Associate Professor Michael Darcy
Associate Professor Michael Darcy
Lecturer, Geography and Urban Studies
Biography
Michael Darcy is a prominent researcher on social housing policy and management, and the connections between social disadvantage and place. His recent work questions orthodox approaches to concentration and de-concentration of disadvantage, and the way in which constructs of social capital and social mix have been deployed in public policy. His research approach reflects a commitment to deep engagement with local communities and organisations, and he is also a frequent and sought after commentator on these issues having made multiple appearances on media programs including Today Tonight, The World Today, Living Black, as well as invited presentations for organisations such as The Centre for Independent Journalism, Sydney Social Forum, Shelter NSW and NTEU.
Michael has worked with many research partners including the Westpac Foundation, Centrelink, NSW Dept of Housing, City of Sydney, City of Parramatta and National Shelter. He was twice appointed by the Minister as an expert member of the NSW Housing Assistance Plan Advisory Committee and has been a Board Member of Shelter NSW and Australia New Zealand Third Sector Research. He is currently a member of the Executive Board of Research Committee 43 (Housing and Built Environment) of the International Sociological Association.
Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
Urban Studies, Housing and Social Policy, Community Organisations and New Public management
Grants / Current Projects
- 2011-2012 Service delivery systems and the unintentional causation and perpetuation of homelessness in the Nepean / Blacktown Region UWS Partnership (Partners: Nepean Blacktown Regional Task Force on Homelessness)
- 2011-2012 Chronically Homeless Men In Parramatta CBD (with Parramatta Mission) City of Parramatta
- 2010-2012 Residents Voices: Place, Community and Disadvantage ARC Linkage (Partners St Vincent de Paul Society, Tenants Union of NSW and Loyola University Chicago)
- 2009 Homeless in Parramatta: the extent and experience of homelessness in the City of Parramatta (with Parramatta City Council) (UWS Partnership Research Grant)
- 2009 Evaluation of Centrelink Place Based Service Program (Centrelink)(with Gabrielle Gwyther)
- 2007 Purchasing, Partnerships & Social Contracts: Giving effect to Government-NGO relationships (UWS Partnership Grant with Jobs Australia) (with Assoc Prof Rosemary Leonard and Mr Eric Sidoti)
- 2007 Impact of market driven funding models on local service provision (UWS Urban Research Grant with Western Sydney Community Forum and Macarthur Community Forum)(with Genevieve Kelly)
- 2007 A Common Language for the Corporate and Community Sectors, (Westpac Foundation and Western Sydney Community Forum) (with Dr D. Keenahan and Dr M.Varua)
- 2005-2008 Maximising the contribution of NGOs in a new planning framework for community services provision (UARC Linkage with Illawarra Community Forum)(with Dr Lesley Treleaven)
Selected Publications
Research Monographs
Darcy, M., Garland, D., Richardson, R. (and others) 2010 Homeless in Parramatta UWS and Parramatta City Council (112 pp)
Keevers, L., Treleaven, L., Backhouse, H. & Darcy, M. 2010 Practising Social Justice, Measuring What Matters: local community-based organisations and social inclusion (opens in a new window) Wollongong NSW: Illawarra Community Forum
Darcy, M., Gwyther, G., Perry, J., Richardson, R. & Wood, J. 2009 Centrelink Place Based Services Program Evaluation Sydney: SJSC University of Western Sydney
Darcy, M., Waterford, M. and McIvor, J. 2009 To Market, To Market . . Competitive Tendering and Purchase of Service in the Community Sector (opens in a new window) Sydney: UWS, Western Sydney Community Forum and Sector Connect Inc.
Sidoti, E. Banks, R. Darcy, M. O'Shea, P. Leonard, R. Atie, R. DiNicola, M. Stevenson, S. & Moor, D 2009. A Question of Balance: principles, contracts and the government-not-for-profit relationship (opens in a new window) Sydney: Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Whitlam Institute and University of Western Sydney
Edited Books
Bolzan, N., Darcy, M., & Mason, N. (eds) 2006 Fenced Out, Fenced In: Border Protection, Asylum and Detention in Australia Melbourne: Common Ground Publishing
Refereed Journal Articles
Keevers, L. , Treleaven, L., Sykes, C. & Darcy, M. 'Made to measure: Taming practices with results-based accountability' Organization Studies in press
Darcy, M. 2010 De-concentration of Disadvantage and Mixed Income Housing: a Critical Discourse Approach Housing, Theory and Society (opens in a new window) 27, 1 March 1 - 22
Garland, D. & Darcy, M. 2009 Working Together?: The Salvation Army and the Job Network Organization (opens in a new window) 16 (5) 755-774
Darcy, M., Nicholls, R., Roffey, C. & Rogers, D. 2008 Research Students and Community Development: The challenges of integrating academic expectations with community needs and values Metropolitan Universities Journal (opens in a new window) 19 (1) 21-37
Darcy, M. 2008 'Housing Sydney' The Sydney Journal (opens in a new window) 1 (1) 27-37
Darcy, M. 2007 'Place and Disadvantage: the need for reflexive epistemology in spatial social science' Urban Policy and Research (opens in a new window) 25(3) 347-361
O'Shea, P., Leonard, R. and Darcy, M. 2007 'Does Competition Kill Social Capital.' Third Sector Review (opens in a new window) 13 (2) 49-69
Tregeagle, S. & Darcy, M. 2008 'Child Welfare and Information and Communication Technology: Today's Challenge' British Journal of Social Work (opens in a new window) 38 (8) 1481-1498
Chapters
Darcy, M. and Smith J. (forthcoming) 'Social Mix and Social Inclusion: Redevelopment of public housing in Sydney and Chicago' Watt. P., Smith, D and Darcy, M (eds) Social Housing Estates as Spaces of Social Exclusion Blackwell
Darcy, M. & Gwyther, G. 'Recasting research on neighbourhood effects: a collaborative, participatory, trans-national approach' in van Ham M., Manley D., Bailey N., Simpson L. & Maclennan D. (eds) Neighbourhood Effects Research: New Perspectives. Springer: Dordrecht 2011
Darcy, M. 2009 'Housing Sydney' The Dictionary of Sydney (opens in a new window)
Darcy, M. & Bolzan, N. 2006 Who are we?: Inclusion and Exclusion in Australian Political Discourse in Bolzan, N. Darcy, M & Mason, N. (eds) Fenced Out, Fenced In: Border Protection, Asylum and Detention in Australia (139-152) Melbourne: Common Ground Publishing
Darcy, M. & Stubbs J. 2005 Housing and Social Work Practice in Alston, M & McKinnon J. (eds) Social Work: Fields of Practice. Oxford University Press
