Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship. This project will investigate male-dominated far right groups in Australia by looking at their intellectual underpinnings. The sociological focus is on how core ideas inflect tropes of masculinity and the phenomena of weak citizenship. This moves beyond a simple stereotype of angry, disenfranchised young men; to grasp the radical right-wing thinking that motivates them, and informs their hate rhetoric and actions. Using multi-me ....Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship. This project will investigate male-dominated far right groups in Australia by looking at their intellectual underpinnings. The sociological focus is on how core ideas inflect tropes of masculinity and the phenomena of weak citizenship. This moves beyond a simple stereotype of angry, disenfranchised young men; to grasp the radical right-wing thinking that motivates them, and informs their hate rhetoric and actions. Using multi-methods, we will explore attitudes, and use of transnational far right ideas to 'imagine' Australia. The project will generate new knowledge of how bonds of citizenship have weakened amongst men who define themselves at the margins; yielding insights into how masculinity is actively utilised as a recruitment mechanism.Read moreRead less
Creating better pathways into civic participation for young homeless people through sustainable accommodation and support program models. A sustained independent living environment is a significant contributor to health and well being. This project will offer new insights into how young homeless people use and experience supported accommodation and programs. It will recommend practical models for policy development, practice and service delivery.
A transcultural approach to belonging and engagement among migrant youth. This project aims to map experiences of migrant youth in developing and accessing trans-cultural capital, a set of skills, resources and knowledge accessed through multiple cultural repertoires. This will be undertaken through a comparative study of three highly diverse urban contexts: Melbourne, Birmingham and Toronto. The project will examine how trans-cultural capital can affect young people’s ability to instigate, nego ....A transcultural approach to belonging and engagement among migrant youth. This project aims to map experiences of migrant youth in developing and accessing trans-cultural capital, a set of skills, resources and knowledge accessed through multiple cultural repertoires. This will be undertaken through a comparative study of three highly diverse urban contexts: Melbourne, Birmingham and Toronto. The project will examine how trans-cultural capital can affect young people’s ability to instigate, negotiate and maintain socio-cultural connections locally, trans-locally, and trans-nationally. The project's expected outcomes will contribute to scholarly and policy discussions on migrant youth in the West and improve understanding of their overall social well-being.Read moreRead less
The civic life of young Australian Muslims: active citizenship, community belonging and social inclusion. This project investigates the ways young Australian Muslims contribute to community building and participate in civic life. It will provide information about their civic practices to assist policy makers and service providers develop effective methods to maximise active citizenship amongst marginalised young people.
Reading the Social Future of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. This project investigates how and if the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) is building social capital. It does this by interrogating existing practices and operations at the ARCBS and by surveying donors and non-donors. This project aims to develop a Deleuzian critique of the notion of social capital.
Young people and social inclusion in the multicultural city. This project investigates the ways young people cultivate cohesion and inclusion in multicultural communities. It will provide insights into their civic practices to assist policy makers and service providers develop effective means to maximise social inclusion, civic participation and community cohesion in culturally diverse societies.
Everyday Incivilities. The study aims to provide the best available evidence on the seriousness of everyday incivilities between strangers in public places as a social problem in Australian society. This will involve gathering self-report data from socially diverse Australians for the purpose of exploring social group differences in (i) the type and prevalence of everyday incivilities experienced, and (ii) the social and psychological costs of exposure to everyday incivilities. The information ....Everyday Incivilities. The study aims to provide the best available evidence on the seriousness of everyday incivilities between strangers in public places as a social problem in Australian society. This will involve gathering self-report data from socially diverse Australians for the purpose of exploring social group differences in (i) the type and prevalence of everyday incivilities experienced, and (ii) the social and psychological costs of exposure to everyday incivilities. The information gathered will be used to identify high risk social groups and public places, and serve as a basis for developing programs for reducing everyday incivilities.Read moreRead less
Institutional Configurations, Religioisty and Public Influence of Religious Institutions Muslim Societies: A Comparative Study. Religious fundamentalism is a growing and important part of social change in Muslim countries. Using current religious, political, and social conditions as contrasting environments the proposed research will investigate the competing theories of Islamic fundamentalism, sociological correlates of Muslim religiosity and public influence of religious institutions in contra ....Institutional Configurations, Religioisty and Public Influence of Religious Institutions Muslim Societies: A Comparative Study. Religious fundamentalism is a growing and important part of social change in Muslim countries. Using current religious, political, and social conditions as contrasting environments the proposed research will investigate the competing theories of Islamic fundamentalism, sociological correlates of Muslim religiosity and public influence of religious institutions in contrasting institutional configurations by focusing on the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey and Nigeria. This will be achieved through a study of random/purposive samples of respondents in the three countries using survey methodology. The objective is to develop a theoretically and empirically grounded model of social, political and religious trajectories of Muslim societies.Read moreRead less
Measuring and mapping the experience of racism in Australia. This is the first empirical assessment of the circumstances and frequency of the experience of racism in Australia. A telephone survey, 12000 respondents, and fieldwork in ten localities, are the major method. Spatial and social variations in the experience of racism will be analysed. Social construction theory will be tested as an explanation of such variations. Regional anti-racism packages will be developed and tested in the field. ....Measuring and mapping the experience of racism in Australia. This is the first empirical assessment of the circumstances and frequency of the experience of racism in Australia. A telephone survey, 12000 respondents, and fieldwork in ten localities, are the major method. Spatial and social variations in the experience of racism will be analysed. Social construction theory will be tested as an explanation of such variations. Regional anti-racism packages will be developed and tested in the field. Decision-support tools for local authorities and communities to combat racism will be provided. A unique racism database will underpin a scholarly monograph, doctoral dissertation and a series of refereed articles.Read moreRead less
The International Baccalaureate in Australian schools: a sociological case study. The International Baccaluareate is being adopted by many Australian schools seeking an alternative to state curricula. In current debates over a national curriculum, there has been federal government and media support for the IB as a prototype for policy reform. This project will provide the first documentation on the spread of the IB, its target student/family cohorts, school implementation issues, student experie ....The International Baccalaureate in Australian schools: a sociological case study. The International Baccaluareate is being adopted by many Australian schools seeking an alternative to state curricula. In current debates over a national curriculum, there has been federal government and media support for the IB as a prototype for policy reform. This project will provide the first documentation on the spread of the IB, its target student/family cohorts, school implementation issues, student experiences and outcomes. It will evaluate its claims about the preparation of students for new economies, global citizenship and identity.
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