Professor Ann Brooks

Biography/ Background

Ann Brooks is Professor of Sociology and Cultural Studies in the School of Social Sciences. Previously she was Head of Department of Sociology at SIM University in Singapore (2003-2007). Professor Brooks was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (2002) in Singapore where she undertook commissioned research on attracting and retaining 'global talent' to Singapore for the Singapore government. Professor Brooks spent the years 1993-2002 in the Department of Sociology at Massey University, New Zealand. She has also held appointments at universities in the UK. Professor Brooks holds a PhD from the University of London, under the supervision of Ann Oakley, Director of the Social Science Research Institute.

Professor Brooks has held honorary positions at Monash University (2006) where she was invited and supported to apply for an ARC Australian Professorial Research Fellowship; University of Hong Kong (2000); the National University of Singapore (2000); the University of Sydney (1999/2000); University of South Australia, Hawke Research Institute (1998); University of New South Wales (1998); and Macquarie University (1995/1996).

She has published extensively in the areas of globalization and differentiated labour markets in Asia; gender, education and organizational change; citizenship and social justice; academic women and equity; restructuring of higher education; contemporary social and cultural theory and postcolonialism and Asian diasporas.

She is author of Academic Women (Open University Press, 1997); Postfeminisms: Feminism, Cultural Theory and Cultural Forms (Routledge, 1997); Gendered Work in Asian Cities: The New Economy and Changing Labour Markets (Ashgate, 2006) and with Alison Mackinnon Gender and the Restructured University: Changing Management and Culture in Higher Education (Open University Press, 2001). She has also published in Theory, Culture and Society; Sociology (2008); British Journal of Sociology (2008); Cultural Sociology (In press 2009); Asian Journal of Social Sciences; International Review of Women and Leadership.

Qualifications

PhD (Sociology/Education), University of London

MA (Film and Television Studies), University of London

MA (Sociology/Social Anthropology), University of Keele

P.G.C.E. (Commendation, Sociology), University of Keele

BA (Honours) (Sociology/Anthropology), University of East Anglia

Research Interests

• Contemporary social and cultural theory with a particular interest in gender
• Emotional labour and masculinities
• Gendered labour markets and globalization
• Academic women and equity within universities
• Intimacy and identity in contemporary Asia
• Representations of gender and politics in the media
• Postcolonialism and Asian diasporas

Publications

Books - Sole Author

• Brooks, Ann. Gendered Work in Asian Cities: The New Economy and Changing Labour Markets. UK/US: Ashgate, 2006. [Reviews: Asia-Pacific Economic Literature, 20 (2), 2006; Journal of Economic Literature, 44 (3), 2006; Gender and Education, 19 (2), April 2007]

• Brooks, Ann. Academic Women. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1997. [Reviews: Campus Review August 27, 1997; Higher Education 3(1), 1998; International Review of Women and Leadership, 4(1), 1998]

• Brooks, Ann. Postfeminisms: Feminism, Cultural Theory and Cultural Forms. London/New York: Routledge, 1997. [Turkish language rights held by Oteki Yaineri, Turkey, 12/1999] [Reviews: Das Argument 223, 1997, pp 799-802; Communications/Theory Gender/Identity, 1998]

Books - Co-Editor

• Gender and the Restructured University: Changing Management and Culture in Higher Education? Editors: Ann Brooks and Alison Mackinnon. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001. [Reviews: Studies in Higher Education 27(3), 2002, August]

Books in Progress

• Brooks, Ann. Social Theory in Contemporary Asia: Intimacy, Reflexivity and Identity. Routledge (Forthcoming 2009).

• Brooks, Ann, and Theresa Devasayham. Globalization, Gender and Emotional Labour. (Forthcoming).

Chapters in Books

• Brooks, Ann. 'Reconceptualising Representation and Identity: Issues of Transculturalism and Transnationalism in the Intersection of Feminism and Cultural Sociology'. Cultural Theory. Ed. T. Edwards. London: Sage, 2007. 183-209.

• Brooks, Ann. 'The Intersection of Postcolonial, Feminist and Nationalist Discourses in Understanding Chinese Diasporic Communities'. Asian Diasporas: Cultures, Identities, Representations. Eds. S. Wong and R. Goh. Hong Kong University Press, 2004. 15-31.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Changing Work Identities for Professional Women in Hong Kong'. Women, Work and Family in Changing Asia. Eds. L. L. Thang and Wei-hsin Yu. Asian Social Sciences Series - Netherlands: Brill Publishers, 2004. 145-163.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Restructuring Global Knowledge: Restructuring Bodies of Knowledge'. Gender and the Restructured University: Changing Management and Culture in Higher Education. Eds. A. Brooks and A. Mackinnon. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001.

• Brooks, Ann, and Alison Mackinnon. 'Globalisation, Academia and Change'. Gender and the Restructured University: Changing Management and Culture in Higher Education. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Citizenship, Identity and Social Justice: the Intersection of Feminist and Post-colonial Discourses'. Challenging Democracy: Feminist Perspectives on the Education of Citizens. Eds. M. Arnot and J. Dillabough. London/New York: Routledge, 2000. 41-58.

Refereed Journal Articles

• Brooks, Ann, and Lionel Wee. 'Reflexivity and the Transformation of Gender Identity: Reviewing the Potential for Change in a Cosmopolitan City'. Sociology 42.3 (2008): 503-521.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Reconceptualizing Reflexivity and Dissonance in Professional and Personal Domains'. British Journal of Sociology 59.3 (2008): 539-559.

• Brooks, Ann, and Lionel Wee. 'Personal Branding and the Commodification of Reflexivity'. Cultural Sociology (Forthcoming 2009).

• Brooks, Ann. Theory, Culture, Society Special Issue. Problematizing Global Knowledge. 'Gender Epistemologies' 23.2 (2006): 111-114. [Also in translation into Chinese with Henan University Press and into Turkish] [Also appearing as a book with Theory, Culture, Society/Sage].

• Brooks, Ann, and Andrew Toon. 'Challenging Acculturation in Asia: Cultural Issues in Distance Education Programmes in Singapore'. Asian Journal of Distance Education (2004).

• Brooks, Ann. 'The Politics of Location in Southeast Asia: Intersecting Tensions around Gender, Ethnicity, Class and Religion'. Asian Journal of Social Sciences 31.1 (2003): 86-106.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Regulating the Politics of Inclusion: Academic Women, Equity Issues and the Politics of Restructuring'. International Review of Women and Leadership 4.1 (1998): 49-60.

• Brooks, Ann. 'The Politics of Postmodernism and Popular Culture, Angela McRobbie: Postmodernism and Popular Culture'. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 18.1 (1997): 135-141.

• Brooks, Ann. '"Foucault Reminiscences" - a review article' Sites - a Journal for South Pacific. Cultural Studies February Vol. 29 (1995): 171-180.

Refereed Conference Proceedings

• Brooks, Ann. Australian Universities International Women's Executive Development Conference Proceedings - Prospects for Gender Equity in Universities, 11-13 April 2006, Stamford Plaza, Adelaide: 'Gender Equity and Organizational Constraints in Universities in Cosmopolitan Cities in Asia'.

• Brooks, Ann. 5th International Conference on the Social Sciences Conference Proceedings, 31 May - 3 June 2006, Hawaii: 'Revisiting Embodiment in Contemporary Social Theory: Elective Cosmetic Surgery - 'Reflexive Self-control' or Intimate Troubles'.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Academic Women, Equity Issues and the Politics of Restructuring' Winds of Change, Women and the Culture of Universities Conference Proceedings, University of Technology, Sydney, 1999, pp 402-412.

• Brooks, Ann. 'Feminism, "Power-Knowledge" and the Academy: Feminist, Politics or Pluralism in the 1990s' in Women, Culture and Universities: A Chilly Climate?' Conference Proceedings, University of Technology, Sydney, 1995, pp 290-302.

Reviews and Other Publications

• Book Review: T. Devasahayam and B. Yeoh (Eds.) Working and Mothering in Asia: Images, Ideologies and Identities. NUS Press, 2007, pp. 256 in Asian Studies Review, Vol 32 (1), March, pp 142-44.

• 'Women Opinion Leaders in Corporate and Academic Life in Hong Kong and Singapore' CAS (Centre for Advanced Studies) Update, National University of Singapore, Issue no. 0129-4180, April 2001, p 10.

• A Foucault Primer, Alec McHoul and Wendy Grace, Melbourne University Press/University of Otago in New Zealand Sociology, November 1998, pp 352-354.

• 'Academic Women - No Quick Fix'. Canadian AUT 'Bulletin', 1998, p 9.

• 'Academic Women - Scaling the Ivory Tower'. Massey Issue 2, April 1997, pp 26-28.

• 'Academic Women - No Quick Fix'. AUS Status of Women Committee News, November 1997, pp 5-6.

Conference Papers

• American Sociological Association 103rd Annual Meeting, 1-4 August 2008, Boston. Refereed Paper: Men, Masculinities and Emotional Labour: Representation and Reality in 'Slacker Guys and Striver Girls' Film Genre.

• Gender, Work and Organization Conference. 5th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Conference, 27-29 June 2007, University of Keele, UK. Refereed Paper: Professional Women & Gendered Labour Markets in Cosmopolitan Cities in Asia.

• British Sociological Association Annual Conference. Social Connections: Identities, Technologies, Relationships, 12-14 April 2007, University of East London. Refereed Paper: (1) The New Economy and the Differentiation of Gendered Labour in Cosmopolitan Cities in Asia; (2) Revisiting Embodiment in Social Theory: Elective Cosmetic Surgery - 'Reflective Self-control or Intimate Trouble'.

• Australian Universities International Women's Executive Development Conference - Prospects for Gender Equity in Universities, 11-13 April 2006, Stamford Plaza, Adelaide. Refereed Paper: 'Gender Equity and Organizational Constraints in Universities in Cosmopolitan Cities in Asia'.

• 5th International Conference on the Social Sciences, 31 May - 3 June 2006, Hawaii. Paper presented: 'Revisiting Embodiment in Contemporary Social Theory: Elective Cosmetic Surgery - 'Reflexive Self-control' or Intimate Troubles'.

• The International Social Theory Consortium-Sixth Annual Conference, 8-11 June 2005, National University of Singapore. Paper presented: 'Lashing Aesthetic Reflexivity to Bourdieu: Implications for the Sociology of Gender'.

• British Sociological Association Annual Conference, 22-24 March 2004, University of York, UK. Paper presented: 'Intimacy, Sex and Singlehood in Chinese Diasporic Communities'.

• International Seminar - Global Challenges and Local Responses: Trends and Developments in Society and Sociology in Asia, 14-16 March 2004, National University of Singapore/ISA. Paper presented: 'Intimacy, Work and Family Life in Chinese Diasporic Communities'.

• International Sociological Association (ISA) XV World Congress of Sociology, 7-13 July 2002, Brisbane, Australia, 'Globalisation Corporate Restructuring and Changing Work Identities in Southeast Asia'.

• Asian Diasporas and Cultures: Globalisation, Hybridity, Intertextuality, September 2001, National University of Singapore, 'The Uncertain Configuration of a Politics of Location: the Intersection of Postcolonial, Feminist and Nationalist Discourses in Understanding Chinese Diasporic Communities'.

• Migration and the "Asian Family" in a Globalising World, April 2001, National University of Singapore, 'The Uncertain Configuration of a Politics of Location: The "Asian Family", "Asian Values" and Postcolonial Feminist Spaces'.

• Winds of Changes Women and the Culture of Universities, July 1998, University of Technology, Sydney, 'Regulating the Politics of Inclusion: Academic Women, Equity Issues and the Politics of Restructuring'.

• International Conference - Transitions in Gender and Education, April 1997, University of Warwick, UK, 'Citizenship, Identity and Social Justice: The Intersection of Feminism and Postcolonialism in the Cultural Politics of the Academy'.

• Women, Culture and Universities: A Chilly Climate? April 1995. A national conference on the effect of organisational culture on women in universities, organised by the University of Technology Women's Forum, Sydney, Australia. Title of Paper: 'Feminist Politics or Pluralism in the 1990s'.

• Sociological Association of Aotearoa Conference, November 1994, Massey University, New Zealand. Title of Paper: 'Feminism's "Turn of Culture": Challenging the basis of the Feminist Epistemological Project'.

Commissioned Research and Publications

• 2006/2007 - International Labour Organization/International Institute of Labour Studies (IILS) (Geneva)/Japan Institute of Labour and Policy Training (JILPT) Commissioned research project with a colleague from SIM University in a funded research project by the ILO/International Institute of Labour Studies on the topic of 'Promoting Decent Work in Global Production Systems in Asia and the Pacific'. A research project is currently being framed to cover two groups of workers in the region. The main object of the research is to enhance the capacity of participating institutes in the region to contribute to high quality policy advice and a range of policy options available to national policy makers and socio-economic development planners.

• 2002 - Report Commissioned by the Institute of Policy Studies for the Remaking Singapore Committee, 'A Question of Belonging - Global Talent and Issues of Settlement in Singapore'. www.ips.org.sg or at www.singapore21.org.sg/menu_art.html

Entry last updated: Wednesday, 23 Sep 2009