Gender, Work and Social Inquiry

In Gender, Work and Social Inquiry, we explore:

• the ways in which men and women in societies understand and practice gender;
• how men and women experience work and its rewards;
• how we engage in the cultural realm, such as fashion and watching television;
• the gendered experiences of our bodies, in sickness and in health;
• our identities as women and men, consumers, workers, citizens, fans, believers and supporters, members of groups, and in families;
• the rewards and difficulties of work, from casual to corporate management;
• the specific meanings of gender, work and community and political engagement in Australia as compared with other countries.

The Gender focus introduces students to the meanings, representations and experience of women and men in Australia:

• what it means to be ‘women’ and ‘men’;
• differences among women and men, for example based on income, sexuality, gender, ethnicity;
• sexual identities, including masculinities and femininities; heterosexualities and homosexualities.

The Work focus introduces students to the meanings, representations and experience of work in Australia:

• issues of subjectivity and identity, particularly in relation to our working life;
• how young people encounter the world of work and how mothers negotiate the double shift;
• the role of institutions like political parties, unions, and employer organisations;
• the relationship between our work identities and other aspects of our life, such as family and involvement in social movements and society more generally.

From study to employment
Our graduates have found employment in many fields, including market research, government policy,  community development, human relations, youth work, media, and academia.

Some of the workplace skills developed by our students include:

• working through theoretical, ethical and practical problems through lectures and group activities;
• research, critical reading and analytical writing skills;
• gaining awareness of the range of resources available to support research;
• understanding of the relationship between theory and practice;
• skills in undertaking independent research;
• skills in working collaboratively on team-based research projects;
• running small groups;
• developing self-confidence to market yourself to employers.