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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101531
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,592.00
Summary
Bewildering Animals: Towards A New Philosophical Ethology. This project aims to develop a new field of inquiry: philosophical ethology. Ethology is the scientific and objective study of animal behaviour. At a time of dwindling habitats and biodiversity loss, new insights into animal cognition, technology and culture have unsettled the traditional view of animals as merely reactive machines. The project aims to conduct a historical, conceptual and epistemological study of the sciences of animal b ....Bewildering Animals: Towards A New Philosophical Ethology. This project aims to develop a new field of inquiry: philosophical ethology. Ethology is the scientific and objective study of animal behaviour. At a time of dwindling habitats and biodiversity loss, new insights into animal cognition, technology and culture have unsettled the traditional view of animals as merely reactive machines. The project aims to conduct a historical, conceptual and epistemological study of the sciences of animal behaviour, and to provide conceptual resources for understanding human relations with wildlife. Its goal is to develop new insight into changing human and natural systems and contribute to debates in the environmental humanities and animal studies.Read moreRead less
Rethinking Zoo Biology: The Histories, Effects and Futures of Captivity. This project aims to transform our understanding of the captive management of wild animals by examining the histories, effects and potential futures of zoo biology. It expects to clarify, synthesise and generate knowledge in the history and philosophy of zoo biology using interdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of human and animal lives. Expected outcomes of this project include international and interdisciplinary ....Rethinking Zoo Biology: The Histories, Effects and Futures of Captivity. This project aims to transform our understanding of the captive management of wild animals by examining the histories, effects and potential futures of zoo biology. It expects to clarify, synthesise and generate knowledge in the history and philosophy of zoo biology using interdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of human and animal lives. Expected outcomes of this project include international and interdisciplinary collaborations that will develop sophisticated methods and conceptual resources for understanding and improving human-wildlife relations. This will provide significant environmental and social benefits, protecting threatened biological communities and helping them to flourish alongside people in changing conditions.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100918
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
The Amphibian Ark: hope in an era of extinction . A fungal disease is driving hundreds of frog species to extinction. Conservationists are saving species in The Amphibian Ark, a transnational network of biosecure holding tanks and cryogenic banks of frozen tissue. This project will explore the political, economic and cultural forces driving the selection of certain endangered species to live in this twenty-first century Ark. The methods of multispecies ethnography will be used to follow frogs an ....The Amphibian Ark: hope in an era of extinction . A fungal disease is driving hundreds of frog species to extinction. Conservationists are saving species in The Amphibian Ark, a transnational network of biosecure holding tanks and cryogenic banks of frozen tissue. This project will explore the political, economic and cultural forces driving the selection of certain endangered species to live in this twenty-first century Ark. The methods of multispecies ethnography will be used to follow frogs and their fungal pathogens through the Ark, from scientific laboratories and zoos to recreated semi-wild ecosystems. Findings from this research will advance interdisciplinary scholarship in the humanities about extinction, redemption and survival.Read moreRead less
Film as Philosophy: Understanding Cinematic Thinking. The project benefits Australia by initiating collaboration between the disciplines of film and philosophy, establishing a network of scholars of international renown and a forum for their interaction to steer the future development of a significant field of contemporary interdisciplinary investigation. It will augment Australia's international standing in continental philosophy and serve the community by opening up a new research area that st ....Film as Philosophy: Understanding Cinematic Thinking. The project benefits Australia by initiating collaboration between the disciplines of film and philosophy, establishing a network of scholars of international renown and a forum for their interaction to steer the future development of a significant field of contemporary interdisciplinary investigation. It will augment Australia's international standing in continental philosophy and serve the community by opening up a new research area that stands to integrate film studies within the core of humanities education in tertiary institutions. This will ensure the ongoing relevance of philosophical and aesthetic research to contemporary cultural formations and stimulate ethical debates about culture and the mass media in the broader community.Read moreRead less
Consumer Culture: the influence of economics on modern theories and practices of sexual psychology. The project has implications for a wide range of public debates in Australia today, including debates about the ethics and psychology of the pornography industry and the pervasive use of the ‘sex sells’ principle in marketing and entertainment. It will produce new knowledge and understanding of how psychological theory has been used to rationalise the commercialisation of sex in consumer culture a ....Consumer Culture: the influence of economics on modern theories and practices of sexual psychology. The project has implications for a wide range of public debates in Australia today, including debates about the ethics and psychology of the pornography industry and the pervasive use of the ‘sex sells’ principle in marketing and entertainment. It will produce new knowledge and understanding of how psychological theory has been used to rationalise the commercialisation of sex in consumer culture and how modern rhetoric of sexual liberation have been shaped by the very economic concerns they purport to repudiate. Finally, the project will advance the knowledge-base of key disciplines in the new humanities and enhance Australia's reputation for groundbreaking research in cultural history and analysis.Read moreRead less
Contact zones: activism, art and media in Italy, 1994-2006. This project will generate knowledge about recent activism, social change and contemporary art practices in Italy; it will add to Australia's international reputation as a centre of research on contemporary Italy; it will assist in facilitating cultural relations between Australia and Italy as already established in cultural and scientific bilateral agreements.
The Emergence, Development and Transformation of Media Ratings Conventions and Methodologies in Australia, 1930-2008. The media industry depends upon ratings. However, the ability of audience measurement companies to predict audience behaviour is in decline. Investigation into the conventions that govern the relationship between measurement and markets is now urgent. This project provides the first historical study of media ratings in Australia and internationally, the companies providing rat ....The Emergence, Development and Transformation of Media Ratings Conventions and Methodologies in Australia, 1930-2008. The media industry depends upon ratings. However, the ability of audience measurement companies to predict audience behaviour is in decline. Investigation into the conventions that govern the relationship between measurement and markets is now urgent. This project provides the first historical study of media ratings in Australia and internationally, the companies providing ratings and the media organisations using them. The study provides a detailed analysis of the emergence and transformation of media ratings in order to assist in the development of new practices and to promote better public and media industry understanding of the character, productivity, limits and challenges facing ratings conventions.
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The Wealth Effect: A cultural analysis of prosperity, financialisation and everyday life in contemporary Australia. Financial and real estate markets are now central to Australian family life. But current government policies to individualise responsibility for saving and borrowing decisions often exceed the individual capacity to manage complex financial choices and unknown market risks. Growing levels of home and property ownership bring new benefits but they also increase exposure to economic ....The Wealth Effect: A cultural analysis of prosperity, financialisation and everyday life in contemporary Australia. Financial and real estate markets are now central to Australian family life. But current government policies to individualise responsibility for saving and borrowing decisions often exceed the individual capacity to manage complex financial choices and unknown market risks. Growing levels of home and property ownership bring new benefits but they also increase exposure to economic downturn. For many households the Great Australian Dream of home ownership and prosperity has now turned into a nightmare. This project responds to the pressing need for greater understanding of these developments, and will advance our understanding of this new socio-economic terrain.Read moreRead less
Australia a space-faring nation: imaginaries and practices of space futures. This project investigates the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest for Australia. Combining ethnography and creative practice, the project analyses how a range of imaginaries of outer space are produced through a study of the development of Australia’s National Space Agency, the role of new venture capital firms in Australia, and ....Australia a space-faring nation: imaginaries and practices of space futures. This project investigates the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest for Australia. Combining ethnography and creative practice, the project analyses how a range of imaginaries of outer space are produced through a study of the development of Australia’s National Space Agency, the role of new venture capital firms in Australia, and scientific research on alien life in terrestrial analogue sites in Australia, the U.S and Chile. Research outputs will contribute to national research capacity in social studies of science, foster opportunities for international interdisciplinary collaborations, and inspire Australian public engagement with space research. Read moreRead less
Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes i ....Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes include generating original empirical data, building international collaboration, and creating a new conceptual framework for assessing contemporary photographic practices. The research will provide community benefit by enabling insight into the social and ethical tensions affecting photography in the present.
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