A History of Taiwan. Taiwan, a middle-sized Asian nation with a population about twenty per cent greater than Australia, is one of four stable democracies in Asia along with India, Japan and South Korea. As such, it shares democratic values with Australia. We also have strong trade and investment relationships with Taiwan. China's claim that Taiwan belongs to China has made our relationship with Taiwan difficult, though in fact we have a strong 'officially unofficial' relationship with the islan ....A History of Taiwan. Taiwan, a middle-sized Asian nation with a population about twenty per cent greater than Australia, is one of four stable democracies in Asia along with India, Japan and South Korea. As such, it shares democratic values with Australia. We also have strong trade and investment relationships with Taiwan. China's claim that Taiwan belongs to China has made our relationship with Taiwan difficult, though in fact we have a strong 'officially unofficial' relationship with the island. This history will substantially strengthen our understanding of this key Asia-Pacific partner both in government and among Australia's citizens.Read moreRead less
Post-war repatriation to Japan: citizenship, identity and integration, 1945-1956. This research project contributes to our knowledge of the region by exploring the early post-war history (in which Australian troops participated as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces) of one of Australia's most important and oldest trading partners. However, the project also has broader and more contemporary significance: on the one hand, it contributes to our knowledge of the increasingly importan ....Post-war repatriation to Japan: citizenship, identity and integration, 1945-1956. This research project contributes to our knowledge of the region by exploring the early post-war history (in which Australian troops participated as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces) of one of Australia's most important and oldest trading partners. However, the project also has broader and more contemporary significance: on the one hand, it contributes to our knowledge of the increasingly important 20th century phenomenon of mass migration, and of the development of strict state controls over population movements across national borders. On the other hand, it explores the complex integration of minority groups into national populations; this is a process which clearly has relevance beyond Japan and beyond the 1950s.Read moreRead less
Systemic Corruption and Regime Change: State, Business and Political Elites in Indonesia and Implications for Governance Reform. The development of a stable, prosperous and democratic Indonesia is fundamental to Australia's long-term security. Systemic corruption has been identified as a fundamental impediment to such development and the Australian Government through AUSAID funds institutional reform programs. Yet formal law remains ineffective and corruption has continued to flourish, pointing ....Systemic Corruption and Regime Change: State, Business and Political Elites in Indonesia and Implications for Governance Reform. The development of a stable, prosperous and democratic Indonesia is fundamental to Australia's long-term security. Systemic corruption has been identified as a fundamental impediment to such development and the Australian Government through AUSAID funds institutional reform programs. Yet formal law remains ineffective and corruption has continued to flourish, pointing to weaknesses of policy design. This project will explain how competing political elites systematically use the leverage of the state to redistribute resources within business and society and seek to identify the formal and informal rules that underpin such behaviour. Outcomes will be better models and more effective governance reforms.Read moreRead less
Deliberation and publicness in Indonesia's regional Islamic spheres. New Islamic public spheres are emerging around the world, raising questions about their capacity to facilitate democratic outcomes. This project aims to establish whether and to what extent Indonesia's Islamic public spheres facilitate deliberation. Recognising that most of Indonesia's 210 million Muslims engage with Islam by listening rather than reading, it will study the forms in which preachers perceive Islamic publics from ....Deliberation and publicness in Indonesia's regional Islamic spheres. New Islamic public spheres are emerging around the world, raising questions about their capacity to facilitate democratic outcomes. This project aims to establish whether and to what extent Indonesia's Islamic public spheres facilitate deliberation. Recognising that most of Indonesia's 210 million Muslims engage with Islam by listening rather than reading, it will study the forms in which preachers perceive Islamic publics from the pulpit. It will also compare the ways in which print media and oratory provide coverage of ongoing ethical and moral contests in Indonesian society. The project aims to establish how pious listening facilitates deliberation, and will create knowledge about democratic futures in Islamic Indonesia.Read moreRead less
City Shattered, City Born: The Great Kantô Earthquake and the Reconstruction of Tokyo, 1923-1930. This project explores the effects of, and responses to, one of the most catastrophic, yet least studied natural disasters of the 20th century. The project aims to analyse the extensive demographic, political, economic, and social impact of the 1923 Kantô Earthquake on Tokyo. It will also shed light on the politics which surrounded Tokyo's reconstruction, a reconstruction that influenced future exp ....City Shattered, City Born: The Great Kantô Earthquake and the Reconstruction of Tokyo, 1923-1930. This project explores the effects of, and responses to, one of the most catastrophic, yet least studied natural disasters of the 20th century. The project aims to analyse the extensive demographic, political, economic, and social impact of the 1923 Kantô Earthquake on Tokyo. It will also shed light on the politics which surrounded Tokyo's reconstruction, a reconstruction that influenced future expansion of Japan's capital throughout the 20th century. The findings, when published as a book and articles, will strengthen Japanese historiography, provide cross-cultural contextualisation and promote advances across various academic disciplines that investigate earthquakes, disaster relief, and urban reconstruction.Read moreRead less
Islam and the Politics of Memory and Identity in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia. This project will make a vital contribution to understanding the past and present of Indonesia, Australia's most significant neighbour. The project investigates the legacy of competition between two of the most influential ideological and political forces in Indonesian history, communism and Islam, and examines their continuing significance to contemporary Indonesian identities. My analysis will profile the diverse ra ....Islam and the Politics of Memory and Identity in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia. This project will make a vital contribution to understanding the past and present of Indonesia, Australia's most significant neighbour. The project investigates the legacy of competition between two of the most influential ideological and political forces in Indonesian history, communism and Islam, and examines their continuing significance to contemporary Indonesian identities. My analysis will profile the diverse range of Islamic opinions in Indonesia on reconciliation and provide broader comparative insights into the processes of dealing with traumatic pasts.Read moreRead less
Fashionable Times: An Inquiry into the History of China's Modernity. Fashion, once regarded as a purely Western phenomenon and equated with thoroughly modern life, has recently made an improbable appearance in histories both of urban life in late imperial China and of twentieth-century Chinese nationalism. To speak of Chinese fashion is effectively to raise a question about the origins and course of China's modernity. The project aims to respond to this question through a study of the culture of ....Fashionable Times: An Inquiry into the History of China's Modernity. Fashion, once regarded as a purely Western phenomenon and equated with thoroughly modern life, has recently made an improbable appearance in histories both of urban life in late imperial China and of twentieth-century Chinese nationalism. To speak of Chinese fashion is effectively to raise a question about the origins and course of China's modernity. The project aims to respond to this question through a study of the culture of clothing from Ming to Mao, the expected outcome being an illustrated monograph of interest to scholars and general readers in the fields of fashion theory, material culture, and Chinese history.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.
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Sexual contracts in Burma and Cambodia: Intersections of Desire, Duty and Debt. Prostitution, sex trafficking, and violence against women are global concerns. A better understanding of the underlying context that permits women and children to be abused in this manner in other cultures will allow Australia to assist in addressing these problems - in our own multicultural society and abroad - in a culturally appropriate manner that will prove far more effective than current approaches. Australia h ....Sexual contracts in Burma and Cambodia: Intersections of Desire, Duty and Debt. Prostitution, sex trafficking, and violence against women are global concerns. A better understanding of the underlying context that permits women and children to be abused in this manner in other cultures will allow Australia to assist in addressing these problems - in our own multicultural society and abroad - in a culturally appropriate manner that will prove far more effective than current approaches. Australia has long been regarded as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, especially regarding crime prevention and protecting the rights of marginalised groups. The research outcomes of this project have practical applications that can only enhance our reputation.Read moreRead less
Oral Tradition, Literacy and Education in Two Eastern Indonesian Societies. This project will improve our understanding of social and cultural change in eastern Indonesia, a region of strategic importance to Australia. The research will contribute significantly to knowledge of the educational system and literacy levels in eastern Indonesia. This knowledge will be of practical use in development projects in the region and to policy makers in Canberra who are concerned with Indonesian affairs. The ....Oral Tradition, Literacy and Education in Two Eastern Indonesian Societies. This project will improve our understanding of social and cultural change in eastern Indonesia, a region of strategic importance to Australia. The research will contribute significantly to knowledge of the educational system and literacy levels in eastern Indonesia. This knowledge will be of practical use in development projects in the region and to policy makers in Canberra who are concerned with Indonesian affairs. The involvement of a PhD student in the project will increase our national research capacity in eastern Indonesia. The contributions to anthropological theory and method this research will produce will enhance Australia's international reputation as a centre of anthropology, southeast Asian studies and the study of literacy.Read moreRead less