Loretta Baldassar has been a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia since 1996. She teaches courses on Australian Society and Migration, ethnicity and diasporic identity. Her research interests are in migration studies with a specific interest in Italian migration and the experience of second generation Italo-Australians.

Loretta completed her PhD thesis in 1995 entitled "Visits to the shrine: a study of migration as transnational interaction between the San Fiorese in Western Australia and northern Italy".

One of Loretta's key interests in both her research work and community involvement is in the experience of second generation Italo-Australians. There are three key issues of interest in Loretta's work on the second generation. The first concerns the construction of ethnic identity in the second generation and how cultural transmission is theorised. The second relates to the feminist concern with how women express themselves socially and sexually within the constraints of patriarchy. And the third relates to how second generation Italians are represented and understood by Italian associations in Italy. She has published a number of articles relating to this topic.

Baldassar, L. (2001 in press) Visits Home: Ethnicity, Identity and Place in the Migration Process Melbourne University Press.

Baldassar, L. (1999) 'The Road Home' Meanjin Wide Open Road  3:42-59.

Baldassar, L. (1999) "Marias and Marriage - Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality among Italo-Australian Youth in Perth" Journal of Sociology. Vol 35 No 1:

Baldassar, L. (1999) Guest Editor, Special Issue: National and Cultural Identities, The Australian Journal of Social Issues (includes an Introduction by Baldassar) 34(4):291-299.

Baldassar, L. (1997) "Home and Away: migration, the return visit and 'transnational' identity" In Ang, I. and Symonds, M. (eds) Communal/Plural 5: Home, Displacement, Belonging. Sydney: Research Centre in Intercommunal Studies, UWS Nepean.

Baldassar, L. (1995) 'Migration as transnational interaction: Italy revisited', Convivio: journal of ideas in Italian Studies, 1(2)114-126.

Baldassar, L. (2000) 'Gender, ethnicity and transnational citizenship: Italian-Australian experiences' In Lange, C. (ed.) Being Australian Women: Belonging, Citizenship and Identity. Studies in West Australian History. University of Western Australia. No. 21:13-31.

Baldassar, L. & Baldock, C. (1999) "Linking Migration and Family Studies: Transnational Migrants and the Care of Ageing Parents", In Agozino, B.(eds.) Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Migration Research. Ashgate, Aldershot, UK.

Baldassar, L. (1998) "The Return Visit as Pilgrimage: Secular Redemption and Cultural Renewal in the Migration Process" in Richards, E. & Templeton, J. (eds) The Australian Immigrant in The Twentieth Century: Searching Neglected Sources. Division of Historical Studies and Centre for Immigration and Multicultural Studies, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University.

Baldassar, L, Baldock, C, Lange, C, 1999 'Immigration and Transnational Care-giving: Public Policies and their Impact on Migrants' Ability to Care from a Distance' Sociology for a new Millennium: Challenges and Prospects. TASA Conference Proceedings: Melbourne.

Baldassar, L. & Skrbis, Z. (1998) "Second Generation and the Transmission of Culture. "In Alexander et.al. (eds) Refashioning Sociology: Responses to a New World Order. Brisbane: Queensland Universtiy of Technology.

Baldassar, L. (1992) "Italo-Australian Youth in Perth - Space speaks and Clothes communicate" in Bosworth, R. & Ugolini, R. (eds.) War, Internment and Mass Migration - The Italo-Australian Experience 1940-1990. Rome: Gruppo Editoriale Internazionale. pp207-224.

Baldassar, L. & Pesman, R. (1999) "Contributo dei Veneti allo sviluppo culturale, socio-politico ed economico dell'Australia con particolare riguardo agli ultimi cinquant'anni" in I Veneti D'Australia e Sud Africa. Atti della Conferenza di Melbourne 6-8 Novembre, 1998 A.N.E.A. Pp21-34.

Baldassar, L. & Tan, J. (1998) "Italian Health Care Needs". Culture and Health Care File.  3rd edition. Multicultural Access: Health Department of Western Australia.

Dr Loretta Baldassar
Department of Anthropology
University of Western Australia
Nedlands (WA) 6907
e-mail baldassa@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Department website:
http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/AnthropWWW/index.html

August 1999