Head of Department

Email: bronwyn.carlson@mq.edu.au
Phone: +61 (0)2 9850 8891
Office: W3A 411
Twitter: @BronwynCarlson

Qualifications

• PhD Sociology, UNSW
• BA (Hons 1) Sociology and Aboriginal Studies, UOW

Profile

Professor Carlson is an Aboriginal woman who was born on and lives on D'harawal Country in NSW Australia. She is a scholar with both a national and international reputation in the field of Indigenous Studies. She has vast teaching and curriculum development experience and has published in scholarly journals, nationally and internationally. Professor Carlson maintains a strong connection between Indigenous Studies pedagogy and research. She is the author of the book, The Politics of Identity: Who Counts as Aboriginal Today? (Aboriginal Studies Press, 2016) and a co-editor of The Politics of Identity: Emerging Indigeneity (University of Technology Sydney E-Press, Sydney, 2013). She is the founding and managing editor of the Journal of Global Indigeneity.

Professor Carlson established the Forum for Indigenous Research Excellence (FIRE) which is an international interdisciplinary research network of scholars interested in Indigenous related research. She hosted two recent international symposiums:

• 'Cultured Queer/Queering Cultures: Indigenous Perspectives on Queerness' 19-20 February 2015. The Symposium was covered by the ABC's AWAYE program - http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/queering-culture/6280254

• 'Reterritorialising Social Media: Indigenous People Rise Up' 26-27 February 2015, #RiseUpUOW. The Symposium was covered by the ABC's AWAYE program - http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/reterritorialsing-social-media/6995870

Professor Carlson is the recipient of two consecutive solo Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous grants:

Project Title: An Examination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Help-Seeking Behaviours on Social Media (2016-2018).

This project aims to contribute to knowledge of formal and informal help-seeking behaviours amongst Indigenous Australians. Given the rapid uptake of social media by Indigenous people, this project specifically aims to investigates help-seeking behaviours online on social media. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research may directly influence formal help sources in the development of services and programs specifically relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including health (e.g. suicide prevention), employment, housing, economic opportunities, and legal services. Another intended outcome of the project is to better understand informal help-seeking and the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people respond.

Project Title: Aboriginal identity and community online: a sociological exploration of Aboriginal peoples' use of online social media (2013-2015).  

This study explores Aboriginal peoples' activity on social media, to provide a better understanding of how Aboriginal people make use of online network sites. Social media sites are popular for social and cultural interaction. The project will also explore if there is a continuum between online and offline social and cultural engagements. 

Other Research Grants

2017 - Educational Strategies Development Grant ($9,794)
Project Title: Embedding Training and Capacity Building for Indigenous Higher Degree Research Students into the UOW Research Environment.

2017 - CI on a Faculty Challenge Grant, Pilot Project ($9,624)
Project Title: Dreams of the Future, Stories of the Past - Cultural Resilience in Kiribati.

2016 -  Australian Research Council, Discovery Indigenous Grant ($382,929)
Project Title: An Examination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Help-Seeking Behaviours on Social Media. 

2016 - CI on a National Health and Medical Research Council grant with Menzies School of Health Research ($922,679)
Project Title: Social Media to Enhance Indigenous Tobacco Control.

2015 - CI on a Faculty Challenge Grant ($5,000.00)
Project Title: Community and Activist Media in the Illawarra: Building Networks and Ethical Responses.

2015 - CI on a NAU Global and Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching Fund ($10,000)
Project Title: Indigenous popular culture in global context (curriculum project).

2015 - UIC International Links Grant Scheme ($12,000)
Project Title: Global Indigenous Activism & Social Media Research Network.

2014 - UIC International Links Grant Scheme ($15,000)
Project Title: Indigenous Identities in a Global Context: A Collaborative Curriculum Project.

2014 - Educational Strategies Development Grant ($29,500)
Project Title: Engaging local Aboriginal communities in Curriculum development: Local Knowledge: Aboriginal Illawarra and the South Coast.

2013 - Educational Strategies Development Grant ($8,000)
Project Title: Building Indigenous research capacity: Strengthening pathways for Indigenous students to Higher Degree Research at the University of Wollongong.

2012 - Australian Research Council, Discovery Indigenous Grant ($205,000)
Project Title: Aboriginal identity and community online: a sociological exploration of Aboriginal peoples' use of online social media (2013-2015).

2012 - URC Research Partnership Grant ($6,000)
Project Title: Working with the local Aboriginal community: a pilot investigation of the cultural dimensions of services provided by the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Services (2013).

Publications

Scholarly Books

Carlson, B. (2016). The Politics of Identity: Who Counts as Aboriginal today?. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.

Harris, M., Nakata, M. & Carlson, B. (Eds.). (2013).  The Politics of Identity: Emerging Indigeneity, University of Technology Sydney E-Press, Sydney.

Scholarly Book Chapters

Carlson, B. & Frazer, R. (2016). 'Indigenous activism and social media: The global response to #SOSBLAKAUSTRAIA. In McCosker, A., Vivienne, S., & Johns, A. (Eds.), Rethinking Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture, Rowman and Littlefield International: England, pp. 115-130.

Bodkin-Andrews, G. & Carlson, B. (2014). 'Racism, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities, and higher education: Reviewing the burden of epistemological and other racisms'. In R. Craven & J. Mooney (Eds.), Seeding Success in Indigenous Australian Higher Education: What Research Says? United States of America: Emerald Publishing. 

Carlson, B. (2013). 'The 'new frontier': Emergent Indigenous identities and social media' in Harris, M., Nakata, M. & Carlson, B. (Eds.), The Politics of Identity: Emerging Indigeneity, University of Technology Sydney E-Press, Sydney.

Harris, M., Carlson, B. & Poata-Smith, E. (2013). Indigenous identities and the politics of authenticity' in Harris, M., Nakata, M. & Carlson, B. (Eds.), The Politics of Identity: Emerging Indigeneity, University of Technology Sydney E-Press, Sydney.

Refereed Journal Articles

Carlson, B., Jones, L. V., Harris, M., Quezada, N., & Frazer, R. (2017). 'Trauma, Shared Recognition and Indigenous Resistance on Social Media', Australasian Journal of Information Systems, vol. 21, Research on Indigenous ICT, pp. 1-32.

Carlson, B. (2016). 'Striking the Right Cord: Indigenous People and the Love of Country', [Special Issue, Carlson, B. & Harris, M. (Eds.) Indigenous People, Popular Pleasure and the Everyday] AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous People, 12(5), pp. 498-512.

Carlson, B., Farrelly, T., Frazer, R. & Borthwick, F. (2015). 'Mediating Tragedy: Facebook, Aboriginal Peoples and Suicide', Australasian Journal of Information Systems, vol. 19, Research on Indigenous ICT, pp. 1-15.

Charles, H., Harris, M. & Carlson, B. (2015). 'Negotiating global and interdisciplinary imperatives for Indigenous education scholarship and pedagogy', Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 44(2), 1-8.

Carlson, B. & Frazer, R. (2015). 'It's like going to a cemetery and lighting a candle': Aboriginal Australians, Sorry Business and social media, AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 11(3), 211-224.

Carlson, B. (2015). 'Globalising teaching and learning in Indigenous Studies', ArtLink, 35(2), 78-80.

Carlson, B., Berglund, J., Harris, M., Poata-Smith, E. (2014). 'Four scholars speak to navigating the complexities of naming in Indigenous Studies', Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 43(1), 58-72.

Bodkin-Andrews, G. & Carlson, B. (2014). 'The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education', Race, Ethnicity and Education, DOI: http://dx.doi.ord/10/1080/13613324.2014.969224

McGloin, C. & Carlson, B. (2013). 'Indigenous Studies and the politics of language' Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, (10)1http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol10/iss1/3/

Farrelly, T. & Carlson, B. (2011). 'Towards cultural competence in the justice sector', Indigenous Justice Clearinghouse, Current Initiatives Issues Paper 3, June 2011, 1-8.

Lumby/Carlson, B. (2010). 'Cyber-Indigeneity: Urban Indigenous identity on FaceBook', The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol. 39, supplement, 68-75.

Farrelly, T. & Lumby/Carlson, B. (2009). 'A best practice approach to cultural competence training', Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker Journal, 33 (5), 14-22.

Lumby/Carlson, B. & Farrelly, T. (2009). 'Family violence, help-seeking & the close-knit Aboriginal community: Lessons for mainstream service provision', Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse, Issues paper 19, September, 1-24.

Lumby/Carlson, B. & McGloin, C. (2009). 'Re-presenting urban Aboriginal identities: Self-representation in 'Children of the Sun'', The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 38, 27-38.

Farrelly, T. & Lumby/Carlson, B. (2008). 'Aboriginal ageing and disability issues in South West and Inner West Sydney', Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker Journal, 32 (5), 27-34.

Media

Carlson, B. (2017). 'Why are Indigenous people such avid users of social media' The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/27/why-are-indigenous-people-such-avid-users-of-social-media

Carlson, B. (2016). 'Here's the truth about the 'free ride' that some Australians think Indigenous people get' SBS. Available at: http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/culture/article/2016/12/07/heres-truth-about-free-ride-some-australians-think-indigenous-peoples-get

Carlson, B. (2016). '12 Deadly Indigenous Social Media Users to Follow' The Conversation, Available at: https://theconversation.com/12-deadly-indigenous-australian-social-media-users-to-follow-66479

Carlson, B. (2016). 'For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, what are the health impacts of social media' Croakey, Available at: https://croakey.org/for-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people-what-are-the-health-impacts-of-social-media/

Carlson, B. (2016). 'Who counts as Aboriginal today?' NITV, Available at: http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2016/03/15/bronwyn-carlson-who-counts-aboriginal-today

Carlson, B. (2016). 'Are we really scared that there are too many of us?' The Point. Available at: http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/the-point-with-stan-grant/article/2016/03/29/point-recap-are-we-really-scared-there-are-too-many-us-says-bronwyn-carlson

Carlson, B. (2016). 'The politics of identity and who gets to decide who is - and isn't - Indigenous', IndigenousX, Available at: http://indigenousx.com.au/the-politics-of-identity-and-who-gets-to-decide-who-is-and-isnt-indigenous/#.V2NOqOZ95UM

Carlson, B. (2016). 'The confirmation of Aboriginality and "Fake Aborigines", IndigenousX, Available at: http://indigenousx.com.au/the-confirmation-of-aboriginality-and-fake-aborigines/#.V2NPSeZ95UM

Carlson, B. (2016). 'Who's Counting?', Inside Story. Available at: http://insidestory.org.au/whos-counting

Carlson, B. (2014). Well connected Indigenous kids keen to tap new ways to save lives. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/well-connected-indigenous-kids-keen-to-tap-new-ways-to-save-lives-30964

Carlson, B.  (2014). Indigenous Australia's diverse memorialisation of the dead. The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/indigenous-australias-diverse-memorialisation-of-the-dead-33628

Carlson, B. (2014). More than just dots and didges. 2ser107.3 Radio. Available at: http://www.2ser.com/component/k2/item/9741-more-than-just-dots-and-didges