Dr Anna Boucher

PhD in Political Science (LSE)
MRes Political Science (Dist) (LSE)
PG Certificate Higher Education (LSE)
LLB (Hons 1) University of Sydney
BA (Hons 1, Medal) University of Sydney

BACKGROUND

Anna Boucher’s key research interests are in the areas of public policy, with a particular focus on immigration, gender and welfare state concerns. Her work considers these issues from both an Australian and comparative perspective, with a political science and legal focus. Anna is an active researcher in the immigration field, having co-founded the Migration Studies Unit at the London School of Economics. She is an ongoing Research Fellow of the Unit and a member of the Public Policy, Privatisation and Enabling Cities research networks at the University of Sydney. She is currently writing a book on highly skilled migration.

RESEARCH

Research Fields

• Comparative Politics
• Public Policy
• Australian Politics

Research Interests

• Immigration policy and politics
• Welfare state policy
• Gender and politics
• Population politics
• Ethnic relations
• Human Rights
• Public Law
• Research Methods
• Australian, Canadian and German politics

Current Research Projects

• Gender, Migration and the Global Race for Talent. 2011-2013. The book project investigates the relationship between highly skilled immigration and gender equality in 12 countries with focused case studies of Australia and Canada.
• Hearing but not listening: The effects of lecture recordings on student learning. 2011-2013. This project, with Nicholas Bromfield and Lynne Chester measures the effects of audio capture on student learning, in large classes (>250 students). This project contributes to our understanding of deep learning. Funding: School of Social and Political Sciences; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Initiative Award.
• Elder Migration between China and Australia. 2012-2015. A study on the migration of older persons between China and Australia and the effects on structural ageing (with Elaine Ho, Singapore University and Nicole Piper, University of Sydney).

Research Students

• Daniel Ghezelbash, PhD in Law (2011-2013).
• Lisette Collins, PhD in Government and International Relations (2012-2014)

TEACHING

Current Courses

• GOVT1104 - Introduction to Political Science
• GOVT6358 - Comparative Migration Policy

Past Courses

• Government Honours - Population Politics
• GOVT2111 – Human Rights and Australian Politics

PUBLICATIONS

Refereed Journal Articles

Boucher, A, (2013), "Familialism and migrant welfare policy: Restrictions on social security provision for newly-arrived immigrants", Policy and Politics.

Boucher, A, (2013), "Bureaucratic control and policy change: A comparative venue shopping approach to skilled immigration policies in Australia and Canada", Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.

Boucher, A & Carney, T 2009, "Social Security and Immigration: An Agenda for Future Research", Journal of foreign and international labour and social security law [Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Arbeits-und Sozialrecht], vol. 23, no. ii[Heft 1], pp. 36-57.

Boucher, A, 2007, "Skill, migration and gender in Australia and Canada: The case of gender-based analysis", Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 383-401.

Non-Refereed Journal Articles

Boucher, A, 2005, "A bill of rights: A solution for human rights abuses against refugees? [Eine Bill of Rights als Lösung für Verletzungen der Menschenrechte von Flüchtlingen? Ein Vergleich zwischen Australien und den USA]", MenschenRechts Magazin, Heft 1, University of Potsdam, Germany.

Book Chapters

Boucher, A & Carney, T (2013), “Social Security for Migrant Workers and Their Families in Australia: More Australian Exceptionalism?” In (2013) Social Security and Migrant Workers, Arellano, P, Vonk, G. and Olivier, M. (eds) Kluwer, Amsterdam, (in press).

Boucher, A, (forthcoming 2013), "Outsourcing skilled immigration assessment", in G Meagher (ed), Sold off: markets, rights and power in Australian social policy, Sydney University Press, Sydney.

Boucher, A, 2010, "Gender mainstreaming in skilled immigration policy: From Beijing 1995 to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002)", in A Nevile (ed), Human Rights and Social Policy: A Comparative Analysis of Values and Citizenship in OECD countries, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Boucher, A, 2008, "The Political Participation of Berlin's Turkish Migrants in the Dual Citizenship and Headscarf Debates: A Multi-Level comparison", in W Pojmann (ed), Migration and Activism in Europe since 1945, Palgrave Macmillan.

Keynote Speakers and Guest Presentations

Boucher, A 2011, "Australia and Canada Compared: The Social Rights of Recently Arrived Immigrants", Migration Institute of Australia Annual Conference, Keynote address, Surfers Paradise, September 2011.

Selected Conference Papers

Boucher, A, 2013, Power and solidarity in elite interviews: Building a rubric for analysis (with Lydia Dutcher and Ahmar Mahboob), American Political Science Association General Meeting, September. 2013.

Boucher, A, 2013, Gendering Highly Skilled Immigration Selection: A Global Analysis, American Political Science Association General Meeting, September 2013.

Boucher, A & Gest, J, 2013, "Towards a Holistic Typology of Migration Regimes", paper presented at the International Studies Association Conference, San Francisco, April 2013.

Boucher, A & Gest, J, 2013, "The immigration mix: Mapping global variation in selection ratios", paper presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, September 2012.

Boucher, A & Gest, J, 2012, "Towards a Holistic Typology of Migration Regimes", paper presented at the International Political Science Association Meeting, Madrid, June 2012.

Boucher, A, 2012, "The IMPALA database: Methodological Challenges", IMPALA panel, International Studies Association Conference, San Diego, April 2012.

Boucher, A, 2011, "Comparing migration, naturalisation and asylum policies: The International Migration Law and Policy Analysis Database (IMPALA)", paper presented at the European Consortium of Political Research General Conference, Reykjavik, 25-27 August 2011.

Boucher, A, 2011, "Gender and elite interviewing: Assessments from the field", paper presented at the European Conference on Politics and Gender, Budapest, 13-15 January 2011.

Boucher, A, 2011, "Deadbeat sponsors and welfare
wives: Venue setting and immigrant welfare reform", paper presented at the European Conference on Politics and Gender, Budapest, 13-15 January 2011.

Boucher, A, 2010, "Gender and elite interviewing: Assessments from the field", paper presented at the Australian Political Studies Association Conference 2010, Melbourne, 27-29 September 2010.

Boucher, A, 2010, "A venue-setting approach to migrant welfare policy in Australia and Canada", paper presented at the Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Berlin, 28-30 April 2010.

Boucher, A, 2009, "Gendering the Canadian Federal Skilled Immigrant points test", paper presented at the Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Hamburg, 23-25 April 2009.

Boucher, A, 2009, "Transatlantic Academy-German Marshall Fund", paper presented at the Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Amerang, Germany, 12-14 June 2009.

Boucher, A, 2009, "Picking the best and the brightest: Gendering skilled immigration selection policy", paper presented at the European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR) First European Conference on Politics and Gender, Queen’s University, Belfast, 21-23 January 2009.

Boucher, A, 2005, "Berlin’s Turks and the Nationality Act (2000): Political participation, political opportunity structures and federal politics", paper presented at the CERC Conference Politics of Belonging: Citizenship, Migration and Ethnic Conflict in Europe, Melbourne University, November, 2005.

Boucher, A, 2005, "Skill, migration and gender in Australia: A comparison with Canada", paper presented at the Australian Social Policy Conference, University of New South Wales, July, 2005.

Working Papers

Boucher, A, Mabood, A & Dutcher, L 2009, "Power in elite interviewing: Validity, practical and normative considerations".

Book Reviews

Boucher, A, "The Changing Canadian Population", by B Edmonston & E Fong, (McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal and Kingston/London/Ithaca, 2011) viii + 371pp. Paper. ISBN. 978-0-7735-3794-1British Journal of Canadian Studies 25(2), 2012.

Boucher, A 2010, "How Ottawa Spends 2009-2010, Economic Upheaval and Political Dysfunction", ed by Allan Maslove, British Journal of Canadian Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 301-302.

Reports

Boucher, A, Thielemann, E, Mah'a, R, Armstrong, C, Bovens, L, Gest, J, Arce, R, Lorca, A, Lores, N and McGovern, P 2010, "Immigration policy and its Impact: A comparative study with a focus on Spain", LSE Migration Studies Unit and ICCS, Madrid.

Boucher, A & Carney, T 2009, "Social Security and Immigration: An Agenda for Future Research", Sydney Law School, Legal Studies Research Paper, 10/06, available online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1531973.

Boucher, A 2006, "Welfare to Work and Work Choices collide: The intersection of the new compliance regime with industrial relations reform", Policy paper, National Welfare Rights Network, Australia, July 2006.

Boucher, A 2005, "Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health", Submission on behalf of the Combined Community Legal Centres for the Australian Senate Mental Health Inquiry, Australia.

COMMENTARY

Interviews

Boucher, A 2011, "Australia and Canada compared", radio broadcast, ABC Radio National, 16 September 2011.

Opinion Pieces

Boucher, A & Crock, M 2011, "Asylum: First ask the right questions", Canberra Times, 19 October 2011.

Boucher, A 2011, "Whether a big Australia, or small, immigration can’t be ignored", The Age, 24 May 2011.

Boucher, A 2011, "Whether a big Australia, or small, immigration can’t be ignored", Sydney Morning Herald, 24 May 2011.

Invited Lectures and Seminars

Boucher, A, 2013, Gendering highly skilled immigration selection: a global analysis, present for:
Work and Organizational Studies Colloquium Series, September 2013.
Sociology and Social Work Colloquium Series, October 2013.

Boucher, An & Carney T, 2013, Social Security for Migrant Workers and their families in Australia, presentation for the Sydney Social Justice Research Network, April 2013.

Boucher, A, Gest, J & Helbling, M 2012, "Immigration in a globalised world", presentation for grant funding to the Volkswagen Foundation, Stockholm, June 2012.

Boucher, A, Castles, S & Elder, C 2012, "Immigration and settlement policy in Australia", presentation to the Norwegian Delegation of the Norwegian Ambassador and Parliamentary Standing Committee, February 2012.

Boucher, A, Chester, L & Bromfield, N 2011, "Lecture capture and student learning: Is there a relationship between learning outcomes and the use of lecture recordings?", presented to the University of Sydney Teaching Colloquium, September 2011 and the Institute for Teaching and Learning Research Meeting, October 2011.

Boucher, A, 2010, "Challenges and Opportunities for Comparative Migration Research", Presentation at the London School of Economics and Political Science Methods Workshop, London, 10 June 2010.

Boucher, A, 2007, Presentation to the Political Science Workshop, Department of Government, LSE, 4 December, 2007.

Boucher, A, 2007, Presentation to the Public Policy Workshop, Department of Government, LSE, 5 December, 2007.