Dr Julie Lahn
Areas of expertise
- Studies Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Society 169902
- Social And Cultural Anthropology 160104
- Anthropology Of Development 160101
- Policy And Administration 1605
Research interests
Indigenous professionals, mobility (class), Indigenous public/civil servants, Indigenous sector-public sector interaction, organisational ethnography, social capital, urban poverty, Torres Strait, development.
Biography
Teaching:
CAEPR Higher Degree Research Convenor (2016-)
Convenor INDG8001 Australian Indigenous Development and INDG8002 Australian Indigenous Development (Advanced)
Career Highlights:
Co-Editor (with Dr Boyd Hunter) Australian Journal of Social Issues (2013-2015)
Native Title Consultant, preparing expert anthropological reports in support of Native Title land and sea claims by Torres Strait Islander people (1999-2004)
Researcher's projects
Cultures of Work and Achievement among Indigenous Professionals
This research seeks to contribute to the emergence of a more complete picture of Indigenous life in contemporary Australia, one that includes a greater appreciation of diverse Indigenous cultures of work and achievement. Drawing on research which foregrounds Indigenous perspectives of professional work it details Indigenous experiences of combining work and family, considers practical insights for the creation of Indigenous friendly workplaces, as well as highlighting the variety of responses to workplace culture that exist among Indigenous Australians.
Research highlights:
Lahn, J. forthcoming. Being Indigenous in the Bureaucracy: narratives of work and exit. International Indigenous Policy Journal 9(1).
Lahn, J. 2014. Indigenous Australian middle classness: expressions, debates, futures, Paper presented at the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences conference panel entitled ‘The Future of Class’, Tokyo.
Lahn, J. 2013. Indigenous Professionals: work, class and culture. CAEPR Working Paper No 89. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University.
Living Well and Local Conceptions of Development in the Torres Strait
This project seeks to understand Indigenous aspirations and collective ‘life projects’ for ‘living well’ in the Torres Strait and how they shape the character of contemporary economic activity by Torres Strait Islanders. Ethnographic research methods are emphasised in order to describe and analyse Islander experiences of significant economic change in the region over the last fifteen years, linked to the resolution of land and sea claims and expanding opportunities for employment in fisheries, public service, arts and tourism. The project illuminates locally salient conceptions of development among Torres Strait Islanders alongside local rationales and motivations in relation to diverse forms of economic action.
Project Co-Researchers: Professor Colin Scott (McGill) Ms Annick Thomassin (ANU/ McGill)
Project Linkages: CICADA, Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives, McGill University, CICADA Collaborator.
Current student projects
Tjanara Goreng Goreng PhD ANU 'The Road to Eldership: Following the Tjukurpa Way'.
Past student projects
Rosalie Willows BA Honours 1st class (Anthropology) ANU 2014-5 'The Value of Work and the Will to Improve: The Affective Atmosphere of Closing the Gap'.
Publications
- Lahn, J 2016, 'Book Review: Indigenous Studies and Engaged Anthropology: The Collaborative Momentl', The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, vol. 17, no. 3-4, pp. 363-365.
- Biddle, N & Lahn, J 2016, 'Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee decisions to exit the Australian Public Service'. CAEPR Working Paper 110. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University.
- Hunter, B & Lahn, J 2015, 'Looking back to look forward: The future of public debate of social policy in Australia', Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 5-11.
- Lahn, J 2014, 'Non-Indigenous Visions', Arena Magazine, no. 132 Oct/Nov, pp. 10-11.
- Lahn, J. 2014 'Submission on the Indigenous Jobs and Training Review' in Klein, E, (ed) 2014, Academic perspectives on The Forrest review: creating parity, CAEPR Topical Issue 2/2014.
- Lahn, J 2014, 'Kow Swamp', in C. Smith (ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, pp. 4323-4328.
- Lahn, J 2013, 'Aboriginal Professionals: Work, Class and Culture'. CAEPR Working Paper 89. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University.
- Lahn, J 2013, 'The 1836 Lewis Collection and the Torres Strait Turtle Shell Mask of Kulka: From loss to reengagement', Journal of Pacific History, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 386-408.
- Lahn, J 2012, 'Poverty, Work and Social Networks: The Role of Social Capital for Aboriginal People in Urban Australian Locales', Urban Policy and Research, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 293-308.
- Lahn, J 2012, 'Aboriginal professionals: Work, class and culture', Theorising Indigenous Sociology: Developing Australian and International Approaches, ed. D. Howard-Wagner, D. Habibis and T. Petray, University of Sydney, Sydney Australia, pp. 1-11.
- Taylor, J, Gray, M, Hunter, B, Yap, M & Lahn, J, 2012, 'Higher education and the growth of Indigenous participation in professional and managerial occupations', CAEPR Working Papers, vol. 83/2012.
- Lahn, J 2007, 'Native title and the Torres Strait: Encompassment and recognition in the Central Islands', in BR Smith and F Morphy (ed.), The Social Effects of Native Title: Recognition, Translation, Coexistence, ANU ePress, Canberra Australia, pp. 135-149.
- Lahn, J. 2007. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers: a social history of the Kow Swamp remains. In, Smith, L. (ed), Cultural Heritage: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies, Volume 1, History and Concepts, pp.361-410. London: Routledge.
- Lahn, J 2006, 'Women's gift-fish and sociality in the Torres Strait, Australia', Oceania, vol. 76, no. 3, pp. 297-309.
- Delfabbro, P, Lahn, J & Grabosky, P 2006, 'Psychosocial correlates of problem gambling in Australian students', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 40, no. 6/7, pp. 587-595.
- Delfabbro, P, Lahn, J & Grabosky, P 2006, 'It's Not What You Know, but How You Use It: Statistical Knowledge and Adolescent Problem Gambling', Journal of Gambling Studies, vol. 22, no. 2006, pp. 179-193.
- Lahn, J, Delfabbro, P & Grabosky, P 2006, 'Classroom or cyberspace? Ethical and methodological challenges on on-line gambling surveys for adolescents', Journal of Gambling Issues, vol. 16, pp. 1-15.
- Grabosky, P, Delfabbro, P & Lahn, J 2005, 'Further Evidence Concerning the Prevalence of Adolescent Gambling and Problem Gambling in Australia: A Study of the ACT', International Gambling Studies (Routledge), vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 209-228.
- Lahn, J 2005, 'Gambling Among Offenders: Results From an Australian Survey', International Journal of Offender Therapy and Criminology, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 343-355.
- Lahn, J 2004, ''Living in the light' and island dance: morality and temporality in Warraber Christianities', in Richard Davis (ed.), Woven Histories Dancing Lives Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, pp. 73-89.
