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Ms. Bianca Brijnath (PhD. candidate)

Biography

Primary supervisor


Prof. Lenore Manderson 

Bianca is a medical anthropologist interested in family dynamics, caregiving practices and systemic responses to mental health in developed and developing countries.
Her PhD investigates how families in India provide care to a relative living with dementia and interpret the meanings invested in the process. She has worked with family members, people with dementia, key service providers and the Alzheimer's and Related Disorder's Society of India (ARDSI) in New Delhi. Her research aims to find out local meanings of dementia causes and management; experiences of providing care; examining how stigma functions in everyday life; investigating support systems available and the barriers encountered by carers when accessing support. She is currently supported by a scholarship for social research into dementia by Alzheimer's Australia. Her research findings will be used to lobby the Indian government for better services for people with dementia.

Awards and Commendations

[2009-2011] Alzheimer's Australia Postgraduate Scholarship in Social Research for Dementia

[2008] Australian Endeavour Research Fellowship

[2007] Monash University Research Graduate Scholarship

[2003-2004] Monash University Faculty of Arts Honours Scholarship in Women's Studies.

 

  

Publications

Journal articles

Brijnath, B. (2009). Familial bonds and boarding passes: Understanding caregiving in a transnational context. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, 16(1), 83-101.

Brijnath, B. (2008). The legislative and political contexts surrounding dementia care in India. Ageing and Society, 28(7), 913-934.

Brijnath, B. & Manderson, L. (2008). Discipline in chaos: Foucault, dementia and ageing in India.  Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 32(4), 607-626. (English).

Brijnath, B. (2007). It’s about TIME: Engendering AIDS in Africa. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 9(4), 371-386. 

Jackson, R. & Brijnath, B. (2006). Recent research into the health and wellbeing of those playing the VET game. Presentation at the VISTA Conference, May 21st - 23rd, Lorne.

Reidpath, D. D., Brijnath, B., & Chan, K.Y. (2005).  An Asia Pacific six-country study on HIV-related discrimination: Introduction. AIDS Care, 17: Supplement 2, 117-127.

Whittaker, A., Carmichael, G. & Brijnath, B. The Discretionary Third Child: Decision-making and attitudes to having more than two children in Australia. Journal of Sociology (submitted)

Conferences

Brijnath, B. (2008). ‘Is maintaining identity a viable method of treatment for people living with dementia? Poster presented at the XIV Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India National Conference, 27th –28th September, Bangalore.

Brijnath, B. (2008). ‘Alzheimer’s disease and ageing in India: Implications’. Guest lecture at Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitative Sciences, Jamia Milia University, 19th September 2008, New Delhi.

Brijnath, B. (2008). ‘The 4W’s of Alzheimer’s disease: Who, what where and why?’. Guest lecture at The Management of Dementia Programme, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India,  20th – 24th April, New Delhi.

Brijnath, B. (2007). ‘Most of them come from respectable middle-class families, and suddenly find themselves lost’: Dementia care as a middle-class conundrum in India. Paper to be presented at the Australian Anthropological Society Annual Conference 2007, 30th October – 2nd November, Canberra.

Brijnath, B. (2007). Discipline in chaos: A Foucauldian analyses of late-stage dementia care. Paper to be presented at Colloquium: Foucault and/in the Social Sciences, 12th – 13th November, Gippsland, Victoria.

Brijnath, B. (2007). Familial bonds and boarding passes: Understanding caregiving in a transnational context. Paper presented at Transitions Conference: Health and Mobility in Asia and the Pacific, 24th-26th June, Melbourne.

Brijnath, B. (2006). Managing anaphylaxis in Victorian government schools: pathways to best-practice. Paper presentation at the General Practitioners & Primary Health Care Research Conference, July 3rd – 5th, Perth.


Government Reports and Documents

Brijnath, B. (2006). Anaphylaxis Training, Education and Management Strategy for Victorian Government Schools: Overview of the Literature. Prepared for the Student Wellbeing Branch, Department of Education Victoria.

Brijnath, B. (2006). Anaphylaxis Training, Education and Management Strategy for Victorian Government Schools: Current Management Practices in Victorian Government Schools. Prepared for the Student Wellbeing Branch, Department of Education Victoria.

Brijnath, B. (2006). Anaphylaxis Training, Education and Management Strategy for Victorian Government Schools: Assessment of Current Training Strategies and Future Recommendations. Prepared for the Student Wellbeing Branch, Department of Education Victoria.

Brijnath, B. (2006). Anaphylaxis Training, Education and Management Strategy for Victorian Government Schools: Building the Epidemiology. Prepared for the Student Wellbeing Branch, Department of Education Victoria.

Brijnath, B. (2006). Anaphylaxis Training, Education and Management Policy for Victorian Government Schools. Prepared with the Student Wellbeing Branch, Department of Education Victoria.