Dr Mark Davis - Researcher Profile

Mark Davis

Address

School of Political & Social Inquiry
Faculty of Arts, Clayton

Biography

 

Public responses to illness in changing societies

In the 1980s, health campaigns around the world pushed the idea that everyone was at risk of HIV. People were afraid and those diagnosed were seen as victims. Today, after decades of public awareness and better treatments for the virus, we are now seeing a decrease in public engagement with HIV. Dr Mark Davis argues that by looking at what has happened with HIV, we can see how social changes affect health care. 

 

 

Governments generated enormous public awareness about HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, but as time progressed, they found that, outside Africa, the pandemic was only affecting particular groups. This led to a decrease in commitment to public awareness campaigns.

As an example, Mark uses the controversial grim reapers advertisement, first aired in 1987. The chilling ad depicted an unearthly, mist-filled bowling alley in which people of all ages stood at the end of the lanes and were struck down by grim reapers – the bowling balls being a metaphor for the virus. It warned “if not stopped, [AIDS] could kill more Australians than World War Two.”

“The ad was inclusive,” Mark says. “But now when people watch it they don’t think it affects them and so support for high risk groups has stagnated.”

“In those times people felt at risk of HIV. Governments used ads showing the grim reaper to provoke fear in the public and encourage everyone to take action. However, today – because HIV is not affecting mainstream groups – we see a shift in focus or importance. Public sentiment has moved on. It’s also the case that our approach to health care has changed because what publics and governments think is important has altered.”

Mark says it’s not that we’re taking HIV less seriously than before but rather that we’ve become used to it. 

“Better treatments have changed how we think and feel about the virus, and some of us have grown up with it. So you can’t tell the same apocalyptic story about HIV that you could in the 80s. If you did, people wouldn’t take you seriously. My students find the old grim reaper ads a bit silly. They just don’t work in today’s society.”

Mark’s research examines public health care and social change in relation to HIV and other infectious diseases. Building on his HIV research, Mark is investigating public awareness and attitudes regarding pandemic influenza A (H1N1), in a project funded by the Australian Research Council for three years. 

Another of Mark’s current research interests is ‘biomedical identities’ and self disclosure – that is, how we manage personal biological or medical information in our relationships with other people.

“Is someone with HIV always obliged to disclose that fact to anyone, such as their sexual partner, their friends, family, at work, or for insurance? If a psychiatrist diagnoses their client with a mental illness, should the client share that information with others? If so, how do they share it, and what happens if they do?”

Such issues also come into play with the advancement of genetic technologies, such as portrayed in the 1997 film Gattaca, a film Mark shows in his undergraduate classes. What was then a science fiction story - regarding genetic screening, selection and discrimination - now resembles reality, with implications for us all.

 

Qualifications

EQUIVALENCE GRANTED FOR GRAD CERT HIGHER ED
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2007
PHD
Institution: University of London
Year awarded: 2005
MA
Institution: University of London
Year awarded: 1999
BA HONS
Institution: University of Queensland
Year awarded: 1984

Publications

Books

Davis, M.D.M., 2009, Sex, Technology and Public Health, Palgrave Macmillan, UK.

Book Chapters

Davis, M., 2010, Antiretroviral treatment and HIV prevention: perspectives from qualitative research with gay men with HIV in the UK, in HIV Treatment and Prevention Technologies in International Perspective, eds Mark Davis and Corrine Squire, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingtoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom, pp. 126-143.

Davis, M., 2010, HIV technologies, in HIV Treatment and Prevention Technologies in International Perspective, eds Mark Davis and Corrine Squire, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom, pp. 1-17.

Davis, M., 2010, Particularity, potentiation, citizenship and pragmatism, in HIV Treatment and Prevention Technologies in International Perspective, eds Mark Davis and Corinne Squire, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingtoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom, pp. 184-202.

Davis, M., 2010, Surveys, citizenship and the sexual lifecourse, in Contemporary Adulthood: Calendars, Cartographies and Constructions, eds Judith Burnett, Palgrave macmillan, United Kingdom, pp. 104-119.

Davis, M.D.M., Flowers, P., 2009, Myth and HIV Medical Technologies: Perspectives from the "Transitions in HIV" Project, in The Myths of Technology: Innovation and Inequality, eds Judith Burnett, Peter Senker, Kathy Walker, Peter Lang, USA, pp. 145-169.

Davis, M.D.M., 2009, Spectacular risk, public health and the technological mediation of the sexual practices of gay men, in Men's Health: Body, Identity and Social Context, eds Alex Broom and Philip Tovey, Wiley-Blackwell, UK, pp. 107-125.

Ward, K., Davis, M.D.M., Flower, P., 2006, Patient 'Expertise' and Innovative Health Technologies, in New Technologies in Health Care: Challenge , Change and Innovation, eds Andrew Webster, Palgrave Macmillan, USA, pp. 97-111.

Journal Articles

Flowers, P., Davis, M.D.M., 2012, Obstinate essentialism: identity transformations amongst gay men living with HIV, Psychology & Sexuality [E], vol iFirst, Taylor & Francis Ltd., United Kingdom, pp. 1-13.

Flowers, P., Davis, M.D.M., 2012, Understanding the biopsychosocial aspects of HIV disclosure among HIV-positive gay men in Scotland, Journal of Health Psychology [E], vol 0, issue 0, Sage Publications Ltd., United Kingdom, pp. 1-14.

Davis, M., Stephenson, N., Flowers, P., 2011, Compliant, complacent or panicked? Investigating the problematisation of the Australian general public in pandemic influenza control, Social Science and Medicine [P], vol 72, Pergamon, UK, pp. 912-918.

Davis, M., Flowers, P., 2011, Love and HIV serodiscordance in gay men's accounts of life with their regular partners, Culture, Health and Sexuality [E], vol 13, issue 7, Routledge, UK, pp. 737-749.

Flowers, P., Davis, M., Larkin, M., Church, S., Marriott, C., 2011, Understanding the impact of HIV diagnosis amongst gay men in Scotland: an interpretative phenomenological analysis, Psychology & Health [E], vol 26, issue 10, Routledge - Taylor & Francis, London UK, pp. 1378-1391.

Davis, M., 2011, 'You have to come into the world': Transition, emotion and being in narratives of life with the Internet, Somatechnics [P], vol 1, issue 2, Edinburgh University Press, UK, pp. 253-271.

Davis, M., 2010, Advancing biosocial pedagogy for HIV education, Health Education Research [P], vol 26, Oxford University Press, United States, pp. 556-562.

Petersen, A., Davis, M., Fraser, S., Lindsay, J., 2010, Healthy living and citizenship: An overview, Critical Public Health [P], vol 20, issue 4, December 2010, Routledge, United Kingdom, pp. 391-400.

Davis, M.D.M., 2008, Barebacking. Psychosocial and Public Health Approaches edited by Perry N. Halkitis, Leo Wilton and Jack Drescher, International Journal of Men's Health, vol 7, issue 1, Men's Studies Press, USA, pp. 100-101.

Davis, M.D.M., 2008, The 'loss of community' and other problems for sexual citizenship in recent HIV prevention, Sociology of Health & Illness: A Journal of Medical Sociology, vol 30, issue 2, Blackwell Publishing, UK, pp. 182-196.

Elford, J., Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Sherr, L., Hart, G., 2007, Barebacking Among HIV-Positive Gay Men in London, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, vol 34, issue 2, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA, pp. 93-98.

Davis, M., 2007, Identity, Expertise and HIV Risk in a Case Study of Reflexivity and Medical Technologies, Sociology: the journal of the British Sociological Association, vol 41, issue 6, Sage Publications Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 1003-1019.

Bolding, G., Davis, M., Hart, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2007, Where young MSM meet their first sexual partner: The role of the Internet, AIDS and Behavior, vol 11, issue 4, Springer, New York NY USA, pp. 522-526.

Flower, P., Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Rosengarten, M., Frankis, J., Imrie, J., 2006, Diagnosis and stigma and identity amongst HIV positive Black Africans living in the UK, Psychology and Health, vol 21, issue 1, Routledge, UK, pp. 109-122.

Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Bolding, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2006, E-dating, identity and HIV prevention: theorising sexualities, risk and network society, Sociology of Health & Illness, vol 28, issue 4, Blackwell Publishing Limited, UK, pp. 457-478.

Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2006, Heterosexual men and women who seek sex through the Internet, International Journal of STD & AIDS, vol 17, issue 8, Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd., UK, pp. 530-534.

Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Bolding, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2006, Sex and the Internet: Gay men, risk reduction and serostatus, Culture, Health & Sexuality, vol 8, issue 2, Routledge, UK, pp. 161-174.

Davis, M.D.M., Frankis, J., Flower, P., 2006, Uncertainty and 'technological horizon' in qualitative interviews about HIV treatment, Health, vol 10, issue 3, SAGE Publications, UK, pp. 323-344.

Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2005, Gay men who look for sex on the Internet: is there more HIV/STI risk with online partners?, AIDS, vol 19, issue 9, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, UK, pp. 961-968.

Rosengarten, M., Imrie, J., Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Flowers, P., 2004, After the euphoria: HIV medical technologies from the perspective of their prescribers, Sociology of Health & Illness, vol 26, issue 5, Blackwell Publishing, UK, pp. 575-596.

Davis, M.D.M., Rhodes, T., 2004, Beyond prevention? Injecting drug user narratives about hepatitis C, The International Journal of Drug Policy, vol 15, issue 2, Elsevier B. V., The Netherlands, pp. 123-131.

Rhodes, T., Davis, M.D.M., Judd, A., 2004, Hepatitis C and its risk management among drug injectors in London: renewing harm reduction in the context of uncertainty, Addiction, vol 99, issue 5, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., UK, pp. 621-633.

Davis, M.D.M., Rhodes, T., 2004, Managing seen and unseen blood associated with drug injecting: implications for theorising harm reduction for viral risk, The International Journal of Drug Policy, vol 15, issue 5, Elsevier B.V., The Netherlands, pp. 377-384.

Davis, M.D.M., Rhodes, T., 2004, Preventing hepatitis C: 'Common sense', 'the bug' and other perspectives from the risk narratives of people who inject drugs, Social Science & Medicine, vol 59, issue 9, Pergamon, UK, pp. 1807-1818.

Davis, M.D.M., Bolding, G., Hart, G., Sherr, L., Elford, J., 2004, Reflecting on the experience of interviewing online: perspectives from the Internet and HIV study in London, AIDS Care, vol 16, issue 8, Taylor & Francis, UK, pp. 944-952.

Elford, J., Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Sherr, L., Hart, G., 2004, The Internet and HIV study: design and methods, BMC Public Health, vol 4, issue 1, BioMed Central Ltd., UK, pp. 1-12.

Elford, J., Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Sherr, L., Hart, G., 2004, Trends in sexual behaviour among London homosexual men 1998-2003: implications for HIV prevention and sexual health promotion, Sexually Transmitted Infections, vol 80, issue 6, B M J Group, UK, pp. 451-454.

Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Sherr, L., Hart, G., Elford, J., 2004, Use of gay Internet sites and views about online health promotion among men who have sex with men, AIDS Care, vol 16, issue 8, Routledge, UK, pp. 993-1001.

Elford, J., Bolding, G., Davis, M.D.M., Sherr, L., Hart, G., 2004, Web-based Behavioral Surveillance Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A comparison of Online and Offline Samples in London, UK, Jaids-Journal Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes [P], vol 35, issue 4, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, UK, pp. 421-426.

Davis, M.D.M., 2003, IJDP commentary: qualitative research and harm reduction, The International Journal of Drug Policy, vol 14, issue 1, Elsevier Science B.V., The Netherlands, pp. 119-122.

Stephenson, J., Imrie, J., Davis, M.D.M., Mercer, C., Black, S., Copas, A., Hart, G., Davidson, O., Williams, I., 2003, Is use of antiretroviral therapy among homosexual men associated with increased risk of transmission of HIV infection?, Sexually Transmitted Infections, vol 79, issue 1, B M J Group, UK, pp. 7-10.

Davis, M.D.M., 2002, HIV Prevention Rationalities and Serostatus in the Risk Narratives of Gay Men, Sexualities, vol 5, issue 3, SAGE Publications, UK, pp. 281-299.

Davis, M.D.M., Hart, G., Imrie, J., Davidson, O., Williams, I., Stephenson, J., 2002, 'HIV is HIV to me': the meanings of treatment, viral load and reinfection for gay men living with HIV 31, Health, Risk & Society, vol 4, issue 1, Carfax Publishing, UK, pp. 31-43.

Conference Proceedings

Davis, M.D.M., 2008, Sexual practice, the commercial internet and public health, The annual conference of The Australian Sociological Association 2008. Re-imagining Sociology: Conference Publication Proceedings, 2 - 5 December 2008, The Australian Sociological Association (TASA), Australia, pp. 1-12.

Other

Davis, M.D.M., 2006, Reflecting on recent social research about HIV prevention, sexual health and people with HIV, Terrence Higgins Trust, UK, pp. 1-45.

Summerside, J., Davis, M.D.M., 2002, Keeping it to ourselves: Strategic directions in sexual health promotion and HIV prevention for people with HIV, Terrence Higgins Trust, UK, pp. 1-105.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
'The paradoxical reflection by the media of social attitudes about mental illness in Australia'.
Supervisors:
Davis, M (Main), Kokanovic, R (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
(Re)constructing HIV/AIDS in post-apartheid South Africa (1999-2008).
Supervisors:
Davis, M (Main).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Aboriginal health, cultural safety and medical education.
Supervisors:
Manderson, L (Main), Davis, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
After the apology.
Supervisors:
Ure, M (Main), Davis, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Experiences of transition to parenthood among Anglo-Australian/Tongan intercultural couples in Melbourne, Australia..
Supervisors:
Kokanovic, R (Main), Davis, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Health and Chronic Conditions: A Lay Persepective.
Supervisors:
Kokanovic, R (Main), Davis, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Smoking culture in Indonesia.
Supervisors:
Petersen, A (Main), Davis, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
The future of friendship: contextualising friendship and social networking in the digital age.
Supervisors:
Misajon, R (Main), Davis, M (Associate), Collins, F (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
The medicalisation of childhood: Family experiences when a child is diagnosed with mental illness..
Supervisors:
Kokanovic, R (Main), Davis, M (Associate).