Dr Sarah Wendt

I am a Lecturer in the School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy and member of the Research Centre for Gender Studies. I currently teach social work theory and practice. My current research projects are in the areas of violence and abuse against women, rurality, rural social care, elder abuse, and what sustains and influences social workers. My PhD explored the impacts of local culture on women’s experiences and men’s perpetration of domestic violence in a rural community. I have recently published a book titled "Domestic Violence in Rural Australia" with Federation Press, detailing the findings of my PhD. Before I joined the University of South Australia I worked as a social worker, predominantly in the field of domestic violence.

• Rural social work
• Reflective Practice
• Violence and Abuse
• Community
• Social Work Theory

Australian Association of Social Workers

Research Centre for Gender Studies

PhD Social Sciences

Bachelor of Social Work (1st Class Honours)

Bachelor of Arts (Gender Studies)

• feminist theory and social constructivism
• rural and community sociology, rurality
• violence and abuse
• social work theory and practice
• qualitative methodologies, and interpretative epistemologies.

Wendt, S. (2009), Domestic Violence in Rural Australia, The Federation Press, Annandale, NSW.

Wendt, S. (2009), Constructions of Local Culture and Impacts on Domestic Violence in an Australian Rural Community, Journal of Rural Studies, 25, 2, pp: 175-184.

Bagshaw, D. Wendt, S. & Zannetinno, L . (2009), Preventing the Abuse of Older People by their Family Members, Stakeholder Paper, Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of New South Wales.

Wendt, S. (2008) Building and Sustaining Local Co-ordination: An Australian Rural Community Responds to Domestic and Family Violence, British Journal of Social Work 2008; doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcn114

Wendt, S. & Boylan, J. (2008) Feminist Social Work Research Engaging with Poststructural Ideas, International Social Work, 51, (5), 599-610.

Wendt, S. (2008) Christianity and Domestic Violence: Feminist poststructural perspectives, AFFIFIA: Journal of Women and Social Work. 23 (2), 144-155.

Jamieson, S. & Wendt, S. (2008) Exploring Men’s Perpetrator Programs in Small Rural Communities, Rural Society, 18 (1), 39-50.

Bagshaw, D. Wendt, S. Zannettino, L. Cripps, D. & Kirk, E. (2007) Our Actions to Prevent the Abuse of Older South Australians, Office for the Ageing, Department for Families and Communities, Government of South Australia

Wendt, S. and Cheers, B. (2004) Rural Cultures, Domestic Violence, and Stories from a Rural Region, The Australian Feminist Journal: Women Against Violence. Issue 15, special rural issue, 1-11.

Wendt, S. and Cheers, B. (2004) Rural Cultures and Domestic Violence: Stories From South Australian Wine Country, Rural Social Work. Special issue from the International Conference on Human Services in Rural Communities, 9, December, 97-105.

Wendt, S. and Cheers, B. (2002) Impacts of Rural Culture on Domestic Violence, Rural Social Work 7(1), 20-30.

Wendt, S. Taylor, J. and Kennedy, M. (2002) Rural Domestic Violence: Moving Towards Feminist Poststructural Understandings, Rural Social Work, 7 (2), 26-35.

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Social Work & Social Policy

• Domestic violence in rural contexts