Media Release

Community engagement, social justice: platforms for new Uni research and teaching

Community concerns such as women's issues, work and the labour movement will become the focus of a new University of Adelaide teaching and research unit.

The new Department of Social Inquiry will be officially launched this afternoon by noted researcher, commentator and social justice activist, Emeritus Professor Lois Bryson.

Department head, Dr Margaret Allen, says the new department is a powerful combination of the teaching and research fields of labour studies and women's studies.

"Our work emphasises community orientation and engagement combined with a commitment to social justice," Dr Allen said.

Professor Bryson says social research such as that undertaken by the Department of Social Inquiry is vital to Australia's future at a time of increasing inequality, and growing feelings of anxiety and pessimism among many Australians.

She says Governments and other decision makers risk failure and rejection when policies are not based on a sound understanding of community concerns.