Profile
Dr Lesley Pruitt is Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. A Truman Scholar and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Lesley completed her Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degree at Arkansas State University and her Master of International Studies (Peace & Conflict Resolution) & PhD (Politics & International Studies) degrees at the University of Queensland. Lesley’s research focuses on recognizing and supporting young people’s participation in politics and peacebuilding and on advancing gender equity in policy and practice across a range of contexts. From 2016-2018 Lesley served as a Chief Investigator on a project including research, monitoring and evaluation of a DFAT funded program aimed at supporting and developing young women’s leadership. She has also worked with several programs aimed at supporting young people’s leadership for social change, including projects with a number of NGOs, such as the World YWCA, PLAN International, and International Women’s Development Agency.
Publications
Chou, Mark, Jean-Paul Gagnon, Catherine Hartung, & Lesley Pruitt. 2017. Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation: Combatting Civic Deficit? Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 162 pages. ISBN: 978-1-78348-993-0; 978-1-78348-995-4.
Pruitt, Lesley J. 2013. Youth Peacebuilding: Music, Gender, and Change. Published in the ‘Praxis: Theory in Action’ series. Albany, NY: State University of New York (SUNY) Press, 285 pages. Re-released in paperback in January 2014. ISBN13: 978-1-4384-4655-4; 978-1-4384-4654-7.
Pruitt, Lesley. 2021. “Children & Migration: Political Constructions and Contestations” Global Policy. 12(5): 592-602.
Pruitt, Lesley. 2017. “Youth, Politics and Participation in a Changing World.” Journal of Sociology 53(2): 507-513.
Pruitt, Lesley. 2013. “‘Fixing the Girls’: Neoliberal Discourse and Girls’ Participation in Peacebuilding.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 15(1): 58-76.
Pruitt, Lesley J. 2011. “Music, Youth and Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland.” Global Change, Peace & Security 23(2): 207-222.
Pruitt, Lesley. 2008. “They Drop Beats, Not Bombs: A Brief Discussion of Issues Surrounding the Potential of Music and Dance in Youth Peace-building.” Australian Journal of Peace Studies (2008) 3: 10-28.
