Staff profile

Dr Gillian Fletcher PhD

Research Fellow

Faculty of Health Sciences

Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society

Melbourne (City)

 

Qualifications

BA, University of Westminster, London, England; Masters, La Trobe University; PhD, La Trobe University

Membership of professional Associations

Member of The Australasian Evaluation Society

Brief Profile

Dr Fletcher's work covers a wide range of areas, best defined under the banner of sociology of knowledge. She has a particular interest in hierarchies of forms of knowledge, identifying and questioning gaps between the rhetoric and practice of knowledge development processes (in both an Australian and international setting), and the lack of value given to phronesis (practical knowledge, which incorporates but goes beyond factual knowledge).

She brings this interest to bear in work as diverse as:

  • Collaborative evaluation of Victorian-based culture change projects;
  • Development of innovative educational projects (see below); and
  • Provision of technnical support to organisations in Burma/Myanmar, a country with which she has a 10+ year history. Dr Fletcher has worked in Burma/Myanmar on issues of sexuality and gender; HIV prevention; AIDS care and support; and capacity development.

Dr Fletcher is Chief Reviews Editor for Culture, Health and Sexuality journal, a member of the Research and Training Sub-Committee of the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS) and a member of the Academic Sub-Committee involved in organising the IXth IASSCS Conference, titled Sex and the Marketplace: What's Love Got to Do With It?.

Teaching Units

Designer and developer of the Faculty of Health Sciences online Signature Unit, Contemporary Issues in Sex and Sexuality (HLT1CSS); a first of its kind for the University. The unit is available to First Year students from across all Faculties.

Pedgogic designer of Advancing Sexuality Studies: a short course in critical sexuality studies and research methodologies (a joint ARCSHS/IASSCS project, available for free download here.)

Consulting

International development practice (specialising in Burma/Myanmar)

Recent Publications

Fletcher, Gillian; Dowsett, Gary W. and Austin, Lilian (accepted for publication 12/12/12), Actively promoting student engagement within an online environment: Developing and implementing a signature subject on ‘Contemporary Issues in Sex and Sexuality’. In Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (Special Edition).

Fletcher, Gillian; Dowsett, Gary W.; Duncan, Duane and Corboz, Julienne (accepted for publication 20/10/2012) Advancing Sexuality Studies: a short course on sexuality theory and research methodologies. In Sex Education.

Fletcher, G., Bronwyn Fredericks, Karen Adams, Summer Finlay, Simone Andy, Lyn Briggs, Robert Hall (2011), Having a yarn about smoking: Using action research to develop a ‘no smoking’ policy within an Aboriginal Health Organisation. In Health Policy. 103(1).

Fletcher, G. (2011). Book Review (Judith Halberstam (2005) In A Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives, New York University Press, New York and London.) In Culture, Health and Sexuality. 13(6).

Fletcher, G. (2011). The cultural queasiness factor: examining intersections of gender, sexuality and HIV prevention in Burma/Myanmar. In Asian Studies Review, 35(2).

Fletcher, G., Kyaw Thu, Kyaw Myint, and Thet Win Aung (2009). Beautiful Flowers, Growing Together. Encouraging Working Women to Learn From and Support Each Other: Guidelines for Peer Educators. International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

Fletcher, G (2007) ‘The Red Cross must be a safe home for all people’: A discussion starter on undertaking HIV and Aids work with marginalised and vulnerable populations. Australian Red Cross/ AusAID.

Fletcher, G (2007) A journey from vulnerability to greater resilience: A profile of migration-affected communities in Mon State, Myanmar, IOM.  

Conferences

Rapporteur, Pre-Conference on Social and Political Sciences, International AIDS Society (2012). Washington DC, Washington.

Fletcher, G. and Dyson, S. (2011) Evaluation as work in progress: stories of shared learning and development from embedding evaluators within a project lifecycle. Panel presentation. Australasian Evaluation Conference, Sydney, Australia.

Fletcher, G.. Duncan, D., Corboz, J. and Dowsett, G. (2011). Reflections on developing an advanced short course in Critical Sexuality Studies. Naming and Framing: The Making of Sexual (In)Equality: 8th Biennial Meeting of the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS). Madrid.

Fletcher, G., Gourlay, P, Hartung, B., Hobbs, C., and Symons, C. (2011) Fair Go, Sport!: A Game of Four Quarters. Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand's (SMAANZ) 17th Annual Conferenc. Melbourne.

Fletcher, G. (2010) ‘We should be careful about their culture…it is impossible to ask [young women] to demonstrate the condom’. Panel presentation. 10th International Women in Asia Conference. Canberra.Fletcher, G. (2010) The Conceit of Informed Consent When Working in Hierarchical Structures. Panel presentation. 10th World Congress on Bioethics in Research. Singapore.

Fletcher, G (2009) Those Who Talk the Talk of HIV Prevention Do Not Always Walk the Walk. Poster presentation. Ninth ICAAP.

Fletcher, G (2009) The Gap Between Rhetoric and Practice in HIV Prevention in Burma/Myanmar. Oral presentation. Conference of the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society

Fletcher, G (2007) Ignorant until proved educated: Cautionary Tales From HIV Prevention Work in Myanmar. Poster presentation. Eighth ICAAP.

Fletcher, G. (2007) A Triumph of Facts Over Experience: Constructions of Ignorance and Disregard of the Affective in Relation to HIV Prevention Work in Burma. Oral presentation. World Congress for Sexual Health.

Fletcher, G. (2005) Talking About Sex in Myanmar: Matters of Morals and HIV Prevention. Oral presentation. Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management Association National Conference.  

 

Research projects

Current:

Awarded a VicHealth Innovations Grant (2012) for Beyond the Glass Box of Silence and Invisibility: Examining Inclusion and Participation Programs from a GLBT Perspective

Evaluator on the 3-year Y Respect Gender Project, being implemented by YMCA Victoria with funding from VicHealth

 2011:

Evaluator of the Fair go, sport! project, implemented by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Australian Sports Commission, Hockey Victoria and Hockey Australia