Staff profile

Dr Michael Connors

Associate Professor, Master of International Development Convenor

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

School of Social Sciences

SS 304, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BA Honours (Political Science) Melbourne; Diploma of Education, Melbourne; PhD., Melbourne.

Membership of professional associations

Member of the Australian Asian Studies Society

Area of study

Asian Studies
International Relations
Politics

Brief profile

Michael Connors is a specialist in Thai studies with a focus on ideas and politics. He also writes on international politics. His book Democracy and National Identity in Thailand (2003; new edition 2007) has been described as a “work of major scholarship” (Asian Affairs). His work has appeared in leading scholarly journals including Pacific Review and Journal of Contemporary Asia. His work also appears in the Major Works series, published by Routledge, on Politics of Modern Southeast Asia and Islam in Southeast Asia.

His teaching includes subjects in International Development (Development in Practice), Area Studies (Political Change and Development in the Third World), and International Relations (Contemporary International Politics of the Asia Pacific). Since the late 1990s he has taught at Thammasat University, the University of Leeds, City University of Hong Kong, and La Trobe University. He is regular commentator on Thai politics for the national and international media.

Research interests

Government and Politics of Asia and the Pacific

- Democracy and Democratization

- Development and Governance

- Politics of Southeast Asia

- Thai politics

Recent publications

Monographs.

  • Connors M. K, Remy Davison and Joern Dosch, (2011) The New Global Politics of the Asia Pacific, second edition, Routledge: London.
  • Connors, MK and Hewison K (2008) “Thailand's ‘Good Coup’: the Fall of Thaksin, the Military and Democracy”, Special Issue of Journal of Contemporary Asia 38, 1.
  • Connors MK (2007) ‘Democracy and National Identity in Thailand’ second edition, NIAS Press, Copenhagen.

Journal Articles

  • Connors M.K. (forthcoming) “When the walls come crumbling down: Democracy and Monarchy in Thailand” Journal of Contemporary Asia.
  • Connors M. K (2011) “Thailand’s Emergency State: Transformation and Struggle” Southeast Asian Affairs, 2011.
  • Connors M.K. and Streckfuss D. (2011) “Michael K. Connors in conversation with David Streckfuss, author of Truth on Trial in Thailand', Critical Asian Studies, 43:1, 139 – 149.
  • Connors M.K.  (2009)  ‘Liberalism, authoritarianism and the politics of decisionism in Thailand’ The Pacific Review, 22, 3.
  • Connors M.K.  (2008) ‘Article of Faith: the Failure of Royal Liberalism in Thailand’ Journal of Contemporary Asia, 38, 1.
  • Connors M.K. (2008) ‘Four Elections and a Coup” Australian Journal of International Affairs, 62:4, pp. 478-496.
  • Connors, M.K. (2006) 'War on Error and the Southern Fire: How Terrorism Experts Get it Wrong', Critical Asian Studies, 38, 151-175.  
  • Connors, M.K. (2005) 'Ministering Culture', Critical Asian Studies, 37, 4, pp.523-551.

Book Chapters

  • Connors M.K.  (2011)  “Ambivalent about rights: democracy, coups d’etat and accidental killing machines” in Davis T. and Galligan, B. (ed) Human Rights in Asia, Edward Elgar.
  • Connors M.K. (2011 “Notes Towards an Understanding of Thai liberalism” in (ed.) Michael Montesano and Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Thailand in Crisis  ISEAS, Singapore. Connors, M.K.  (2009)  “Another Country: Reflections on Politics and Culture in the South of Thailand”, in John Funston (ed) Divided Over Thaksin Singapore: ISEAS.
  • Connors, M.K.  (2008) ‘Democracy from below’  in Vin D’Cruz (Ed.) Political Actors and Ideas in Contemporary Asia, Melbourne, Australian Scholarly Press.
  • Connors, M.K.   (2006) "Acting Up: the politics of direct action" in Graham Willett (ed.) Thinking Down Under: Australian Politics, Society and Culture in Transition, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag (Scientific Publishing House),  Trier, pp. 45-57.
  • Connors, M.K. (2006) 'Thailand and the United States: beyond hegemony?', in Mark Beeson (ed.) Bush and Asia: The US's Evolving Relationships with East Asia, London: Routledge, pp.128-144.
  • Connors, M.K. (2006) 'Democracy and the Mainstreaming of Localism in Thailand', in Joakim Öjendal and Francis Loh (eds) Southeast Asian Responses to Globalization: Restructuring Governance and Deepening Democracy, NIAS Press, pp.259-286.

Research projects

  • Thailand and International Studies
  • International Relations of the Asia Pacific
  • The Politics of Democratization and International Democracy Promotion