Democratization and conflict management in Eastern Indonesia. The proposed project directly addresses the priority goal of understanding our region and the world to safeguard Australia. Indonesia is not only Australia's closest northern neighbour and the world's most populous Muslim nation, but also the third-largest democracy and the strategically most important country in Southeast Asia. The project will greatly enhance our understanding of some of the least known areas of Indonesia and is int ....Democratization and conflict management in Eastern Indonesia. The proposed project directly addresses the priority goal of understanding our region and the world to safeguard Australia. Indonesia is not only Australia's closest northern neighbour and the world's most populous Muslim nation, but also the third-largest democracy and the strategically most important country in Southeast Asia. The project will greatly enhance our understanding of some of the least known areas of Indonesia and is intended to prescribe concrete recommendations for the Australian government and aid organizations to assist them in their endeavours to promote democratization and help prevent and/or resolve communal conflict.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,229.00
Summary
Cyber Repression and Political Protests in Thailand. This project investigates the impact of digital repressive technologies on activism in autocracies through a case study of online opposition movements in Thailand. The project advances a new conceptual framework for the analysis of networked counterpublics, which outlines the conditions under which social media aids or contains digital dissidents. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive study of interactions between the Thai State and Free Y ....Cyber Repression and Political Protests in Thailand. This project investigates the impact of digital repressive technologies on activism in autocracies through a case study of online opposition movements in Thailand. The project advances a new conceptual framework for the analysis of networked counterpublics, which outlines the conditions under which social media aids or contains digital dissidents. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive study of interactions between the Thai State and Free Youth Movement and a series of conceptual tools to assess strategies for collective action in digitally repressive environments. It will also provide a roadmap to assist civil society and policymakers in building resilience against cyber repression and reclaiming online spaces for progressive change. Read moreRead less
Understanding emerging strategies in regional migration governance. This project examines emerging bilateral strategies in border control that are based on public communication. It focuses specifically on public information campaigns conducted in Indonesia in which religious messaging (Islamic and Christian) is used to discourage Indonesian communities from assisting people-smugglers and asylum seekers en route to Australia. The impact and broader implications of these campaigns for regional mig ....Understanding emerging strategies in regional migration governance. This project examines emerging bilateral strategies in border control that are based on public communication. It focuses specifically on public information campaigns conducted in Indonesia in which religious messaging (Islamic and Christian) is used to discourage Indonesian communities from assisting people-smugglers and asylum seekers en route to Australia. The impact and broader implications of these campaigns for regional migration governance will be investigated through qualitative methods. The project aims to provide an account of governance at the intersection of political and religious arenas with significance for border control in the Asia-Pacific and for an advanced understanding of regional governance processes.Read moreRead less
The Jihadi, Revolutionary and Anti-war Fiction in Afghanistan, 1978-2007. Afghanistan is a key area of global security concerns. An analysis of three decades of jihadi, revolutionary and anti-war literature (1978-2007) will provide an understanding of how different political groups, particularly the jihadis, utilised literature to further their interests. Australia needs to understand the underlying cultural debates that persist in Afghanistan in order to engage effectively with regional securit ....The Jihadi, Revolutionary and Anti-war Fiction in Afghanistan, 1978-2007. Afghanistan is a key area of global security concerns. An analysis of three decades of jihadi, revolutionary and anti-war literature (1978-2007) will provide an understanding of how different political groups, particularly the jihadis, utilised literature to further their interests. Australia needs to understand the underlying cultural debates that persist in Afghanistan in order to engage effectively with regional security and counter-terrorism. Despite media controls, the jihadis promoted their cause through published literary sources, imitating the growing Islamic literature of the Middle East. Literature, with its compelling metaphors and allusions, remains one of the main forms of furthering or opposing Islamist goals in Afghanistan.Read moreRead less
ARC Asia-Pacific Futures Research Network. The ARC Asia Pacific Futures Network is an international vehicle for building research capacity in the national research system to enhance understanding of Australia, its region, and the world. The Network brings experienced researchers working in identified research areas and themes into dynamic collaboration with government and industry through structured programs, with a view to stimulating new research directions, partnerships and training opportuni ....ARC Asia-Pacific Futures Research Network. The ARC Asia Pacific Futures Network is an international vehicle for building research capacity in the national research system to enhance understanding of Australia, its region, and the world. The Network brings experienced researchers working in identified research areas and themes into dynamic collaboration with government and industry through structured programs, with a view to stimulating new research directions, partnerships and training opportunities. In its 5-year plan, the Network will focus on Governance and Security, Culture and Religion, Media and Communications, Health and Population, and Trade and Industry. APFN will also have the capacity to marshal expertise on pressing issues facing Australia and the region as a whole.Read moreRead less
Community Rule-Making in the Pacific Islands as Regulatory Innovation. Our study investigates the widespread phenomena of ‘community rule-making’ in Pacific Island countries, in which local communities engage in deliberative processes oriented towards development of new normative orders. Occurring largely outside of state-sanctioned authority, such processes may address social problems such as gender based violence, crime and poverty, and frequently occur in the context of other locally-driven ....Community Rule-Making in the Pacific Islands as Regulatory Innovation. Our study investigates the widespread phenomena of ‘community rule-making’ in Pacific Island countries, in which local communities engage in deliberative processes oriented towards development of new normative orders. Occurring largely outside of state-sanctioned authority, such processes may address social problems such as gender based violence, crime and poverty, and frequently occur in the context of other locally-driven attempts at community regeneration. Through collaborative empirical research in PNG, Solomon Islands and Samoa, our project will build an evidence base to better understand the potential and the dangers of community rule-making, and develop ‘responsive hybridisation’ as a new analytical framework to theorise about it.
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Women in Local Government: Understanding their Political Trajectories. This project aims to investigate the chronic under representation of women in Australian politics through a local government lens. It expects to generate new knowledge about barriers to female political representation, their political performance and pathways to higher tiers of elected office. By following men and women councillors across an election cycle, this research seeks to robustly compare and measure women's experienc ....Women in Local Government: Understanding their Political Trajectories. This project aims to investigate the chronic under representation of women in Australian politics through a local government lens. It expects to generate new knowledge about barriers to female political representation, their political performance and pathways to higher tiers of elected office. By following men and women councillors across an election cycle, this research seeks to robustly compare and measure women's experiences of local politics to develop a new framework to map and address obstacles preventing political equity. Expected outcomes include theoretical advances and a 'best practice' guide for achieving parity.This should provide significant public benefits by advancing female participation across all levels of governments.
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Reconciling nations: what can Australia learn from the international experience of democratic dialogue? This project will draw on international experience to explore the capacity for facilitated, democratic dialogue to revitalise the Australian reconciliation process. Using innovative case study research and an original applied theoretical approach, the project will develop new methods for resolving intercultural conflict in Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101113
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,103.00
Summary
Advancing gender equality through aid: Realising women's empowerment. This project aims to evaluate links between of aid programs and women’s empowerment in Southeast Asia. Women’s empowerment has gained substantial visibility as a global development objective, however progress has been slow. This project offers the first study of the political economy of the design, implementation and evaluation of aid programs for women's empowerment across development institutions, companies and NGOs. Explori ....Advancing gender equality through aid: Realising women's empowerment. This project aims to evaluate links between of aid programs and women’s empowerment in Southeast Asia. Women’s empowerment has gained substantial visibility as a global development objective, however progress has been slow. This project offers the first study of the political economy of the design, implementation and evaluation of aid programs for women's empowerment across development institutions, companies and NGOs. Exploring these dynamics is a key to understanding how aid initiatives can generate successful approaches to empowering women. The project will build on current practices to improve aid programming and place Australia at the forefront of donors’ efforts to advance gender equality.Read moreRead less
Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks. The project aims to explain responses to extremist attacks intended to sow division, and why some democracies prove fragile, succumbing to polarisation or exclusion of key groups, while others prove resilient by sustaining integrative, tolerant discourse. The project develops new knowledge through an innovative synthesis of cultural sociology and deliberative democracy to analyse nine cases of responses in the public realm to attack ....Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks. The project aims to explain responses to extremist attacks intended to sow division, and why some democracies prove fragile, succumbing to polarisation or exclusion of key groups, while others prove resilient by sustaining integrative, tolerant discourse. The project develops new knowledge through an innovative synthesis of cultural sociology and deliberative democracy to analyse nine cases of responses in the public realm to attacks. Expected outcomes include a new account of the democratic public sphere, and identification of how meaningful, civil communication whose health is vital to democracy, especially in a multicultural society, can be maintained. Benefits include identification of measures to counter extremist political disruption.Read moreRead less