Immigration and parenting among Cambodian and Iraqi women in Australia. Immigration will continue to contribute to Australia's social, cultural and economic fabric. By provide immigrant women with the opportunity to articulate their lived experiences as immigrants and mothers, this study will contribute to our understanding of ways to enhance their social inclusion and resilience. By identifying ways to support newly settled women and their families, the study will contribute to policies and pro ....Immigration and parenting among Cambodian and Iraqi women in Australia. Immigration will continue to contribute to Australia's social, cultural and economic fabric. By provide immigrant women with the opportunity to articulate their lived experiences as immigrants and mothers, this study will contribute to our understanding of ways to enhance their social inclusion and resilience. By identifying ways to support newly settled women and their families, the study will contribute to policies and programs, ensuring a healthy start to life for their children and promoting and maintaining their health, with economic and social benefits to Australia as a whole.Read moreRead less
Local responses to the threat of HIV/AIDS in the logging concessions in the Western Province, PNG. This research takes place in the logging concessions of the Western Province of PNG - a province that borders Australia. Our project will investigate some factors influencing people's sexual behaviour in the logging concessions. Because of their capacity to attract migrant labour these logging concessions are potential 'hot-spots' for the transmission of HIV/AIDS throughout PNG and towards Australi ....Local responses to the threat of HIV/AIDS in the logging concessions in the Western Province, PNG. This research takes place in the logging concessions of the Western Province of PNG - a province that borders Australia. Our project will investigate some factors influencing people's sexual behaviour in the logging concessions. Because of their capacity to attract migrant labour these logging concessions are potential 'hot-spots' for the transmission of HIV/AIDS throughout PNG and towards Australia. From our findings we will develop a community based risk-reduction intervention strategy that will help slow the spread of infections into the Western Province and Australia.Read moreRead less
Gender, family conflict, and suicide in rural China. The principal outcome of this anthropological study is an understanding of the social and cultural causes of suicide in rural China, achieved through close collaboration with Chinese researchers. This will enhance cross-cultural awareness and build cooperative institutional ties with China, both of which are crucial to Australia's development and security in the region. The project will make a major contribution to a global re-conceptualisatio ....Gender, family conflict, and suicide in rural China. The principal outcome of this anthropological study is an understanding of the social and cultural causes of suicide in rural China, achieved through close collaboration with Chinese researchers. This will enhance cross-cultural awareness and build cooperative institutional ties with China, both of which are crucial to Australia's development and security in the region. The project will make a major contribution to a global re-conceptualisation of suicide as a social, as well as a mental health problem, and will raise the profile of Australian institutions in suicide studies, gender studies, anthropology, and Asian studies. Through postgraduate training, the project will also help build much-needed research capacity.Read moreRead less
Christianity, conflict, and culture: an anthropological investigation of the political role of churches in Solomon Islands. This project contributes to a better understanding of one of Australia's closest neighbours, Solomon Islands. This nation, the site of political turmoil in recent years, is now the focus of an Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission. Many scholars and policy makers have commented on the importance of Christian organizations during the crisis in Solomon Islands and the ne ....Christianity, conflict, and culture: an anthropological investigation of the political role of churches in Solomon Islands. This project contributes to a better understanding of one of Australia's closest neighbours, Solomon Islands. This nation, the site of political turmoil in recent years, is now the focus of an Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission. Many scholars and policy makers have commented on the importance of Christian organizations during the crisis in Solomon Islands and the need to incorporate them in current attempts to restore stability and prosperity. However, most discussions are not informed by an understanding indigenous Christian belief and practice, a lacuna that this project aims to fill by providing an ethnographic investigation of how church-linked groups engage with secular national and international organizations. Read moreRead less
Sisters and Sojourners: Stories of Rural Women in Urban China. A large increase in unofficial rural to urban migration has been one of the most significant aspects of social change in China in the last two decades. This project aims to advance our understanding of this phenomenon through a study of rural Chinese women's experiences of migration to the city, and in particular, the effects of migration upon their sense of identity, worldview and relationships with others. The project will involv ....Sisters and Sojourners: Stories of Rural Women in Urban China. A large increase in unofficial rural to urban migration has been one of the most significant aspects of social change in China in the last two decades. This project aims to advance our understanding of this phenomenon through a study of rural Chinese women's experiences of migration to the city, and in particular, the effects of migration upon their sense of identity, worldview and relationships with others. The project will involve ethnographic fieldwork, centring on the collection and analysis of rural migrant women's life stories. It will result in the publication of a book and three scholarly articles.Read moreRead less