Nexus

At TASA25, I presented on my PhD research, which focuses on the experiences of low-income older private renters in Queensland. At its heart, my PhD is about how people try to create a sense of home and age well in place while renting – often in the face of insecurity, uncertainty, and a housing system that doesn’t always make this easy. Specifically, I spoke about how housing policy needs to change if older private renters are to have more security and real opportunities to age well in place. 

The session was chaired by Hien Thi Nguyen, and I really appreciated the thoughtful discussion that followed. Presenting the paper also gave me space to sit with a growing tension in my own thinking. While I care deeply about policy reform, I’m feeling increasingly disenchanted with current political opportunities - particularly around large-scale system change. The conference nudged me to think more seriously about what informal and community-led options might look like, such as how shared housing could be made a better and more supportive experience for older people.

The conference itself was jam-packed in the best possible way. As someone with a soft spot for urban sociology, I naturally gravitate towards these sessions, but I loved that TASA25 allowed me to hear from sociologists working across a wide range of topics and institutions. It was a real treat to be in Melbourne and fully immersed in the conference buzz. One highlight for me was the sociology of convenience session, which was interactive and exploratory. Roger Wilkinson and I also spent some time interviewing fellow attendees about their careers in sociology for TASA's website. I loved learning about the many different (and often winding) paths people take within the discipline.

Receiving TASA's Postgraduate Bursary made attending the conference in Melbourne in person possible for me. This year felt especially meaningful because last year I could only attend online (at a time when I didn’t yet have a PhD scholarship). Being in the room made all the difference. I had conversations I wouldn’t have had otherwise, connected with lots of new people, and even met colleagues from my own university! The bursary made the whole experience richer, more social, and far more energising.

I left feeling encouraged, challenged, and excited about where my research – and my place within Sociology in Australia – might go next.

Joelle Moore

Sociology PhD candidate

The University of Queensland