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Dr Kirsten McLean

Tel: +61 3 990 52418
Fax: +61 3 990 52410
Email: Kirsten.McLean@arts.monash.edu.au
Room W1114 11th Floor
Building 11 (Menzies) Clayton Campus

Kirsten McLean is a Lecturer in Sociology in the School of Political and Social Inquiry. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a PhD, both from Monash University, and a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) from The University of Melbourne. Prior to coming to Monash in 2000, Kirsten taught in the TAFE sector for three years. Her PhD thesis, completed in 2003, examined the lives of 60 Australian bisexual men and women.

Teaching

Kirsten currently coordinates the following units:

SCY2031 SCY3031 Sexuality, Gender and Social Relations
SYM4055 SYM5055 Data Analysis Software for Social Research

Kirsten is also the Sociology Postgraduate (Coursework) coordinator.

Research

Her research interests are bisexuality; gay and lesbian issues; sexuality theory; qualitative research; data analysis software such as SPSS and NVivo, and information communication technologies (ICT) and social space. She is particularly interested in the diversity of human sexualities, the ethics and methodologies of sexuality research, as well as the use of ICT as a means of social support and the establishment of community.

Kirsten is often called upon by the media to talk about sexuality and relationship issues. She has been interviewed by The Age about same-sex marriage, bisexuality, monogamy in relationships, and sexual fluidity, and by the gay and lesbian publications MCV and Melbourne Star about bisexuality.

 

Current Research Projects

Kirsten’s current research projects include an investigation of the human geography of Australian families and social cohesion in relation to same-sex individuals and couples (together with colleagues from the University of Wollongong); a project investigating the relinquishment of bisexual and lesbian sexual identities by Australian women; and a new project exploring the role of online communities in the social construction of illness identities amongst those with chronic health conditions.

Publications

HDR Supervision

Kristen supervises a number of Honours, Masters and PhD students. Some are listed below

Postgraduate research students currently being supervised include:

PhD

Student

Topic

Supervisor/s

John McCormack

"The use of popular music genres by Pentecostal churches in the greater Melbourne area"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton

Budi Sudarto

"Cross-cultural relationships between gay Asian men and gay white men in Australia"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Mark Davis

Duane Duncan

"Embodying Gay Male Identity: Body image, visibility, and identity amongst gay men"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton

Delanie Woodlock

"Why so sad? Antidepressants, and the girl power generation"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Jan van Bommel

Davina Lohm

"How do young residents of Australia perceive their own national identities?"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Dharma Arunachalam

MA

Student

Topic

Supervisor/s

Rachmad Hidayat

"Masculinity, Islam and Domestic Violence in Indonesia"

Dr Kirsten McLean / Dr Andrew Singleton

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