LAW AND LITERATURE: A HISTORICAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY. This project is a comprehensive new study of the relations between law and literature from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. It examines the evolving links and the tensions between these two fields, investigating law's shaping of literature and the literary mediation of law across a range of periods and common law jurisdictions. In addition to its particular findings, it will contribute to theoretical debates about Law a ....LAW AND LITERATURE: A HISTORICAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY. This project is a comprehensive new study of the relations between law and literature from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. It examines the evolving links and the tensions between these two fields, investigating law's shaping of literature and the literary mediation of law across a range of periods and common law jurisdictions. In addition to its particular findings, it will contribute to theoretical debates about Law and Literature as an interdisciplinary endeavour. The intended outcome is a 100,000 word book, already contracted for publication.Read moreRead less
Exploration and Nation: the Cultural Impact of Exploration Literature from the Cook Voyages to the 'Novara' Circumnavigation. This comparative analysis of the cultural impact of the Cook voyages and the lavishly state-sponsored "Novara" expedition will improve our understanding of the international entanglements that affected the course of our history. Examining the broad cultural impact of publications about Pacific exploration will offer valuable new insights into the cross-fertilisations betw ....Exploration and Nation: the Cultural Impact of Exploration Literature from the Cook Voyages to the 'Novara' Circumnavigation. This comparative analysis of the cultural impact of the Cook voyages and the lavishly state-sponsored "Novara" expedition will improve our understanding of the international entanglements that affected the course of our history. Examining the broad cultural impact of publications about Pacific exploration will offer valuable new insights into the cross-fertilisations between colonisation and the formation of 19th-century nation states. A detailed study of how European nations employed the publication industry in their competition for colonial control will illuminate the conflicts over the boundaries of nation and empire and enhance the understanding of prominent issues in Australian humanities research.Read moreRead less
The medieval town imagined: representations of urban culture in medieval literature. As the size and number of towns in north-west Europe expanded from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, the cultural response to economic and social changes produced by urbanisation was articulated in literary texts. The project aims to examine ways in which towns and urban culture are represented in medieval English, Welsh and French literature, foregrounding the attitudes constructed by the texts towards town ....The medieval town imagined: representations of urban culture in medieval literature. As the size and number of towns in north-west Europe expanded from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, the cultural response to economic and social changes produced by urbanisation was articulated in literary texts. The project aims to examine ways in which towns and urban culture are represented in medieval English, Welsh and French literature, foregrounding the attitudes constructed by the texts towards towns, townspeople and the impact of the urban economy. The resulting monograph and database of references will provide new evidence for the competitive relationships between feudal nobilities and emerging urban elites.Read moreRead less
Medievalism in Australian Cultural Memory. This project will provide the first long-range analysis of Australian cultural responses to the medieval period, and the first comparative study of Australia's relationship with international medievalism. It will show how Australians have used reference to the medieval past, both favourable and hostile, to articulate our complex relation to European tradition and our aspirations to a distinctive national culture. The published research will offer an ori ....Medievalism in Australian Cultural Memory. This project will provide the first long-range analysis of Australian cultural responses to the medieval period, and the first comparative study of Australia's relationship with international medievalism. It will show how Australians have used reference to the medieval past, both favourable and hostile, to articulate our complex relation to European tradition and our aspirations to a distinctive national culture. The published research will offer an original perspective on the development of Australian cultural identity and will enhance public understanding of our British and European heritage, in the context of contemporary debates about republicanism, the monarchy, and ethnic and cultural diversity.Read moreRead less
Kadare post Communism: Albania, the Balkans and Europe in the Work of Ismail Kadare, 1990-2008. Albanians make up a small but important segment of multicultural Australia. Through the work of Albania's greatest writer and intellectual, Ismail Kadare, we can come to a better understanding of Albanians, their history and culture, and hence of Australia as a multicultural entity. Moreover traditionally Islamic Albania, with its Ottoman history and culture, is seeking inclusion into the European Uni ....Kadare post Communism: Albania, the Balkans and Europe in the Work of Ismail Kadare, 1990-2008. Albanians make up a small but important segment of multicultural Australia. Through the work of Albania's greatest writer and intellectual, Ismail Kadare, we can come to a better understanding of Albanians, their history and culture, and hence of Australia as a multicultural entity. Moreover traditionally Islamic Albania, with its Ottoman history and culture, is seeking inclusion into the European Union, Australia's major partner in trade, tourism, education and culture. Kadare's post-communist works on the subjects of Europe, Islam, Muslims and the West, and Balkan politics and history provide a valuable lesson on the interrelationships of politics, culture and patriotism in a global context for contemporary Australia.Read moreRead less
Gender, sexuality and class as represented in the literature associated with adultery trials in Britain c.1760-1830. Using an interdisciplinary methodology, this project will examine the texts relating to trials for adultery in Britain c.1760-1830. While they have been examined by historians of divorce, the trials have not been studied in their own right. They illuminate issues of gender and sexuality; the history of the book; Georgian architecture, domesticity and household structures; urban c ....Gender, sexuality and class as represented in the literature associated with adultery trials in Britain c.1760-1830. Using an interdisciplinary methodology, this project will examine the texts relating to trials for adultery in Britain c.1760-1830. While they have been examined by historians of divorce, the trials have not been studied in their own right. They illuminate issues of gender and sexuality; the history of the book; Georgian architecture, domesticity and household structures; urban culture, particularly leisure and sociability; master-servant relations; and class relations, particularly the impact of the rise of professional groups. The project will investigate the meanings of adultery as a contribution to the histories of sexuality, the public sphere and gender.Read moreRead less
From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representa ....From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representations. With its scope covering historical and contemporary, and popular and serious, the project will enhance Australia's understanding of Japanese literature, culture, and society. It will also be beneficial to studies of women, children, and adolescence in other communities including Australia.Read moreRead less
Psychosomatic Illness in Early Modern Italy: lessons for modern psychiatric theory and practice. This pioneering collaboration between researchers in humanities and medicine will investigate the ways psychosomatic illness was defined and spread in early modern Italy. Epidemics of such illness still occur today and have had a major social and economic impact on Australia in recent decades. Our project will draw lessons for modern psychiatric theory and practice from historical and cultural differ ....Psychosomatic Illness in Early Modern Italy: lessons for modern psychiatric theory and practice. This pioneering collaboration between researchers in humanities and medicine will investigate the ways psychosomatic illness was defined and spread in early modern Italy. Epidemics of such illness still occur today and have had a major social and economic impact on Australia in recent decades. Our project will draw lessons for modern psychiatric theory and practice from historical and cultural differences in the conceptualisation and communication of 'hypochondria'. It will shed light on a very contemporary ethical dilemma in psychiatry: should doctors lie to 'hypochondriacal' patients? It will also contribute to current debates on the role of disease labels and information in the incidence and 'infectiousness' of psychosomatic illness.Read moreRead less
George Eliot: the life of a pseudonym. Australia grew to nationhood during the long reign - from 1837 to 1901 - of Queen Victoria. Along with British law and customs, British culture migrated to the Australian colonies. The novelist George Eliot is a significant representative of the liberal humanist ideas and attitudes that reinforced the emergence of Australia's egalitarian, secular society. Analysis of the career of this Victorian cultural icon extends understanding and interpretation of an a ....George Eliot: the life of a pseudonym. Australia grew to nationhood during the long reign - from 1837 to 1901 - of Queen Victoria. Along with British law and customs, British culture migrated to the Australian colonies. The novelist George Eliot is a significant representative of the liberal humanist ideas and attitudes that reinforced the emergence of Australia's egalitarian, secular society. Analysis of the career of this Victorian cultural icon extends understanding and interpretation of an aspect of our national heritage. In addition, this project contributes to increasing Australia's already high international standing in the field of Victorian studies.Read moreRead less
Communications and National Identity in Early Modern France. This project addresses a fundamental question in current debates over nationhood - on what ideological and discursive bases nations are formed - by studying the roots of modern national consciousness in early modern France. It will examine the survival, indeed the reinforcement of particularist ideas about the French people and France within the universalist context of Enlightenment thought. Drawing on data bases constituted in the i ....Communications and National Identity in Early Modern France. This project addresses a fundamental question in current debates over nationhood - on what ideological and discursive bases nations are formed - by studying the roots of modern national consciousness in early modern France. It will examine the survival, indeed the reinforcement of particularist ideas about the French people and France within the universalist context of Enlightenment thought. Drawing on data bases constituted in the investigators' earlier research, it will study representations of the nation and national character in literary, philosophical, educational and political writings, and the role of the rapidly expanding communications system in the dissemination of these ideas.Read moreRead less