The origins and trajectory of secularism in modern Indonesian politics. This reseach will provide both historical perspective and contemporary analysis of the vexed problem of secularism in Indonesian politics. It will provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the secularist bent in Indonesian political history and thinking, and will assist commentators, scholars and policy makers better to appreciate Indonesia's continuing struggle to create, construct and maintain a secularis ....The origins and trajectory of secularism in modern Indonesian politics. This reseach will provide both historical perspective and contemporary analysis of the vexed problem of secularism in Indonesian politics. It will provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the secularist bent in Indonesian political history and thinking, and will assist commentators, scholars and policy makers better to appreciate Indonesia's continuing struggle to create, construct and maintain a secularist polity. Read moreRead less
Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heri ....Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heritage of actions in countries of the Asia-Pacific region that were French colonies or that remain French overseas outposts.Read moreRead less
Contesting the sea: maritime territoriality in the Indonesian archipelago since 1850. This project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the seas that Australia shares with Indonesia. It will give policymakers and the general public a historical perspective on many questions related to maritime territoriality that concern Australia such as why the sea has become an important part of Indonesia's national identity, the impact that the drawing of boundaries in the Arafura and Timor seas has ....Contesting the sea: maritime territoriality in the Indonesian archipelago since 1850. This project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the seas that Australia shares with Indonesia. It will give policymakers and the general public a historical perspective on many questions related to maritime territoriality that concern Australia such as why the sea has become an important part of Indonesia's national identity, the impact that the drawing of boundaries in the Arafura and Timor seas has had on peoples who previously moved about freely in these waters, and why the Indonesian government has had so little control over what goes on within its maritime territory. The project will shed light on the tensions between Australia and Indonesia concerning the seas they share and lay the foundation for greater cooperation.
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The Underdevelopment of Malaita Province and its Relevance to the Current Crisis in the Solomon Islands. Australia's rationale for the 2003 intervention in Solomon Islands was to stop this 'failed state' becoming a haven for crime, terrorism, and drug and gun running. Australia has committed an estimated $A40 to $A45 million per year for the rehabilitation of the Solomon Islands over the next decade. Malaitans, one of the two sides in a civil war, are the largest, most influential island group i ....The Underdevelopment of Malaita Province and its Relevance to the Current Crisis in the Solomon Islands. Australia's rationale for the 2003 intervention in Solomon Islands was to stop this 'failed state' becoming a haven for crime, terrorism, and drug and gun running. Australia has committed an estimated $A40 to $A45 million per year for the rehabilitation of the Solomon Islands over the next decade. Malaitans, one of the two sides in a civil war, are the largest, most influential island group in the nation, but have not received development infrastructure commensurate with their level of importance. Developing a more nuanced and culturally and historically grounded understanding of Malaita will aid the national reconstruction process, and serve as a template for handling similar problems in the Pacific Islands in the future.Read moreRead less
The idea of Indonesia: a history. This project seeks to discover the origins of the idea of Indonesia in the mid-nineteenth century and to explore its trajectory through to the present time, with particular reference to the fate of the idea and the various manifestations it has taken since the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The outcome will be a monograph which will provide essential historical context and analysis for understanding Indonesia's current travails and prospects ....The idea of Indonesia: a history. This project seeks to discover the origins of the idea of Indonesia in the mid-nineteenth century and to explore its trajectory through to the present time, with particular reference to the fate of the idea and the various manifestations it has taken since the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The outcome will be a monograph which will provide essential historical context and analysis for understanding Indonesia's current travails and prospects as a unified, democratic nation state.Read moreRead less
The Racial Century. My aim is to produce an intellectual history of bio-politics in what I call the 'racial century' between 1850 and 1950 by studying the cases of Germany and Australia. Not only will the project contribute to the literature in social theory on race and 'modernity', but also to the recent controversial historiography of genocide and the Holocaust. It will offer a new way of linking eugenic thought and policy development (bio-politics) with nation building, imperial competition, ....The Racial Century. My aim is to produce an intellectual history of bio-politics in what I call the 'racial century' between 1850 and 1950 by studying the cases of Germany and Australia. Not only will the project contribute to the literature in social theory on race and 'modernity', but also to the recent controversial historiography of genocide and the Holocaust. It will offer a new way of linking eugenic thought and policy development (bio-politics) with nation building, imperial competition, and international and intra-national racial struggle, thereby transcending unproductive debates about the precendence or uniqueness of particular genocides.Read moreRead less
Assimilation and Empire. There are growing calls internationally for the integration of immigrant communities as a long-term means of combating terrorism. Through an understanding of the history of assimilation, this project provokes considerable scepticism concerning the current resurgence of assimilationist sentiment. The politics of culturally diverse societies are profound but they are not going to be solved by simplistic diagnosis. The politics of assimilation is not the solution to cont ....Assimilation and Empire. There are growing calls internationally for the integration of immigrant communities as a long-term means of combating terrorism. Through an understanding of the history of assimilation, this project provokes considerable scepticism concerning the current resurgence of assimilationist sentiment. The politics of culturally diverse societies are profound but they are not going to be solved by simplistic diagnosis. The politics of assimilation is not the solution to contemporary terrorism but part of the problem. Thus at the heart of this project lie concerns which directly address the National Research Priority, Safeguarding Australia.Read moreRead less
A biography of Roma Flinders Mitchell 1913-2000. Dame Roma Mitchell is best known for her outstanding succession of public achievements. A biography of a prominent and widely-admired figure is no innovation. But a biography of such a figure who is also a woman, necessarily moves onto new ground. It brings questions of gender, gender-difference, and the relation of both to public life and power to the fore of its analysis. This project will compose a biography which is also a social history, and ....A biography of Roma Flinders Mitchell 1913-2000. Dame Roma Mitchell is best known for her outstanding succession of public achievements. A biography of a prominent and widely-admired figure is no innovation. But a biography of such a figure who is also a woman, necessarily moves onto new ground. It brings questions of gender, gender-difference, and the relation of both to public life and power to the fore of its analysis. This project will compose a biography which is also a social history, and a social history which is distinctive because it is focussed on the life of a woman.Read moreRead less
William Blackstone: Life and Works. The life and works of William Blackstone (1723-1780) have been largely overshadowed by his enormously influential Commentaries on the Laws of England. This project will deploy new evidence to explore Blackstone's elusive personal life and diverse public roles, as academic activist and administrator, architect, historian, law reformer, legislator, linguist, literary critic and scholar, politician and judge. Contextualising Blackstone within the rapidly developi ....William Blackstone: Life and Works. The life and works of William Blackstone (1723-1780) have been largely overshadowed by his enormously influential Commentaries on the Laws of England. This project will deploy new evidence to explore Blackstone's elusive personal life and diverse public roles, as academic activist and administrator, architect, historian, law reformer, legislator, linguist, literary critic and scholar, politician and judge. Contextualising Blackstone within the rapidly developing scholarship of the British Enlightenment, the project's outcomes will include the first ever full-length scholarly biography, together with annotated editions of his largely unpublished correspondence and hitherto unexamined architectural writings.Read moreRead less
Being Famous in China: Celebrities, Heroes and Public Figures. This project furthers Australian understanding of our most strategically important neighbours, the People's Republic of China. The better we understand how it mobilises exemplars, and famous people for social cohesion or economic and political causes the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market. Celebrity systems are integral to advertising campaigns, therefore the better we understand ho ....Being Famous in China: Celebrities, Heroes and Public Figures. This project furthers Australian understanding of our most strategically important neighbours, the People's Republic of China. The better we understand how it mobilises exemplars, and famous people for social cohesion or economic and political causes the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market. Celebrity systems are integral to advertising campaigns, therefore the better we understand how celebrity is perceived the more likely we are to create effective marketing strategies for Australian exports. The project also enhances Australia's strong reputation as leaders in scholarship in Chinese Studies by producing research publications of high impact. Read moreRead less