Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100099
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$381,601.00
Summary
Pitcairn Island Language in the Diaspora. This project aims to expand knowledge of how different social environments affect language structure and use. It will analyse Pitkern, the Pitcairn Island language which is on the brink of extinction. It will supplement existing documentation of the language with that of its diaspora varieties in New Zealand and Australia. The outcomes will reveal the causes, processes and results of language change in Pitkern and create a foundation for comparison with ....Pitcairn Island Language in the Diaspora. This project aims to expand knowledge of how different social environments affect language structure and use. It will analyse Pitkern, the Pitcairn Island language which is on the brink of extinction. It will supplement existing documentation of the language with that of its diaspora varieties in New Zealand and Australia. The outcomes will reveal the causes, processes and results of language change in Pitkern and create a foundation for comparison with other island beach community languages.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101609
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,315.00
Summary
Telling the whole story in one sentence. This project aims to produce a framework for analysis of the ultra-long sentences that occur in hundreds of languages and to investigate the processing of these sentences by adults and children. Anticipated outcomes are enhanced models of language structure, mental processing of language, and brain functions. Understanding of drastically-different sentence types in the world’s languages will further benefit foreign language learners, machine translators, ....Telling the whole story in one sentence. This project aims to produce a framework for analysis of the ultra-long sentences that occur in hundreds of languages and to investigate the processing of these sentences by adults and children. Anticipated outcomes are enhanced models of language structure, mental processing of language, and brain functions. Understanding of drastically-different sentence types in the world’s languages will further benefit foreign language learners, machine translators, and immigrants learning English.Read moreRead less
The integration of language and society. This project aims to seek associations between social and life-style differences and language structure. All human societies show pervasive similarities and all languages share recurrent features. Viewing society and language as an integrated whole, the project will study related groups in contrasting physical and social environments in PNG, Africa, East Asia, Amazonia and Australia. Inductive generalisations about associations between societal and langua ....The integration of language and society. This project aims to seek associations between social and life-style differences and language structure. All human societies show pervasive similarities and all languages share recurrent features. Viewing society and language as an integrated whole, the project will study related groups in contrasting physical and social environments in PNG, Africa, East Asia, Amazonia and Australia. Inductive generalisations about associations between societal and language parameters (e.g. varying techniques of address relating to articulated kin systems and social hierarchy) aim to provide insight into the human dynamic. Findings should benefit programmes for cultural awareness, language teaching and revitalisation and understanding of multicultural situations.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100142
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$238,000.00
Summary
Equipment and facilities upgrade for Asia Pacific and regional archive for digital sources in endangered cultures. PARADISEC is a digital archive of Australian researchers' recordings in the Asia Pacific region. The equipment and web facilities will be upgraded to increase security, accessibility and user interaction with the digital collection of audiovisual recordings and texts.
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
3000 Years of settlement and interaction in southern Vanuatu. This project aims to conduct an archaeological survey of Vanuatu. One of archaeology's most significant contributions is providing models for the emergence of cultural diversity through time. Vanuatu is one of the most diverse regions on Earth. The southern islands were an important hub in early settlement and long-term inter-island interactions of Island Melanesia. Yet little is known about the origins of cultural contacts and divers ....3000 Years of settlement and interaction in southern Vanuatu. This project aims to conduct an archaeological survey of Vanuatu. One of archaeology's most significant contributions is providing models for the emergence of cultural diversity through time. Vanuatu is one of the most diverse regions on Earth. The southern islands were an important hub in early settlement and long-term inter-island interactions of Island Melanesia. Yet little is known about the origins of cultural contacts and diversity in the area. A major archaeological survey of the Polynesian outliers Futuna and Aniwa and neighbouring islands Tanna and Aneityum would greatly improve our knowledge of settlement patterns, long-distance exchange, and cross-cultural interaction in the region, from initial Lapita settlement 3000 years ago through to the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1860s.Read moreRead less
Dimensions of value: Understanding the role and meaning of shell valuables in the Melanesian past and present. Shell valuables are fundamentally important in many Melanesian societies, linking people to each other, the land and their ancestors. Although shell artefacts are frequent in Melanesian archaeological sites, presently it is not possible to discriminate between types and levels of value. Through ethnoarchaeological enquiry in the Solomon Islands and intensive studies of museum ethnograph ....Dimensions of value: Understanding the role and meaning of shell valuables in the Melanesian past and present. Shell valuables are fundamentally important in many Melanesian societies, linking people to each other, the land and their ancestors. Although shell artefacts are frequent in Melanesian archaeological sites, presently it is not possible to discriminate between types and levels of value. Through ethnoarchaeological enquiry in the Solomon Islands and intensive studies of museum ethnographic collections, this project aims to develop tools to allow archaeologists to better interpret the nature of different shell artefacts and the social contexts of their production, use and discard. In doing so, it will enhance understandings of Melanesian societies and their transformations through time.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR200200711
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$229,108.00
Summary
Reimagining Norfolk Island's Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area. The proposed project aims to explore the role living heritage sites play in resisting or reinforcing cultural injustices faced by colonial subjects. Focusing on the World Heritage Listed Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, the project's significance lies in generating new understandings about Pitcairn Settler descendants’ struggles for recognition and self-determination. Expected outcomes of the project include developi ....Reimagining Norfolk Island's Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area. The proposed project aims to explore the role living heritage sites play in resisting or reinforcing cultural injustices faced by colonial subjects. Focusing on the World Heritage Listed Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, the project's significance lies in generating new understandings about Pitcairn Settler descendants’ struggles for recognition and self-determination. Expected outcomes of the project include developing the cultural justice approach as a conceptual and methodological tool and co-creating public history outputs with the community. Benefits include raising awareness about cultural injustices against Pitcairn Settler descendants and capacity building for the community to enhance senses of ownership over their heritage.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100291
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,516.00
Summary
Archaeology of long-term cultural adaptation in the Papuan islands. This project aims to explore the antiquity of human settlement in the Massim islands of eastern Papua New Guinea and investigate the long-term adaptive strategies prehistoric people used to live in changing island environments. Ecological constraints shaped indigenous cultural identities as sea levels fluctuated and island sizes varied after initial colonisation of Sahul (Ancient New Guinea-Australia). This project will examine ....Archaeology of long-term cultural adaptation in the Papuan islands. This project aims to explore the antiquity of human settlement in the Massim islands of eastern Papua New Guinea and investigate the long-term adaptive strategies prehistoric people used to live in changing island environments. Ecological constraints shaped indigenous cultural identities as sea levels fluctuated and island sizes varied after initial colonisation of Sahul (Ancient New Guinea-Australia). This project will examine how exchange networks facilitated settlement of resource impoverished island ecosystems. The anticipated outcome is to incorporate empirical data into a theoretical framework of adaptive cultural plasticity to develop a temporal-spatial model for human settlement in the Massim, New Guinea and Sahul with multi-disciplinary benefits for understanding climatic and human effects on flora, fauna and ecology.Read moreRead less
Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands. Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands. This project aims to evaluate community level climate change interventions in the Pacific to provide guidelines for better practice. The effects of climate change—rising sea levels, more droughts, and more frequent and intense storm activity—have been particularly concentrated in tropical areas such as the Pacific Islands. In response, interven ....Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands. Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands. This project aims to evaluate community level climate change interventions in the Pacific to provide guidelines for better practice. The effects of climate change—rising sea levels, more droughts, and more frequent and intense storm activity—have been particularly concentrated in tropical areas such as the Pacific Islands. In response, interventions to adapt to a diversity of impacts have accelerated at the community level across the region, but there has been no analysis of their long-term effectiveness in reducing livelihood and resource vulnerability to climate change.Read moreRead less