Rate My Professor Joseph Moran

Dr Joe Moran serves as a Lecturer in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Murdoch University, with a focus on community development. He is actively engaged in research addressing social issues in Western Australia, particularly the experiences of individuals living on low incomes. His work contributes to collaborative projects between Murdoch University and the Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS), emphasizing qualitative insights into financial hardship, poverty, and the adequacy of minimum wages.

Dr Moran is a co-author of the report 'Living Realities: Understanding Life on Low Income in WA, Part One,' published in 2025 by WACOSS in partnership with Murdoch University. This report employs a narrative inquiry methodology, approved by the Murdoch University Human Research Ethics Committee in December 2024, involving in-depth interviews with eight diverse participants from Perth metro and regional areas. The participants, aged from their 20s to 50s, included renters and homeowners earning around the minimum wage supplemented by government support. The project documents personal stories to highlight challenges in housing, food security, health, education, and leisure, informing policy discussions on living standards and gender equity. Dr Moran collaborated with Sophie Hantz, Emily Hull, Olabisi Imonitie, and Kylie Hosking on this initiative. The findings underpin WACOSS's submission to the 2025 State Wage Case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, advocating for a 4.5% wage increase amid rising costs such as housing (up 80% since 2020) and groceries (up 24% over five years). Additional parts of the series, including Part Three analyzing key themes, were in development as of late 2025. Dr Moran also teaches units on the theories and practices of community development and hosts related events at the university.