Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre

Welcome

The Centre for Social Justice and Social Change was launched on Thursday, 6 November 2003 by former Prime Minister, The Honourable Gough Whitlam, AC QC. Mr Whitlam also gave the official address which can be found at the Whitlam Institute.

The Centre focuses on multi-disciplinary, theoretical and applied research on social justice issues and processes of social change.

The Centre emphasises:

• Working with and for people who experience disadvantage because of; gender, health, ability, age, race, creed, or socio-economic status.
• Social theory related to policy and practice, informed by the scholarship of engagement and strategies appropriate to researching with those whose voices have been silenced.
• Application of research skills of the members of the Centre to issues and processes around social equity, access, participation, resistance and change, informed by principles of distributive justice with particular relevance to Western Sydney.

Aims and Values
SJSC aspires to be a centre of excellence and innovation for applied research on social justice and the processes of social change. The SJSC is committed to developing collaborative partnerships with individuals, agencies and institutions for whom social justice is a crucial issue. The SJSC aims to:

• Engage in research that contributes to social change, through a focus on issues associated with our core values of Participation, Inclusion and Equity.
• Encourage research collaboration between academics and the Western Sydney community, including policy makers and practitioners.
• Facilitate an ongoing exchange of resources, expertise and knowledge between members of the SJSC and its associates, community groups and interested individuals, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
• Use and develop methodologies of research consistent with loosening the boundaries between researchers and subjects, and between the academy and the community. Methods will be imbued by the imperatives of participation, inclusion and the recognition of multiple subjectivities.

Provide a research facility that will attract students, scholars and community members to engage and contribute to ongoing activities aimed at social change towards a just society.

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Areas of Expertise

• Children and Childhood
• Urban Housing, Planning and Community Development
• Care and Caring
• Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy and Practice
• Social Determinants of Health, Public and Community Health
• Social Justice and Faith in the Context of Religious and Spiritual Change
• Community Engagement, Linkages, Activism and Practice

The Centre is distinctive in the diverse nature of its research projects.

Overview of recent research performance
In 2006 SJSC maintained its membership of active researchers and the strong record of research outputs established in previous years. In 2006, SJSC comprised 11 core members, 20 associate members and three Adjunct Senior Fellows. All core and associate members were academics with teaching commitments in addition to their research activities. Eighteen SJSC members and Associates are currently involved in funded research activity.

There were 31 current research projects under management in 2006. Many are ongoing to 2007. These include six ARC funded projects, four of which commenced in 2006. Six new external grants and six internal grants were awarded to SJSC members during the year including one ARC Linkage Grant (jointly with Charles Sturt University), and one Rotary Health Research Fund grant.

The strong level of SJSC publications outputs established in recent years was maintained. In 2006, SJSC authors published two authored books, one edited book, eight book chapters, 33 journal articles, 10 refereed conference papers and four reports.

SJSC higher degree candidates also published in 2006. Research students' contributions in the year included four journal articles and five refereed/published conference proceedings.

In 2006 SJSC hosted 46 Higher Degree Research candidates - 39 PhDs and seven Masters of Arts (Research). Five Higher Degree Research students completed last year.

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Location

The Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre is located on the Bankstown Campus.

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History

SJSC emerged from the recognition of research synergies of individual scholars and research groups in the School of Social Sciences and other researchers with whom they had productive associations.

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More Information

SJSC hosts the following cross-national research associations:

Australian & New Zealand Third Sector Research Incorporated (ANZTSR)

Australian Association for the Study of Religions (AASR)

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