Dynamics of privilege, power & place
A new book edited by Victoria University researchers Christopher Sonn, Nicole Oke and Alison Baker-Lewton examines the shaping of place through power and privilege, displacement, decolonisation and migration.
Published by Netherlands-based social science specialists, Brill, Places of Privilege examines the dynamics of privilege and power within the rapid social transformation of places, borders and boundaries.
Drawing on inter-disciplinary perspectives, the 13-chapter book examines place as a site for the making and re-making of privilege, while considering new meanings of community, and examining spaces for cultural identity and resistance.
In three sections the book explores:
- place, power and boundary making
- place-making and privileges of culture and identity
- place, privilege and social settings.
It examines the personal and cultural experiences of many peoples, ranging from Sudanese Australian refugees to North Queensland Aboriginal healers. It also looks at phenomenon such as the power and privilege reflected in the gentrification of Footscray in Melbourne’s inner west.
Contributors & editors
The contributors are: Lutfiye Ali, Alison M. Baker, Paola Bilbrough, Tony Birch, Jora Broerse, Sally Clark, Josephine Cornell, Yon Hsu, Lou Iaquinto, Karen Jackson, Shose Kessi, Jacqui Lavis, Rebecca Lyons, Chris McConville, Nicole Oke, Amy Quayle, Alexandra Ramirez.
Dr Christopher Sonn is an Associate Professor in Community Psychology who teaches in areas of community, cultural and liberation psychology. A major focus of his research is on understanding non-dominant group responses to oppression, including racism.
Dr Nicole Oke is a Senior Lecturer in sociology and community development. Her research focuses broadly on globalisation and transnationalism.
Dr Alison Baker-Lewton is a Senior Lecturer in Social Pedagogy in the VU's education courses. Her research aims to understand how inequality impacts young people from marginalised backgrounds, focusing on social identities, sense of belonging and socio-political development.
