Dr Alphia Possamai-Inesedy

Dr Alphia Possamai-Inesedy

Lecturer, Sociology

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Biography

Alphia Possamai-Inesedy was awarded her PhD in 2006 on the sociology of reproduction and the risk society at the University of Western Sydney.  She has published on this topic and on sociology of religion.  She is one of the editors of The Chameleon and the Quilt: A cross Disciplinary exploration in the Social Sciences published in 2005.   In 2006, she co-organized a workshop sponsored by the Academy of Social sciences in Australia on 'Risking Motherhood in the 21st Century: the Politics of Maternity Care in a Risk Society'.  This workshop resulted in the publication of a special issue of Health Sociology Review of which she was also a co-editor. Her current research interests involve the relationship between ‘risk society’ and reproductive issues such as prenatal diagnosis as well as research in the area of spirituality/religion and pregnancy and childbirth practices.  She is currently a Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney lecturing in Introduction to Sociology, Self and Society and Sociology of Medicine.

Qualifications

PhD in Sociology, University of Western Sydney (UWS). (awarded in 2005) 2006;

BA Honours in Sociology (First Class), UWS 2000;
 
BA in Sociology and Psychology, UWS 1999.

Areas of Expertise

Sociology of reproduction, sociology of religion.

Grants / Current projects

Recently submitted ARC Discovery proposal: An Examination into Pregnancy Practices within an Individualized Society: The Interrelation between Prenatal Diagnosis and 'New Eugenics'

Investigators external Grant from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia for running a National Workshop at the University of Western Sydney (held in 2006) and creating an edited volume for publication. The Workshop entitled "Risking Birth: culture, technology and politics in 21st Century Maternity care" (Co-Convenors: Assoc. Professor Kerreen Reiger and Dr Karen Lane).

Selected Publications

Possamai-Inesedy, A, (article requested for 2009) “Birthing with the Church of Scientology” in A. Possamai-Inesedy ed. “Special Issue: Spirituality and Religion in the Realm of Reproduction” Australian Religion Studies Review 22 (2).

Possamai, A and Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2009, 'Scientology Down Under' in James Lewis (ed.), Scientology, Oxford University Press, New York.

Gwyther, G., Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2009, “From a Whisper to a Public Voice: New Research Methods in Social Justice Research” International Journal for Social Research Methodology. 12 (2).

Possamai, A. and Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2007, “ Risk Society, Religion, and Sustainable Development” in Religion, Culture and Sustainable Development , Eds. by Roberto Blancarte Pimentel and Vassilis Saroglou, in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, EOLSS Publishers, Oxford ,UK, [http://www.eolss.net]

Possamai, A. and Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2007, "The Baha'i faith and Caodaism: migration, change and de-secularisation in Australia” Journal of Sociology 43 (3): 301-317. [National publication with an international editorial board]

Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2007, “Who to Trust: Giving Birth in the Risk Society” in Public Sociologies: Lessons and Trans-Tasman Comparisons. University of Auckland, Joint TASA and SAANZ Conference.

Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2006, “Confining Risk: Choice and Responsibility in Childbirth within a Risk Society” Health Sociology Review 15 (4). Pp. 406-414 [National publication with an international editorial board]

Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2005, “The Medicalised Birth: An Examination into Risk Society and the interrelation of health, technology, perfection and responsibility”. In Gaffey, J., A. Possamai-Inesedy, and K. Richards (eds.) The Chameleon and The Quilt: A Cross Disciplinary exploration in the Social Sciences.  Social Change Social Justice Research center, Sydney. Pp 132-147.

Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2005, “Learning to be pregnant in a Risk Society: An Analysis of Self Help Pregnancy and Childbirth Literature” in Community, Place, Change, University of Tasmania, The Sociological Association of Australia.

Possamai-Inesedy, A, 2002, “Beck’s Risk society and Giddens’ Search for Ontological Security: A Comparative Analysis between the Anthroposophical Society and the Assemblies of God”.  Australian Religion Studies Review, Vol 15 (1). Pp.27-43. 

Membership in Professional Organisations

2006-2010 Asia-Pacific Regional representative of Research Committee 32: Women in Society of the International Sociological Association

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