DrClaire Charles

I am a feminist researcher and educator living and working on unceded Wurundjeri Country. My research expertise lies at the intersection of sociology of education and feminist cultural theory. My academic work has focused on how broader cultural and political challenges related to gender, sexualities, class and race shape young people and teachers' identity work in education settings, especially in the context of education programs aiming to improve social justice. I have made key contributions to theorizing the kinds of subjects young people and teachers are becoming within such programs and showing the ambivalent and complex nature of education for improving society. 

I bring a distinctive feminist academic leadership to my teaching, research and service at Deakin, advancing social justice innovations in curriculum, pedagogy, educational leadership and institutional practice and supporting the advancement of students, graduate researchers, colleagues and collaborators through mentoring, supervision, research leadership and partnership development. I am co-leader of the major research theme 'Diversity and Social Justice in Education' in Deakin University's Strategic Research and Innovation Centre - Research for Educational Impact (REDI) where I lead initiatives to support colleagues and graduate researchers including a social justice reading group, seminar series and a graduate researcher collective.