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Professor Gabrielle Meagher

BEc(SocSci)Hons(Sydney), PhD(Sydney)

Professor of Social Policy

Co-convenor, Social Policy Research Network

Associate Dean, Office of Doctoral Studies

Email:

Phone: +61 2 9351 6610

Fax: +61 2 9351 2606

Building.Room: A35.536

Research interests

Social structures, inequalities and social justice

  • Gender relations and gender identity

Social work and social policy

  • Ageing and end-of-life
  • Social policy

Keywords

care work, privatisation, elder care, comparative social policy, public opinion on inequality and the welfare state


Professional biography

Gabrielle trained as a political economist, and her current interdisciplinary research program explores the impact of privatisation and personalisation on the way social care services are practised (by social service workers), organised (within and between different kinds of social service agencies), distributed (between social groups),  experienced (by service users) and understood (by broader publics).

In 2009, Gabrielle spent six months as a guest professor in the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University, where she began work with Professor Marta Szebehely on research into the marketisation of elder care in Sweden. In 2011, Marta, Gabrielle and Professor Anneli Anttonen (University of Tampere, Finland) received funding for the Nordic Research Network on Marketisation in Eldercare (www.normacare.net). A list of her other current projects and collaborators is available below.

Gabrielle has a keen interest in the development of research higher degree programs, and teaches research methods to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Gabrielle's research areas for PhD supervision include:

  • the organisation and experience of work in female dominated occupations, especially in care work in community service industries such as elder care, child care, and child welfare;
  • the role of for-profit providers in social services;
  • the impact of marketisation and managerialism on social service organisations and policies;
  • public opinion on social policy;
  • the development of the Australian welfare state;
  • applied ethics in social care services; and
  • comparative social policy. 

Her previous doctoral students include Dr Natasha Cortis, Dr Christina Ho and Dr Ben Spies-Butcher. In addition to her supervisions within the Faculty of Education and Social Work (listed below), she is also currently supervising Toby Fattore, who is researching children's work in the Sydney Business School.


Awards

  • Norman Smith Research Award for best research article in Australian Social Work 2007 (won jointly with Professor Karen Healy)

  • School of Economics and Political Science Outstanding Research Award 2006


Professional and community roles


Current projects

  • Australian attitudes to social policy for older people
  • The impact of social work qualifications on the experience of and satisfaction with work in the NSW social and community services sector (with Dr Natasha Cortis)
  • Australian attitudes to privatisation and the role of the public sector (with Dr Shaun Wilson and Adam Stebbing)
  • The role of market ideas and organisations in social service provision in Australia and Sweden (with Professor Marta Szebehely)
  • A comparative study of the work and working conditions of home care workers in Australia and Sweden (with Associate Professor Jane Mears and Professor Marta Szebehely)
  • A study of problem definitions and proposed solutions in submissions to the Productivity Commission's inquiry, 'Caring for Older Australians' (with Dr David Wilkins)
  • An historical institutionalist analysis of the development of elder care in Sweden (with Professor Marta Szebehely)

Current research students

Project title Degree Research student
The World Bank’s future and the knowledge policy agenda: Towards an analytics of governmentality perspective PhD John Girdwood
The experience of Aboriginal parents in the NSW child welfare system. PhD Cynthia Briggs
Older People, Choice and Aged Care Policy in Australia PhD Caroline Hayter

Selected publications

Books

Book chapters

  • Meagher, G. and Szebehely, M. (2012). Equality in the social service state: Nordic childcare models in comparative perspective . In Jon Kvist, Johan Fritzell, Bjorn Hvinden and Olli Kangas (Eds.), Changing social equality: The Nordic welfare model in the 21st century Bristol: Policy Press.
  • Meagher, G and Cortis, N. (2009). The Political Economy of For-profit Paid Care: Theory and Evidence. In King, D and Meagher, G. (Eds.), Paid Care in Australia: Politics, Profits, Practices Sydney: Sydney University Press.
  • Meagher, G, Cortis, N and Healy, K. (2009). Strategic Challenges in Child Welfare Services: A Comparative Study of Australia, England and Sweden . In Rummery, K, Greener, I and Holden, C (Eds.), Social Policy Review 21: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy Bristol: The Policy Press.
  • Wilson, S, Meagher, G. (2007). Howard's Welfare State: How Popular is the New Social Policy Agenda. In Denemark, D., Meagher, G., Wilson, S., & Western, M., Phillips, T (Ed.), Australian Social Attitudes 2 : Citizenship, Work and Aspirations (pp. 262–285), Sydney: UNSW Press.
  • Meagher, G, Wilson, S. (2007). Are Unions Regaining Popular Legitimacy in Australia?. In Denemark, D., Meagher, G., Wilson, S., & Western, M., Phillips, T (Ed.), Australian social attitudes 2 : citizenship, work and aspirations (pp. 195–216), Sydney: UNSW Press.
  • Meagher, G. (2007). Contested, Corporatised and Confused? Australian Attitudes to Child Care. In Elizabeth Hill, Barbara Pocock and Alison Elliott (Eds.), Kids Count: Better early childhood education and care in Australia (pp. 137–153), Sydney: Sydney University Press.
  • Marsh, I., Meagher, G. & Wilson, S. . (2005). Are Australians Open to Globalisation?. In Wilson, S., Meagher G., Gibson, R. Denemark, D. and Western, M (Eds.), Australian Social Attitudes: The First Report Sydney: UNSW Press.
  • Wilson, S., Meagher G., & Breusch, T. . (2005). Where to for the Welfare State?. In Wilson, S., Meagher G., Gibson, R. Denemark, D. & Western, M. (Ed.), Australian Social Attitudes: The First Report, UNSW Press, 2005. Sydney: UNSW Press.
  • Buchanan, J, Watson, I, Meagher, G. (2004). The Living Wage in Australia: History, Recent Developments, and Current Challenges. In Figart, D (Ed.), Living Wage Movements: Global Perspectives London: Routledge.

Journal articles

  • Wilson, S, Meagher, G. (in press). The social division of welfare knowledge: Policy stratification and perceptions of welfare reform in Australia . Policy and Politics, accepted.
  • Cortis, N and Meagher, G. (2009). Women, Work and Welfare in the Activation State: An Agenda for Australian Research. Australian Bulletin of Labour, 35(4), 629–651.
  • Tham, P, Meagher, G. (2009). Working in Human Services: How Do Experiences and Working Conditions in Child Welfare Social Work Compare?. British Journal of Social Work, 39(5), 807–827.
  • Healy, K, Meagher, G, Cullin, J. (2009). Retaining Novices to Become Expert Child Protection Practitioners: Creating Career Pathways in Direct Practice. British Journal of Social Work, 39(2), 299–317. DOI:doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm125
  • Meagher, G, Wilson, S. (2008). Richer, But More Unequal: Perceptions of Inequality in Australia 1987-2005. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 61, 220–243.
  • Healy, K, Meagher, G. (2007). Social Workers’ Preparation for Child Protection: Revisiting the Question of Specialisation. Australian Social Work, 60(3), 321–335.
  • Briggs, C, Meagher, G, Healy, K. (2007). Becoming an Industry: The Struggle of Social and Community Workers for Award Coverage, 1976-2001. Journal of Industrial Relations, 49(4), 497–521.
  • Meagher, G. (2007). The Challenge of the Care Workforce: Recent Trends and Emerging Problems. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(2), 151–167.
  • Meagher, G. (2006). What Can We Expect from Paid Carers?. Politics and Society, 34(1), 33–54.
  • Meagher, G and Parton, N. (2004). Modernising Social Work and the Ethics of Care. Social Work and Society, 2(1), 10–27.
  • Healy, K, Meagher, G. (2004). The Reprofessionalization of Social Work: Collaborative Approaches for Achieving Professional Recognition. British Journal of Social Work, 34(2), 243–260.
  • Meagher, G and Nelson, J. (2004). Survey Article: Feminism in the Dismal Science. Journal of Political Philosophy, 12(1), 102–126. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9760.2004.00193.x
  • Meagher, G, Healy, K. (2003). Caring, controlling, contracting and counting: Governments and non-profits in community services. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 62(3), 40–51.
  • Meagher, G and Wilson, S. (2002). Complexity and Practical Knowledge in the Social Sciences: A Comment on Stehr and Grundmann. British Journal of Sociology, 53(4), 659–666.
  • Meagher, G. (2002). Is it Wrong to Pay for Housework?. Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy, 17(2), 52–66.

Other

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