Promoting sociology in Australia
Facilitating sociology teaching and research
Enhancing the professional development of TASA members
Promoting sociology in Australia
Facilitating sociology teaching and research
Enhancing the professional development of TASA members
Nominations for the 2011 Jean Martin Award closed on April 1st, 2011. The 2011 winner will be announced at the TASA Conference Dinner in Newcastle. Nominations for the 2013 Jean Martin Award will open in January 2013.
The Jean Martin Award is only a part of the legacy of the late Jean Martin. Anyone who was fortunate enough to know Jean, and those of her colleagues who were aware of her contribution to Australian sociology, would see this award as only a small reminder of the effect she had on other's personal and professional lives. At the same time, though, younger sociologists increasingly pose the question: who was Jean Martin?
This question was a topic of discussion over dinner after an executive meeting at the recent TASA conference in Newcastle. Among newer members of the association there seems to be a widening gap between acknowledgement of the importance of the Jean Martin Award and knowledge of the person who was the reason for its creation. In a sentence, I agreed to put a few personal thoughts together to attempt to narrow that gap because Jean Martin was not only my PhD supervisor and a friend, but also a greater influence on my life than I could have seen at that time.
A part of that influence stemmed from Jean's interest in the sociology of migration. Her own work in this area, notably her most well known books: Refugee Settlers (1965), Community and Identity (1972) and The Migrant Presence (1978)-led to my own interest in ethnic relations and, ultimately, to my completion of her unfinished longitudinal study of Australia's first Vietnamese refugees. After her death and with the assistance of her husband, Allan Martin, and Judith Ly, this study appeared as The First Wave (1985).
As important as her intellectual influence was, Jean Martin's legacy goes beyond the academic domain. Over the seven years I knew her, both as Foundation Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University (1966-1974) and as a Senior Research Fellow at The Australian National University (1974-1979), her caring, generosity and helpfulness were her obvious and abiding qualities. Jean Martin represents for me, and others, an exemplar of what it is to be a person and a professional sociologist.
- Frank Lewins
The Jean Martin Award recognises excellence in scholarship in the field of Sociology and aims to assist with establishing the career of a recent PhD graduate.
This Award, which was given for the first time in 1980, is granted to the best PhD thesis in social science disciplines from an Australian tertiary institution submitted to the Award Committee. Theses may be on theoretical as well as empirical topics. Excellence in scholarship in the field of sociology, and the balanced treatment of sociological theory and research are the main criteria for deciding the Award. Work done in one of Jean Martin's major areas of interest and which assesses implications for social policy are other criteria the judges will also take into account. Jean Martin's research interests are defined as: migration, community and family studies, the concept of 'ethnicity', ethnic politics, social class, theories of culture and of social change.
The recipient will receive:
Heads of Sociology departments/schools and interdisciplinary Social science departments and other departments with a major commitment to Sociological analysis within Australian tertiary institutions are invited to submit candidates for the Award.
Individuals may also submit their theses on their own behalf. In either case, theses must have been completed and awarded in the period as noted on the nomination form. All candidates must be members of TASA at the time of submission and include a processing fee, payable to TASA. Further details are on the 2011 nomination form below.
The 2013 nomination form is available in Word (42kb) and Pdf (110kb). Please note: submission and nomination details are subject to change between now and December 2012. Please use the current nomination form as a guide only.
Convener
Adam Possamai (University of Western Sydney)
Panel
Glenda Ballantyne (Swinburne University)
Catriona Elder (University of Sydney)
Vince Marotta (Deakin University)
Peter Nugus (University of New South Wales)
Julie Matthews (University of Sunshine Coast)
Katherine Carroll, from the University of Technology - Sydney, was the 2011 recipient of the prestigious Jean Martin Award for the best PhD thesis in a social science discipline from an Australian University from the Australian Sociological Association (TASA).
The thesis title is: "Unpredictable Predictables: Complexity Theory and the Construction of Order In Intensive Care". Unfortunately, Katherine was overseas when the presentation of the Award was made during the annual conference dinner. Close friend Karen Willis, from the University of Tasmania, accepted the Award on Katherine's behalf. A video of the presentation and acceptance speech will be available soon. In the meantime, you can view a photo of Catriona Elder, Sydney University, presenting the Award to Karen Willis. The second photograph shows TASA President, Debra King (right).
From the University of New South Wales, Peter Nugus was the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Jean Martin Award for the best PhD thesis in a social science discipline from an Australian University from the Australian Sociological Association (TASA)
The thesis title is: “The Organisational World of Emergency Clinicians”. The announcement and presentation of the Award was made during the annual TASA conference dinner, held at the Australian National University in Canberra, December 2009. You can view a synopsis of Peter’s thesis in Word (22kb) and PDF (115kb). To view Prof. Zlatko Skrbis’ presentation speech, click here.
From the University of Queensland, was the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Jean Martin Award for the best PhD thesis in a social science discipline from an Australian university from The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).
The thesis title is: “Marriage Breakdown in Australia: social correlates, gender and initiator status”. The announcement and presentation of the Award was made during the annual TASA conference dinner, held at the University of Auckland, December, 2007.
From the University of Sydney , was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Jean Martin Award for the best PhD thesis in a social science discipline from an Australian university from The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).
The thesis title is: “Collective Identity And Australian Feminist Activism: Conceptualising A Third Wave”. The announcement and presentation of the Award was made during the annual TASA conference dinner, held at the University of Tasmania , December, 2005.
A Lecturer in Sociology at the Department of Political Science at the University of Melbourne was awarded the prestigious Jean Martin Award for the best PhD thesis in a social science discipline from an Australian university from The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).
The thesis title is: 'Moving Beyond Otherness: (Re)vealing, (Re)centring and (Re)inscribing the Polyvocal Subjectivities of African Caribbean Women across the United Kingdom' and was awarded in 2002 from Monash University. The announcement and presentation of the Award was made during the annual TASA conference dinner, held at the University of New England, December 4-6.
