Dr Deb King

Position/s:	Senior Research Fellow, National Institute of Labour Studies Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Phone:	work+61 8 82013164
Email:	deb.king@flinders.edu.au
Location:	Social Sciences North (3105)
Postal address:	GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Biography

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.

Qualifications

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), QUT, 2002

Key responsibilities

Dr King is the higher degree research coordinator for NILS

Research and consultancy

Research interests

Since joining NILS, Dr King has conducted research on the aged care workforce, including interviews with direct care workers on their experience of working in the sector and with managers on their experience of employing workers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Throughout 2008, Dr King has managed a large project for Cancer Australia on the gynaecological cancer workforce; and is the Chief Investigator for a two year project that examines the mental health and wellbeing of farmers who have been through a drought. She has also been involved in projects on mapping the work-related life-course for men and women in South Australia, and in understanding the experiences of retrenched workers from the Mitsubishi factory in Adelaide.

Dr King has previously conducted research on the meaning and experience of work, focusing on the emotional dimensions of work.

In 2006 she conducted research with four community organisations which examined how Childcare Workers could be given organisational support for the emotional aspects of their care work. In other 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.

Postgraduate research supervision

Linda Isherwood 'Independence, Generativity and Resilience in the Fourth Age'

Llainey Smith 'Meaningful Work in the Intersection of Value-based and Profit-based Motivations in social Enterprises'

Publications

Book chapters

King, D.S., 2010. Learning by listening: Emotional reflexivity and organizational change in childcare. In Emotionalizing organizations and organizing emotions. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 230-250.

King, D.S. & Martin, W.C., 2009. Caring for profit? The impact of for-profit providers on the quality of employment in aged care. In Paid Care in Australia: Politics, Profits, Practices. Sydney, NSW: Sydney University Press, pp. 113-143.

Flam, H. & King, D.S., 2005. Introduction. In Emotions and Social Movements. London: Routledge, pp. 1-18.

King, D.S., 2005. Sustaining activism through emotional reflexivity. In Emotions and Social Movements. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 150-169.

Refereed journal articles

Howe, A., King, D.S., Ellis, J., Wells, Y., Wei, Z., & Teshuva, K., 2012. Stabilising the aged care workforce: an analysis of worker retention and intention. Australian Health Review, 36(1), 83-91.

Willis, E.M., Dwyer, J.M., Owada, K., Couzner, L.M., King, D.S., & Wainer, J., 2011. Indigenous women's expectations of clinical care during treatment for gynaecological cancer: rural and remote differences in expectations. Australian Health Review, 35(1), 99-103.

Willis, E.M. & King, D.S., 2011. Independent regulatory agencies and Australia's health workforce crisis: Lessons from the gynaecological cancers workforce. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 1/2, 21-33.

King, D.S., Lane, A., MacDougall, C.J., & Greenhill, J.A., 2011. Resilience in farm families: A constructivist perspective. Public Health Bulletin SA, 8(1), 15-76.

Hanna, E.G., Bell, E., King, D.S., & Woodruff, R., 2011. Climate change and australian agriculture: A review of the threats facing rural communities and the health policy landscape. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 23(2), 105S-118S.

Willis, E.M. & King, D.S., 2011. Independent regulatory agencies and the Australian health workforce crisis. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 31(1/2), 21-33.

Show all publications

Book chapters

Flam, H. & King, D.S., 2005. Introduction. In Emotions and Social Movements. London: Routledge, pp. 1-18.

King, D.S., 2005. Sustaining activism through emotional reflexivity. In Emotions and Social Movements. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 150-169.

Refereed journal articles

Howe, A., King, D.S., Ellis, J., Wells, Y., Wei, Z., & Teshuva, K., 2012. Stabilising the aged care workforce: an analysis of worker retention and intention. Australian Health Review, 36(1), 83-91.

Willis, E.M., Dwyer, J.M., Owada, K., Couzner, L.M., King, D.S., & Wainer, J., 2011. Indigenous women's expectations of clinical care during treatment for a gynaecological cancer: rural and remote differences in expectations. Australian Health Review, 35(1), 99-103.

Willis, E.M. & King, D.S., 2011. Independent regulatory agencies and the Australian health workforce crisis. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 31(1/2), 21-33.

King, D.S., Lane, A., MacDougall, C.J., & Greenhill, J.A., 2011. Resilience in farm families: A constructivist perspective. Public Health Bulletin SA, 8(1), 15-76.

Greenhill, J.A., King, D.S., Lane, A.P., & MacDougall, C.J., 2009. Understanding resilience in South Australian farm families. Rural Society: The Journal of Research Into Rural and Regional Social Issues in Australia and New Zealand, 19(4), 318-325.

Budarick, J. & King, D.S., 2008. Framing ideology in the niche media: the Koori Mail's construction of the Redfern riots. Journal of Sociology, 44(4), 355-371.

King, D.S., 2007. Rethinking the care-market relationship in care provider organisations. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(2), 199-212.

King, D.S., 2006. Activists and emotional reflexivity: toward touraine's subject as social movement. Sociology-The Journal of The British Sociological Association, 40(5), 873-891.

Deslandes, A. & King, D.S., 2006. Autonomous activism and the global justice movement : aesthetic reflexivity in practice. Journal of Sociology, 42(3), 310-327.

King, D.S., 2004. Operationalizing Melucci: Metamorphosis and Passion in the Negotiation of Activists' Multiple Identities. Mobilization: The International Journal of Research and Theory About Social Movements, Protest, and Collective Behaviour, 9(1), 73-92.

Refereed conference papers

King, D.S., 2007. Toward 'Life Course Policy': Capturing Complexity in the Work-Centred Life Course. TASA & SAANZ Joint Conference 2007 - Public Sociologies: Lessons and Trans-Tasman Comparisons.

King, D.S., 2006. Conceptualising passion : problematising 'positive' emotions. TASA 2006 Conference Proceedings.

King, D.S., 2005. In Pursuit of Passion: A Frame Analysis of the Popular Management Literature. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA), 1-11.

Journal articles

King, D.S., 2010. The everyday world of work: From the passionate to the absurd. Australian Review of Public Affairs, August(online).

King, D.S. & Martin, W.C., 2007. Guest Editor's Introduction: Australian research and thinking about paid care and its future. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(2), 131-134.

King, D.S. & Tilt, C.A., 2006. About the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (AuSSA). Flinders Social Monitor, (1), 1-2.

Conference publications

Willis, E.M. & King, D.S., 2010. Tackling the health workforce crisis through regulation: the gynaecological workforce as a case study. Work in Progress: Crises, Choices and Continuity, 24th National Conference AIRAANZ, Sydney.

Other public research outputs

King, D.S., Lane, A., MacDougall, C.J., & Greenhill, J.A., 2009. Resilience and the Mental health and Wellbeing of Farm Families Experiencing Climate Variation in South Australia.

King, D.S., Tan, Y., wainer, j., Smith, L.H., Fitzpatrick, D.D., Sun, Y., & owanda, k., 2009. Evaluation of the Better Access Initiative Component C: Analysis of the Allied Mental Health Workforce Supply and Distribution. National Institute of Labour Studies.

Martin, W.C. & King, D.S., 2008. Who Cares for Older Australians? A Picture of the Residential and Community Based Aged Care Workforce.

King, D.S., Martin, W.C., Dwyer, J.M., Healy, J.G., Owada, K., Smith, L.H., Sun, Y., Van Deth, A.G., wainer, j., & Willis, E.M., 2008. Review of the Gynaecological Cancers Workforce, report for Cancer Australia.

Flam, H., King, D.S., Benski, T., Eyerman, R., Hopkins, D., Hughes, B., & Kleres, J., 2005. Emotions and social movements (Editor), London, UK: Routledge.

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Professional and community engagement

I have played an active role in community and professional organisations and am currently the Vice President of The Australian Sociological Association.

My interest in paid care has resulted in being on the steering committee of the Australian Paid Care Research Network for which I have co-convened two national workshops and developed their website. In 2007, I was a guest editor for a special edition on paid care of the Australian Journal of Social Issues with Professor Bill Martin. A co-edited book with Professor Gabrielle Meagher on paid care in Australia is due for release later in 2008.

I have held state leadership roles in the Australian Federation of University Women, and served on many University committees. Prior to becoming an academic I was a Community Development Officer in rural SA where I initiated and managed several community services and projects.

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