Inequalities and social action

The Inequalities and Social Action cluster has three linked research foci: (1) theorising and conceptualising inequalities and social action; (2) measuring and documenting inequalities; and (3) enabling and monitoring social change. 

Researchers in the cluster engage with these issues as they relate to different population groups, social contexts, and life domains, using a diversity of data sources and research approaches. For example, we focus on public institutions, including criminal justice systems, social policy, and healthcare, to examine how they drive inequalities and how they can be modified to enable positive social action. We also seek to understand how multiple forms of marginalisation intersect and coalesce to compound inequalities, and how these inequalities interact with broader social, economic and political structures. A key feature of our work is our prolonged engagement with people who are marginalised within society, such as people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people experiencing persistent poverty. In doing so, we recognise the agency and strength of people experiencing inequalities, and the importance of engaging citizens as active participants so that they can define themselves and articulate aspirations that are meaningful to them. At its core, the research cluster endeavours to identify opportunities for—and mobilise social action to achieve—positive systemic change.

Our team

Research cluster leader

Research cluster members