Staff Profile: Atele Dutt
Assistant Lecturer
Email: atele.dutt@usp.ac.fj
Tel.: 323 2489
Office: CELT Room 107
Education
BA in History, Politics & Sociology (2005, USP); PgDip in International Affairs (2009, USP); MA in Politics & International Affairs (2011, USP), PhD in Sociology (2022, USP)
Research Area
children’s rights, violence against children, social policy, Samoan culture
Bio
I completed my primary and secondary education in Samoa, where I was born. In the early 2000s, I was awarded a scholarship from the Government of Samoa to pursue my Bachelor of Arts in History/Politics and Sociology at the University of the South Pacific, where I also obtained my Master’s and PhD degrees.
Courses Taught
- SO100: Themes and Perspectives in Sociology
- SO207: Families, Sexuality and Change in the Pacific
- SO301: Sociology of Public Policy
- SO409: Social Development
Research Interests
My PhD research explores the policy-practice gap in the treatment of corporal punishment in schools in Samoa. It explains from a sociological lens, why teachers continue to use corporal punishment in schools despite their awareness of the policy prohibiting the practice. During my PhD research, I found very little scholarly research examining existing social policies to end violence against children in the Pacific, which motivated me to contribute knowledge in this area. I am interested in researching issues relating to children’s rights and violence against children in the Pacific.
Graduate Supervision
- Mei Nein – Master of Arts in Social Policy – Indigenous Experiences and Perspectives of Restorative Justice for Non-violent Youth offenders in Rural Fiji.
- Jale Kauyaki – Master of Governance – The Perception of High School Teachers on the implementation of the Zero Tolerance of Corporal Punishment in Fiji schools.