Lecturer
Overview
I work in the political anthropology of health. This means that my expertise and interest crosses health inequalities, political conditions, gender/sexualities, and cultural meanings. For example, I investigate how global health interventions affect local political and health care configurations in West Papua province, Indonesia. I reflect on how racism intersects with alcohol consumption and beliefs about the body. I am interested in family policy and health care, particularly antenatal care and childbirth, but I connect these health challenges to theoretical discussions of racialisation, sovereignty, and critical medical anthropology. Some of my research has explored the 'dark side' of education by looking at the experiences of young people living away from home for schooling.
I have three current research projects.
- Indigenous Papuan experiences of antenatal care and hospital delivery, especially caesarean births (funded by a UQ grant).
- An ARC Discovery Project on health, social and economic vulnerabilities and resilience in Indonesia
- Engaging customary leaders in HIV prevention in West Papua, Indonesia (DFAT-Australia Indonesia Institute, in collaboration with Universitas Papua)
Some recent publications:
- Global HIV Interventions and Technocratic Racism in a West Papuan NGO, Medical Anthropology, DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2020.1739036
- Dreams made small: The education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia (Berghahn, 2018)
- Indigenous Masculinities and the “Refined Politics” of Alcohol and Racialization in West Papua, The Contemporary Pacific volume 31, Number 1, 36–63
- Let’s talk more about racism in Indonesia, The Conversation
- From 'Stone-Age' to 'Real-Time': Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities
- And numerous policy briefs published by the Australian National University
At UQ I teach undergraduate and postgraduate students about global health, critical medical anthropology, sexuality, and social theory in the Pacific. I also coordinate Honours Research Seminar B.
I am interested in supervising critical, political, applied, cultural research on health and associated topics.
Research Impacts
My research has contributed evidence that challenges and changes the way that HIV interventions are developed and implemented in Indonesia. For example, I was part of a team that developed and launched an Indigenous HIV Prevention Strategy for Tanah Papua, funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This work draws on local best practices and experiences to define an agenda and priority actions for HIV prevention in the fastest growing HIV epidemic in our region. I also conducted the first study of preventing parent to child HIV transmission in West Papua province, providing valuable insights into the lives of Indigenous mothers with HIV to guide health policy. I have shared my work on HIV in West Papua on ABC Radio, and recently discussed violence in the Papuan highlands in the Talking Indonesia podcast.I inform and evaluate critical social, gender and health programmes with the Australian government (DFAT) and the United Nations. In doing so my work has contributed new ideas about how global health initiatives intersect with critical political conditions in local contexts and how we can improve these dynamics.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University
Publications
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Journal Article: Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua
Munro, Jenny (2019) Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua. The Contemporary Pacific, 31 3: 36-63. doi:10.1353/cp.2019.0005
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Book: Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia
Jenny Munro Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia. New York, United States: Berghahn Books, 2018.doi:10.2307/j.ctvw04f91
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Journal Article: (Not) getting political: indigenous women and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in West Papua
Munro, Jenny and McIntyre, Lynn (2016) (Not) getting political: indigenous women and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in West Papua. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 18 2: 156-170. doi:10.1080/13691058.2015.1070436
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Journal Article: Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia
Munro, Jenny and Butt, Leslie (2012) Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 13 4: 334-351. doi:10.1080/14442213.2012.694467
Grants
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Engaging adat leaders to support HIV prevention and care
(2019–2020) Australia Indonesia Institute
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Indigenous reproductive sovereignty and health services in Indonesia
(2018–2019) UQ Early Career Researcher
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Understanding the Social, Economic and Health Vulnerabilities in Indonesia (UWA led DP)
(2017–2020) University of Western Australia
Supervision
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Freedom on a Thread: Living in limbo as part of the asylum legacy caseload
Doctor Philosophy
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Interconnected practices and household improvisation: a multi-sited ethnography of meat consumption routines in urban Australia and Indonesia
Doctor Philosophy
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Energy for empowerment: The role of energy in women's collective organising and empowerment in urban and peri-urban South Africa
Doctor Philosophy
Publications
Featured Publications
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Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua
Munro, Jenny (2019) Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua. The Contemporary Pacific, 31 3: 36-63. doi:10.1353/cp.2019.0005
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Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia
Jenny Munro Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia. New York, United States: Berghahn Books, 2018.doi:10.2307/j.ctvw04f91
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Munro, Jenny and McIntyre, Lynn (2016) (Not) getting political: indigenous women and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in West Papua. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 18 2: 156-170. doi:10.1080/13691058.2015.1070436
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Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia
Munro, Jenny and Butt, Leslie (2012) Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 13 4: 334-351. doi:10.1080/14442213.2012.694467
Book
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Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia
Jenny Munro Dreams made small: the education of Papuan highlanders in Indonesia. New York, United States: Berghahn Books, 2018.doi:10.2307/j.ctvw04f91
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From ‘Stone-Age’ to ‘Real-Time’: exploring Papuan temporalities, mobilities and religiosities
From ‘Stone-Age’ to ‘Real-Time’: exploring Papuan temporalities, mobilities and religiosities. Edited by Martin Slama and Jenny Munro Canberra, Australia: ANU Press, 2015.
Book Chapter
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Facts, feasts, and forests: considering truth and reconciliation in Tanah Papua
Biderman, Todd and Munro, Jenny (2018). Facts, feasts, and forests: considering truth and reconciliation in Tanah Papua. In David Webster (Ed.), Flowers in the wall: truth and reconciliation in Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and Melanesia (pp. 205-232) Calgary, AB, Canada: University of Calgary Press.
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Butt, Leslie, Munro, Jenny and Numbery, Gerdha (2017). Adding insult to injury: experiences of mobile HIV-positive women who return home for treatment in Tanah Papua, Indonesia. In John Taylor and Helen Lee (Ed.), Mobilities of return: Pacific perspectives (pp. 147-170) Canberra, ACT Australia: ANU Press.
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Gender struggles of educated men in the Papuan highlands
Munro, Jenny (2017). Gender struggles of educated men in the Papuan highlands. In Martha Macintyre and Ceridwen Spark (Ed.), Transformations of gender in Melanesia (pp. 45-67) Acton, ACT, Australia: ANU Press. doi:10.22459/tgm.02.2017.02
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Slama, Martin and Munro, Jenny (2015). From ‘Stone-Age’ to ‘Real-Time’: exploring Papuan temporalities, mobilities and religiosities – an introduction. In Martin Slama and Jenny Munro (Ed.), From 'Stone-Age' to 'Real-Time': Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities (pp. 1-37) Canberra, ACT, Australia: ANU Press. doi:10.22459/fsart.04.2015.01
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“Now we know shame”: Malu and Stigma among Highlanders in the Papuan Diaspora
Munro, Jenny (2015). “Now we know shame”: Malu and Stigma among Highlanders in the Papuan Diaspora. In Slama, Martin and Munro, Jenny (Ed.), From ‘Stone-Age’ to ‘Real-Time’: Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities (pp. 171-196) ACT, Canberra: ANU Press.
Journal Article
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Global HIV interventions and technocratic racism in a West Papuan NGO
Jenny Munro (2020) Global HIV interventions and technocratic racism in a West Papuan NGO. Medical Anthropology, 1-16.doi:10.1080/01459740.2020.1739036
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Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua
Munro, Jenny (2019) Indigenous masculinities and the “refined politics” of alcohol and racialization in West Papua. The Contemporary Pacific, 31 3: 36-63. doi:10.1353/cp.2019.0005
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West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea: on the way to citizenship?
Munro, Jenny (2016, July 19). West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea: on the way to citizenship?. Devpolicy Blog, .
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Munro, Jenny and McIntyre, Lynn (2016) (Not) getting political: indigenous women and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in West Papua. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 18 2: 156-170. doi:10.1080/13691058.2015.1070436
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Munro, Jenny, Patterson, Patrick B. and McIntyre, Lynn (2015) “Your father is no more”: insights on guardianship and abandonment from ultrapoor women heads of household in Bangladesh. Womens Studies International Forum, 53 43-52. doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2015.09.005
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The president and the Papua powder keg
Munro, Jenny (2015, June 24). The president and the Papua powder keg. New Mandala, .
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Politics hinders the fight against HIV in West Papua
Munro, Jenny (2014, May 01). Politics hinders the fight against HIV in West Papua. East Asia Forum, .
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Munro, Jenny, Parker, Barbara and McIntyre, Lynn (2014) An Intersectionality Analysis of Gender, Indigeneity, and Food Insecurity among Ultrapoor Garo Women in Bangladesh. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 10 1: 68-82. doi:10.18357/ijih.101201513202
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Munro, Jenny and Mcintyre, Lynn (2014) Why should I feed her less?: Challenging assumptions on daughter discrimination in the food provisioning values of ultrapoor Bangladeshi female heads of household. Women's Studies International Forum, 45 1-9. doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2014.03.014
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The Violence of Inflated Possibilities: Education, Transformation and Diminishment in Wamena, Papua
Munro, Jenny (2013) The Violence of Inflated Possibilities: Education, Transformation and Diminishment in Wamena, Papua. Indonesia, 95 25-46. doi:10.5728/indonesia.95.0025
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"Nobody helps us": insights from ultra-poor Bangladeshi women on being beyond reach
McIntyre, Lynn and Munro, Jenny (2013) "Nobody helps us": insights from ultra-poor Bangladeshi women on being beyond reach. Development in Practice, 23 2: 157-168. doi:10.1080/09614524.2013.772118
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Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia
Munro, Jenny and Butt, Leslie (2012) Compelling evidence: research methods, politics and HIV/AIDS in Papua, Indonesia. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 13 4: 334-351. doi:10.1080/14442213.2012.694467
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Munro, Jenny (2012) “A diploma and a descendant!” Premarital sexuality, education, and politics among Dani university students in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Journal of Youth Studies, 15 8: 1011-1027. doi:10.1080/13676261.2012.693592
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Inclusion and exclusion in mid-life lesbians' experiences of the Pap test
McIntyre, Lynn, Szewchuk, Andrea and Munro, Jenny (2010) Inclusion and exclusion in mid-life lesbians' experiences of the Pap test. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 12 8: 885-898. doi:10.1080/13691058.2010.508844
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Rebel girls? Unplanned pregnancy and colonialism in highlands Papua, Indonesia
Butt, Leslie and Munro, Jenny (2007) Rebel girls? Unplanned pregnancy and colonialism in highlands Papua, Indonesia. Culture Health & Sexuality, 9 6: 585-598. doi:10.1080/13691050701515324
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Border testimonials: patterns of AIDS awareness across the island of New Guinea
Butt, Leslie, Munro, Jenny and Wong, Joanna (2004) Border testimonials: patterns of AIDS awareness across the island of New Guinea. Papua and New Guinea medical journal, 47 1-2: 65-76.
Conference Publication
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Home-brewed alcohol, gender and violence in Wamena, Papua
Munro, Jenny (2016). Home-brewed alcohol, gender and violence in Wamena, Papua. In: International Conference on Social Science and Biodiversity of Papua and Papua New Guinea (ICSBP 2015), Jayapura, Indonesia, (7-13). 16–17 November 2015. doi:10.18502/kss.v1i1.428
Other Outputs
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Indigenous Women, Antenatal Care and Childbirth in Papua, Indonesia
Munro, Jenny (2016) Indigenous Women, Antenatal Care and Childbirth in Papua, Indonesia Canberra, ACT, Australia: State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, Australian National University
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‘Luxury’ and ‘Disturbances’: Women’s Views on City Life in Honiara Settlements
Munro, Jenny and Carpenter, Jessica (2016) ‘Luxury’ and ‘Disturbances’: Women’s Views on City Life in Honiara Settlements Canberra, ACT, Australia: State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, Australian National University
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Engaging Indigenous leaders in Tanah Papua’s HIV responses
Munro, Jenny (2015). Engaging Indigenous leaders in Tanah Papua’s HIV responses. SSGM In Brief 52, , Australian National University.
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‘HIV is our problem together': developing an Indigenous-led response to HIV in Tanah Papua
Munro, Jenny (2015). ‘HIV is our problem together': developing an Indigenous-led response to HIV in Tanah Papua. SSGM In Brief 5, , Australian National University.
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Papuan Perspectives on Family Planning, Fertility and Birth Control
Munro, Jenny (2014). Papuan Perspectives on Family Planning, Fertility and Birth Control. SSGM Discussion Paper 2014/7, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University.
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Report from the Field: HIV/AIDS in West Papua, July-Sept 2013
Munro, Jenny (2014). Report from the Field: HIV/AIDS in West Papua, July-Sept 2013. SSGM Working Paper 2014/1, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University.
Grants (Administered at UQ)
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Engaging adat leaders to support HIV prevention and care
(2019–2020) Australia Indonesia Institute
-
Indigenous reproductive sovereignty and health services in Indonesia
(2018–2019) UQ Early Career Researcher
-
Understanding the Social, Economic and Health Vulnerabilities in Indonesia (UWA led DP)
(2017–2020) University of Western Australia
PhD and MPhil Supervision
Current Supervision
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Freedom on a Thread: Living in limbo as part of the asylum legacy caseload
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Interconnected practices and household improvisation: a multi-sited ethnography of meat consumption routines in urban Australia and Indonesia
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
-
Energy for empowerment: The role of energy in women's collective organising and empowerment in urban and peri-urban South Africa
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Even 40 Skills Are Not Enough for a Man: Changing Masculinities, Responsibilities, and Moral Landscapes in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Domestic Violence and Refugee Settlement: Exploring the ideologies and Practice of Service Providers supporting Refugee Women
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Exploring girls' participation in education in the highlands region of Papua New Guinea
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Freebirthing in Australia: A comparative ethnographic case study.
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
