About the Department of Social Inquiry
The Department of Social Inquiry continues La Trobe’s proud history of addressing issues of social inequality, social justice and cultural change in Australia and abroad.
Our Department is part of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
We offer undergraduate majors and postgraduate supervision in Aboriginal studies, anthropology, crime, justice and legal studies, criminology, sociology, and sustainability and development studies.
Our goal is to produce outstanding graduates and research outcomes that contribute to our understanding of social change, inequality, social justice and cultural diversity.
Our students learn from academic staff who are also experienced researchers and educators. Theory is put into practice, helping students explore dynamic, contemporary issues in real world settings.
Our staff are research leaders who produce high impact outcomes that support communities, organisations and governments to improve access to wellbeing and opportunities for all.
Our best students are not just here to learn, they are here to find ways to make a difference. Our staff share that passion and support our students to achieve their goals through education and research.
Learning about the real world
Whether you are wanting to become an anthropologist or criminologist, work as a social researcher or work towards sustainable futures, a La Trobe degree is the gateway to a rewarding career.
Our students benefit from our flexible approach to teaching that allows them, where possible, to engage in learning at a time and place of their choosing. We offer on-campus, online and hybrid learning opportunities, in semester-long study or shorter, block-mode options.
Research with impact
Our researchers are tackling some of the big issues of our time, partnering with industry, government and community organisations to improve access to wellbeing and opportunities for all.
They are sought after to inform government reviews and policy changes. Their findings improve individual lives and entire communities. Their advocacy promotes human rights and social justice.
Our graduate researchers are also helping to address issues of social inequality and cultural change in Australia and abroad.
Our Higher Degree Research programs give candidates the opportunity to join a vibrant community of researchers who use robust methods and cutting-edge ideas to address all aspects of the human social and cultural experience.
The Department is home to the Thesis Eleven Forum for Social and Political Theory, which represents an international network of scholars exploring issues of culture, society and power, and to the Climate Change Adaptation Lab which researches the more-than-climatic character of impacts, as they intersect in people’s daily lives.
We also have close links to La Trobe Asia, which provides leadership on all aspects of La Trobe University’s engagement with Asia, the Centre for Global Security which helps us understand the complex security issues of our time, and Grabra Biik, Wurruwila Wutja Indigenous Research Centre, focused on building academic Indigenous knowledge and research partnerships.
School centre
Our staff make key contributions to the Climate Change Adaptation Lab.
The Climate Change Adaptation Lab, which is located in the Department of Social Inquiry, takes a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and reflexive approach to understanding the complex, more-than-climatic character of impacts, as they intersect in our daily lives.
Research centres and institutes
Our staff make key contributions to La Trobe University's research centres and institutes.
The Care Economy Research Institute was established in 2023, in recognition of the crisis facing our care sectors and our conviction that, together, researchers and industry partners can make a positive difference. The Institute’s goal is to break down silos in the health and social care sectors and create a platform to co-design and implement the next generation of services across all care economy domains.
The Centre for Global Security helps rethink how societies understand and respond to the complex security challenges of our time. It brings together researchers, practitioners and community partners to generate new ideas that advance scholarship, improve policy and shape public debate. Through collaboration, the Centre undertakes rigorous multidisciplinary research to strengthen public understanding, inform effective policymaking, and help build a more resilient and equitable society in Australia and the world.
The Centre for Human Security and Social Change works for inclusive social change. Staff work with a wide range of individuals, organisations and networks that are involved in social change with a particular, but not exclusive, focus on Indigenous Australia, the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
The Gabra Biik, Wurruwila Wutja Indigenous Research Centre builds academic Indigenous knowledge and research capacity by facilitating Indigenous community research partnerships, providing a culturally safe space for Indigenous researchers and guidance for the La Trobe University research community.
The John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research seeks to develop and implement programs of research that make a difference to the wellbeing of a diverse range of older people living in rural communities.