A Federation of cultures? Innovative approaches to multicultural accommodation. This project examines how state and federal governments can better protect and support the values, beliefs and cultural practices of different cultural and religious groups, especially in matters concerning family life, community identity and freedom of conscience, within a framework of respect for human rights.
Discovering the fundamental metrics of political behaviour: African-Americans and their White Neighbours in an era of revolutionary change. Newly freed from slavery, African-Americans first voted in the 1870s; remarkably, their names and individual political choices still survive in the records of one American state. Using innovative software to track voters and map social networks, this project will reveal the dynamics of black and white voting in this era of revolutionary change.
Connecting social policy and urban planning for a low carbon future. Australia has one of the most carbon intensive economies in the developed world. This project aims to identify policy synergies between environmental, economic and social policies that can move Australia toward a low carbon economy and model of sustainable prosperity. The project plans to place questions about poverty, transport and urban planning at the heart of examining how developed nations can move past a high carbon model ....Connecting social policy and urban planning for a low carbon future. Australia has one of the most carbon intensive economies in the developed world. This project aims to identify policy synergies between environmental, economic and social policies that can move Australia toward a low carbon economy and model of sustainable prosperity. The project plans to place questions about poverty, transport and urban planning at the heart of examining how developed nations can move past a high carbon model of economic growth and city planning. It aims to use innovative research methods, such as cross-national comparisons, political discourse analysis, planning case studies and deliberative public forums to engage the community, scientists and policy makers in re-imagining Australia's future.Read moreRead less
Politics, media and democracy in Australia: public and producer perceptions of the political public sphere. At a time of widespread criticism of the role of the media in informing and enabling Australian democratic processes, this study explores the perceptions of ordinary Australians about the performance of the variety of media forms in which politics is reported, analysed and discussed.
Violence on the Australian Colonial Frontier, 1788-1960. How many Aborigines and settlers were killed on the Australian frontier? Were they mostly killed in ones and twos or in mass killings? How can we know? These questions are of first national importance in understanding the past. This project takes a fresh approach to frontier violence by employing new analytical methods to investigate the complex array of sources to produce new estimates of casualties 1788 to 1960. The findings will be made ....Violence on the Australian Colonial Frontier, 1788-1960. How many Aborigines and settlers were killed on the Australian frontier? Were they mostly killed in ones and twos or in mass killings? How can we know? These questions are of first national importance in understanding the past. This project takes a fresh approach to frontier violence by employing new analytical methods to investigate the complex array of sources to produce new estimates of casualties 1788 to 1960. The findings will be made available in online maps and transform our understanding of the ongoing trauma of frontier violence that persists in Australian society today. Read moreRead less
The 2012/13 Australian Election Study: volatility and electoral change. The 2012/13 Australian Election Study will provide both an in-depth understanding of general patterns of voting behaviour and a detailed, objective account of how and why voters made up their minds in this federal election. The study adds to the unbroken series of national surveys conducted after each Australian federal election since 1987.
The tensions for parents, educators and children in building a sustainable culture of ethical and respectful relationships early in life. This project will explore how parents, educators and primary age children understand sexual knowledge and develop skills in ethical and respectful relationships. This will involve analysing policy and curricula documents, interviews and focus groups with parents, educators and children from South Australia, Victoria and NSW.
Graham Berry and the making of colonial democracy. This project offers the first major biography of Graham Berry - Victoria's leading statesman of the nineteenth century. It uses Berry's life and career as a parliamentarian, newspaper proprietor, party-builder, radical orator, and federationist as a means of better understanding the development and significance of Australian colonial democracy.
The court as archive: rethinking the institutional role of federal superior courts of record. This project examines the institutional role of federal superior courts of record to ground an analysis of their responsibilities as curators of a significant national archive. It will provide principles for the administration of court records that respond to the competing legal and civic demands of contemporary Australian society.
Non-Indigenous pathways to reconciliation in Australia. International experience confirms that reconciliation is a fraught and challenging endeavour. Many consider the formal reconciliation process in Australia to have been a failure, yet the need for a more effective engagement between Indigenous and other Australians remains pressing, particularly in light of a forthcoming referendum. This project will draw on international evidence and new empirical data to examine the Australian experience o ....Non-Indigenous pathways to reconciliation in Australia. International experience confirms that reconciliation is a fraught and challenging endeavour. Many consider the formal reconciliation process in Australia to have been a failure, yet the need for a more effective engagement between Indigenous and other Australians remains pressing, particularly in light of a forthcoming referendum. This project will draw on international evidence and new empirical data to examine the Australian experience of reconciliation, asking how the process of reconciliation in Australia can connect to the attitudes of non-Indigenous people in ways that may prompt a deeper engagement with Indigenous needs and aspirations.Read moreRead less