Ruchira Ganguly-Scrase
1993 PhD Anthropology (Melb)
1987 MA. (prelim) Anthropology (Melb)
1984 Grad. Dip Education (Deakin)
1982 BA Sociology (VU)
I was born in India and moved to Melbourne, Australia when I was eleven years old. My undergraduate training was in Sociology. Then I went on to complete a PhD in Anthropology at the University of Melbourne, funded by a Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award. I joined the University of Wollongong in 2001. Previously I taught Sociology and Anthropology at Charles Sturt University (1995-2000) and Deakin University (1991-1994). The subjects that I teach in the Sociology Program include, Race and Ethnic Studies, Sociology of the Family, Contesting Asia: Culture, Diversity and Difference, and Modernity, Development & Social Change.
Research Interests:
- Capitalist Development and Modernity
- Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Methods
- Anthropology of South Asia
- Gender Relations
- Cultural Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Minority Groups
- Childhood and Schooling
Current Projects:
-
ARC Discovery Project:
The Clothing Industry in the Asia Pacific: Managing Constant Change (with Prof. Adrian Vickers, University of Sydney, Dr. Melanie Beresford, Macquarie University and Dr Vicki Crinis and Associate Prof. Kathryn Hannan, UOW) This project seeks to understand the complexities of change in the clothing industry and its vast work force, especially after the liberalisation of trade restrictions in 2005. We ask what roles strong states such as China have in successfully developing the clothing industry, and why the same industry is on the verge of collapse in countries such as Indonesia. We compare a number of Asia Pacific countries and trace the networks of production, distribution and consumption that link them, to demonstrate the social impacts of the changing nature of economic production for Australia's region.
- ARC Linkage with PALMS Australia (with Dr Tim Scrase, Associate Prof Peter Kell, UOW and Mr Roger O’Halloran, PALMS)
This study examines the role of volunteer abroad programs in contributing to regional stability in the Asia/Pacific Region through community based volunteer placements. It explores the experiences of current volunteers in the field, their local host communities and involves the participation of previous volunteers, PALMS staff, as well as experts in the area of international volunteer programs.
- Gender and Forced Migration: This URC project explored the gendered nature of cross-border forced migration from Bangladesh and internal displacement in Eastern India. Following the study, I am currently working in collaboration with Associate Prof Roberta Julian, University of Tasmania, Dr Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt, ANU and Dr Gillian Vogl to examine the broader issues concerning the current global debates on the difficulties of separating ‘economic’ and ‘political’ refugees.
- University of Wollongong, SDRG 2002:
Precarious Production: Indian Artisans in the Global Economy (with Dr. T. Scrase, UOW)
This project, exploring the impact of economic globalisation on Indian artisans, aims to: outline the survival strategies of these artisans; detail and record innovations in artisan skills to improve marketability of crafts; and describe the changing market for the crafts. This research is significant as it will provide detailed data on the viability of artisan labour in the new global economy, accurately record skills innovation and development of artisans, and because it builds on previous international research on craft workers.
Recent Publications: 2001-2006
Searchable RIS publications from 2000 to date
Books:
Forthcoming 2007: (Co-authored with T. Scrase) Globalisation and the Middle Classes in India, Routledge, London.
2001: Global Issues/ Local Contexts: the Rabi Das of West Bengal, Orient Longman, New Delhi/Sangam Books, London.
Refereed Journal Articles:
2004: “Exploitation Narratives and Gendered Social Transformation: Young People’s accounts of Social Life in an Urban Artisan community in India” Vol. 14. No. 2. in Children, Youth and Environments., pp. 45-66.
2003: “Paradoxes of Globalization, Liberalization and Gender Equality: The Worldviews of the Lower Middle Classes in West Bengal” in Gender and Society, Vol. 17, No. 4. pp. 544-566.
2002: “Renegotiating Boundaries: Self perception and Public Debate on Globalization and Gender Equality in India” in Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 8, No. 4. pp. 58-100.
2001: "Who Wins? Who Loses? And Who Even Knows? - Responses to Economic Liberalisation and Cultural Globalisation" (Co-authored with T.Scrase) Special Issue Globalisation and Economic Liberalisation in South Asia,
South Asia,Vol.24., No.1., pp. 141-158
2001: "Women and Economic Development in India: The Bengali Lower Middle Class" in International Scope Review, Vol. 3. Issue 5
Book Chapters:
(in press): “Development, Displacement and Minority Women’s Rights” In Anjan Ghosh and Eva-Maria Nag (eds) Rethinking Discrimination : Minorities, Nationalism and Human Rights Violation in South Asia. Oxford University Press.
2006: ‘Constructing Middle Class Culture: Globalization, Modernity and Indian Media’ (co-authored with T. Scrase - 50% contribution) in Holden, T.J.M and Timothy J. Scrase (eds) medi@sia: Communication and Society in Cultural Context, Routledge.
2003: “Search For Change: Karl Marx” In Jureidini, R, Kenny, S and Poole, M (eds) Sociology: Australian Connections, Third edition, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, pp. 44-62.
2003: “Globalization, Modernity and Gender Equality,” In Scrase, T; Holden, T and Baum, S (eds) Globalization, Culture, and Inequality in Asia, Trans Pacific Press, pp. 68-94.
Refereed Conference Proceedings 2004-2006
‘Neoliberal Development and its Implications for the Garment Industry and its Workers in India: A case study of West Bengal’, Refereed conference paper for 16th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia.
‘Neoliberal Globalisation and Women’s Experiences of Forced migrations in Asia’ (co-authored with R. Julian and G. Vogl 33% contribution), Refereed conference paper for Social Change Research in the 21st Century, Queensland University of Technology - 28 October 2005.
‘Gender and forced migration in South Asia’ Refereed conference paper for The Australian Sociological Association conference, University of Tasmania, Dec 5-8. ‘Women’s work in call centres in India: Contradictions and Constraints’ (co-authored with Van den Broek 50% contribution), refereed conference paper for The Australian Sociological Association, University of Tasmania, Dec 5-8.
Other Recent Conference Presentations 2004 -2006
2006
‘Minority Women and Forced Migrations: A comparative study of flight and settlement experiences of women Refugees in India and Australia’ Third International Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Australia (IASA), J. P. Naik Centre for Education and Development, Kothrud, Pune, 9-11 Jan.
‘Neoliberalism and the Culture of Class’ (co-authored with Tim Scrase) Class, History, Formations and Conceptualisations’ 2nd International Workshop of the Hegemony Research Group, 3-4 March, University of Wollongong.
‘Women, Work and Social Change’, co-authored with Diane Van den Broek, 16th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, 26-29 June University of Wollongong
‘Neo-liberal Globalisation, Gender Equity and Women’s Work: Worldviews of Indian Middle classes’ Political Economy of Development in Asia: Comparing the Chinese and Indian Middles classes, CAPSTRANS workshop, 11 Aug.
2005
‘Neoliberalism as Hegemonic in Asia: The Case of West Bengal, India’ (Co-authored with T. Scrase- 50% contribution) paper presented for workshop on Hegemony: Explorations into Consensus, Coercion and Culture, University of Wollongong, 14 -15 Feb.
‘Approaches to the study of the garment industry in the Asia Pacific,’ Fourth International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS4), Shanghai Aug 20-25 co-authored with Vicki Crinis & Adrian Vickers 33% contribution).
‘Australian Volunteers Abroad in Communities in the Asia Pacific Region: Experiences of Volunteers’ (25% contribution Co-authored with Kell, Scrase, & Vogl), paper for Human Security and Development in Marginal Communities: A National Workshop on Volunteering Abroad in the Asia-Pacific, 24-25 November 2005, jointly sponsored CAPSTRANS Asia Pacific Futures Network (APFRN) –see grant No PA10507.
‘Development and Displacement: Women’s experiences of Flight and Settlement in South Asia’, paper for Eighth Women in Asia Conference: Women's Caucus of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, & The University of Technology, Sydney, 26- 28 September.
‘Globalisation and Development: Implications of the MFA phase out for the Garment Industry and Its workers in India and Bangladesh,’ (co-authored with Faraizi 50% contribution) conference paper for ‘Human Securities in the Asia Pacific Region’ Asia Pacific Sociological Association, Mahidol University, Thailand, Dec 16-18.
‘Human Security, Neoliberal Globalisation and Women’s Experiences of Forced migrations in Asia,’ conference paper for ‘Human Securities in the Asia Pacific Region’ Asia Pacific Sociological Association, Mahidol University, Thailand, Dec 16-18.
2004
“Development, Displacement and Minority Women’s Rights,” paper for International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Intercongress, Calcutta, 12-15 December.
“Infiltrators, Illegals and Undesirables: Gender and forced migration in the border regions of West Bengal, India,” paper for Asia-Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Seoul National University, South Korea, 17th - 19th of September.
“Gendered Exclusion: Women’s experiences of internal displacement in West Bengal and cross-border forced migration from Bangladesh.” Paper for 15th Biennial conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, Panel on The Two Bengals: Recent Social Scientific Research on Class, Culture and Inequality., ANU, 29 June -2 July.
“Border Crossings: Rethinking Women and Forced Migration in postcolonial states of Asia” (with Tamara Gulic in Creative Arts, UoW), Poster presentation, 15th ASAA Biennial Conference. ANU, 29 June -2 July.
Recent Conference Organising Activities (2004-2006)
2007
Panel convenor, ‘Gender Relations’ 8th Asia Pacific Sociological Association, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang,
2005
Panel Organiser, ‘Women and Forced Migration’ Eighth Women in Asia Conference: Women's Caucus of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, & The University of Technology, Sydney, 26- 28 September.
Panel convenor, ‘Gender Relations’ 7th Asia Pacific Sociological Association, Mahidol University, Thailand, Dec 16-18.
2004
Panel convenor, Gender Relations, 6th Asia-Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Seoul National University, South Korea, 17th - 19th of September, 2004.
E-mail: rgscrase@uow.edu.au
Phone: (02) 4221 3661
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