Cultural competence in supporting Cambodians recovering from conflict. This project will (1) reduce the impact of conflict for the next generation, a key to a healthy start to life and ageing well (2) guide interventions in regional settings (3) inform guidelines for refugee programs in Australia (4) highlight culture as redressing weakened traditional support structures of survivors of war in Australia and the region, supporting the Government's welfare reform and participation agendas (5) equi ....Cultural competence in supporting Cambodians recovering from conflict. This project will (1) reduce the impact of conflict for the next generation, a key to a healthy start to life and ageing well (2) guide interventions in regional settings (3) inform guidelines for refugee programs in Australia (4) highlight culture as redressing weakened traditional support structures of survivors of war in Australia and the region, supporting the Government's welfare reform and participation agendas (5) equip Australia to understand insecurities of globalisation and what survivors of war can be driven to do - unless their culture is used as an asset rather than a source of terror (6) enhance Australia's capacity to engage with its cultural environment (7) enhance capacity for AusAID to interpret itself to the rest of the world.Read moreRead less
Spiritual Ecologies and Customary Governance in Post-conflict East Timor. This project examines the dynamics of a 'return to custom’ in post-conflict East Timor: a set of practices connecting ancestral house communities with complex ecologies upon which people's livelihoods and well-being depend. Drawing on extensive background experience and detailed comparative studies, the project plans to consider the contribution of custom and its inter-generational legacies to the development of sustainabl ....Spiritual Ecologies and Customary Governance in Post-conflict East Timor. This project examines the dynamics of a 'return to custom’ in post-conflict East Timor: a set of practices connecting ancestral house communities with complex ecologies upon which people's livelihoods and well-being depend. Drawing on extensive background experience and detailed comparative studies, the project plans to consider the contribution of custom and its inter-generational legacies to the development of sustainable social and environmental policies of governance. The project is designed to be both a timely study of social renewal in post-conflict societies, and a contribution to the possibilities of sustainable environmental and resource management in East Timor and the wider region.Read moreRead less
Angulimala walks - from understanding violence in Cambodia to building cultural competence in Australian international development. The purpose of this project is to make sure that people affected by violence in formerly war-torn countries like Cambodia (including those who migrated to Australia) are helped in culturally appropriate ways. The project will lead to a framework for 'cultural competence' to be used by Australia's international development and health sectors.
Under New Leadership: A study of the composition, behaviour and interactions of cultural, religious and political elites in democratic Indonesia. Good communication, mutual understanding and sound working relationships between Indonesian and Australian elites are vital for maintaining fruitful diplomatic relations. Such relations, however, are often impeded by cultural differences and a lack of understanding of informal political processes in Indonesia, all the more so in the current context of ....Under New Leadership: A study of the composition, behaviour and interactions of cultural, religious and political elites in democratic Indonesia. Good communication, mutual understanding and sound working relationships between Indonesian and Australian elites are vital for maintaining fruitful diplomatic relations. Such relations, however, are often impeded by cultural differences and a lack of understanding of informal political processes in Indonesia, all the more so in the current context of tensions between Muslim and Western nations. This study explores religious and other cultural factors that shape aspects of behaviour of Indonesian leaders that puzzle their Australian counterparts. It will shed light on the visions that direct Indonesia's most influential people in their thinking about the future of their nation and its relations with Australia.Read moreRead less
Vulnerability and resilience in Indonesian women suffering from cancer. This project aims to investigate the social processes shaping middle-aged women’s vulnerability and resilience to cervical cancer in Indonesia. This project will generate a new interdisciplinary approach to investigating how different factors such as age, socioeconomic status and gender intersect to influence women’s vulnerability across their life course. The project will provide significant research training for Australian ....Vulnerability and resilience in Indonesian women suffering from cancer. This project aims to investigate the social processes shaping middle-aged women’s vulnerability and resilience to cervical cancer in Indonesia. This project will generate a new interdisciplinary approach to investigating how different factors such as age, socioeconomic status and gender intersect to influence women’s vulnerability across their life course. The project will provide significant research training for Australians and Indonesians, extensive international collaboration, and a better understanding of how to reduce health disparities among vulnerable groups.Read moreRead less
Medical travel in Asia: Therapeutic quests for hearts and hips. This project is of relevance to Australia not only as a source country of medical tourists seeking services overseas but as a country increasingly concerned to market its services in the region. An empirical study of this trade will provide greater understanding of the social impact of medical travel for our citizens. As an ageing population, it is expected that increased numbers of Australians may choose to pursue such treatments i ....Medical travel in Asia: Therapeutic quests for hearts and hips. This project is of relevance to Australia not only as a source country of medical tourists seeking services overseas but as a country increasingly concerned to market its services in the region. An empirical study of this trade will provide greater understanding of the social impact of medical travel for our citizens. As an ageing population, it is expected that increased numbers of Australians may choose to pursue such treatments in the region. This study will contribute to Research Priority Four through a better economic, social and political understanding of our region. It will enhance Australia's international reputation for scholarship in the social sciences.Read moreRead less
Contraceptive technologies and reproductive choice among immigrant women. New immigrant and refugee women often have poor access to information, advice and support about contraceptive choices. Working with key immigrant and sexual health partner organisations, this project will identify ways to enhance choice and agency to ensure accessible services and optimal outcomes for women and their families.
From foraging to farming. Human adaptations during major transitions. This project aims to investigate the causes that led to the human demographic explosion occurred during the Neolithic Revolution by analysing dental tissues through cutting-edge methods. This project expects to generate novel insights about the diet, health and weaning practices in Mediterranean human populations from the last 30,000 years. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of new data on early life dietar ....From foraging to farming. Human adaptations during major transitions. This project aims to investigate the causes that led to the human demographic explosion occurred during the Neolithic Revolution by analysing dental tissues through cutting-edge methods. This project expects to generate novel insights about the diet, health and weaning practices in Mediterranean human populations from the last 30,000 years. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of new data on early life dietary transitions in archaeological populations, enhancing capacity to build interdisciplinary collaborations, and refining methods and concepts to study the diet of the past. This should provide significant benefits to Australian research in evolutionary anthropology, nutrition and in dentistry.Read moreRead less
Infertility, IVF and reproductive tourism in Thailand and the region. This project will deepen our knowledge of the cross-cultural issues involved in infertility and the transfer of assisted reproductive technologies in the Asian region. Australian IVF expertise and technology is exported overseas and the project will reflect upon the processes and dilemmas involved in this. Innovative work on reproductive tourism will develop new theoretical insights as well as describe a growing social phenome ....Infertility, IVF and reproductive tourism in Thailand and the region. This project will deepen our knowledge of the cross-cultural issues involved in infertility and the transfer of assisted reproductive technologies in the Asian region. Australian IVF expertise and technology is exported overseas and the project will reflect upon the processes and dilemmas involved in this. Innovative work on reproductive tourism will develop new theoretical insights as well as describe a growing social phenomenon in our region. Read moreRead less
Sea-level rise and everyday lives in small island states. This project aims to advance understanding of the impacts of sea-level rise and associated policy responses on the everyday lives of island communities. Focusing on village relocation in Fiji and fortification and land reclamation in the Maldives, the project will analyse people's changing everyday experiences and practices. The project seeks to enable international and interdisciplinary collaborations, and to produce new knowledge on the ....Sea-level rise and everyday lives in small island states. This project aims to advance understanding of the impacts of sea-level rise and associated policy responses on the everyday lives of island communities. Focusing on village relocation in Fiji and fortification and land reclamation in the Maldives, the project will analyse people's changing everyday experiences and practices. The project seeks to enable international and interdisciplinary collaborations, and to produce new knowledge on the opportunities and challenges of diverse policy responses to sea-level rise. The project’s findings will be beneficial for countries facing the threat of sea-level rise, as well as national governments and international agencies that support and fund climate adaptation.Read moreRead less