Dr Adele Webb is Research Fellow in Democracy and Citizen Engagement at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance.

An early career political sociologist, Adele's research considers how citizens think about democracy, when and why they hold ambivalent attitudes to democracy, and how subjectivities and the political unconscious affect their engagement with democratic processes. Adele has also published on Philippine politics, Populism, Post-Colonial Theory and Critical Interpretive methods. 

At the Centre, Adele leads the flagship 'Connecting to Parliament' initiative, which seeks to connect more Australians to democratic processes through facilitating deliberative engagements with elected officials. She also convenes the Co-design and Deliberative Engagement unit in the Master of Public Policy. 

Since completing her PhD at the University of Sydney (2019), she has held positions at Heidelberg University, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology, and has given invited talks in Australia, Germany and the Philippines. 

Adele’s first monograph, Chasing Freedom: The Philippines’ Long Journey to Democratic Ambivalence, was published by Liverpool University Press and Ateneo de Manila University Press in 2022.

Alongside her academic work, Adele maintains an active profile in public engagement. She has a track record of disseminating her research findings through high impact media commentary. 

Adele worked for almost a decade in the International Development sector, including six years as Executive Director of Sydney-based NGO Jubilee Australia. She maintains an interest in activism around global justice and has consulted for the UNESCAP and Griffith Asia Institute, and currently sits on the Research Committee of Jubilee Australia Research Centre.