Nexus

Written contribution – TASA Conference Bursary - by Charan Naidoo

I was very pleased to receive the TASA Postgraduate Bursary to attend the TASA 2025 Conference at the University of Melbourne, my very first conference. I am a PhD candidate from the University of Melbourne, who is researching the experiences of young people working at elite law, consulting and investment banking firms in Australia. The bursary came at a particularly important moment, as I finalised the research design for my project.

My research examines the experiences of young people working at elite firms, with a particular interest in their lived experiences of gender, racial and class inequalities. Most research on this topic has taken place abroad and focused on adults and so I am thrilled to be exploring this topic in an Australian context and with a greater emphasis on the views of young people.

I found the sessions at TASA to be pertinent and thought provoking. This was particularly true of the Keynote session on algorithmic futures, delivered by Professor Jenny Davis. Professor Davis provided an intriguing critique of fairness as a value standard and instead proposed algorithmic reparations, which focuses more on repair and redress. At a time when algorithms are shaping many facets of our everyday lives, this session helped me understand how sociologists can offer the world a critical and inclusive lens on contemporary social phenomena.

The bursary enabled me to engage with scholars completing cutting-edge research on the sociology of work and the sociology of youth, my two fields of interest. The insights delivered during such presentations will play a key role in shaping my own research design. The bursary has also enabled me to make new connections with scholars and sparked further conversations about how I can refine and enhance my research project. Many thanks to the TASA Executive Committee and subcommittees for this opportunity to attend the TASA 2025 conference.