Cultural Politics in Victorian England: the Cowper-Temples and their circle. In an era of 'culture wars' across the English-speaking world (Australia included) the link between elite cultural attitudes and the formation of political agendas is a controversial one - easier to allege than to prove. This project aims to give a firm basis for exploration of interaction between cultural and political elites by going back to historical baseline. Taking the period of the coming of democracy in Victoria ....Cultural Politics in Victorian England: the Cowper-Temples and their circle. In an era of 'culture wars' across the English-speaking world (Australia included) the link between elite cultural attitudes and the formation of political agendas is a controversial one - easier to allege than to prove. This project aims to give a firm basis for exploration of interaction between cultural and political elites by going back to historical baseline. Taking the period of the coming of democracy in Victorian England as this baseline, it investigates the ways in which political insiders in that pioneering society grappled with the possibilities of harnessing cultural issues to shape political agendas.Read moreRead less
Warriors, Patriots, Traitors and Opportunists: Chinese Women and War. This project furthers our knowledge of the workings of the political, military and security scene in one of our most strategically important neighbours, the PRC. The better we understand the PRC and how it responds in times of military disruption the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market and ensure continued national security. The project also enhances Australia's strong reputat ....Warriors, Patriots, Traitors and Opportunists: Chinese Women and War. This project furthers our knowledge of the workings of the political, military and security scene in one of our most strategically important neighbours, the PRC. The better we understand the PRC and how it responds in times of military disruption the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market and ensure continued national security. The project also enhances Australia's strong reputation as leaders in scholarship in Chinese Studies by producing research publications of high impact that present new perspectives on old projects. This project will keep Australia at the forefront of research in Chinese Studies.Read moreRead less
State, War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1945-1954. The explosive experience of state formation, war and revolution combining together, thought by many to have vanished along with colonialism and the Cold War, now threatens to engulf the Middle East and/or Central Asia, much as it did Indochina fifty years ago. The largely untold story of Vietnam's 'Anti-French Resistance' in 1945-1954 offers plenty of policy warnings, if no prescriptions. Notably, those who argue that Australia's interests overs ....State, War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1945-1954. The explosive experience of state formation, war and revolution combining together, thought by many to have vanished along with colonialism and the Cold War, now threatens to engulf the Middle East and/or Central Asia, much as it did Indochina fifty years ago. The largely untold story of Vietnam's 'Anti-French Resistance' in 1945-1954 offers plenty of policy warnings, if no prescriptions. Notably, those who argue that Australia's interests overseas can be safeguarded by technology and big-power alliances, ignoring human grievances, contentious politics, mass movements and social upheavals, put future generations at risk.Read moreRead less
Assimilating Modernity: The Harmonisation of Liberal, Socialist and Conservative Thought in Modern China, 1921-1949. The project will enable Australian policy makers to understand the way in which Chinese intellectuals grappled with the issue of modernity and questions about liberalism, socialism and conservatism in the recent past. This is important because the Chinese elites are tackling similar issues today as they face the challenges of globalisation. Knowing the role of China's public intel ....Assimilating Modernity: The Harmonisation of Liberal, Socialist and Conservative Thought in Modern China, 1921-1949. The project will enable Australian policy makers to understand the way in which Chinese intellectuals grappled with the issue of modernity and questions about liberalism, socialism and conservatism in the recent past. This is important because the Chinese elites are tackling similar issues today as they face the challenges of globalisation. Knowing the role of China's public intellectuals and their way of thinking, both past and present, is critical to a further strengthening of Australia's relations with China. The project will benefit the wider community as Australians interact and deal with the Chinese intellectually and culturally, as well as in trade, politics, diplomacy and tourism.
Read moreRead less
Princes, power, and the battle for the past: official historiography in renaissance Italy, 1400-1500. This study will be the first in any language to investigate in a systematic way the official histories produced by humanists in the courts and chanceries of renaissance Italy. The study will present evidence suggesting that, contrary to what is usually thought, such histories were a key contributor to the development of modern historical writing.
Soviet Social and Political Crises in Perspective: From the Famine of 1931-3 to the Yezhovshchina of 1937-8. We will all gain from an improved understanding of some of the major historical developments of the modern period. But in addition to this, at a time when judicial proceedings are being suspended and extra-judicial detentions, and punishments are increasing, it is useful to consider the history of these activities in other societies. It is sobering to see what measures Stalin introduced t ....Soviet Social and Political Crises in Perspective: From the Famine of 1931-3 to the Yezhovshchina of 1937-8. We will all gain from an improved understanding of some of the major historical developments of the modern period. But in addition to this, at a time when judicial proceedings are being suspended and extra-judicial detentions, and punishments are increasing, it is useful to consider the history of these activities in other societies. It is sobering to see what measures Stalin introduced to carry out what he considered to be a war on terrorism. We need to be aware of the causes of Stalinism in order to avoid similar consequences elsewhere.
Read moreRead less
The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project ....The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project sets this detailed examination in the context of the extreme political tension in Indonesia in the early 1960s and more-deeply rooted patterns of violence in Indonesian society.Read moreRead less
Islam and identity in Java: the violent culmination and subsequent decline of communal conflict, c. 1920- present. This project analyses for the first time the culmination of politicised and bloody conflict along lines of Islamic religious identity within Javanese society - today 100-million strong and Indonesia's largest ethnic group - and the subsequent decline and depoliticisation of those religiously defined categories, c. 1920-present. This process has left Javanese society more deeply Isla ....Islam and identity in Java: the violent culmination and subsequent decline of communal conflict, c. 1920- present. This project analyses for the first time the culmination of politicised and bloody conflict along lines of Islamic religious identity within Javanese society - today 100-million strong and Indonesia's largest ethnic group - and the subsequent decline and depoliticisation of those religiously defined categories, c. 1920-present. This process has left Javanese society more deeply Islamised than at any time in its history. But conflicting categories might, in theory, be repoliticised. The 2004 election campaign will be crucial for this analysis. The resultant book will be the last of three analysing the Islamisation of the Javanese from the 14th century to the present.
Read moreRead less
Settler colonialism: a global history. Australia is usually defined as a 'settler society', but this term, while often being politically charged, is vaguely defined. This project seeks to place the Australian experience in its international context. In doing this, it will offer new insights into the past and future development of Australian political institutions and traditions. It will promote an appreciation of how Australian history fits within global developments and how a comparative and gl ....Settler colonialism: a global history. Australia is usually defined as a 'settler society', but this term, while often being politically charged, is vaguely defined. This project seeks to place the Australian experience in its international context. In doing this, it will offer new insights into the past and future development of Australian political institutions and traditions. It will promote an appreciation of how Australian history fits within global developments and how a comparative and global perspective generates new possibilities and insights for the writing, reading and teaching of Australian history. It will also stress Australia's important role in the development of this globally significant phenomenon.Read moreRead less
Family, Politics and Society: The Valori Household and Florence, 1380-1650. This is a study of one family's engagement in the turbulent and dangerous world of Florentine politics over nine generations. A study of the Valori will enable us to identify the political assumptions that inspired them and other Florentines to fight against the trends towards despotism. An understanding of these assumptions and the civic values they engendered will benefit our society's efforts to strengthen family bond ....Family, Politics and Society: The Valori Household and Florence, 1380-1650. This is a study of one family's engagement in the turbulent and dangerous world of Florentine politics over nine generations. A study of the Valori will enable us to identify the political assumptions that inspired them and other Florentines to fight against the trends towards despotism. An understanding of these assumptions and the civic values they engendered will benefit our society's efforts to strengthen family bonds, instil civic responsibility and combat the political indifference which, in the opinion of our political leaders, threatens to 'disengage the young from the democratic process' (Governor-General Michael Jeffery, 26-1-2005).Read moreRead less