David Radford

APrf David Radford

Research Degree Coordinator

UniSA Justice & Society

Teaching Enterprise

Available For Media Comment.

Dr David Radford is Associate Professor (Sociology) and Research Degree Coordinator, UniSA Justice and Society. David's research focuses on mobilities, identities and social change. 
David investigates migration, diversity and interculturality in rural/regional and urban Australia. His research emphasises the importance of the micro, everyday lived experiences of migration, multiculturalism and interculturalism while drawing on macro factors impacting these experiences. David is Lead CI for an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant LP250100048 (2025-2029) “Whole-of-Community approaches to regional migration, settlement & retention" which will explore the attraction and retention of international migrants and refugees in rural and regional Australia. Other recent research includes a European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme, Jean Monnet Project exploring how the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities (ICC) model and interculturalism is being implemented in different regions of the world (Australia/Canada/Spain). David has previously researched local government leadership in managing/promoting diversity, and how Hazaras from Afghanistan negotiate their multiple identities as 'Aussie Afghans'.
Earlier research included investigating the role of refugee parents’ educational aspirations on their children’s academic outcomes, how globalisation, innovation and experimentation in the transformation of global airports (Areomobilities) impact on mobile lives [part of Prof Anthony Elliott and Prof John Urry's ARC Discovery Project]. Drawing on the local and networked experiences of EU and Australian airspaces the research sought to generate new theory and research into specific kinds of innovations and barriers.
Drawing on David's PhD research in Post-Soviet Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan) he has interests around transformations in religious, ethnic and national identity; Christianity; Islam; religious fundamentalism; religious conversion; secularisation and religion in contemporary society.
Previous positions included Senior Research Fellow, Hawke Research Insitutue, University of South Australia, and Lecturer (International Relations - Middle East and Central Asia), Flinders University.

Investigating everyday lived experiences of migration and interculturality

Recent Research Grants: 

ARC Linkage Grant - LP250100048 (2025-2029):  “Whole-of-Community approaches to regional migration, settlement & retention." David Radford, Branka Krivokapic-Skoko, George Tan, John Reid, Andrew Taylor, Daile Rung, Devaki Monani, Anthony Moran, Martina Boese. We will refine and deploy a novel ‘Whole-of-Community’ (WoC) conceptual framework that prioritises regional voices using an innovative interdisciplinary, comparative, extensive, multiple methods approach over 4 years: $485,955.00

Recent Publications:

2025 Radford, D. et al.,  ‘Intersectional precarity of Hazara Afghan refugee migrants in rural Australia.’ Sociologia Ruralis, Vol. 65, No.1, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/soru.12500 [ Open Access]

2025 Munyoka, E., Soong, H., Goel, K., Radford, D. 'The importance of belonging through the lens of intersectionality: Perspectives from students of African humanitarian origins,' in Mi Young Ahn, Edward Venn Tom Lowe (eds), Student Belonging in Higher Education: Perspectives and Practice. Routledge: London.

2024 Radford, D. et al., Everyday Refugee Integration: A holistic reconceptualization of refugee integration through the everyday practices of Hazara Afghan refugees’, Journal of Sociology. 61(2), 235-254. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833241291617 [Open Access]

2023 Radford, D. et al.  ‘A Whole-of-Community approach: Local community and refugee settlement-integration in rural Australia’, Australian Geographer. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2023.2251627

2023 Bissell, D...Radford D et al. ‘Region power for mobilities research’, Thinking Essay in Australian Geographer. 

Other Publications:

2021 Radford, D., Hetz, H. ‘Aussies? Afghans? Hazara Refugees and Migrants Negotiating Multiple Identities and Belonging in Australia’, Social Identities, 27 (3), pp. 377-393, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2020.1828851

2021 Klocker, N....Radford D et al (published online 23 Feb). ‘Spaces of wellbeing and regional settlement: international migrants and the rural idyll’, Population, Space and Place.

Year Citation
2025 Radford, D., Tan, G., Krivokapic-Skoko, B., & Hetz, H. (2025). Intersectional precarity of Hazara Afghan refugee migrants in rural Australia. Sociologia Ruralis, 65(1), 1-19.
DOI
2024 Radford, D., Krivokapic-Skoko, B., Hetz, H., Roberts, R., Soong, H., & Tan, G. (2024). Everyday refugee integration: A holistic reconceptualization of refugee integration through the everyday practices of Hazara Afghan refugees. Journal of Sociology, 61(2), 235-254.
DOI
2024 Soong, H., Radford, D., Hetz, H., Wrench, A., Reid Nguyen, R., & Lucas, B. (2024). Intergenerational aspirations for educational and employment success of refugee youth. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(11), 2624-2641.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2024 Munyoka, E., Goel, K., Soong, H., & Radford, D. (2024). Barriers encountered by African refugee youth as they integrate into the Australian labour-market: a systematic review. Australasian Review of African Studies, 45(1), 78-112.
DOI
2023 Bissell, D., Birtchnell, T., Duffy, M., Fozdar, F., Iaquinto, B. L., Radford, D., & Rickards, L. (2023). Region power for mobilities research. Australian Geographer, 54(3), 251-275.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5
2023 Radford, D., Tan, G., Hetz, H., Krivokapic-Skoko, B., & Hassani, A. (2023). A whole-of-community approach: local community responses to refugee settlement–integration in rural Australia. Australian Geographer, online(1), 1-21.
DOI Scopus7 WoS4
2022 de Lima, P., Leach, B., Radford, D., & Arora Jonsson, S. (2022). Editorial: The well-being of international migrants in rural areas: bridging the migration development nexus. Frontiers in Sociology, 7(870810), 1-5.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2021 Radford, D., & Hetz, H. (2021). Aussies? Afghans? Hazara refugees and migrants negotiating multiple identities and belonging in Australia. Social Identities, 27(3), 377-393.
DOI Scopus21 WoS22
2021 Klocker, N., Hodge, P., Dun, O., Crosbie, E., Dufty Jones, R., McMichael, C., . . . Radford, D. (2021). Spaces of wellbeing and regional settlement: international migrants and the rural idyll. Population, Space and Place, 27(8, article no. e2443.), 1-19.
DOI Scopus25 WoS20
2019 Cleland, J., Parry, K., & Radford, D. (2019). 'Perhaps she only had a banana available to throw': habitus, racial prejudice and whiteness on Australian football league message boards. Sociology of sport journal, 36(4), 330-338.
DOI Scopus11 WoS7
2017 Radford, D. (2017). Space, place and identity: intercultural encounters, affect and belonging in rural Australian spaces. Journal of intercultural studies, 38(5), 495-513.
DOI Scopus38 WoS33
2017 Pelkmans, M., Peyrouse, S., & Radford, D. (2017). Book discussion: David Radford, Religious identity and social change: explaining christian conversion in a muslim world (New York: Routledge, 2015). Central Asian affairs, 4(4), 407-421.
DOI
2016 Urry, J., Elliott, A., Radford, D., & Pitt, N. (2016). Globalisations utopia? On airport atmospherics. Emotion, space and society, 19, 13-20.
DOI Scopus36 WoS28
2016 Radford, D. (2016). 'Everyday otherness' - intercultural refugee encounters and everyday multiculturalism in a South Australian rural town. Journal of ethnic and migration studies, 42(13), 2128-2145.
DOI Scopus63 WoS53
2015 Elliott, A., & Radford, D. (2015). Terminal experimentation: the transformation of experiences, events and escapes at global airports. Environment and planning D: society and space, 33(6), 1063-1079.
DOI Scopus23 WoS15
2014 Radford, D. (2014). Contesting and negotiating religion and ethnic identity in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan. Central Asian Survey, 33(1), 15-28.
DOI Scopus7 WoS4
2013 Radford, D. (2013). The Future of Pakistan. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, 67(2), 254-255.
DOI

Year Citation
2025 Munyoka, E., Soong, H., Goel, K., & Radford, D. (2025). The importance of belonging through the lens of intersectionality: Perspectives from students of African humanitarian-background. In M. Y. Ahn, E. Venn, & T. Lowe (Eds.), Source details - Title: Student Belonging in Higher Education Perspectives and Practice (pp. 290-303). US: Taylor and Francis.
DOI Scopus2
2023 Rung, D. L., Hetz, H., & Radford, D. (2023). 'I came to Australia with very big hope, big wishes, big goals': applying 'mobility work' and 'resettlement work' to explore the emotional labour and subaltern masculinities of refugee-background men. In G. Stahl, & Y. Zhao (Eds.), Source details - Title: Migratory Men: Place, Transnationalism and Masculinities (pp. 252-270). UK: Routledge.
DOI
2023 Rung, D. L., Hetz, H., & Radford, D. (2023). ‘I came to Australia with very big hope, big wishes, big goals’: Applying ‘mobility work’ and ‘resettlement work’ to explore the emotional labour and subaltern masculinities of refugee-background men. In Migratory Men Place Transnationalism and Masculinities (pp. 255-274).
DOI Scopus3
2019 Radford, D. (2019). Kyrgyzstan. In Christianity in South and Central Asia Christianity in South and Central A (pp. 70-82).
Scopus1
2019 Radford, D. (2019). Kyrgyzstan. In K. R. Ross, D. Jeyaraj, & T. M. Johnson (Eds.), Source details - Title: Christianity in South and Central Asia (pp. 72-80). UK: Edinburgh University Press.
2019 Radford, D. (2019). Responding to rural and regional multiculture. In S. Nipperess, & C. Williams (Eds.), Source details - Title: Critical multicultural practice in social work : new perspectives and practices (pp. 223-239). Australia: Allen and Unwin.
2018 Radford, D. (2018). Kontestacja i negocjowanie tożsamości religijnej i etnicznej w postradzieckim Kirgistanie'. In Source details - Title: Azja Centralna. Tożsamość, naród, polityka (pp. 89-115). Krakow, Poland: NOMOS.
2016 Elliott, A., & Radford, D. (2016). DIY self design: experimentation across global airports. In A. Elliott (Ed.), Source details - Title: Identity troubles: an introduction (pp. 179-200). US: Routledge.
DOI
2015 Radford, D. P. (2015). Does being Kyrgyz mean being a Muslim? Emergence of new ethno-religious identities in Kyrgyzstan. In M. Y. Omelicheva (Ed.), Source details - Title: Nationalism and Identity Construction in Central Asia : Dimensions, Dynamics, and Directions (pp. 53-70). US: Lexington Books.
Scopus2
2013 Radford, D. (2013). Religious conversion and its impact on ethnic identity in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan. In P. Akҫah, & C. Engin-Demir (Eds.), Source details - Title: Politics, identity and education in Central Asia: Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan (pp. 118-130). UK: Routledge.
DOI
2013 Radford, D. (2013). Fuzzy thinking and the conversion process. In D. Greenlee (Ed.), Source details - Title: Longing for community: church, ummah, or something in between? (pp. 1-9). US: William Carey Library.

Year Citation
2024 Bryant, L., McFarland, B., Radford, D., & Posselt, M. (2024). Mental health and wellbeing: Culturally and linguistically diverse men in farming. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Radford, D. (2023). Aussie? Afghans? The identity journeys of Muslim Australians, with a focus on Hazaras from Afghanistan, as they negotiate individual, ethnic, religious, and national identities - Report. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Piper, M., Stump, T., Dun, O., Dufty Jones, R., Faulkner, S., Golebiowska, K., . . . Tan, G. (2023). Regional refugee settlement: learning from the past, preparing for the future. Key recommendations for policymakers about the settleement of humanitarian migrants in regional Australia. Australia: Charles Darwin University.
2022 Radford, D., Krivokapic Skoko, B., Hetz, H., Bandara, Y., & Tan, G. (2022). Learning from Leeton: a case study of refugee settlement in Rural Australia: full report. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2022 Radford, D., Krivokapic Skoko, B., Hetz, H., Bandara, Y., & Tan, G. (2022). Learning from Leeton: a case study of refugee settlement in rural Australia: summary report. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Radford, D., Krivokapic Skoko, B., Hetz, H., Soong, H., Roberts, R., & Tan, G. (2021). Refugees rejuvenating and connecting communities: an analysis of the social, cultural and economic contributions of Hazara humanitarian migrants in the Port Adelaide-Enfield area of Adelaide, South Australia (full report). Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Radford, D., Krivokapic Skoko, B., Hetz, H., Soong, H., Roberts, R., & Tan, G. (2021). Refugees rejuvenating and connecting communities: an analysis of the social, cultural and economic contributions of Hazara humanitarian migrants in the Port Adelaide-Enfield area of Adelaide, South Australia - summary report. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Soong, H., Reid Nguyen, R., Radford, D., Hetz, H., Lucas, B., & Wrench, A. (2021). Intergenerational refugee aspirations and academic success: from uncertain pasts to promising futures (full report): Corporate body:Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation commissioning body. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Soong, H., Redi Nguyen, R., Radford, D., Hetz, H., Lucas, B., & Wrench, A. (2021). Intergenerational refugee aspirations and academic success: from uncertain pasts to promising futures (summary report): Corporate body:Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation commissioning body. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2018 Radford, D., Wilding, R., Moran, A., & Boese, M. (2018). Rural and regional mobilities: exploring the impact of (im)mobilities on rural and regional communities [summary report]. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2017 Ahmad, M., & Radford, D. (2017). Designing aged care for Muslims in South Australia: an exploratory study. Australia: ACH Group.

Courses I teach

  • HUMS 2038 Migration, Diversity and Belonging (2025)
  • SOCU 3038 Society and Identity in Crisis (2025)
  • HUMS 2038 Migration, Diversity and Belonging (2024)
  • SOCU 3038 Society and Identity in Crisis (2024)

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