Dharma is social demographer in Sociology in the School of Social Sciences. He received his PhD in Demography from the Australian National University and was a Rockefeller Postdoctoral Fellow at the Population Studies Centre, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA). Before joining Monash University, he taught at the Department of Societies and Cultures, University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Dharma's current research focuses on: fertility and partnering, social cohesion, international migration, family and household structures, population research, ageing and health. Dharma's research also covers demographic issues in India.

Dharma’s recent publications include two co-edited volumes: Creating Social Cohesion in an Interdependent World: Experiences of Australia and Japan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) and Family Formation in 21^st Century Australia (Springer, 2015). He has also co-authored the monograph The New Zealand Family From 1840. A Demographic History (Auckland University Press, 2007).

His current research covers Indian Migrants in Australia, intermarriage, Social Cohesion and Cultural Diversity, Housing+Transport costs and Housing Affordability, and Homelessness in Australia.

Dharma has supervised a number of Masters and PhD students to successful completions in three broad areas of research:

1)      Immigration, identity, social capital and migrant integration:

• Social Capital in Australia
• Young Australians perception of their national identities
• Ethnic identity among young Australian women of Greek heritage
• Second-generation Turkish Australian Muslim women
• Cultural Integration of Academic Migrants
• Attitudes toward Australian Muslims
• (Un)wanted people in Hong Kong
• Internal Migration in Maldives

2)      Population dynamics;

• Australian fertility debate
• Fertility Differentials in Australia
• Family Formation and Contraception in New Zealand
• Population in Environment debates in Australia;
• Adolescent Fertility in Malawi
• The social context of Lamaholots' fertility desires

3)      Reproductive and child health

• Children’s Diet and Level of Physical Activity
• Child Malnutrition in Nepal
• Utilization of Child Health Services in Bangladesh
• Women's Autonomy and Reproductive Health in Bangladesh

4)      Other

• Incomes of Individuals and Families in New Zealand
• Marginalized seniors - A study of older 'homeless' persons in Singapore
• Moving from path dependence to sustainable agriculture in northern Phillipines
• Socio-economic inequality and self-reported life satisfaction in Australia
• Water sensitive practices and social inequality in Australia

Current student theses’ focus on:

• National and cultural identity in Australia
• Social capital and disaster resilience in Vietnam;
• Exploring gender and ethnic dimensions of malnutrition
• Young women’s reproductive health in India
• Lives, Livelihoods and Aspirations of the Kolis in Mumbai
• Smart city governance and urban safety in urban India
• Mapping the contours of child malnutrition in India
• Indentity negotiations of Pakistani Gen M transnational brides in Britain and Canada
• Irish female convict marriages in 19th century Van Diemen's land
• Extreme weather events.
• Social protection and vulnerability among older people in Bangladesh
• Host community perceptions of refugees in Uganda

Teaching areas: Social Research Methods, Population and Society, Social Research Practice and Introduction to Sociology

• Immigration
• Identity and integration
• Social cohesion and inclusion
• Cultural diversity and social inequality
• Intermarriage
• Reproductive health
• Child malnutrition and health
• Fertility behaviour
• Family formation
• Population dynamics

• Immigration
• Identity and integration
• Social cohesion and inclusion
• Cultural diversity and social inequality
• Intermarriage
• Reproductive health
• Child malnutrition and health
• Fertility behaviour
• Family formation
• Population dynamics

• Social research methods
• Population and Society