A cultural history of Australian motor travel overseas. This project will add to our understanding of Australians' changing perceptions of the world, the way that Australian identity has been performed when overseas and the practice of motor touring.
It will be of direct benefit to the tourist industry and in contributing to our knowledge of Australia's relationship to the world and our region.
Country Girlhood: the meaning and experience of girlhood in rural and regional Australia. What meanings does Australian country life impose on or generate for girls, and how have these helped define both country life and girlhood in Australia? Looking at the experience of growing up in rural and regional (ie. non-metropolitan) Australia, and how governments and communities have sought to respond to and define it, this project considers how country girlhood has interacted with social policy and o ....Country Girlhood: the meaning and experience of girlhood in rural and regional Australia. What meanings does Australian country life impose on or generate for girls, and how have these helped define both country life and girlhood in Australia? Looking at the experience of growing up in rural and regional (ie. non-metropolitan) Australia, and how governments and communities have sought to respond to and define it, this project considers how country girlhood has interacted with social policy and other influences, and as a particular conjunction of age, gender, location, and community. Is there such a thing as Australian country girlhood, and how has it been shaped by or helped form Australian ways of life?Read moreRead less
Marking Masculinity in Australian Theatre, 1955-70 and 1985-2000: a movement-based analysis of performed masculinities in historical and cultural contexts. This project will chart variations and changes in the representation of masculinity in Australia during the second half of the 20th century, as revealed by a movement-based study of two contrasting periods of Australian theatre, 1955-70 and 1985-2000. Materials to be studied are written play scripts; film and video recordings of theatre perfo ....Marking Masculinity in Australian Theatre, 1955-70 and 1985-2000: a movement-based analysis of performed masculinities in historical and cultural contexts. This project will chart variations and changes in the representation of masculinity in Australia during the second half of the 20th century, as revealed by a movement-based study of two contrasting periods of Australian theatre, 1955-70 and 1985-2000. Materials to be studied are written play scripts; film and video recordings of theatre performance; and theatre reviews which comment on the performance of gender. The outcomes of the research, in the form of conference papers, scholarly articles and a jointly-authored book, will enhance our understanding of the social effects of masculinity, and of theatre's impact on social change in Australia.Read moreRead less
Whiteness: A Genealogical Study. We know so little about the white fathers of indigenous children and yet they remain a crucial part of stolen generations history. Bringing to the fore material about white fathers may further research on the possibilities of reconciling different historical accounts of Australian social life. As such, this research promises both intellectual innovation and practical societal benefits.
The Empire of New Idealism?: Civilisation and Australian New Idealism, 1850-1950. Philosophies, like people and commodities, travel the globe. This project traces the movement of British 'New Idealist' philosophy to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, its transformation into 'Australian New idealism', and return to Britain. It shows how the hopes of these first Australian philosophers for a global community overlapped with politicians and policy makers, and uncovers their shaping role in th ....The Empire of New Idealism?: Civilisation and Australian New Idealism, 1850-1950. Philosophies, like people and commodities, travel the globe. This project traces the movement of British 'New Idealist' philosophy to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, its transformation into 'Australian New idealism', and return to Britain. It shows how the hopes of these first Australian philosophers for a global community overlapped with politicians and policy makers, and uncovers their shaping role in the formulation of many social policies that remain with us today. It places Australian history and research at the heart of a new global vision of New Idealist studies and offers scholars, policy makers and educators the necessary background to more fully articulate Australian understandings of citizenship and civilisation.Read moreRead less
A History of Manners: Savagery and Civility in Colonial Australia. The lessons of the past are vital to Australia's future. In the twenty-first century, Australia faces the urgent need to communicate across cultural barriers, and to acknowledge and respect divergent codes of conduct and manners. The history of manners in nineteenth-century Australia helps us to come to terms with our contested past by illuminating the complexities of a colonising culture, and the difficulties of adapting codes o ....A History of Manners: Savagery and Civility in Colonial Australia. The lessons of the past are vital to Australia's future. In the twenty-first century, Australia faces the urgent need to communicate across cultural barriers, and to acknowledge and respect divergent codes of conduct and manners. The history of manners in nineteenth-century Australia helps us to come to terms with our contested past by illuminating the complexities of a colonising culture, and the difficulties of adapting codes of conduct to the needs of a young, disparate and ever-changing society. Exploring the limitations of Australian elitism and egalitarianism, it opens the way for diverse and inclusive understandings of identity and national character. Read moreRead less
At the Border: Health, Immigration Restriction and the Imagining of Australia, 1901-2001. This project traces and analyses connections between public health policies and immigration policies between 1901 and 2001 in Australia. It interrogates the changing regulation of Australia's population through border control and health screening of aspiring immigrants and citizens, as well as tourists, refugees and illegal entrants. Infectious disease control may well have been a major instrument through w ....At the Border: Health, Immigration Restriction and the Imagining of Australia, 1901-2001. This project traces and analyses connections between public health policies and immigration policies between 1901 and 2001 in Australia. It interrogates the changing regulation of Australia's population through border control and health screening of aspiring immigrants and citizens, as well as tourists, refugees and illegal entrants. Infectious disease control may well have been a major instrument through which movement over the national borders, and naturalisation into the population, have been governed and policed. The project will illuminate the significance of these interconnecting policies and practices for the historical, legal, and cultural imagining of Australia.
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The Concept of Innocence and the Political Community: Australian identity and social health. In recent years, dispute, and even violence, has erupted in Australia between cultural groups and interests. By analysing the import of 'innocence' in Western social thought, and the cultural values corresponding to it, the project promotes a rethinking of the assumptions that underpin (and often undermine) relations between different cultures that make up the Australian community. In so doing, the proje ....The Concept of Innocence and the Political Community: Australian identity and social health. In recent years, dispute, and even violence, has erupted in Australia between cultural groups and interests. By analysing the import of 'innocence' in Western social thought, and the cultural values corresponding to it, the project promotes a rethinking of the assumptions that underpin (and often undermine) relations between different cultures that make up the Australian community. In so doing, the project addresses urgent questions posed by contemporary philosophy, and implicitly within Australian society, regarding the negotiation of differences between citizens and communities. The project thereby contributes to Australia's reputation in the field of social philosophy, particularly concerning cultural difference.Read moreRead less
Community and identity in post-war European philosophy. This project will evaluate the political notions of community and identity in post-war European philosophy. Recent developments in international political relations have challenged accepted Western understandings of politics as the business of nation states. This project contends that there is much to be learnt in this regard from post-war European political philosophy. A notion of community has been developed that is irreducible to a polit ....Community and identity in post-war European philosophy. This project will evaluate the political notions of community and identity in post-war European philosophy. Recent developments in international political relations have challenged accepted Western understandings of politics as the business of nation states. This project contends that there is much to be learnt in this regard from post-war European political philosophy. A notion of community has been developed that is irreducible to a politics of identity and the anonymity of the global. In exploring this notion, the project aims to expand the intellectual instruments available to academic and public discussion in Australia.Read moreRead less
The impact of Aboriginal art on contemporary urban Australian art. With art people picture and shape their sense of self and national identity. In a time of increasing fragmentation of these identities it is imperative to better understand the shifting politics of representation in today's world. Australia's relationship with its indigenous populations has been the source of major divisions in the Australian community. By showing the positive impact of Aboriginal art on contemporary art, this pr ....The impact of Aboriginal art on contemporary urban Australian art. With art people picture and shape their sense of self and national identity. In a time of increasing fragmentation of these identities it is imperative to better understand the shifting politics of representation in today's world. Australia's relationship with its indigenous populations has been the source of major divisions in the Australian community. By showing the positive impact of Aboriginal art on contemporary art, this project will contribute to a more cohesive national identity. The publication of three books, a national touring exhibition and a web-based database will contribute significantly to the intellectual life of the country and bring this important achievement of Australian cultural life to the wider public.Read moreRead less