Biography
Since her own adolescence, Claire has sought to understand constructions of gender and sexualities, and how the school system mediates these constructs. As a former English teacher, and now sociologist of education, Claire’s research program advances understanding of how schools and young people - often those in highly privileged contexts - engage with social justice. She leads the current research project ‘Understanding gender perspectives amongst elite private boys’ school alumni: 1970-present’ working with colleagues Lucinda McKnight and George Variyan.
Claire's work has illuminated the identity work of girls attending elite private schooling, and generates new questions about the intersections of class, gender and schooling, by taking theories commonly used outside the elite school context and putting them under scrutiny. The theoretical resources and methodologies that inform her work are drawn from feminist work with ‘the posts’ and new materialism. Rethinking these theories will help schools and their students to create new ways to live together well, beyond harmful gendered binaries.
Claire is a member of Deakin University’s Strategic Research Centre in Education - Research for Educational Impact (REDI). Her book, Elite girls' schooling, social class and sexualised popular culture was published by Routlege in 2014.
She has published in the following world-leading international journals: The International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education; Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education; Feminist Theory; Teaching and Teacher Education; Journal of Youth Studies; British Journal of Sociology of Education; Critical Studies in Education.
Read more on Claire's profileCareer highlights
2018- present: Leading the implementation of an IB Educator Certificate at Deakin
2016: Joining REDI (Research for Educational Impact) Deakin University
2014: Publication of my sole authored monograph arising from my doctoral work
2006-2011: Co-convenor of the Gender, Sexualities and Culture Special Interest Group within AARE
Affiliations
Australian Association for Research in Education
Gender and Education Association
Teaching interests
Social contexts of education
Curriculum and pedagogy
Units taught
ECL307 Introduction to the IB PYP
ETP303 Curriculum and Pedagogy
Professional activities
Claire leads the International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate (Primary Years Programme) within the Bachelor of Education at Deakin.
She has completed Category 1 PYP training and is familiar with the IB philosophy and principles.
Claire conducts research into how pre-service teachers undertaking the certification program understand International Mindedness (IM), and she is interested in how a partnership with the IB may enhance pre-service teachers to develop a critical global sensibility.
Publications
The girl (w)hole: A genealogy of elite boys' school alumni's encounters with feminine gender
Lucinda McKnight, George Variyan, Claire Charles
(2023), Vol. 35, pp. 589-604, Gender and Education, London, Eng., C1
Researcher reflexivity in studying elite schooling: Old school ties that bind
L McKnight, C Charles, G Variyan
(2023), pp. 1-14, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, London, Eng., C1
The curriculum of privilege: elite private boys' school alumni's engagements with gender justice
C Charles, G Variyan, L McKnight
(2023), pp. 1-19, Australian Educational Researcher, Berlin, Germany, C1
More than a class act? dilemmas in researching elite school girls' feminist politics
C Charles, A Allan
(2022), Vol. 23, pp. 266-284, Feminist Theory, C1
Joanne Gleeson, Ros Black, Amanda Keddie, Claire Charles
(2022), pp. 1-9, Pedagogy Culture and Society, London, Eng., C1
Sudeep Khanal, Claire Charles
(2022), pp. 1-15, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
C Charles, R Black, A Keddie
(2021), Vol. 42, pp. 869-880, Discourse, C1
Conceptions of performativity, responsibility and care within a University excellence program
A Keddie, R Black, C Charles
(2020), Vol. 47, pp. 95-111, Australian Educational Researcher, C1
Inciting youth mobilities: insights from an elite university scholarship program
Rosalyn Black, Claire Charles, Amanda Keddie
(2020), Vol. 23, pp. 340-355, Journal of youth studies, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Young people on asylum seekers: the 'dirty work of boundary making' in the politics of belonging
Christine Halse, R Black, Claire Charles
(2018), pp. 117-139, Interrogating belonging for young people in schools, Cham, Switzerland, B1
An entrepreneurial adventure? Young women pre-service teachers in remote Aboriginal Australia
C Charles
(2017), Vol. 61, pp. 179-188, Teaching and Teacher Education, C1
School principals and racism: responding to Aveling
C Charles, C Mahoney, B Fox, C Halse
(2016), Vol. 37, pp. 230-244, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, London, Eng., C1
G Auld, J Dyer, C Charles
(2016), Vol. 41, pp. 165-179, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, C1
Doing diversity: intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools
C Halse, C Halse, F Mansouri, F Mansouri, J Moss, J Moss, Y Paradies, Y Paradies, J O'Mara, J O'Mara, R Arber, R Arber, N Denson, N Denson, C Arrowsmith, C Arrowsmith, N Priest, N Priest, C Charles, C Charles, A Cloonan, A Cloonan, B Fox, B Fox, C Hartung, C Hartung, C Mahoney, C Mahoney, S Ohi, S Ohi, G Ovenden, G Ovenden, G Shaw, G Shaw, L Wright, L Wright
(2015), Melbourne, Vic., A6
Elite girls' schooling, social class and sexualised popular culture
C Charles
(2014), Oxon, Eng., A1
Preparing for life in the global village: producing global citizen subjects in UK schools
A Allan, C Charles
(2013), Vol. Online, pp. 1-19, Research Papers in Education, Oxon, U.K., C1
Cosmo girls: configurations of class and femininity in elite educational settings
A Allan, C Charles
(2013), Vol. 35, pp. 333-352, British Journal of Sociology of Education, Oxon, Eng., C1
G Auld, C Charles, J Dyer, G Levy, A Marshall
(2013), pp. 1-7, ATEA 2013 : Knowledge makers and notice takers: teacher education research impacting policy and practice : Proceedings of the Australian Teacher Education Association Conference 2013, Brisbane, Qld., E1
Gender and computer games : what can we learn from the research?
C Charles
(2012), pp. 127-133, Digital games : literacy in action, Kent Town, S. A., B1
Deleting the male gaze? Tech-savvy girls and new femininities in secondary school classrooms
C Charles
(2012), pp. 177-194, Constructing the self in a digital world, New York, N.Y., B1
New girl heroes : the rise of popular feminist commentators in an era of sexualisation
C Charles
(2012), Vol. 24, pp. 317-323, Gender and education, Abingdon, England, C1
C Charles
(2012), Geelong, Vic, A6
Complicating hetero-femininities : young women, sexualities and girl power at school
C Charles
(2010), Vol. 23, pp. 33-47, International journal of qualitative studies in education, Abingdon, England, C1-1
Raunch culture goes to school? : young women, normative femininities and elite education
C Charles
(2010), pp. 61-70, Media international Australia, St Lucia, Qld., C1-1
Supergirl scorned : lessons about young femininity in an Australian television satire
C Charles
(2010), Vol. 51, pp. 265-276, Critical studies in education, Melbourne, Vic., C1-1
Cosmo girls : new configurations of class and femininity in elite educational settings
C Charles, A Allan
(2010), pp. 1-1, AWGSA 2010 : Proceedings of the Australian Women's and Gender Studies Association Conference 2010 : emerging spaces : new possibilities in critical times, Adelaide, S.A., E1-1
'Go Grrrl!' : constructions of femininity in the textual practices of elite girls' schooling
C Charles
(2008), pp. 1-13, AARE 2008 : Changing climates : education for sustainable futures. Proceedings of the 2008 Australian Association for Research in Education conference, Brisbane, Qld., E1-1
C Beavis, C Charles
(2007), Vol. 19, pp. 691-705, Gender and education, Abingdon, England, C1
Digital media and girling at an elite girls' school
C Charles
(2007), Vol. 32, pp. 135-147, Learning, media and technology, Abingdon, U.K., C1-1
C Charles
(2007), Vol. 6, pp. 72-88, English teaching : practice and critique, Hamilton, N. Z., C1-1
C Charles
(2006), pp. 1-1, AARE 2006 : Conference papers, abstracts and symposia, Adelaide, S.A., E1-1
Elite girls' schooling in contemporary Australia : 'UnAustralia as 'girl power'.
C Charles
(2006), pp. 1-1, CSAA 2006 : Proceedings of the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Annual Conference., Canberra, A.C.T., E1-1
Writing, English and digital culture
C Beavis, C Charles
(2005), pp. 229-246, Writing = learning, Kent Town, S. Aust., B1
Challenging notions of gendered game play: teenagers playing `The Sims`
C Beavis, C Charles
(2005), Vol. 26, pp. 355-368, Discourse : studies in the cultural politics of education, London, England, C1
Cultural politics in the English classroom : textually dangerous territory?
C Charles
(2005), Vol. 41, pp. 24-31, Idiom : journal of the Victorian association for the teaching of english, Melbourne, Vic., C1-1
C Charles
(2005), pp. 1-1, AARE 2005 : Creative dissent: constructive solutions : Proceedings of the 2005 Australian Association for Research in Education conference, Sydney, N.S.W., E1-1
Heteroglossia : a space for developing critical language awareness?
B Doecke, A Kostogriz, C Charles
(2004), Vol. 3, pp. 29-42, English teaching : practice and critique, Hamilton, New Zealand, C1-1
Heteroglossia : a space for developing critical language awareness?
J Brown, C Charles, B Doecke, A Kostogriz
(2004), pp. 1-13, AARE 2004 : Doing the public good : positioning educational research ; AARE 2004 International Education Research conference proceedings, Melbourne, Victoria, E1-1
Re-thinking discourses of heterosexuality in single-sex girls' education
C Charles
(2004), pp. 1-15, AARE 2004 : Doing the public good : positioning educational research ; AARE 2004 International Education Research conference proceedings, Melbourne, Victoria, E1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Other Public Sector Funding
Access Quality Teaching
Dr Lynette Longaretti, A/Prof Matthew Thomas, Dr Claire Charles, Dr Julie Arnold, Prof Dianne Toe
DETVic Grant - Research - Department of Education and Training Victoria
- 2023: $83,750
- 2022: $87,325
- 2021: $90,000
Industry and Other Funding
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program: Alignment with the Australian Curriculum and Australian Qualifications Framework
A/Prof Mary Dixon, Dr Claire Charles, A/Prof Peter Hubber, Prof Julianne Moss
International Baccalaureate Organization
- 2014: $4,291
- 2013: $38,621
Supervisions
Jodi Williams
Thesis entitled: Peeling back the wallpaper: Postfeminist discourses in the senior Literature classroom
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Benjamin Zonca
Thesis entitled: Teachers' policy experiences in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Kay McCullough
Thesis entitled: Interculturality in an Elite Australian Girls¿ School
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Sudeep Khanal
Thesis entitled: Education, Power, and Reflexivity: An Analysis of Dalits Capability Development Opportunities
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Caroline Mahoney
Thesis entitled: Young women and interculturality: A study of subjectivities
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Elizabeth Little
Thesis entitled: Mediating (post)feminist girlhood through young adult fantasy literature
Doctor of Philosophy, School of Communication and Creative Arts
Kathryn Riley
Thesis entitled: (Re)Storying Human/Nonhuman Relationships: Posthumanist Possibilities in Researcher/Teacher/Environmental Education Worlds
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Lucinda McKnight
Thesis entitled: The Glitterbomb: Designing Curriculum and Identity with Girls' Popular Culture
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education