Stephanie Chok
I am an international PhD student with a wide range of interests related to social justice and sustainability. I adopt a value-full approach to development studies and believe a ‘basic rights’ approach is a start but inadequate if we wish to create a more just, peaceful and sustainable future for ourselves in a truly global sense.
I am particularly interested in the ethics which underpin development and business models and where the levers of change exist for the marginalized. Labor justice (in particular the situated realities of low-wage workers), social change and fair trade initiatives are also keen research areas.
As a researcher and an activist, I believe public scholarship is important and seek to merge academic interests with activist goals.
Prior to pursuing my MA (Development Studies) at Murdoch in 2003, I worked as a writer in Singapore for almost six years after graduating from Macquarie University, Sydney in 1997 with a BA in Mass Communications.
Publications and conference papers:
- 'De-politicized CSR and structural injustice – implications for rights-based advocacy in the ‘world’s easiest place to do business’', In Business and Society in East and Southeast Asia, edited by G. Mutz and D. Bumke. Muenchen.: Munich University of Applied Sciences.Forthcoming.
- 'The Visible/Invisible Researcher: Ethics & Politically-Sensitive Research', In Tourism Fieldwork & Methodology, edited by M. C. Hall: Routledge.Forthcoming.
- 'Evaluation of the community placement of the Tapestry Tourism Futures Project', Gold Coast: Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC), 2008. (with D.Lee ,J. Northcote, and A. Wegner).
- 'Playing Detective-Researcher: The challenges of researching CSR in the tourism and hospitality industry'. Paper presented at Corporate Responsibility Research Conference 15-17 July 2007, University of Leeds, UK.
- 'Taking it personally: the challenges of an Asian/feminist/activist researcher doing tourism research in Asia', Paper presented at Questions on Methodology: Researching Tourism in Asia 5 - 6 September 2006, Singapore.
- 'Tourism as a Tool for Poverty Alleviation: A Critical Analysis of 'Pro-poor Tourism' and Implications for Sustainability'. Current Issues in Tourism 10 (2&3)2007:144-165. (with J. Macbeth, and C. Warren).
- 'Equity and the Green Movement', Singapore: The Online Citizen, 2009 URL: http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/04/earth-day-special-equity-and-the-green-movement/
- 'Care for AWARE: Leaders We Respect',Singapore: The Online Citizen, 2009 URL: http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/04/care-about-aware-leaders-we-respect/
- 'Muddy Singapore – an update', Singapore: The Online Citizen, 2009 URL: http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/01/muddy-singapore-an-update/
- 'A response to MOM but rejected by the Straits Times', Singapore: The Online Citizen, 2009. http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/01/a-response-to-mom-but-rejected-by-the-straits-times/
- 'Mega development projects and labour supply chains – whose responsibility is it?', In CSR Asia Weekly, Singapore: CSR Asia, 2009. http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/01/mega-development-projects-and-labour-supply-chains-%E2%80%93-whose-responsibility-is-it/
- 'My Right to Be Human', Essay submission for “Write for Your Rights!”, Essay competition organized by WeSearch in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of UDHR. Singapore: WeSearch, 2008.
- 'Nine years in Changi and after'. ASIAVIEW, August,2006
Postgraduate Researcher, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150. Fax: 9360 6381, Email: stephchok@gmail.com
