Staff profile

Dr Celia McMichael

Lecturer, Research Fellow

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

School of Social Sciences Refugee Research Centre

Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

MA(Hons) Social Anthropology and Development (Edinburgh); PhD School of Population Health (Melbourne)

Area of study

Anthropology
International Development

Brief Profile

Celia has a background in medical anthropology and public health. She has several years experience in qualitative research and conducted her doctoral studies in the area of refugee health and resettlement. She has also conducted research in the areas of medical pluralism and treatment-seeking in Peru (1997), breast cancer education, screening and treatment amongst indigenous women in Queensland (1998-199), and gender, disaster situations and health in Sri Lanka (2005-2007). Between 2003-2005 she worked as a lecturer at La Trobe University in the area of evidence-based public health. She has also worked as a settlement support worker for newly-arrived refugees in Melbourne, and as a WHO project/health education officer focusing on immunisation in Angola. Celia has particular interest in the areas of medical anthropology, qualitative research, social determinants of health, and refugee health.

Research interests

International Aid and Development

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Migration

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Teaching Units

Celia currently lectures in International Development, including the subjects 'Contemporary Approaches to Development' and 'Development in Practice'.

Recent Publications

  • McMichael, C., Barnett, J., McMichael, AJ 2012. An ill wind? Climate change, migration and health. Environmental Health Perspectives 120(5), 646-654
  • McMichael, A.J., McMichael, C., Berry, H. and Bowen, K. (2010) ‘Climate-related displacement: Health risks and responses’, in J. McAdam (ed.) Climate Change and Displacement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, Hart Publishing.
  • McMichael, C. & Gifford, S.M. (2009) ‘Narratives of sexual health risk and protection amongst young people from refugee backgrounds in Melbourne. Australia’. Culture, Health and Sexuality, (iFirst http://dx.doi.org.10.1080.13691050903359265).
  • McMichael, C. & Gifford, S.M. (2009) “‘It is Good to Know Now…Before it’s Too Late’: Promoting Sexual Health Literacy Amongst Resettled Young People With Refugee Backgrounds”, Sexuality and Culture, 13(4): 218-237.
  • McMichael, C. (2009) ‘Climate change, displacement and health’. Australian Sociological Association Conference 2009 – Health Day, Canberra ACT. December.
  • McMichael, C. (2008) Promoting sexual health amongst resettled youth with refugee backgrounds [PDF 1MB]. Melbourne: Refugee Health Research Centre. 
  • McMichael, C. (September) 'Sexual health of resettled young people with refugee backgrounds'. Paper presented at Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) 39th annual conference: Making a Difference - Intervening to improve health outcomes, Canberra. (Coming up)
  • McMichael, C. (2007) ‘Book Review: Doing Health Anthropology: research methods for community assessment and change’, Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 31(6): 585-586.
  • McMichael, C., Waters, E. and Volmink, J. (2005) ‘Evidence-based public health: what does it offer developing countries?’ Journal of Public Health 27(2): 215-221.
  • McMichael, C. and Lin, V. (2004) 'Public Health Policy in Australia'. For S. Allin, E. Mossialos, M. McKee & W. Holland Making decisions on public health: a review of eight countries. London: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
  • McMichael, C. and Manderson, L. (2004) ‘Somali Women and Well-being: Social networks and social capital among immigrant women in Australia’. Human Organization 63(1): 88-99.
  • McMichael, C. (2003) ‘Narratives of Forced Migration: Conducting Research with Somali Refugees in Australia’, in P. Allotey (ed.) The Health of Refugees. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • McMichael, C. (2003) ‘Sadness, displacement, resettlement: Somali refugee women in Melbourne’, in D. Barnes (ed.) Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Australia: Issues of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Transcultural Mental Health Centre, Paramatta, NSW
  • McMichael, C. and Ahmed, M. (2003) ‘Family Separation: Somali women in Melbourne’, Refugee Rights Monograph, Deakin University.
  • McMichael, C. (2002) ‘Everywhere is Allah’s place: Islam and everyday life amongst Somali women in Melbourne’, The Journal of Refugee Studies, 15(2): 171-188.
  • McMichael, C. (2002) ‘Childhood Diarrhoea and Medical Pluralism in Lima, Peru’, in R. Akhtar (ed.) Urban Health in the Third World. New Delhi: A.P.H. Publishing House.
  • McMichael, C. Kirk, M. Manderson, L. Hoban, E. & Potts, H. (2000) ‘Indigenous Women’s perceptions of breast cancer, diagnosis, and treatment in Queensland’ Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 24(5): 515-520.
  • Kirk, M., Manderson, L., Hoban, L., McMichael, C., Potts, H. and Hill, D. (2000) Breast Cancer Among Indigenous Women: Community Report. Brisbane: Queensland Health.
  • Kirk, M., McMichael, C., Potts, H., Hoban, E., Hill, D. & Manderson, L. (2000) Breast Cancer: Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women in Queensland. Brisbane: Queensland Health.
  • McMichael, C. (1998) ‘Childhood Diarrhoea in a Lima Shanty-town: An Anthropological Perspective’, Journal of Environment, Disease, and Health Care Planning 3(1-2): 21-31.

Research projects

Celia is currently a Chief Investigator on two research projects: 'Becoming at home', an ARC Discovery project that is following up a cohort of young adults with refugee backgrounds living in Australia; and 'Displaced twice', an NHMRC grant that engages with flood-affected men with refugee backgrounds in Queensland. Celia has also recently been researching climate change, population displacement and health, both publishing and presenting in this area. Early in 2009, Celia completed the research project entitled “Promoting Sexual Health Among Refugee Youth”. This study focused on how refugee youth access, interpret and implement sexual health information.