Professor Denise Cuthbert
Biography
Research
Publications
Expert Media Commentary
Conferences and Symposia convened
Report to Government
Postgraduate supervision
- Tel: +61 3 990 34684
- Fax: +61 3 990 52410
- Email: Denise.Cuthbert@arts.monash.edu.au
- Room H5.37
- Building H Caulfield Campus
Biography
Denise Cuthbert is a member of the Sociology Program in the School of Political and Social Inquiry. She holds degrees from the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney and since being at Monash has held appointments in both English and Women's Studies prior to her current appointment in Sociology.
Denise has formerly held the position of Director of the Centre for Women's Studies and Gender Research (1997-99); Associate Dean (Graduate Research) (2000-06) and Deputy Dean (2002-06) in the Faculty of Arts. In 2010, she will take up the position of Head of School in the School of Political and Social Inquiry.
In recent years, Denise's work in the field of graduate research education and her supervision of higher degree by research candidates have been recognised with several awards. In 2006, she was awarded the Faculty of Arts Excellence in Research Supervision Award. This was followed in 2007 with her receipt of both the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Postgraduate Supervision and a Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for 'exemplary practice in graduate supervision' and 'outstanding academic leadership is graduate research education in the humanities, arts and social sciences.'
Denise is regularly called upon by the media to comment on adoption in Australia, and higher education issues.
Career Highlights
- Head of School (elect), School of Political and Social Inquiry (effective January 2010)
- Award of Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2007) for 'exemplary practice in graduate supervision' and 'outstanding academic leadership is graduate research education in the humanities, arts and social sciences'. http://www.monash.edu.au/news/monashmemo/stories/20070919/carrick.html
- Vice-Chancellor's Award for Postgraduate Supervision, 2007
- Faculty of Arts Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision, 2006
- Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts, 2002-06
- Associate Dean (Graduate Research), 2000-06
- Director, Centre for Women's Studies & Gender Research, 1997-99
Teaching
Denise currently teaches the following units:
SCY2041 / SCY3041 : Multiculturalism, citizenship and identity
SCY3150 : Contemporary Issues in Sociological Research
Research Interests
Denise's own research interests focus on gender, race and family; adoption and children; children's rights and family law. She supervises across a wide range of fields, as indicated by the work of current and recently completed research candidates; she actively welcomes approaches from prospective candidates.
Current Research Projects
With Professor Marian Quartly (Monash) and Professor Shurlee Swain (ACU), Denise is a Chief Investigator on the four-year Australian Research Council funded project The Search for Family: A History of Adoption in Australia.
Recent Publications
Books
(forthcoming) Ceridwen Spark and Denise Cuthbert. eds.(2009) Other People's Children: Adoption in Australia. Australian Scholarly Publishing.
more information and order form for Other People's Children
Book Chapters
Denise Cuthbert and Ceridwen Spark (2009) 'Other People's Children: Informing Debate on Adoption in Australia' in Ceridwen Spark and Denise Cuthbert, eds. Other People's Children: Adoption in Australia. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.
Denise Cuthbert and Ceridwen Spark (2009). 'Society moves to find it own solutions…: Rethinking the divergent histories of domestic and intercountry adoption in Australia since 1975' in Ceridwen Spark and Denise Cuthbert, eds., Other People's Children: Adoption in Australia. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.
Denise Cuthbert (2007) 'Whose English is it Anyhow?' Meanjin July 2007 (Also commissioned for broadcast on ABC Radio National's Lingua Franca, 25 & 30 August 2007; re-broadcast 19 January 2008).
Refereed Journal Articles
Kate Murphy, Marian Quartly, and Denise Cuthbert. 'In the best interests of the child: The re-emergence of pro-adoption discourses in Australia' Australian Journal of Politics and History 55.2: 201-18. .
(forthcoming) Marian Quartly, Denise Cuthbert, and Kate Murphy. 'Political representations of adoption in Australia, 1996-2007,' Adoption and Culture.
Denise Cuthbert, Ceridwen Spark and Eliza Burke (2009) 'Disciplining Writing: the Case for the Educational Benefits of Multi-disciplinary writing groups for Higher Degree by Research Candidates in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences', Higher Education Research and Development
Denise Cuthbert, Wendy Smith, Janice Boey (2008) 'What do we really know about the outcomes of international education? A critical review and prospectus for future research' Journal of Studies in International Education.
Denise Cuthbert and Ceridwen Spark (2008) 'Getting a GRiP: Examining the outcomes of a pilot program to support Graduate Research Students in Writing for Publication' Studies in Higher Education, 33:1: 77-88.
Other Contributions to Refereed Journals
Denise Cuthbert (2009) Performing the Adoption Story: A review of two pieces of theatre in Melbourne, Umbilical by Dominic Hong Duc Golding and The Show Must Go On by Robyn Bishop (based on the life of Jan Russ) Australian Journal of Adoption 1.2 at: http://www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/aja/article/view/1465/1794
Denise Cuthbert (2009) Forbidden Knowledge? The Politics of Voice, White Privilege and the Ethics of Research. ACRAWSA e-journal. 4.2: 1-4.
http://www.acrawsa.org.au/ejournalFiles/Volume%204,%20Number%202,%202008/Cuthbert%20Rejoinder.pdfDenise Cuthbert (2009) Review of Ellen Herman, Kinship by Design: A History of Adoption in the Modern United States. Australian Journal of Adoption at: https://www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/aja/article/view/1397/1685
Conference Papers
- Denise Cuthbert (2009) 'Here we go again: Why intercountry adoption looks a lot like pre-reform domestic adoption and what we can do about it.' 5th International congress on Family Law and Children's Rights, Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 2009
- Denise Cuthbert (2009) 'Sorry Business and Still More Sorry Business…: Reconciling the politics of black and white 'stolen' children. 10th Biennial Conference of the European Australian Studies Association, Parma Mallorca, Spain, September 2009.
- Denise Cuthbert (2009) 'How can adoption be so bad for Australian children and so good for children born overseas?' Perspectives on Local and Intercountry Adoption: Canada, the United States, Australia, Australian Catholic university, June, 2009
- Denise Cuthbert (2008) 'Legal Fictions and Necessary Truths: The issues of birth certificates in Australian adoption.' Ninth Australian Conference on Adoption, Stamford Plaza Hotel, Sydney, September 2008.
- Denise Cuthbert (2008) 'The Future of the Humanities PhD' DASSHING to the Future: Annual Conference of the Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH) Melbourne, November 2008.
- Denise Cuthbert (2008) 'Tackling Low Completion Rates and Long Completions Times: An overview of post-RTS strategies in one large HASS Faculty.' Invited paper, The PhD in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, conference convened by CHASS, Go8, and IUR, at UNSW,. 7 March. Paper available at: http://www.chass.org.au/events/2008/phd/PhD_WorkshopFullProgram.pdf
- Denise Cuthbert, Wendy Smith and Janice Boey (2006) 'What do we really know about the outcomes of Australian international education? A critical review and prospectus for future research.' International Education, A Matter of Heart. Proceedings of International Education Conference, Monash University, Sunway Lagoon Resort, Kuala Lumpur, February 2006. Available at http://www.conferences.monash.org/matterof heart/.
Expert Commentary in the Media
Denise Cuthbert, 'Tangled Web: History of Adoption in Australia, Part 1: The Silence of Consent' on ABC Radio National's Hindsight:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2009/2735245.htmDenise Cuthbert 'HASS PhD Completions Rates: Beyond the Doom and Gloom':
http://www.chass.org.au/articles/pdf/ART20080303DC.pdfDenise Cuthbert, 'Whose English is it anyhow?' on ABC Radio National's Lingua Franca:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2008/2141128.htmDenise Cuthbert, 'Adoption and Privacy: Adoption Law Reform in Queensland' on ABC Radio National's Australia Talks:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/stories/2008/2341054.htmDenise Cuthbert, 'Intercountry Adoption' on ABC Radio National's Australia Talks:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/stories/2008/2341054.htm
Conferences and symposia convened
2009
Denise Cuthbert (Monash convenor), Adoption, fostering, permanent care and beyond: Re-thinking policy and practice on out-of-home care for children in Australia. A symposium jointly convened by the Department of Human Services, Victoria and the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University. Cliftons Training Facility, 440 Collins Street, 26 & 27 November 2009. http://arts.monash.edu.au/sociology/documents/dhs-monash-symposium-flyer.pdf
Denise Cuthbert and Amy Pollard (convenors), Perspectives on local and intercountry adoption: Canada, US and Australia. Australian Catholic University, Friday 12 June 2009, 10.00-3.30 pm.
http://arts.monash.edu.au/psi/adoption-research/index.php
2008
Ceridwen Spark, Denise Cuthbert and Marian Quartly (convenors). Adoption in Australia: Contemporary Cultural, Theoretical and Political Perspectives, July 3-4, 2008. Symposium jointly supported by the School of Political and Social Inquiry and the School of Historical Studies, Monash University.
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/psi/news-and-events/symposium/asymposium.php
Report to Government
Ceridwen Spark, Denise Cuthbert, Kate Cregan & Kate Murphy), Review of Selected Research (1990 to the present on Older Children and Special Needs Children in Intercountry Adoption. Canberra: Intercountry Adoption Office of the Department of the Commonwealth Attorney-General. read this Review on Attorney-General's website
Postgraduate Supervision
Denise is a distinguished supervisor of graduate research students, with a high completion rate of students under her main supervision and 30 successfully completed candidates at doctoral and masters level since 1999. Dr Millsom Henry Waring, whose thesis was completed under Denise's supervision, was awarded the prestigious Jean Martin Medal in 2003 by the Australian Sociological Association; other candidates have been awarded prizes and distinctions, including the School of Political and Social Inquiry Prize for Postgraduate Publication.Postgraduate research students currently being supervised include:
| Student | Topic | Supervisor / s |
|---|---|---|
| Yarina Ahmad (PhD) | Social Marketing in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Child Abuse Prevention Programs in Malaysia. | Prof Denise Cuthbert / Assoc. Professor Dharma Arunachalam |
| Janice Boey (PhD) | Addressing Gender Blindness in International Education: a Malaysian Case Study | Prof Denise Cuthbert / Dr Wendy Smith |
| Amy Dobson (PhD) | Bitches, Bunnies and BFFs: a feminist analysis of young women's performance of contemporary popular femininities on MySpace | Prof Denise Cuthbert / Associate.Prof Peter Snow |
| Rachel Goff (MA) | Exiting Exodus: Narratives of Gay Christians | Prof Denise Cuthbert / Dr Andrew Singleton |
Recently completed postgraduate research students
PhD
- 2009 Earnshaw, Cheryl. "Representing the community: a case study of political representation and citizen participation in Victoria" Supervisors: Denise Cuthbert and Anita Harris.
- 2009 Walker, Susan. "Reading Annabella: A Case Study in Feminism, Social change and Italian Popular Culture, 1965 -1985." Supervisors: Denise Cuthbert and Mirna Cicioni.
- 2009 Craw, Charlotte. "Native Consumption: Place and Identity in the Marketing and Consumption of Australian 'Native' Foods" PhD Full-time. Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies. Supervisors: Denise Cuthbert and Dr Stephen Pritchard.
- 2008 Harwood, Arimaha. "Structure and Agency in the Education to Work Transitions of Australian-educated Singaporeans". Supervisors: Denise Cuthbert and Dr Parimal Roy.
- 2008 Andits, Petra. "Bridges of Ambivalence: The Diasporisation of Melbourne's Hungarian Community post-1989." Supervisors: Denise Cuthbert and Dr Bruce Missingham.
- 2008 Sinclair, Jennifer. "From Mastery to Mystery: Locating the 'Spiritual' in the Australian Everyday". Supervisors: Dr Andrew Singleton and Denise Cuthbert.
- 2004 Szorenyi, Anna "Collected suffering: Refugees on display in contemporary media". Supervisor: Denise Cuthbert.
MA
- 2009 Quinn, Akiva. "Taking Equality Seriously: Parental Rights, Genetic Testing and Shared Parenting". Dr Toby Handfield and Denise Cuthbert.