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Mary Lou Rasmussen

Professor, School of Sociology, Australian National University

Professor Rasmussen focuses on building transdisciplinary understandings of sexuality education across diverse lifeworlds, taking account of issues related to sexual citizenship, cultural and religious difference and technologies of sexuality, education and health.

Prof Rasmussen has authored numerous books including Becoming Subjects: Sexualities and Secondary Schooling (Routledge, 2006), and, most recently, Progressive Sexuality Education: The Conceits of Secularism (Routledge, 2016). She also co-edited, Youth and Sexualities: Pleasure, Subversion and Insubordination in and out of Schools (Palgrave, 2004), and the Handbook of Sexuality Education (Palgrave - 2016).

She is on the editorial board of the Journal Sex Education (Routledge), and on the book series, Cultural Studies and Transdisciplinarity in Education (Springer).

Prof Rasmussen's research and supervision interest areas include: Gender, Sexuality and Culture; Sex Education, Queer and Feminist Theory, Sexualities and Schooling; Secularism and Education

Experience

  • –present
    Senior Lecturer Faculty of Education, Monash University
  • 2016–present
    Chair professor, Australian National Univeristy

Education

  • 2003 
    University of South Australia, PhD Education

Publications

  • 2016
    Handbook of Sexuality Education, Palgrave
  • 2016
    Progressive Sexuality Education: The Conceits of Secularism, Routledge
  • 2013
    Interrogating the Politics of Pleasure in Sexuality Education: Pleasure Bound, Routledge
  • 2006
    Becoming Subjects: Sexualities and Secondary Schooling, Routledge
  • 2004
    Youth and Sexualities: Pleasure, Subversion and Insubordination in and out of Schools, Palgrave

Grants and Contracts

  • 2012
    Sexuality Education in Australia and New Zealand: Responding to cultural and religious difference
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Australian Research Council
  • 2012
    Affective Beginnings: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in teacher education
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Research Areas

  • Gender, Sexuality And Education (130308)
  • Culture, Gender, Sexuality (200205)
  • Sociology Of Education (160809)