Prof Deborah Brennan

Overview

Professor Deborah Brennan BA (Hons), MA, PhD, FASSA, is one of Australia’s leading researchers in comparative social policy, early childhood education and care and gender and politics. Deborah has held visiting positions at the London School of Economics, Oxford University, Trinity College Dublin and the University of Melbourne. She is a member of the NSW Ministerial Carers Advisory Council, a former President of the Australian Political Science Association and was the Inaugural Convenor of the National Association of Community Based Children's Services (NABCBS). She is a member of the International Advisory Board of the United States Study Centre, University of Sydney.

Deborah serves on the editorial advisory board of Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, Families, Relationships and Societies and the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice. She is a member of the Feminist International Institutionalist Network (FIIN), the International Network on Leave Policies and Research and the Network on Migration and Care in the Asia-Pacific.

Deborah leads the University of NSW component of a Commonwealth funded Collaborative Research Network that links the Social Policy Research Centre (UNSW) and the Centre for Children and Young People (Southern Cross University).

Research Summary

Comparative analysis of Australian social policy, especially child care and family policy; the marketisation of care nationally and internationally; historical and comparative analysis of the family tax/benefit system in Australia; links between employment and care-giving responsibilities; migration policy; federalism and multilevel governance.

More information on Current research projects

Teaching

HDR Supervision: Professor Brennan has a substantial record of higher degree supervision. Recent students have completed theses on welfare reform, domestic violence, equity and education and young women in the Australian women’s movement.

Professor Brennan welcomes PhD candidates with an interest in social policy, particularly family policy, child care, comparative social policy (UK, USA and Scandinavia), social policy history and policy learning and transfer.

Professor Brennan currently supervises, Liz Adamson,Bob Davidson, Angelica Hannan, Bridget Jenkins, Marianne Rajkovic and Anne Wills.

Publications

Recent books

Brennan, D. and Chappell, L (eds.), 'No Fit Place for Women? Women in NSW Politics, 1856-2006, UNSW Press, 2006

Recent Book chapters

Brennan, D. (2010), ‘Federalism, Childcare and multilevel governance’, in Vickers, J., Haussman, M., Sawer, S. (eds), Federalism, Feminism and Multilevel Governance, Ashgate, 37-50.

Brennan, D. (2009), ‘The difficult birth of paid maternity leave in Australia (PDF)’, in Kamerman S. and Moss P. (eds.), The Politics of Parental Leave, Bristol: The Policy Press, 33-50.

Alexander, M., Waterhouse, G., and Brennan, D. (2009), ‘Australia (PDF)’, in Moss, P. ed, International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2009, Employment Relations No. 102, 102-112.

Alexander, M., G. Whitehouse and Brennan, D. (2007), 'Australia (PDF)', in P. Moss (ed.), International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2007, London: Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, 72-85.

Brennan, D. (2007), 'Generations of care', in Phillips, R. (ed.), Generational Change and Social Policy Challenges: Australia and Korea, University of Sydney Press, Sydney,

Brennan, D.(2007), 'Home and away: the policy context in Australia', in Pocock, B., Hill, E. and Elliot, A., Kids Count: Better Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, University of Sydney Press, Sydney, 57-74.

Brennan, D. and Chappell L (2006), 'Introduction: gender and NSW politics', in Brennan, D. and Chappell, L. (eds.), No Fit Place for Women?': Women and Politics in New South Wales 1856-2006, UNSW Press, Sydney, 1-14.

Brennan, D. (2006), 'Women in the mother parliament: inaugural impression', in in Brennan, D. and Chappell, L. (eds.), No Fit Place for Women?': Women and Politics in New South Wales 1856-2006, UNSW Press, Sydney.

Brennan, D. (2006), 'Community services: challenges for the twenty-first century', in McClelland, A., and Smyth, P., Social Policy in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 224-237.

Recent Journal Articles

Brennan, D. (2007), 'Babies, budgets and birthrates: work and family policy in Australia, 1996-2006', Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, 14 (1), 31-57.

Brennan, D. (2005), 'Children and families: forty years of analysis and commentary', Australian Journal of Social Issues, 40 (1), 73-90.

Recent Conference Presentations

Brennan, D.(2007), 'The corporatisation of Australian child care', paper presented at Carleton University, Ottawa, 24 April.

Brennan, D. (2007), 'Babies, budgets and birthrates: work/family policy in Australia, 1996-2006', paper presented at Columbia University, New York, 1 May.

Brennan, D.(2007), 'The Howard Government and Work/Family Policy in Australia, 1996-2006', paper presented at George Washington University (Public Policy Program) 7 June.

Brennan, D. (2007), 'Demographic change, social policy and employment-based family provision in Australia', paper presented at Department of Social Policy, Oxford University, June.

Brennan, D., A. Hampshire, B. Cass, and T. Marchant (2007), 'Understanding grandparent care: policy and practice implications of grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren in the Australian context', paper presented at Centre for Research into Families and Relationships, Extended and Extending Families Conference, Edinburgh, June.

Brennan, D., S. Newberry and S. van der Laan (2007), 'The corporatisation of child care in Australia: easy as ABC', paper presented at Paid Care Network Symposium on For-Profit Providers of Paid Care, University of Sydney, 29-30 November.

Cass, B., and Brennan, D. (2007), 'Grandparents as Primary Carers of Their Grandchildren', Paper presented at Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 11-13 July.

Brennan, D. (2006), 'Women in the Bear Pit', Australasian Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2006, University of Newcastle, 25-26 Sept.