Mobile Culture: A Biography of the Mobile Phone. The Mobile Culture project will investigate the mobile phone as cultural object, investigating its history, cultural production, consumption, political economy and regulation. It will contribute new knowledge on the culture of a widely used new media technology, mobile communications. The study will provide fresh insights into central theoretical questions in cultural and media studies, such as the relationship between culture and technology, and ....Mobile Culture: A Biography of the Mobile Phone. The Mobile Culture project will investigate the mobile phone as cultural object, investigating its history, cultural production, consumption, political economy and regulation. It will contribute new knowledge on the culture of a widely used new media technology, mobile communications. The study will provide fresh insights into central theoretical questions in cultural and media studies, such as the relationship between culture and technology, and the use of political economy for cultural analysis. The study will devise innovative methods for new media study. Outcomes include a two-volume book, and workshop proceedings on mobile consumption, use, and policy.Read moreRead less
Skin Jobs: Biopolitics, Embodiment and Haptic Technologies. Haptic technologies use a combination of mechanical pressure and electrical impulses to simulate human touch, and have potential applications in a wide variety of fields including medicine, education, disability services, and entertainment. This project will contribute to the development of this technology, by locating the cultural meanings associated with touch and so enabling applications to be developed for specific audiences and u ....Skin Jobs: Biopolitics, Embodiment and Haptic Technologies. Haptic technologies use a combination of mechanical pressure and electrical impulses to simulate human touch, and have potential applications in a wide variety of fields including medicine, education, disability services, and entertainment. This project will contribute to the development of this technology, by locating the cultural meanings associated with touch and so enabling applications to be developed for specific audiences and users. The project thereby contributes to the development of smart technologies and, in its combination of resources from science and the arts, promotes a culture of innovation - both of which are essential to Australia's economic future.Read moreRead less
Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis o ....Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis of the role of the avatar, in consultation with industry, this project offers a unique opportunity to develop a wider perspective that will contribute to an understanding of the uses and policies for the digital economy.Read moreRead less
Young, Mobile, Networked: Mobile Media and Youth Culture in Australia. Mobiles are a common part of life for young Australians, yet there is very little reliable data about how these are used and their social and cultural implications - especially new services such as mobile music, cameras and television. The qualitative and quantitative data from this project will give a detailed, national picture of mobile media use, and will be highly valuable for Australian companies, policymakers, regulator ....Young, Mobile, Networked: Mobile Media and Youth Culture in Australia. Mobiles are a common part of life for young Australians, yet there is very little reliable data about how these are used and their social and cultural implications - especially new services such as mobile music, cameras and television. The qualitative and quantitative data from this project will give a detailed, national picture of mobile media use, and will be highly valuable for Australian companies, policymakers, regulators, non-governmental organizations as well as researchers. It will provide new knowledge to inform planning and innovation, and contribute to a better understanding of the social and cultural implications of mobile technologies.Read moreRead less
Data Centres and the Governance of Labour and Territory. Focusing on data centres in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, the project aims to advance understandings of how these facilities are transforming ways of living and working in the Asia Pacific. Without data centres the world stops; these infrastructures are the core components of a rapidly expanding but rarely discussed digital storage and management industry that has become critical to global economy and society. The intended outcome of th ....Data Centres and the Governance of Labour and Territory. Focusing on data centres in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, the project aims to advance understandings of how these facilities are transforming ways of living and working in the Asia Pacific. Without data centres the world stops; these infrastructures are the core components of a rapidly expanding but rarely discussed digital storage and management industry that has become critical to global economy and society. The intended outcome of the project is a broadening of debates and research practices relevant to policymaking on the digital economy. The expected benefit is increased public knowledge about the social and cultural effects of data-driven economic change and, in particular, the growing importance of private data infrastructures.Read moreRead less
Logistics as global governance: labour, software and infrastructure along the new Silk Road. Australia's regional and economic position is changing with the growth of China-centred networks of trade and production. This project will increase public knowledge about how these changes affect our cultural and working lives. Digital strategies will inform citizens about the pressures and opportunities occasioned by expanding Asian trade power.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100486
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,182.00
Summary
Drone witnessing: technologies of perception in war and culture. This project aims to investigate how drones and other technologies of perception are changing how we bear witness and determine the meaning, importance and truth of events. The project will generate new knowledge about the impact of drone warfare and drone technologies on forms and processes of witnessing by analysing both primary and creative texts and by conducting field research into new practices of testimony. Anticipated outco ....Drone witnessing: technologies of perception in war and culture. This project aims to investigate how drones and other technologies of perception are changing how we bear witness and determine the meaning, importance and truth of events. The project will generate new knowledge about the impact of drone warfare and drone technologies on forms and processes of witnessing by analysing both primary and creative texts and by conducting field research into new practices of testimony. Anticipated outcomes include a critical and conceptual framework for witnessing, new terms to inform public debates about the cultural impact of increased reliance on drones in war and culture, and new channels for knowledge exchange between drone and autonomous system designers, humanities scholars and creative practitioners.Read moreRead less
Museum, field, metropolis, colony: practices of social governance. This project studies early twentieth-century Australian museums comparatively by considering parallel developments in Europe, North America, and New Zealand. Examining the relations between anthropological collections and social governance in colonial and metropolitan settings, it highlights the roles of museums in culturally diverse societies.
The Life of Language and the Language of Life: reconsidering the division between the sciences and the humanities. This innovative theoretical approach will enable a close analysis of the common foundational concepts that connect the empirical and interpretive sciences. It will:
i) contribute to the knowledge base of the sociology and philosophy of science and social theory so that Australia is a leading expert in this field of inquiry.
ii) further the unique contribution of Australian 'femin ....The Life of Language and the Language of Life: reconsidering the division between the sciences and the humanities. This innovative theoretical approach will enable a close analysis of the common foundational concepts that connect the empirical and interpretive sciences. It will:
i) contribute to the knowledge base of the sociology and philosophy of science and social theory so that Australia is a leading expert in this field of inquiry.
ii) further the unique contribution of Australian 'feminisms of the body' to the ethical and political questions that surround the foundations of biological life.
iii) initiate different styles of dialogue between social and scientific researchers that will encourage more informed debate about the direction of Australian technological innovation.
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Aboriginal young people in Victoria and digital storytelling. Victorian Aboriginal youth are using digital technology to tell stories, (which assert and affirm their identities), and also to produce and consume information in creative and interactive ways, that are relevant to them. This project on digital storytelling will support creative approaches for building digital literacy, while increasing understandings of Aboriginal culture.