Education for a Tolerant and Multicultural Indonesia. The recent shift towards fundamentalist Islam and upsurge in religious and ethnic conflict in Indonesia are matters of great concern for Australia. This project will investigate how education can facilitate peaceful multiculturalism in Indonesia and explore the potential for the co-existence of Islamic and secular educational systems. This research will improve Australia's capacity to understand our region's 'languages, societies, politics an ....Education for a Tolerant and Multicultural Indonesia. The recent shift towards fundamentalist Islam and upsurge in religious and ethnic conflict in Indonesia are matters of great concern for Australia. This project will investigate how education can facilitate peaceful multiculturalism in Indonesia and explore the potential for the co-existence of Islamic and secular educational systems. This research will improve Australia's capacity to understand our region's 'languages, societies, politics and cultures' (National Research Priority 4). Australia has been a world leader in expertise on Indonesia; we need projects like this to train junior scholars and thus sustain Australia's international reputation for excellence in Indonesian Studies into the future. Read moreRead less
Bolstering commitment to positive social change through group-based interaction. Building on an impressive series of preliminary results, this research uses small group interaction to bolster commitment to work towards long-term goals. The methods explored in the proposal have the potential to boost commitment in the public, private, and community sectors by identifying the key factors responsible for sustaining long-term change. The research is relevant for efforts to combat racism, and to incr ....Bolstering commitment to positive social change through group-based interaction. Building on an impressive series of preliminary results, this research uses small group interaction to bolster commitment to work towards long-term goals. The methods explored in the proposal have the potential to boost commitment in the public, private, and community sectors by identifying the key factors responsible for sustaining long-term change. The research is relevant for efforts to combat racism, and to increase community support for international development and environmental sustainability. Benefits are expected both in terms of the promotion of positive attitudes in society and in overcoming apathy within organisations.Read moreRead less
Rushdie Annotated: Definitive explanations of all obscure references in the Salman Rushdie corpus and extended critical commentaries on the author. In an Australia where the literary work of art now attends to issues which are multicultural, this reference text on Rushdie would show how crucial the creative use of language is in the formation of cultural identity. As a key spokesperson for liberal values, Rushdie and his works are informed by those communal values which have a direct bearing on ....Rushdie Annotated: Definitive explanations of all obscure references in the Salman Rushdie corpus and extended critical commentaries on the author. In an Australia where the literary work of art now attends to issues which are multicultural, this reference text on Rushdie would show how crucial the creative use of language is in the formation of cultural identity. As a key spokesperson for liberal values, Rushdie and his works are informed by those communal values which have a direct bearing on definitions of the Australian nation state. Ongoing debates in Australia about citizenship in a globalized world, about the relative autonomy of the literary work of art, about the links between culture and religion find valuable expression in Rushdie's works.Read moreRead less
Revitalisation Movements in Contemporary Indonesia: Nativist Reworkings of Custom and Religion in Reaction to Decentralisation, Islamisation and Globalisation. Australia needs to understand the ethno-cultural diversity of its neighbour Indonesia to appreciate the wider pluralist context in which political Islam, including the terrorist fringe (e.g. JI), operates. Understanding of emergent social movements among Indonesian minorities highlights the constraints upon political Islam and divergent p ....Revitalisation Movements in Contemporary Indonesia: Nativist Reworkings of Custom and Religion in Reaction to Decentralisation, Islamisation and Globalisation. Australia needs to understand the ethno-cultural diversity of its neighbour Indonesia to appreciate the wider pluralist context in which political Islam, including the terrorist fringe (e.g. JI), operates. Understanding of emergent social movements among Indonesian minorities highlights the constraints upon political Islam and divergent pressures upon Indonesian national integrity, crucial issues for formulating foreign policy. It also provides comparative understanding of Indonesian movements parallel to those harnessing Indigenous and migrant aspirations in Australia, which is central to domestic policies insuring minority rights in a multiculturalist framework.Read moreRead less
Refugees and Employment: Exploring the Effects of Visible Difference on Discrimination. This project investigates the impact of ?visible difference? (racial, religious, language) on the success of refugee resettlement in Australia, as measured by employment outcomes. Employment is a major factor determining positive resettlement, yet according to available data, our own research in progress, and anecdotal evidence, unsatisfactory employment outcomes are widespread among refugee communities (DIMI ....Refugees and Employment: Exploring the Effects of Visible Difference on Discrimination. This project investigates the impact of ?visible difference? (racial, religious, language) on the success of refugee resettlement in Australia, as measured by employment outcomes. Employment is a major factor determining positive resettlement, yet according to available data, our own research in progress, and anecdotal evidence, unsatisfactory employment outcomes are widespread among refugee communities (DIMIA 2002; Jupp 2001). However, few studies have been undertaken to explore this. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the research looks at barriers and facilitators to successful employment outcomes for refugees, from the point of view of refugees and employers. Results will be fed back to employers, employer agencies, refugee communities and government.Read moreRead less
Junction Zones: Practices of Coexistence in Australasia and the Pacific. "Junction Zones" addresses three key national concerns post-2001: regional relations, border protection and security. As Australia faces an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, new interpretive and policy directions are needed to provide more nuanced analyses of the region, taking sociocultural as well as political and economic factors into account and engaging multiple disciplinary areas. The project contributes ....Junction Zones: Practices of Coexistence in Australasia and the Pacific. "Junction Zones" addresses three key national concerns post-2001: regional relations, border protection and security. As Australia faces an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, new interpretive and policy directions are needed to provide more nuanced analyses of the region, taking sociocultural as well as political and economic factors into account and engaging multiple disciplinary areas. The project contributes to these ends by considering alternative understandings of place, conflict and displacement; examining how differences are negotiated; and identifying emergent political relations, social identities and cultural forms. It proposes fresh conceptual and analytical tools for understanding and responding to the region.Read moreRead less
Fostering the development of intercultural confidence as an integral part of university education. A better understanding of the opportunities created by social and cultural diversity in the context of internationalisation of higher education can lead to substantial educational and social benefits. The research will provide a conceptual basis for the development of innovative teaching practices, which capitalise on diversity to enhance all students', international and domestic, preparation for p ....Fostering the development of intercultural confidence as an integral part of university education. A better understanding of the opportunities created by social and cultural diversity in the context of internationalisation of higher education can lead to substantial educational and social benefits. The research will provide a conceptual basis for the development of innovative teaching practices, which capitalise on diversity to enhance all students', international and domestic, preparation for professional practice. It directly addresses the national research priority of enhancing Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment, through greater reciprocal understanding of the interface of diverse cultures and societies.Read moreRead less
A new history of Fascist Italy 1915-1945. I shall write a book, commissioned by Penguin in English and Mondadori in Italian, on the social history of the Fascist dictatorship. Utilising accumulated research and new material which shall be worked through from the archives in Rome, I shall show how ordinary Italians lived under a tyranny which purported to be totalitarian. Actually much long-term history survived in Mussolini's regime. The family, patron-client networks, localism, a special sor ....A new history of Fascist Italy 1915-1945. I shall write a book, commissioned by Penguin in English and Mondadori in Italian, on the social history of the Fascist dictatorship. Utilising accumulated research and new material which shall be worked through from the archives in Rome, I shall show how ordinary Italians lived under a tyranny which purported to be totalitarian. Actually much long-term history survived in Mussolini's regime. The family, patron-client networks, localism, a special sort of Catholicism, all conditioned life. Building on the international success of my ARC-funded biography of Mussolini, I shall again display the nuance and ambiguous humanity of Italian history.Read moreRead less
Facilitating Equitable Science Learning Environments for Multicultural Societies: A Cross-Cultural Study in Australia, Taiwan and South Africa. In our multicultural society, science teachers must be sensitive to the culturally-specific needs of students from different cultural backgrounds. This cross-cultural study in Australia, Taiwan and South Africa aims to assess culturally-sensitive aspects of science classroom learning environments using multiple research methods. This information will be ....Facilitating Equitable Science Learning Environments for Multicultural Societies: A Cross-Cultural Study in Australia, Taiwan and South Africa. In our multicultural society, science teachers must be sensitive to the culturally-specific needs of students from different cultural backgrounds. This cross-cultural study in Australia, Taiwan and South Africa aims to assess culturally-sensitive aspects of science classroom learning environments using multiple research methods. This information will be used to explore whether the size of discrepancies between actual and preferred learning environment (1) depends on students' cultural backgrounds and (2) is related to students' a) attitudes b) achievement and c) retention. Finally the study will examine the effectiveness of strategies for creating learning environments that are more suitable for minority students.Read moreRead less
Cultural linguistics and intercultural discourse. This project will develop a theoretical framework for the study of intercultural communication by drawing on the theory of cultural linguistics. Cultural linguistics is a recent sub-field of linguistics which has so far been applied to the study of mono-cultural, monolinguistic data. This study will bring the theory to examine discourse in a significant muli-cultural setting such as Australia. In particular, it will shed light on the nature of mi ....Cultural linguistics and intercultural discourse. This project will develop a theoretical framework for the study of intercultural communication by drawing on the theory of cultural linguistics. Cultural linguistics is a recent sub-field of linguistics which has so far been applied to the study of mono-cultural, monolinguistic data. This study will bring the theory to examine discourse in a significant muli-cultural setting such as Australia. In particular, it will shed light on the nature of miscommunication between people of different cultural backgrounds, which has often led to serious damage to human relationships. This will be achieved by explicating the culturally-constructed conceptualizations that people bring to their intercultural discourse.Read moreRead less