Biography
Dr Kiran Pienaar is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology, with expertise in gender, sexuality and health. Her theoretical interests include feminist science studies, new materialisms and posthumanist approaches. Her research program centres on two main areas: 1) the social dimensions of health and illness with a focus on the sociology of pandemics; and 2) gender, sexuality and the body, particularly in relation to identity politics, drug consumption and sexual cultures.
Informed by contemporary social theory, Kiran's research offers new insights into topical issues, such as the politics of public health, the impact of public policy on diverse communities, the social dimensions of new medical technologies, and most recently, the uneven effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with these interests, she has published on topics related to contemporary health technologies, practices and publics; drugs, addiction and the self; identity politics, agency and health citizenship; the biopolitics of HIV; and public health and drug policy. Her work seeks to inform health and social policy, particularly in relation to interventions for marginalised communities. Kiran’s research has appeared in leading international journals including Social Science and Medicine, Sociology of Health and Illness, Sexualities, International Journal of Drug Policy, Health Sociology Review, and Qualitative Health Research. Her first book Politics in the Making of HIV/AIDS in South Africa was published by Palgrave in 2016. She is on the international editorial boards of the journals Health Sociology Review, International Journal of Drug Policy, and Contemporary Drug Problems.
Kiran has also worked on several ARC-funded projects, on topics ranging from diagnostic testing and cancer screening to experiences of 'addiction'. With colleagues at the University of Sydney, she is a Chief Investigator on a Discovery Project exploring drug use in queer communities. Kiran recently collaborated on a Monash-funded interdisciplinary project on online alcohol and other drug counselling. She is currently leading an interdisciplinary project exploring the racial and cultural politics of Australia's COVID-19 response. Funded by the Science and Society Network, the project addresses the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on public housing communities with a view to informing more equitable, inclusive health interventions.
Kiran has a multidisciplinary background in Gender Studies, Sociology and Applied Linguistics. Before joining Deakin, she was a lecturer at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), La Trobe University, where she was responsible for the curriculum development of two subjects for ARCSHS new Graduate Certificate in Sex, Health and Society. Kiran has also been employed as a research fellow at Monash University where she retains an affiliate role.
Read more on Kiran's profileResearch interests
- Gender, sexuality and the body
- Social studies of drugs
- Sociology of health, with a particular interest in in HIV
- LGBTQ identities and cultures
- Identity politics and digital publics
- Feminist theory
- Science and technology studies
- Posthumanisms
Affiliations
Professional associations and affiliations
- Affiliate of Monash University
- Co-convenor of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) Health Group and member of TASA
- Member of the Alfred Deakin Institute (ADI)
- Member of the Global Digital Publics Network at ADI
- Member of the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S)
- Member of the Australian Women’s Member of Australian Women’s and Gender Studies Association (AWGSA)
- Member of Nexus: Monash Social Science, Humanities and Medicine Network
- Associate of the Monash Health and Biofutures program
Teaching interests
- Health sociology
- Sexuality, gender and the body
- Research methods
Units taught
Kiran is Unit Chair and Lecturer for:
- ASC206 Sociology of Health
- ASC250 Contemporary Social Research
She also teaches into:
- AIX493 - Honours Research Design
- AIX494 - Honours Research Communication
Knowledge areas
- Health sociology
- Gender, sexuality and the body
- Sociology of drugs
- LGBTQ sexualities
- Science and technology studies
- Feminist theory
- Posthumanisms
Professional activities
- International editorial board member of the journals International Journal of Drug Policy, Contemporary Drug Problems and Health Sociology Review
- Invited reviewer for a range of international journals and academic publishers in the fields of health sociology and medical humanities; social studies of drugs; and gender, sexuality and cultural studies
- Co-editor of an edited collection for The Sociological Review monograph series titled 'Narcofeminisms: Rethinking the Sociology of Drugs' (in preparation with Fay Dennis and Marsha Rosengarten, Goldsmiths, University of London)
- Co-editor of a special issue of the journal Science, Technology and Society on 'Testing for life?: Regimes of governance in diagnosis and screening' (with Alan Petersen, Monash University)
- Co-editor of two journal special issues in preparation: 'Rethinking the politics of sex and drugs', Body & Society (with Maurice Nagington [Manchester Uni], Joshua Pocius [University of Melbourne] and Alex Dymock [Goldsmiths, University of London]) and 'Loneliness in a digitally mediated society', Sociological Research Online (with Alan Petersen and Barbara Barbosa Neves [Monash University])
Publications
Paul Kelaita, Kiran Pienaar, Jaya Keaney, Dean Murphy, Hassan Vally, Catherine Bennett
(2023), pp. 1-16, Health Sociology Review, London, Eng., C1
Renae Fomiatti, Kim Toffoletti, Kiran Pienaar
(2023), pp. 009145092311549-009145092311549, Contemporary Drug Problems, C1
'Uninhibited play': The political and pragmatic dimensions of intoxication within queer cultures
Kane Race, Kiran Pienaar, Dean Murphy, Toby Lea
(2022), pp. 272-289, Routledge handbook of intoxicants and intoxication, London, Eng., B1
Searching for diagnostic certainty, governing risk: Patients' ambivalent experiences of medical testing
K Pienaar, A Petersen
(2022), Vol. 44, pp. 25-40, Sociology of Health and Illness, Chichester, Eng., C1
Managing risks or generating uncertainties? Ambiguous ontologies of testing in Australian healthcare
K Pienaar, A Petersen, D Bowman
(2021), Vol. 25, pp. 669-687, Health (United Kingdom), England, C1-1
A Barnett, M Savic, K Pienaar, A Carter, N Warren, E Sandral, V Manning, D Lubman
(2021), Vol. 94, International Journal of Drug Policy, Netherlands, C1
Injecting as a sexual practice: Cultural formations of 'slamsex'
K Race, D Murphy, K Pienaar, T Lea
(2021), Sexualities, C1
The "Be All and End All"? Young People, Online Sexual Health Information, Science and Skepticism
A Farrugia, A Waling, K Pienaar, S Fraser
(2021), Vol. 31, pp. 2097-2110, Qualitative Health Research, United States, C1
Making publics in a pandemic: Posthuman relationalities, 'viral' intimacies and COVID-19
K Pienaar, J Flore, J Power, D Murphy
(2021), Vol. 30, pp. 244-259, Health Sociology Review, United States, C1
Kiran Pienaar, Dean Murphy, Kane Race, Toby Lea
(2020), pp. 139-163, Cultures of intoxication: key issues and debates, Cham, Switzerland, B1-1
Drugs as technologies of the self: Enhancement and transformation in LGBTQ cultures
K Pienaar, D Murphy, K Race, T Lea
(2020), Vol. 78, International Journal of Drug Policy, Netherlands, C1
Adrian Farrugia, Kiran Pienaar, Suzanne Fraser, Michael Edwards, Annie Madden
(2020), Vol. 30, pp. 95-110, Health sociology review, Abingdon, Eng., C1
J Flore, K Pienaar
(2020), Vol. 29, pp. 279-293, Health Sociology Review, United States, C1
C Treloar, K Pienaar, E Dilkes-Frayne, S Fraser
(2019), Vol. 26, pp. 140-147, Drugs: education, prevention and policy, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
Matters of fact and politics: generating expectations of cancer screening
K Pienaar, A Petersen, D Bowman
(2019), Vol. 232, pp. 408-416, Social science and medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
K Pienaar, D Murphy, K Race, T Lea
(2018), Vol. 55, pp. 187-194, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
E Dilkes-Frayne, S Fraser, K Pienaar, R Kokanovic
(2017), Vol. 44, pp. 164-173, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Telling different stories, making new realities: the ontological politics of 'addiction' biographies
K Pienaar, E Dilkes-Frayne
(2017), Vol. 44, pp. 145-154, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
K Race, T Lea, D Murphy, K Pienaar
(2017), Vol. 14, pp. 42-50, Sexual Health, Australia, C1-1
Rethinking the Poverty-disease Nexus: the Case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa
K Pienaar
(2017), Vol. 38, pp. 249-266, Journal of Medical Humanities, United States, C1-1
Challenging the addiction/health binary with assemblage thinking: an analysis of consumer accounts
D Moore, K Pienaar, E Dilkes-Frayne, S Fraser
(2017), Vol. 44, pp. 155-163, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Addiction stigma and the biopolitics of liberal modernity: a qualitative analysis
S Fraser, K Pienaar, E Dilkes-Frayne, D Moore, R Kokanovic, C Treloar, A Dunlop
(2017), Vol. 44, pp. 192-201, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
K Pienaar, D Moore, S Fraser, R Kokanovic, C Treloar, E Dilkes-Frayne
(2017), Vol. 21, pp. 519-537, Health (United Kingdom), England, C1-1
Kiran Pienaar, Ella Dilkes-Frayne, Suzanne Fraser, Renata Kokanovic, David Moore, Carla Treloar, Adrian Dunlop
(2017), Melbourne, Vic., A6-1
Claiming rights, making citizens: HIV and the performativity of biological citizenship
K Pienaar
(2016), Vol. 14, pp. 149-168, Social Theory and Health, C1-1
K Pienaar, M Savic
(2016), Vol. 30, pp. 35-42, International journal of drug policy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
New narratives, new selves: complicating addiction in online alcohol and other drug resources
K Pienaar, S Fraser, R Kokanovic, D Moore, C Treloar, A Dunlop
(2015), Vol. 23, pp. 499-509, Addiction research and theory, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
(Re)reading the political conflict over HIV in South Africa (1999-2008): A new materialist analysis
K Pienaar
(2014), Vol. 12, pp. 179-196, Social Theory and Health, C1-1
'Busty babes and passionate pleasures': a systemic functional linguistic analysis of sex worker discourse in a South African city
R Adendorff, Kiran Pienaar
(2013), pp. 31-54, Choice in Language Applications in Text Analysis, Sheffield, Eng,, B1-1
C Marshall, K Pienaar
(2008), Vol. 26, pp. 525-546, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, C1
The body as a site of struggle: Oppositional discourses of the disciplined female body
K Pienaar, L Bekker
(2007), Vol. 25, pp. 539-555, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, C1
Invoking the feminine physical ideal: Bitch-slapping, she-men and butch girls
K Pienaar, I Bekker
(2006), Vol. 24, pp. 437-447, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
No Funded Projects at Deakin found
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report