Adam Possamai | |
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Born | 1970 Belgium |
Residence | Australia |
Institutions | Western Sydney University |
Adam Possamai is a sociologist and novelist born in Belgium and living in Australia. Possamai is Professor in Sociology and the Director of Research in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia. He is the former Director of the Religion and Society Research Centre (RSRC) He is married to Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, and lives in the south-western suburbs of Sydney with his family.
Possamai is the former President of the Australian Association for the Study of Religions. He was the 2002-2007 co-editor of the Australian Religion Studies Review and is the former President of the sociology of religion section (RC22) of the International Sociological Association (2010-2014).
At present Possamai is researching the interrelation between migrants and New Religious Movements, the implications of consumer and popular culture on religion, law and religion, popular religion in late modernity, Muslim indigenous populations and Sydney as a post-secular city.
Possamai's undergraduate studies in sociology were undertaken at the University of Leuven, Belgium, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons). The topic of his undergraduate thesis was the Theosophical Society. He also obtained a Graduate Diploma of Education from the University of Leuven. He obtained his PhD from LaTrobe University, Victoria, Australia, with a dissertation on New Age spirituality. His dissertation won the Jean Martin Award for the best PhD. in sociology in Australia (1998–1999).