Fields of Research (FoR)
Sociology, Social theory, Political theory and political philosophy, Social and political philosophy, Citizenship, PoststructuralismSEO tags
Biography
Melanie is a Sociologist who specialises in classical and contemporary social theory. Born and educated in Canada with a PhD from Carleton University in Ottawa, Melanie teaches into the Sociology program for the School of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture. She was Deputy Head, School of Social Sciences from 2020-2023 where she held the Education (Learning & Teaching) portfolio.
Melanie has always been fascinated...view more
Melanie is a Sociologist who specialises in classical and contemporary social theory. Born and educated in Canada with a PhD from Carleton University in Ottawa, Melanie teaches into the Sociology program for the School of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture. She was Deputy Head, School of Social Sciences from 2020-2023 where she held the Education (Learning & Teaching) portfolio.
Melanie has always been fascinated by what we mean by the 'social.' Her current research considers how competing ideas of sympathy helped to distinguish the social from the biological in the development of the discipline of sociology in 19C France. She has a particular interest in the social theories of Emile Durkheim, Gabriel Tarde, Henri Bergson, Michel Foucault and Georges Canguilhem. She is interested in questions about the relations between habits & creativity, error & uncertainty, and in finding the point at which the ordinary becomes extraordinary in everyday life. She also enjoys rediscovering lost and forgotten thinkers and considering how they contribute to contemporary debates in social theory and our understanding of everyday life.
She has published in high-ranking international journals such as Body & Society, Journal of Classical Sociology and Economy and Society. Her book Bergson, Politics, and Religion co-edited with Alexandre Lefebvre (University of Sydney) is published with Duke University Press.
Melanie is also Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
My Grants
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada - Postdoctoral Fellowship, York University, Canada
Canada Research Chair - Postdoctoral Fellowship, York University, Canada
My Qualifications
PhD (Carleton University) MA (Carleton University) BA (University of British Columbia)
My Awards
2023 Award for Excellence in Educational Mentorship, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, Staff Awards, UNSW Sydney
2022 Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, Staff Awards, UNSW Sydney
2019 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), UK
2019 The Michael Wearing Memorial Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision, UNSW Sydney
2018 UNSW Scientia Education Academy Fellow, 2019-2022
2017 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (General Category), UNSW Sydney
2016 Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award, ARC Postgraduate Student Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School, UNSW Sydney
2015 Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence (General Category), Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney
2006 Nominated, Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching, Trent University, Canada
2002 Teaching Excellence Award, Carleton University Students' Association, Carleton University, Canada
My Research Activities
Research Areas: Classical and contemporary social theory, political theory, citizenship studies, sociological theory
Current Research Projects
Bergson's Social and Political Thought
In collaboration with Alexandre Lefebvre (University of Sydney), this project develops the political, social and religious philosophy of Henri Bergson, an early twentieth century French philosopher.
The Animal Question in Society
This project considers how social thinkers such as Auguste Comte, Jean-Marie Guyau, and Alfred Espinas understood the relation between human and nonhuman animals in order to interrogate how the social and the biological were conceptualised in 19C France.
Unsentimental Sympathies
Through rich everyday examples, this project demonstrates how the idea of 'fellow-feeling' is easily converted into an unsentimental sympathy.
Future Research Projects
Life, Vitalism and Society
This project considers the underpinning vitalism of three 20C sociological thinkers in the German tradition: Georg Simmel, Alfred Schutz and Max Scheler.
Affiliations and Membership
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University, Department of Sociology & Anthropology
My Engagement
Member de la Société des amis de Bergson
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University, Department of Sociology & Anthropology
My Teaching
Teaching Areas
Classical and Contemporary Social Theory
Current Teaching
ARTS1870 Rethinking the Social (T1 2024 & T2C 2024)
ARTS2876 Understanding the Self (T1 2024)
Honours Supervision (Completed Projects)
Nell Whittaker (2023) A Feminist Engagement with Masculinist Critiques of Marriage (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Paige Ayton (2021) Farming with Dogs: A qualitative study about how Australian male farmers reflect on working with dogs (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Zara Khan (2020) Order your essay today! Investigating the relationship between contract cheating services and student behaviours (Criminology, UNSW Sydney)
Dovber Seldowitz (2020) Women’s Leadership in the Contemporary Hasidic Community: Its Prevalence, Development, and Relation to Hasidic Religious Discourse (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney), UNSW Medallist
Maya Ghattas (2019) In the Image of Death: A Nature Not Equal to Nature. (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney), UNSW Medallist
Ellen Jacobs (2019) Disciplined Autonomy: A Synthesised Concept and its Holistic Analysis of Crime Prevention Techniques. (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Ida Ioannou-Marsh (2017) Political Purity and Innate Politics (Sociology and Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Victoria Rae (2017) Where have all the experts gone? A sociological consideration of post-truth and non-traditional news outlets (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Yvette Kiddle (2016) Imitation to Educate Children: What Happens to Liberty? (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Roxarne Moon (2015) In Defence of Home (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney), Recipient of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) Honours Student Award
Nicholas Langley (2014) The Festival of Distraction: The Search for Community (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Rickie-Lee McLauren-Smith (2014) Uprooting Apathy: Towards Environmental Ethics of Care (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Holi Birman (2012) Stillness and Remembering the Self (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney), Recipient of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) Honours Student Award
Paula Houseman (2012) The Cancer Myth (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney)
Na’ama Carlin (2010) (W)riting the Body and the Circumcised Text (Sociology & Anthropology, UNSW Sydney), Recipient of the Sol Encel Honours Thesis Prize
Contact
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7982-0815
Related Links
School of Social Sciences
The School of Social Sciences is renowned for its real-world approach and commitment to social justice. Our world-class academics contribute to research that has global impact contributing to social, political and cultural change.
Ask a Social Scientist - Alumni Edition!
A/Professor Melanie White, Deputy Head of School (Education), in conversation with her former Sociology Honours student, Maya Ghattas, who is now a Producer for GARUWA.
Scientia Education Academy
Established in October 2016, the Scientia Education Academy gives UNSW and its outstanding academics a platform to showcase excellent teaching.