Doctor Valentina Bau
Senior Research Fellow,
Institute for Culture and Society
Biography
Valentina is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute. She conducts research on the application of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding with a focus on realities affected by violent conflict. She explores and evaluates new communication for development approaches that employ different media and communication channels to contribute to social change and sustainable peace in the aftermath of (or during) violence. She also looks at the application of communication for development for citizen engagement and youth participation in governance and peacebuilding. Her more recent work has begun to explore the use of Communication for Development in the context of crisis response interventions, with the aim of developing new frameworks that can link the implementation of applied research with the production of theoretical knowledge, whose translation can inform practice. Through her current ARC DECRA Research Fellowship on 'Development communication, media and peace in protracted displacement,' she is investigating the use of development communication and CwC interventions aimed at promoting peace and countering violent extremism among young people in contexts of protracted displacement. She collaborates with UNICEF and other international NGOs on different projects related to Communication for Development and media for peace. More generally, she is also interested in looking at the different ways communication can be used in development contexts (particularly in post-conflict settings), as well as in understanding the impact that an introduction to the use of the media has on communities living in extreme poverty. Prior to the start of my academic career, she has worked as an international development professional for various non-governmental organisations, government departments and the United Nations, both in Head Offices and in Country Offices in African settings.
Valentina is available to supervise PhD projects in the following areas:
- Communication for DevelopmentCommunication for Behaviour and Social Change
- Communication and Media for Peace
- Community Engagement in humanitarian contexts
- Community and Alternative Media
- The Media in the Global South
- Health Communication.
This information has been contributed by Doctor Bau.
Interests
- Peace and Development
- Peacebuilding and humanitarian interventions
- Refugees and displaced persons
Organisational Unit (School / Division)
- Institute for Culture and Society
Contact
| Email: | V.Bau@westernsydney.edu.au |
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Teaching
Previous Teaching Areas
- 101331 Issues in World Development: Rich World, Poor World, 2023
Publications
Chapters in Books
- Bau, V. (2023), 'Media literacy and conflict : understanding mediated communication for the achievement of peace and development', SDG18 Communication for All. Volume 1, The Missing Link between SDGs and Global Agendas, Springer 9783031191411.
- Bau, V. (2022), 'When visual research goes online : investigating the lives of former reality TV participants', Sage Research Methods: Doing Research Online, Sage Publications 9781529603217.
- Bau, V. (2020), 'Peacebuilding and communication', Oxford Bibliographies in Communication, Oxford University Press 9780199756841.
- Bau, V. (2019), 'Re-designing the media in humanitarian interventions communicating with communities at times of crisis', Reporting Human Rights, Conflicts, and Peacebuilding: Critical and Global Perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan 9783030107185.
- Bau, V. (2019), 'Building a combined framework of analysis to understand displaced adolescents' communication through art', Sage Research Methods Cases. Part 1, Sage Publications 9781526484208.
- Bau, V. and Calandro, E. (2019), 'Digital media and information rights', International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy, John Wiley & Sons 9781118978245.
- Bau, V. (2014), 'Communities and media in the aftermath of conflict : participatory productions for reconciliation and peace', Cultivating Peace: Contexts, Practices and Multidimensional Models, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 9781443856935.
- Bau, V. (2014), 'Video technologies and participatory approaches to peace : from technological determinism to self-empowerment and social change : an experience from Kenya', Technological Determinism and Social Change: Communication In a Tech-Mad World, Lexington Books 9780739191248.
Journal Articles
- Bau, V. (2024), '[In Press] Viewing life as a 'timeline' : digital visual research to retrace people's journeys', Qualitative Research, .
- Bau, V. (2023), '[In Press] Reality TV and civic engagement : researching the lives of the young Palestinians who ran for 'The President'', Creative Industries Journal, .
- Joshi, B., Bau, V. and Ryder, P. (2023), '[In Press] Looking beyond organisational approaches to advance communication practice : an examination of development projects in India', Development in Practice, .
- Bau, V. (2022), 'Framing the representation of refugee children and adolescents : a key informant review of the Italian media', Media Watch, vol 13, no 1 , pp 69 - 86.
- Bau, V. and Calandro, E. (2020), 'The experience of Internet freedom among African users', International Journal of Communication, vol 14 , pp 6072 - 6086.
- Bau, V. (2020), 'What killed Indymedia? : lessons from the IMC experience of Australia', Journal of Alternative and Community Media, vol 5, no 2 , pp 191 - 210.
- Bau, V. (2020), 'Open publishing, decentralisation, and the rise of new media platforms : reflecting on the IMC experience of Australia', Media, Culture and Society, vol 42, no 6 , pp 1039 - 1043.
- Bau, V. (2019), 'Radio, conflict and land grabbing in Sierra Leone : communicating rights and preventing violence through drama', Media, War and Conflict, vol 12, no 4 , pp 373 - 391.
- Bau, V. (2018), 'Breaking the conflict cycle, building peaceful communities : participatory photography and storytelling with African diasporas in Sydney', Journal of Communication Inquiry, vol 42, no 4 , pp 423 - 443.
- Bau, V. (2018), 'Leaving the camps behind : the role of Development Communication in refugee-host integration', Communication Research and Practice, vol 4, no 4 , pp 361 - 374.
- Bau, V. (2018), 'Media, participation and healing : community-led content to overcome the trauma of conflict', Online Journal of Art and Design, vol 6, no 2 , pp 61 - 81.
- Bau, V. (2018), 'Participatory communication, theatre and peace : performance as a tool for change at the end of conflict', Communicatio, vol 44, no 1 , pp 34 - 54.
- Bau, V. (2017), 'Art, development and peace working with adolescents living in internally displaced people's camps in Mindanao', Journal of International Development, vol 29, no 7 , pp 948 - 960.
- Bau, V. (2017), 'Evaluating the use of communication for development in conflict interventions : measuring peace in participatory communication', Commons, vol 6, no 1 , pp 96 - 112.
- Bau, V. (2016), 'A narrative approach in evaluation : "Narratives of Change" method', Qualitative Research Journal, vol 16, no 4 , pp 374 - 387.
- Bau, V. (2016), 'Citizen engagement in peacebuilding : a communication for development approach to rebuilding peace from the bottom-up', Progress in Development Studies, vol 16, no 4 , pp 348 - 360.
- Bau, V. (2016), 'Waving the flag for development communication : why there is still hope for communication research', International Communication Gazette, vol 78, no 7 , pp 711 - 715.
- Bau, V. (2015), 'Participatory photography for peace : using images to open up dialogue after violence', Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, vol 10, no 3 , pp 74 - 88.
- Bau, V. (2015), 'Communication for development in peacebuilding : directions on research and evaluation for an emerging field', Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies, vol 29, no 6 , pp 801 - 817.
- Bau, V. (2014), 'Building peace through social change communication : participatory video in conflict-affected communities', Community Development Journal, vol 50, no 1 , pp 121 - 137.
- Harris, U. and Bau, V. (2014), 'Harnessing participatory media technology for community development : choices and implications for practitioners', Development Bulletin, vol 76 , pp 31 - 34.
- Bau, V. (2014), 'Telling stories of war through the screen : participatory video approaches and practice for peace in conflict-affected contexts', Conflict and Communication Online, vol 13, no 1 , pp 1 - 9.
- Bau, V. (2013), 'Stories in reconciliation : reflections on community participation for restoring relationships and transforming conflict', Peace Studies Journal, vol 6, no 2 , pp 42 - 57.
- Bau, V. (2010), 'Media and conflict in Sierra Leone : national and international perspectives of the civil war', Global Media Journal: African Edition, vol 4, no 1 , pp 20 - 27.
- Bau, V. (2009), 'Media and communication for gender and development', Southern African Media Diversity Journal, vol 6 , pp 170 - 174.
Other Publications
- 2023, 'Media, Art and Stories: A Case for Funding Research into Community-based Creative Arts Practices in Western Sydney', Report
- 2021, 'Media, Art and Stories: Enabling Communities' Creative Expression in Sydney's West', Report
- 2020, 'Communicating with Unaccompanied Foreign Minors: How UN Agencies Engage with Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee Children in Italy', Report
- 2020, 'Exploring the Meaning of Impact in Development Research', Report
Current Projects
| Title: | Development communication, media and peace in protracted displacement |
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| Western Researchers: | Valentina Bau |
| Years: | 2021-12-30 - 2025-12-29 |
| ID: | P00027792 |
Previous Projects
| Title: | Foundations for Belonging #4: Refugee Understanding of Indigenous Lands and Contemporary Issues |
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| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Liam Magee, Valentina Bau and Madison Shakespeare |
| Years: | 2023-01-09 - 2023-04-30 |
| ID: | P00028489 |
| Title: | Understanding the link between Media, Civic Engagement and Peace with Palestinian Youth |
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| Western Researchers: | Valentina Bau |
| Years: | 2022-02-06 - 2023-11-30 |
| ID: | P00027793 |
Media
| Title: | Bambini e Adolescenti Rifugiati: la realt?? cambia quando cambia il modo di raccontarla |
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| Description: | Interview |