Dr Lynda Shevellar
Senior Lecturer
School of Social Science
Deputy Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Researcher biography
Dr Lynda Shevellar joined The University of Queensland in 2009. Based in the School of Social Science, Lynda won an early career award for teaching excellence in 2011, a University of Queensland Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019 and an Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2019). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, the Principal Practitioner - Participation and Engagement (Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation), and is currently one of the Deputy Associate Deans (Academic) for the HASS Faculty. Lynda has previously held roles in government and the community sector and is influenced by over thirty years of experience in community development, the disability sector, mental health, education, and psychology.
Lynda's research explores three closely aligned agendas: understanding the experience of people who live with heightened vulnerability; developing the awareness, agency and capacity of communities to respond to social disadvantage and inequality; and aligning community development theory and education to inform practice in working alongside people who live with heightened vulnerability. Lynda has a particular interest in the development of inclusive learning communities, through creative teaching practices, participative research strategies, and engaged citizenship.
Lynda coordinates the courses SOSC2288: Community Development - Local and International Practice; and SOCY1070: Inequality, Society and the Self.
Publications
Book
Zuber-Skerritt, Ortrun and Shevellar, Lynda (1996). Fourth manual for conducting workshops on postgraduate supervision of non-English speaking background students. Lismore, Australia: Southern Cross University Press.
Book Chapters
Shevellar, Lynda, Barlott, Tim and Setchell, Jenny (2023). Knots--sorcery--belonging, an afterword. Edge entanglements with mental health allyship, research, and practice: a postqualitative cartography. (pp. 155-163) Milton Park, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Shevellar, Lynda and Armstrong, John (2020). Re-thinking respite in aged care. Ageing and the good things of life: the application of Social Role Valorization to supporting people as they age. (pp. 221-237) edited by Ronda Held, John Armstrong, Raymond Lemay and Susan Thomas. Rockland, ON Canada: Valor Press.
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2019). “Singing Up the Second Story”: Acts of Community Development Scholar “Delicate Activism” Within the Neoliberal University. Resisting Neoliberalism in Higher Education Volume I. (pp. 205-222) edited by Dorothy Bottrell and Catherine Manathunga. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-95942-9_10
Shevellar, Lynda and Barringham, Neil (2019). Negotiating roles and boundaries: ethical challenges in community development work. Ethics, equity and community development. (pp. 59-82) edited by Sarah Banks and Peter Westoby. Bristol, United Kingdom: Policy Press. doi: 10.2307/j.ctvhhhdxq.9
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2018). What have we learned? A concluding essay on wicked problems, research and the contributions of community development. The Routledge Handbook of Community Development Research. (pp. 285-292) edited by Lynda Shevellar and Peter Westoby. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315612829-19
Shevellar, Lynda and Westoby, Peter (2018). Wicked problems and community development – an introductory essay. The Routledge Handbook of Community Development Research.. (pp. 3-19) edited by Lynda Shevellar and Peter Westoby. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315612829-1
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2018). From ‘dilemmatic space’ towards ecological practice: Community development in disaster recovery in Queensland, Australia. The Routledge Handbook of Community Development Research. (pp. 253-266) edited by Lynda Shevellar and Peter Westoby. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315612829-17
Ling, Liong Ing, Wilson, Jill and Shevellar, Lynda (2017). Managing everyday living: Microfinance and capability. Microfinance for Entrepreneurial Development: Sustainability and Inclusion in Emerging Markets. (pp. 107-125) edited by Douglas Cumming, Yizhe Dong, Wenxuan Hou and Binayak Sen. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-62111-1_6
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2016). Safeguarding the soul of community-based organisations – in dialogue with Lynda Shevellar. Soul, community and social change: theorising a soul perspective on community practice. (pp. 75-87) edited by Peter Westoby. Farnham, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Shevellar, Lynda (2015). Hope and cake: the contribution of causal layered analysis to community development practice. CLA 2.0: Transformative research in theory and practice. (pp. 405-420) edited by Sohail Inayatullah and Ivana Milojević. Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan: Tamkang University Press.
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2012). Introduction. Learning and mobilising for community development: a radical tradition of community-based education and training. (pp. 1-12) edited by Peter Westoby and Lynda Shevellar. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Shevellar, Lynda and Westoby, Peter (2012). Tracing a tradition of community-based education and training. Learning and mobilising for community development: a radical tradition of community-based education and training. (pp. 25-40) edited by Peter Westoby and Lynda Shevellar. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2012). A perspective on community-based education and training. Learning and mobilising for community development: a radical tradition of community-based education and training. (pp. 13-24) edited by Peter Westoby and Lynda Shevellar. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Shevellar, Lynda, Sherwin, Jane and Mackay, Gregory (2012). A re-imagined identity: building a movement in Brisbane for the practice of social role valorization. Learning and mobilising for community development: a radical tradition of community-based education and training. (pp. 81-94) edited by Peter Westoby and Lynda Shevellar. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Shevellar, Lynda and Westoby, Peter (2012). Conclusion: a community-based education and training framework. Learning and mobilising for community development: a radical tradition of community-based education and training. (pp. 205-220) edited by Peter Westoby and Lynda Shevellar. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.
Journal Articles
Staines, Zoe, Smith, Kiah, Plage, Stefanie, Nahar Lata, Lutfun, Fay, Suzanna, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Beazley, Helen, Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew, McGowan, Glenys, Shevellar, Lynda and Prangnell, Jonathan (2023). Social science as social action to address inequalities. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59 (1), 108-127. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.272
McArdle, Hannah, Barlott, Tim, McBryde, Cathy, Shevellar, Lynda and Branjerdporn, Nataya (2023). Navigating ethical tensions when working to address social inequities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77 (1) 7701205160, 1-8. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050071
Banks, Sarah, Shevellar, Lynda and Narayanan, Pradeep (2023). Ethical issues in community development: setting the scene. Community Development Journal, 58 (1), 1-18. doi: 10.1093/cdj/bsac043
Shevellar, Lynda (2021). Teaching in the new Anthropocene: eco-anxiety and ethics in higher education. New Community, 18(4) & 19(1) (72 + 73), 9-15.
Shevellar, Lynda (2021). Community back in the picture: Are we ready? . New Community, 19 (3).
Barlott, Tim, Shevellar, Lynda, Turpin, Merrill and Setchell, Jenny (2020). Destabilising social inclusion and recovery, and pursuing 'lines of flight' in the mental health sector: destabilising social inclusion and recovery. Sociology of Health and Illness, 42 (6), 1328-1343. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13106
Barlott, Tim, Shevellar, Lynda, Turpin, Merrill and Setchell, Jenny (2019). The dissident interview: a deterritorializing guerrilla encounter. Qualitative Inquiry, 26 (6), 107780041985904-660. doi: 10.1177/1077800419859041
Lathouras, Athena, Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2019). Reimagining and radicalizing community development practice in south-east Queensland through popular education action research. Community Development Journal, 56 (2), 283-299. doi: 10.1093/cdj/bsz008
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2019). The possibility of cooperatives: a vital contributor in creating meaningful work for people with disabilities. Disability & Society, 34 (9-10), 1-24. doi: 10.1080/09687599.2019.1594699
Westoby, Peter, Lathouras, Athena and Shevellar, Lynda (2019). Radicalising community development within social work through popular education—a participatory action research project. The British Journal of Social Work, 49 (8), 2207-2225. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcz022
Shevellar, Lynda (2018). The importance of strategic intent in sustaining co-operative work. Praxis (Occasional Papers), 3 3, 33-37.
Halman, Paul Gerard, van de Fliert, Elske, Khan, M. Adil and Shevellar, Lynda (2017). The humanitarian imperative for education in disaster response. Disaster Prevention and Management, 27 (2), 207-214. doi: 10.1108/DPM-10-2017-0252
Barlott, Tim, Shevellar, Lynda and Turpin, Merrill (2017). Becoming minor: mapping new territories in occupational science. Journal of Occupational Science, 24 (4), 524-534. doi: 10.1080/14427591.2017.1378121
Shevellar, Lynda (2017). E-technology and community participation: exploring the ethical implications for community-based social workers. Australian Social Work, 70 (2), 160-171. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2016.1173713
Shevellar, Lynda and Barringham, Neil (2015). Working in complexity: ethics and boundaries in community work and mental health. Australian Social Work, 69 (2), 181-193. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2015.1071861
Shevellar, Lynda, Johnson, Laurel and Lyons, Kristen (2015). Re-imagining the practices of town, social and community planning in Australia: opportunities for planning in neoliberal policy settings. Australian Planner, 52 (4), 266-276. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2015.1056816
Shevellar, Lynda and Riggs, Rebecca (2015). Understanding resistance to emergency and disaster messaging. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 30 (3), 31-35.
Shevellar, Lynda and Sherwin, Jane (2015). Choice, ideology and the challenges of applying social role valorization in mental health work. SRV Journal, 9 (2), 45-56.
Shevellar, Lynda, Westoby, Peter and Connor, Meredith (2014). Flirting with danger: practice dilemmas for community development in disaster recovery. Community Development, 46 (1), 26-42. doi: 10.1080/15575330.2014.968855
Shevellar, Lynda, Sherwin, Jane and Barringham, Neil (2014). The human search for belonging. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 16 (1), 2-18. doi: 10.1080/19349637.2014.864541
Westoby, Peter and Shevellar, Lynda (2014). Beware the trojan horse of professionalization: A response to De Beer et al. (2012) Africanus 42(2): review. Africanus, 44 (1), 67-74.
Shevellar, Lynda (2014). From bearers of problems to bearers of culture: developing community in the community development classroom. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 28 (4), 457-475. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2014.916433
Shevellar, Lynda, Connor, Meredith and Westoby, Peter (2014). The role of community development in building resilience in response to disasters: the Queensland experience. Practice Insights (3), 4-5.
Shevellar, Lynda and Westoby, Peter (2014). “Perhaps?” and “Depends!” The possible implications of disaster related community development for social work. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 16 (2), 23-35.
Marston, Greg and Shevellar, Lynda (2013). In the shadow of the welfare state: the role of payday lending in poverty survival in Australia. Journal of Social Policy, 43 (1), 155-172. doi: 10.1017/S0047279413000573
Shevellar, Lynda and Marston, Gregory (2011). Exploring the role of fringe lenders in the lives of Queenslanders. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 46 (2), 205-222. doi: 10.1002/j.1839-4655.2011.tb00214.x
Shevellar, Lynda (2011). We have to go back to stories’: Causal layered analysis and the community development gateaux. Community Development, 42 (1), 3-15. doi: 10.1080/15575331003611599
Shevellar, Lynda (2011). Transformative learning and the dynamics of power: 'Poised on the precipice of risk'. Education and Society, 29 (1), 45-59. doi: 10.7459/es/29.1.04
Shevellar, Lynda (2010). Submerged. Antipodes, 24 (2), 198-198.
Armstrong, John and Shevellar, Lynda (2009). Re-thinking respite. NADD Bulletin, 12 (6)
Shevellar, L. (2008). 'I choose to be a person of integrity': A model for constructive relationships between human services and their bureaucracies. S.R.V.: The International Social Role Valorization Journal, 3 (2), 6-17.
Shevellar, L. and Armstrong, J. (2006). Re-thinking respite. The SRV Journal, 1 (1), 14-25.
Conference Paper
Shevellar, Lynda (2013). How do we get people to behave appropriately during disasters?. EMPA 2013: 7th Annual Emergency Media and Public Affairs Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2-4 June, 2013. Mt Macedon, VIC, Australia: Emergency Media and Public Affairs.
Video Document
Audio Document
Shevellar, Lynda (2020). How to use non-traditional forms of participation in the classroom. The University of Queensland. HigherEd Heroes Podcast Series.
Generic Document
Shevellar, Lynda (2019). What I learnt from working with a Learning Designer. The University of Queensland.
Thesis
Lynda Shevellar (2008). With the voice of this calling : the experience of community development practitioners in the organisational context of bureaucracy. PhD Thesis, School of Social Work and Human Services, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/171994
Newspaper Articles
Shevellar, Lynda (2022, 04 18). Belonging in the liminal space of university Campus Morning Mail
Shevellar, Lynda, Westoby, Peter and Lathouras, Athena (2019, 03 28). “Watch what you say”: Radicalism in community development? Re-Imagining Social Work
Research Reports
Parsell, Cameron, Clarke, Andrew, Cheshire, Lynda and Shevellar, Lynda (2019). 139 Club (3rd Space) review. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Government.
Connor, Meredith, Shevellar, Lynda and Westoby, Peter (2013). Getting back on your feet: community development work and natural disasters. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Community Development Unit, School of Social Work and Human Services, The University of Queensland.
Marston, Gregory and Shevellar, Lynda (2010). The experience of using fringe lenders in Queensland: a pilot study. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland, School of Social Work & Human Services, Social Policy Unit.