculinity through an investigation of the impact of globalization on the heterosexual Melbourne-based male Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Kirsten McLean
Master of Arts (66% Research)
Name Thesis Title / Topic Supervisor/s
 Rita Pranawati The family concept among young female Muslim leaders: A comparative study of Fatayat NU and Nasyiatul Aisyiyah Muhammadiyah Dr Jo Lindsay / Assoc. Prof. Susan Blackburn 
Completed
Name Thesis Title / Topic Supervisor(s) Level Year
Ibrahim Abraham The queer Umma: Queer Muslim identity and community in Australia Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Kirsten McLean MA 2008
Joanne Birkett The social construction of women's gambling as a social problem Dr Ulla Svensson MA 2002
Marcelle Cacciattolo Accepting, coping and re-evaluating living with breast cancer: Women's experiences with illness and dying Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2002
Jim Connelly Ordained ministry as a second career: A study of attitudes and practices within the Anglican Church in Australia, Province of Australia Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Harry Ballis PhD 2004
Kristin Diemer Romantic love in everyday life: An exploration into its social construction in contemporary western society Dr Peter Hiller PhD 2001
Bob Dixon Ingenious communities: Catholic parishes in Australia as creators of social capital and religious social goods Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Andrew Singleton / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam PhD 2010
Amy Dobson Bitches, bunnies and BFFs (best friends forever): A feminist analysis of young women’s performance of contemporary popular femininities on MySpace Prof. Peter Snow PhD 2010
Ian Dobson A fair chance for whom? Equity, social mobility and Australian higher education policy Dr Bob Birrell PhD 2005
Duane Duncan Embodying gay male identity: Gay men, body-image and political visibility" Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Kirsten McLean PhD 2008
Daniel Edwards Competition and choice: Determinants of access to university via the Victorian school system Dr Bob Birrell / Prof. Gerald Burke PhD 2007
Maria Fong The sociological study of urban legends Dr Andrew Singleton MA 2004
Alexandra Fraser Family-friendly workplaces: An Australian case study of corporate culture Dr Ulla Svensson PhD 2003
Anna Halafoff Netpeace: Multifaith movements and common security Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Jo Lindsay PhD 2010
Lesleyanne Hawthorne The international transfer of skills: The 'NESB' factor in labour market disadvantage for engineers and nurses in Australia Dr Bob Birrell PhD 2001
Genevieve Heard Fertility and economic resources in Contemporary Australia Dr Bob Birrell / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam PhD 2008
Melanie Heenan Women, rape trials and law reform Dr Jan van Bommel PhD 2002
Les Henson Towards a Melanesian contextual theology: The development of integrated missiological method and associated narrative texts Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2003
Rachmad Hidayat Masculinity, Islam and domestic violence in Indonesia Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton MA 2009
Jennifer Higgins Mid-life women and ageing Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Helen Johnson PhD 2001
Clare Hourigan Lone parenthood in Australia: A spacial analysis Dr Bob Birrell PhD 2006
Ronelle Hutchinson The construction of community in virtual spaces Dr Jan van Bommel / Dr Peter Hiller PhD 2004
Jeanette Jennings Changes in Victorian government schools: Schools of the future or Schools of the Fuhrer? Dr Ibtisan Abu Duhou PhD 2001
Iresha Karunaratne Learning English in urban Sri Lanka Dr Jan van Bommel / Assoc. Prof. Naomi White PhD 2004
Debbie Kirkwood Women who kill: A study of female perpetrated homicide in Victoria between 1985 and 1995 Dr Jan van Bommel PhD 2001
Jeroen Knevel Dutch political parties on immigration and integration surrounding the National Election 2002 Dr Bob Birrell MA 2004
John Levi These are the names: The Jews of Colonial Australia 1788-1850 Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Kirsten McLean PhD 2007
Rodney Ling Australian autoworkers in the early 21st century: Opportunities for self-actualisation and vocational development Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Barry Ellem PhD 2005
Jonathan Lyons War without end? One thousand years of anti-Islam discourse Prof. Gary Bouma / Prof. Greg Barton PhD 2010
Ma Xiaomei A comparative study of changes of private school patterns in Australia and China: 1985-1994 Dr Joy Fisher PhD 2001
Kate Maher The social construction of attitudes towards Australian Muslims: The roles of social group discussions and news media reports Assoc. Prof. Naomi White / Assoc. Prof. Dharma Arunachalam MA 2009
John McCormack Listen, Jesus, they’re playing our song: A sociological study of worship music in Melbourne’s megachurches Dr Andrew Singleton / Dr Kirsten McLean PhD 2010
Kirsten McLean Identifying as bisexual: Life stories of Australian bisexual men and women Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2004
Lyle Munro The sociology of animal protection Dr Ray Jureidini PhD 2002
Kate Paine An evaluation of vocational programs as support for students at risk in two secondary schools Dr Chris Chamberlain MA 2001
Shahidur Rahman The Bangladesh garment industry: Socio-economic vulnerability and global integration Prof. Carla Lipsig-Mumme / Dr Dennis Woodward PhD 2008
John Rietveld The return of evil: A reconsideration of good and evil with and beyond Augustine, Calvin and Macintyre Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2005
Kate Seear Gynaecological governance: Femininity, responsibility and self-care among women with endrometriosis" Feminity, responsibility Prof. Alan Petersen / Dr Andrew Singleton PhD 2008
Sylvie Shaw Wild at heart: Recreating relationship to nature Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Peter Cock PhD 2002
Jennifer Sinclair From mastery to mysticism: Locating the contemporary spiritual in cultural context Dr Andrew Singleton / Prof. Denise Cuthbert PhD 2007
Robin Smilovitis Unwinding transnational threads: Transnational religion and missionary transmigrants" Prof. Gary Bouma / Dr Andrew Singleton PhD 2008
Caroline Spencer The egg and sperm race: The creation and recreation of sexual knowledge for preadolescent children 1945-2000 Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2001
Elizabeth Stewart Law and identity: Jewish identity in pre-war Germany Assoc. Prof. Naomi White / Prof. Andrew Markus PhD 2009
Morna Sturrock Bishop James Moorhouse: The Melbourne Years 1876-1886 Dr David Dunstan / Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2004
Budi Sudarto Different nationalities, one community: Gay Asian men in Melbourne's GLBTIQ community Dr Jan van Bommel MA 2004
Shiva Vasi Conversion to Zen Buddhism Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2004
David Wood Bishop John Vernon Taylor: Christian mission in the global village Prof. Gary Bouma PhD 2001