Sounds of Empire: Popular Politics and Music in the Nineteenth Century. This research will critically locate Australia within a global system of cultural transmission and showcase a significant innovation in methodology through an interdisciplinary approach. This will provide an opportunity to bring to light Australia's role in the transmission of popular politics and culture to a broader international audience. It will make a direct and immediate contribution to Australian studies by examining ....Sounds of Empire: Popular Politics and Music in the Nineteenth Century. This research will critically locate Australia within a global system of cultural transmission and showcase a significant innovation in methodology through an interdisciplinary approach. This will provide an opportunity to bring to light Australia's role in the transmission of popular politics and culture to a broader international audience. It will make a direct and immediate contribution to Australian studies by examining in depth the transmission, adaption and encounter of musics in the making of the nation. Many of the ideas that shape our modern democracy were brought informally in speeches and songs. A better understanding of the ways and means of their transmission brings us to a deeper appreciation of Australia's past and present.Read moreRead less
Intercommunal and Translocal Space in Fairfield: Tracking Indochinese Australian Lives. While providing important socio-cultural information about Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese communities in western Sydney, this project takes an innovative approach to the study of 'minority' communities in multicultural societies. By locating itself at the points of contact between communities, the proposed research recognises that subjects are often members of multiple social groups, and that they shift back a ....Intercommunal and Translocal Space in Fairfield: Tracking Indochinese Australian Lives. While providing important socio-cultural information about Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese communities in western Sydney, this project takes an innovative approach to the study of 'minority' communities in multicultural societies. By locating itself at the points of contact between communities, the proposed research recognises that subjects are often members of multiple social groups, and that they shift back and forth across their boundaries. Such a perspective enables one to avoid the fallacy of locating 'the multicultural' in minority subjects/cultures, and thus 'multicultural problems' within particular 'problem communities'. Rather, it situates the multicultural in the interstices between 'mainstream' and 'minority' AustraliaRead moreRead less
Authenticity: Globalisation and Indigenous Culture. Who speaks for the Fourth World? Why is there an obsession with 'authenticity' whenever Indigenous people are being discussed? This study explores those questions by examining a combination of sources, ranging from international museum collections to the advertising campaigns of multinational companies; from literature to the cultural festivals of the Olympic Games. The research is original, comparative, empirical. It explores the intersectio ....Authenticity: Globalisation and Indigenous Culture. Who speaks for the Fourth World? Why is there an obsession with 'authenticity' whenever Indigenous people are being discussed? This study explores those questions by examining a combination of sources, ranging from international museum collections to the advertising campaigns of multinational companies; from literature to the cultural festivals of the Olympic Games. The research is original, comparative, empirical. It explores the intersections between postcolonial and cultural studies to speak -- not for Indigenous peoples -- but to the non-Indigenous representation of First Nations. Why? Because this provides key insights into the future of race relations in western democracies.Read moreRead less
Anglos Abroad: Memoirs of Immersion in a Foreign Language and Culture. A study of Anglophone narratives of language immersion offers a significant intellectual resource for thinking about ways in which Australian non-immigrant selves are shaped by culture and language: an issue with important implications for just practises within a wide range of national institutions and agencies, including education, immigration and social work. It thus contributes to the priority goal of strengthening Austral ....Anglos Abroad: Memoirs of Immersion in a Foreign Language and Culture. A study of Anglophone narratives of language immersion offers a significant intellectual resource for thinking about ways in which Australian non-immigrant selves are shaped by culture and language: an issue with important implications for just practises within a wide range of national institutions and agencies, including education, immigration and social work. It thus contributes to the priority goal of strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric (Research Priority 2). It also contributes to enhancing our capacity to interpret and engage with our region and the world through a greater understanding of other languages and cultures (Research Priority 4).Read moreRead less
Being Muslim in Eastern Indonesia: practice, politics and cultural diversity. The project contributes to Safeguarding Australia through improved understanding of Muslim communities in eastern Indonesia and training young scholars in this field. Our studies of island society and regional Islamic organisations offer ethnographically informed comparative perspectives on Islamic cultural diversity across eastern Indonesia, including current changes in religious practice and governance. Insights deve ....Being Muslim in Eastern Indonesia: practice, politics and cultural diversity. The project contributes to Safeguarding Australia through improved understanding of Muslim communities in eastern Indonesia and training young scholars in this field. Our studies of island society and regional Islamic organisations offer ethnographically informed comparative perspectives on Islamic cultural diversity across eastern Indonesia, including current changes in religious practice and governance. Insights developed will enable Australia to anticipate future directions of socio-political transformation in Indonesia,and evaluate prospects for democratization, economic stability and human security. In a region that remains a priority for Australian development our research will improve understanding of a key driver of social life.Read moreRead less
The rise of new cultural networks in Asia in the twenty-first century. Understanding Asia's dramatically changing cultural climate is fundamental to Australia's future cultural engagement with the region, consistent with the National Research Priority goal to 'understand our region and the world'. This project will document and improve understanding of new Asian art and art museum-related cultural networks, shedding light on their regional and global profiles and interactions. It will enhance un ....The rise of new cultural networks in Asia in the twenty-first century. Understanding Asia's dramatically changing cultural climate is fundamental to Australia's future cultural engagement with the region, consistent with the National Research Priority goal to 'understand our region and the world'. This project will document and improve understanding of new Asian art and art museum-related cultural networks, shedding light on their regional and global profiles and interactions. It will enhance understanding of Australia's role in creative industries and networks in Asia, providing a platform for future Australian policy and participation in these networks. Such knowledge will build Australia's research base on Asian art, museums and culture, and enhance Australia's collaborations and connectivity with Asia.Read moreRead less
Intercultural inquiry in a trans-national context: Exploring the legacy of the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. In terms of National Research Priorities, the project will encourage cultural health and cohesiveness in Arnhem Land by providing access to cultural property held until now in remote archives. It will enhance understanding of our region and the world by studying cross-cultural interactions within Australia. Furthermore, it will illuminate how Aboriginal te ....Intercultural inquiry in a trans-national context: Exploring the legacy of the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. In terms of National Research Priorities, the project will encourage cultural health and cohesiveness in Arnhem Land by providing access to cultural property held until now in remote archives. It will enhance understanding of our region and the world by studying cross-cultural interactions within Australia. Furthermore, it will illuminate how Aboriginal territory and knowledge were used to shore up the Australia-US relationship at a formative historical moment.Read moreRead less
Values and ethics in a global world: a semantic perspective. The question: "How are we to live?" is of fundamental importance, on an individual, social and international level. Yet in an increasingly global and pluralist world it remains difficult to articulate any values that are intelligible, let alone acceptable, to everyone. Although the literature on the subject is constantly growing, the very language of the current debate suffers from ethnocentrism, with culture-specific English words lik ....Values and ethics in a global world: a semantic perspective. The question: "How are we to live?" is of fundamental importance, on an individual, social and international level. Yet in an increasingly global and pluralist world it remains difficult to articulate any values that are intelligible, let alone acceptable, to everyone. Although the literature on the subject is constantly growing, the very language of the current debate suffers from ethnocentrism, with culture-specific English words like "fairness", "autonomy" and "tolerance" being widely used as would-be neutral conceptual tools. A framework for discussing ethics and values in a universal, non-ethnocentric perspective is urgently needed. This project aims at providing such a framework and putting it to work.Read moreRead less
Ethnic, Religious and Social Bases of Community in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This project will promote understanding of a fast developing region of Vietnam in which large amounts of Australian development aid resources have been spent and with which Australian companies have growing trade and investment activities. The Mekong delta is a multicultural and religiously diverse area, very different from other parts of the country. Yet we know very little about why the delta is so economically pro ....Ethnic, Religious and Social Bases of Community in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This project will promote understanding of a fast developing region of Vietnam in which large amounts of Australian development aid resources have been spent and with which Australian companies have growing trade and investment activities. The Mekong delta is a multicultural and religiously diverse area, very different from other parts of the country. Yet we know very little about why the delta is so economically productive and why there has been little conflict between its many ethnic and religious groups. This project will advance Australia's reputation as a world leader in social scientific research on Vietnam.Read moreRead less
Art and Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: The Limits of Tolerance in the Twenty-First Century. The question of human rights is emerging as perhaps the most critical issue of the twenty-first century. This project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary methodology and a set of conceptual frameworks for analysing the interactions between contemporary art and global discourses on human rights in the Asia-Pacific. In the process we address the debate on universality versus cultural specificity in rel ....Art and Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: The Limits of Tolerance in the Twenty-First Century. The question of human rights is emerging as perhaps the most critical issue of the twenty-first century. This project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary methodology and a set of conceptual frameworks for analysing the interactions between contemporary art and global discourses on human rights in the Asia-Pacific. In the process we address the debate on universality versus cultural specificity in relation to human rights issues, and we seek to place current Australian responses to human rights in the context of the dynamically changing region in which we live.Read moreRead less