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Jean Martin Award

Jean Martin Award | Jean Martin: The Person | Nomination Form | Previous Recipients of the JMA Award | Jean Martin Award Guidelines | Panel Members 2009

Prof Gilding

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dsc00076 Peter Nugus

2009 JMA winner Peter Nugus


Jean Martin: The Person (1923-1979)

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 Award

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 and 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.

Prize

The recipient will receive:

  • $500 from the Jean Martin Memorial Fund
  • A TASA JMA trophy and certificate
  • Free conference registration to attend the annual TASA conference at which the Award is presented (including Conference dinner)
  • Invitation to contribute a synopsis of the thesis to be published in Nexus
  • Invitation to be part of the next judging panel for the Award.

Submission details

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 will be on the 2011 nomination form.

Nominations

The Jean Martin Award in biennial and will be open for nominations again in 2011.

Convener

The Jean Martin Award Convener for 2009 was Dr Zlatko Skrbis from the School of Social Sciences at The University of Queensland.

Further details, the nomination form and guidelines are available from:

Past recipients of the Jean Martin Award

  • 2009: Peter Nugus
  • 2007: Belinda Hewitt
  • 2005: Dr. Sarah Maddison
  • 2003: Millsom S. Henry-Waring
  • 2001: Dimitria Giorgas and S. Caroline Taylor (joint recipients)
  • 1999: Adam Possamai
  • 1997: Vera Ranki
  • 1995: Supriya Singh
  • 1993: Diana Olsberg
  • 1991: Kerry Carrington
  • 1989: Loucas Nicolaou
  • 1987: Andrew Metcalfe
  • 1985: Claudia Knapman
  • 1982: Evan Willis
  • 1980: Claire Williams - the inaugural winner
Dr. Peter Nugus - The Univiersity of New South Wales, is 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. To view Prof. Zlatko Skrbis’ presentation speech, click here.

Dr. Belinda Hewitt - 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.

Dr. Sarah Maddison - 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.

Dr Millsom Henry-Waring - Lecturer in Sociology - Department of Political Science at the University of Melbourne has just been 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.
TASA President Dr John Germov with 2003 JMA recipient Dr Millsom Henry-Waring

TASA President Dr John Germov with 2003 JMA recipient Dr Millsom Henry-Waring

 TASA JMA Award Convenor Prof. Zlatko Skrbis with 2007 JMA recipient Dr Belinda Hewitt

TASA JMA Award Convenor Prof. Zlatko Skrbis with 2007 JMA recipient Dr Belinda Hewitt

Panel Members 2009

  • Prof. Zlatko Skrbis (Convenor, Former TASA VP)
  • Dr Bruce Tranter
  • Dr Martin Forsey
  • Dr Millsom S Henry-Waring
  • Dr Jo Lindsay
  • Dr Deb king
  • Dr Belinda Hewitt

Panel Members 2007

  • Prof. Zlatko Skrbis (Convenor, Former TASA VP)
  • Prof. Michael Gilding (TASA President)
  • Dr Martin Forsey
  • Dr Millsom S Henry-Waring
  • Dr Sarah Maddison
  • Dr Anthony Moran

Panel Members 2005

  • Helen Marshall (Convenor)
  • Scott Poynting (TASA member)
  • Terry Leahy (TASA member)
  • Daphne Habibis (TASA member)
  • Gavin Kendall (TASA member)
  • Marilyn Poole (TASA member)
  • John Germov (Past President TASA)
  • Ruth Webber (TASA member)
  • Lucinda Aberdeen (TASA member)

Panel Members 2003

  • Daniela Stehlik (Convener)
  • John Germov (TASA President)
  • Zlatko Skrbis (TASA Vice President)
  • Dimitria Giorgas (Previous JMA recipient 2001)
  • Caroline Taylor (Previous JMA recipient 2001)
  • Adam Possamai (TASA member)
  • Gary Wickham (TASA member)