Staff, Academic

Bachelor of Arts, majors in Sociology and Politics, Flinders University, 1992

Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Sociology, First Class, Flinders University – awarded the University Medal, 1993

PhD in Sociology, Flinders University, 1999 

Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education), internationally accredited program, QUT, 2002 

Debra King was appointed Senior Research Fellow at NILS in 2007. Prior to this she was a Lecturer in Sociology at Flinders University and a Research Fellow with the Flinders Social Monitoring and Policy Futures Network.

Dr King conducts research on the meaning and experience of work, focusing on the emotional dimensions of work. Her current research is being conducted with four community organisations and examines how Childcare Workers can be given organisational support for the emotional aspects of their care work. In previous research she has examined how positive emotions, such as passion, influence the relationship between work identity and the workplace for social activists, volunteers and managers. Her research identifies issues surrounding emotional expression, emotional management and emotional capital as being critical to worker well-being and their effectiveness as workers.

Dr King has played an active role in community and professional organisations. She has held state leadership roles in the Australian Federation of University Women, and has served on many University committees. She is currently on the steering committee of the Australian Paid Care Research Network and has convened a national workshop on Paid Care and developed their website. In 2007, Dr King and Professor Martin will be guest editors for a special edition on paid care of the Australian Journal of Social Issues. Prior to becoming an academic Dr King was a Community Development Officer in rural SA where she initiated and managed several community services and projects.

‘Bounded Emotionality’, in S Clegg & J Bailey (eds) International Encyclopaedia of Organization Studies, London, Sage, 2007

‘Autonomous Activism: Negotiating the Tensions’, Journal of Sociology, 43/3, 2006 (with Ann Deslandes)

‘Activists and Emotional Reflexivity: Towards Touraine’s Subject as Social Movement’, Sociology Vol 40/5, 2006

‘Sustaining Activism Through Emotional Reflexivity’, in H Flam and D King (eds) Emotions and Social Movements, Routledge, London 2005

‘Operationalizing Melucci: Metamorphosis and Passion in the Negotiation of Activists’ Multiple Identities’, Mobilization: An International Journal, Vol 9/1, pp. 73-92, 2004

‘Who Cares? Community Perceptions in the Marketing of Corporate Citizenship’, Corporate Citizenship Journal, Vol 1/2. Also published in J Andriof (ed.) Unfolding Stakeholder Thinking, London: Greenleaf Publishing. 2001 (with Alison Mackinnon)

‘Working with Energy: Accessing Activist Bodies’, in L McKie and N Watson (eds), Organising Bodies: Institutions, Policy and Work, London: Macmillan, 2000