Religion and Society
Postgraduate Study
Higher degree by research (HDR) supervision represents one of core activities undertaken by the group. The diversity of research interests amongst its academic staff is reflected in the diversity of HDR candidates the group attracts. The group offers both Master of Arts (Honours) and PhD supervision.
Prospective students are encouraged to consult the People page and to contact potential supervisors directly in order to discuss their research proposal. For queries relating to academic or supervisory matters, please contact the Associate Dean (HDR Students), Peter Bansel.
Our HDR Workshops and Seminars schedule for 2019 will be available shortly.
The group engages actively with leading national and international scholars via its Public Lecture Series and Visiting Academics Programme. It also organises a number of postgraduate workshops, symposiums and conferences throughout the year. In addition to these in-house events, students are able to participate in postgraduate activities and draw on postgraduate support services within the School of Social Sciences.
Postgraduate Students currently supervised by Religion and Society Research Cluster researchers
| PG Student | Thesis Title and Supervisory Panel |
| Ahmad Abrori | Majlis Youth: Becoming New Actors for Conservative Islamic Movement in Indonesia Supervisors: Professor Adam Possamai and Dr Steven Drakeley |
| Adib Ahmad | Understanding Identity and Social Representations of Indonesian Atheists Supervisors: Professor Adam Possamai and Assoc. Prof. Mary Hawkins |
| Khaled Almedyab | Australian Government Countering Violent Extremism Strategy and the Response of the Australian Muslim Community in Western Sydney Supervisor: Professor Kevin Dunn and Dr Anna-Maria Bluic |
| Abdul Hadi |
Religious Leaders and Development Policies in Contemporary Indonesia: The Case of the Role of Islamic Tuan Guru in Socio-Economic Regional Development of the Post Suharto Indonesia Supervisor: Adam Possamai; Co-Supervisor: Andrew McWilliam |
| Laily Hafidzah |
Gender Sufism: An Anthropological Study on Sufi Women within Sufi Orders in Indonesia Supervisor: Mary Hawkins; Co-Supervisor: Selda Dagistanli and Milad Milani |
| Syarif Hidayatullah |
The Ideology Contestation between Islam Nusantara and Transnational Islamic Movement: The Case of Bangka Belitung Island, Indonesia. Supervisors: Andrew McWilliam; Co-Supervisor: Mary Hawkins |
| Mehrnosh Lajevardi Fetemi | Application of Servant Leadership Model to the Understanding of Muslim Leadership in the Modern in Australia Supervisor: Linda Briskman Co-Supervisor: Rob Stones |
Akhmad Najibul Khairi Syaie | The New Wave of Islamic Puritanism in Indonesia and its Impact on Political, and Socio-Religious Changes Supervisor: Andrew McWilliam; Co-Supervisor: Mary Hawkins |
| Katja Strehle | Inclusion and gender politics in non-religious groups in Australia: a women’s perspective |
Recent Completions
| Faroque Amin | "Contemporary Methodological Transition in Islamic Revivalist Movement: An Analysis of the Societal Approaches" Supervisor: Jan A. Ali; Co-Supervisors: Adam Possamai; Arskal Salim |
| Ashleigh Barbe-Winter | Islamic Family Separation in the Australian Legal System Supervisors: Professor Adam Possamai Dr Selda Dagistanli and Susan Armstrong |
| Mohammad Hasan Basri | Green Islam: A Case Study of Three Pesantrens? Experience in Conceptualizing and Practicing Islamic Jurisprudence on Environment in Indonesia Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Mary Hawkins and Professor Andrew McWilliams |
| Emily Burns | "The Meaning of Home: Spirituality and Domestic Space in Australian Home Birth Experiences" Supervisor: Cristina Rocha; Co-Supervisor: Alphia Possamai-Inesedy |
| Judi Chusjair | "Depicting 'the West' in the discourse on terrorism in Indonesian magazines" Supervisors: Steven Drakely; Co-Supervisors: Hart Cohen; Milissa Deitz |
| Victor Counted | "Place Spirituality and Mental Health: A Study of the African Diaspora in Australia " Supervisor: Adam Possamai, Co-Supervisor: Cameron McAuliffe |
| Douglas Cronin | The Motivations and Impacts of Anti-racism and Rehumanisation: Towards an Ethical Counterstorytelling Framework Supervisors: Professor Kevin Dunn, Assoc. Prof. Nida Densen and Dr Oishee Alam |
| Alexia Derbas | The impact of international political conflicts on young Australian Muslim women Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Alphia Possamai-Inesedy and Dr Peter Bansel |
| Terri Drage |
"The National Sufi Council: Redefining the Islamic Republic of Pakistan through a discourse on Sufism after 9/11" Supervisors: Julia Howell; Co-Supervisors: Jan Ali; Emilian Kavalski |
| Desmon Ginting | The Connection between Culture and Work Ethos: How to harness Culture and use it as a foundation for finally having productive work ethos Supervisor: Andrew McWilliam; Co-Supervisor: Steven Drakeley |
| Rhys Gower | Exploring Trajectories of Active Atheist Identity Formation within Australia Supervisor: Alphia Possamai-Inesedy; Co-Supervisors: Cristina Rocha; Alan Nixon |
| Valerie Anne Hiebert | Evangelical Christian Discourse: Contours and Contradictions Supervisors: Robert Stone; Co-Supervisor: Adam Possamai |
| Vlad Iouchkov | The Hero with a Thousand Graces: a Sociological Examination of Real-life Superhero Metamorphoses Supervisor: Adam Possamai; Co-Supervisors: Philip Birch, Tony Jinks |
| Rhonda Itaoui | Experiences of Islamophobia: Impacts on Young Muslims' Mobility in Major 'Western' Cities Supervisor: Kevin Dunn; Co-Supervisor: Adam Possamai, Rae Dufty-Jones, Andrew Gorman-Murray |
| Ian Forest Jones |
"A Two-Wheeled Gospel: Religious conversion among lifestyle bikers and their clubs" Supervisor: Adam Possamai; Co-Supervisor: Selda Dagistanli |
| Firdaws Mohammad Karim | Gendered Resiliance Amongst Australian Muslim Women: Racism and In(Visibility). Supervisor: Selda Dagistanli; Co-Supervisors: Fran Gale and Mary Hawkins |
| Kathleen Openshaw | "I am Universal": An Ethnographic Study of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Australia Supervisor: Christina Rocha; Co-Supervisors: Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, Mark Hutchinson |
| Andri Rosadi | The Indonesian Salafi Movement: Root, Development and Future Supervisor: Adam Possamai; Co-Supervisor: Steven Drakeley, Arskal Salim |
| Rosie Shorter | Protestant Reformations, Cultural Revolutions: In a Supposedly Post-Christian Australia, how does Protestant Christianity Contribute To and Interact with the Construction of Normative Cultural Ideals of Gendered and Sexual Behaviour? Supervisor: Cristina Rocha; Co-Supervisor: Kate Huppatz |
| Firdaus Wajdi | "Turkish Naqsabandis as Sponsors of New Style Pesantren: A Case Study of the United Islamic Cultural Center of Indonesia (UICCI)" Supervisor: Julia Howell; Co-Supervisors: Mary Hawkins; Arskal Salim |
| Atun Wardatun | Marriage Payment among Bimanese Muslim in Eastern Indonesia: Practice, Meaning and Impacts toward Gender Power Relation Supervisor: Julia Howell; Co-Supervisor: Mary Hawkins |
| Lisa Worthington | "Gender in Progressive Islam: Social Implication in the United States Supervisor: Adam Possamai; Co-Supervisors: Bryan Turner; Kate Huppatz |
