Laura Dales

Laura Dales is a Senior Lecturer and Discipline Chair of Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia. She specializes in gender, sexuality, friendship, and singlehood in East Asia, particularly Japan. Her research explores intimate relationships beyond familial structures, with a focus on contemporary social dynamics.

Education and Previous Roles: Laura held a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009-2010) and was a Lecturer in Japanese at the University of South Australia (2005-2009). She earned an ARC DECRA (2010-2016) for her work on friendship and intimacy in Japan.

Research Interests: Her work spans Japanese society’s gender norms, feminist ethnography, and singlehood’s evolving role. She co-leads projects on pandemic-era singles in Japan (funded by DIJ) and authored a book on non-familial intimacy.

Awards: Recipient of the 2024 School Strategic Grant and prior JSPS/ARC grants. Her work aligns with UN SDGs addressing gender equality and social inclusion.

Advising & Grants: Supervises Higher Degree by Research students and leads grants like 'Beyond the Family: Relationships of Intimacy in Contemporary Japan'. She collaborates with institutions like the Osaka Gender Equality Foundation.

Labs/Teams: Engages in interdisciplinary projects with Dr. Nora Kottman and contributes to global networks studying singles’ social practices.