Susan Carland

Dr

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

https://www.monash.edu/arts/graduate_research

20102025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

Dr Susan Carland is a sociologist of religion and the Deputy Director of Research, Impact, and Engagement for the School of Social Sciences at Monash University. She has received a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellowship and a Churchill Fellowship 

Her first book, “Fighting Hislam: women, faith, and sexism”, was published by Melbourne University Publishing, and she has also published books with Oxford University Press and Brill.  She has written numerous academic publications on topics ranging from the religious practices of Australian Muslims during Ramadan, analysis of biased media coverage of the Gaza war, a historical analysis of the relationship between feminism and religion, Muslim women’s countering Islamophobia strategies, and gender and violent extremism.

She has spoken about her research and as an expert commentator to the UN in Geneva, Chatham House in London, on multiple Australian television, radio, print, and podcast outlets, and she currently sits on the boards of the Islamophobia Register Australia, the International Sociological Association Sociology of Religion committee, and the Victorian State Government's Anti-Racism Taskforce.

Susan hosts the multi award-winning podcast What Happens Next, and was host of the television show, Child Genius.  

In 2022, she was a national finalist in the Australian Financial Review's "Emerging Leader" in Higher Education award. She has been named on the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" list, and as a “Muslim Leader of Tomorrow” by the UN Alliance of Civilisations, as well as on The Age's “20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices”.

Research and supervision interests

Religion, feminism, sexism, discrimination, prejudice, social cohesion, Islam, Islamophobia, Lived Religion, Muslims in Australia.  

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research area keywords

  • gender sexism activism the experiences of Muslim women

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or