Old Atrocities, New Media: Terror Images and the Visual-Military Complex. This research centres on the relations between twenty-first century visual technologies and the age-old practice of the massacre-atrocity. It takes as its major case study the atrocities at the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009. The most graphic form of knowledge about these mass deaths and rapes was produced through digitally transmitted visual images. The research asks how new forms of recording and circulating images ....Old Atrocities, New Media: Terror Images and the Visual-Military Complex. This research centres on the relations between twenty-first century visual technologies and the age-old practice of the massacre-atrocity. It takes as its major case study the atrocities at the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009. The most graphic form of knowledge about these mass deaths and rapes was produced through digitally transmitted visual images. The research asks how new forms of recording and circulating images of atrocity, whether in the form of trophy photographs or other digital documents, shape the reception of, and responses to, atrocity. These questions are contextualised against a broader examination of the historical and evolving relations between visual media and atrocity images from the Holocaust to Abu Ghraib.Read moreRead less
The Life of Language and the Language of Life: reconsidering the division between the sciences and the humanities. This innovative theoretical approach will enable a close analysis of the common foundational concepts that connect the empirical and interpretive sciences. It will:
i) contribute to the knowledge base of the sociology and philosophy of science and social theory so that Australia is a leading expert in this field of inquiry.
ii) further the unique contribution of Australian 'femin ....The Life of Language and the Language of Life: reconsidering the division between the sciences and the humanities. This innovative theoretical approach will enable a close analysis of the common foundational concepts that connect the empirical and interpretive sciences. It will:
i) contribute to the knowledge base of the sociology and philosophy of science and social theory so that Australia is a leading expert in this field of inquiry.
ii) further the unique contribution of Australian 'feminisms of the body' to the ethical and political questions that surround the foundations of biological life.
iii) initiate different styles of dialogue between social and scientific researchers that will encourage more informed debate about the direction of Australian technological innovation.
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Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis o ....Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis of the role of the avatar, in consultation with industry, this project offers a unique opportunity to develop a wider perspective that will contribute to an understanding of the uses and policies for the digital economy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100080
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,933.00
Summary
Tasting history: food, culture, and national identity. This project aims to prioritise the role of taste in history by mapping how cultural heritage has driven nation building in Australia through the example of food. Scholarly research on the sense of taste is a significant area of critical historical inquiry. This project will develop a novel approach in a comparative study of the significance of biscuit consumption from colonial expansion to militarism; among other sources, it explores cookbo ....Tasting history: food, culture, and national identity. This project aims to prioritise the role of taste in history by mapping how cultural heritage has driven nation building in Australia through the example of food. Scholarly research on the sense of taste is a significant area of critical historical inquiry. This project will develop a novel approach in a comparative study of the significance of biscuit consumption from colonial expansion to militarism; among other sources, it explores cookbooks and recipe archives as documents that underpin cultural heritage. In addition to historical analysis, this project will yield cultural, health, and environmental benefits in Australia that intersect with international debates about the sociocultural ramifications of food politics and food sovereignty.Read moreRead less
The Well-Rounded Person: The Role of Sport in Shaping Physical, Emotional and Social Development. Young Australians who play sport have better physical health, higher levels of self-esteem and are less likely to be obese.Yet sports participation rates among young Australians remain low and there are growing concerns that participation in some sports is associated with antisocial off-field behaviours. This project investigates the real impact playing sport has on young Australians' physical, emot ....The Well-Rounded Person: The Role of Sport in Shaping Physical, Emotional and Social Development. Young Australians who play sport have better physical health, higher levels of self-esteem and are less likely to be obese.Yet sports participation rates among young Australians remain low and there are growing concerns that participation in some sports is associated with antisocial off-field behaviours. This project investigates the real impact playing sport has on young Australians' physical, emotional and social development. It will identify barriers to participation in sport and suggest solutions to concerns about antisocial behaviours. Ultimately, this project will assist public and private sector organisations involved with sport to increase participation and tackle negative attitudes or behaviours associated with that participation.Read moreRead less
After the apocalypse: the mediasphere, global crisis and violent ecologies. This project examines the ways in which the media shapes our thinking and practices around crisis. The study focuses particularly on the evolution of a 'crisis consciousness' and the ways in which human desires are implicated in the cultural politics of violence. The study focuses specifically on Australia's participation in post-9/11 conflicts.
Jack Lindsay: critic, writer, socialist. The national benefits of this project are two-fold. Firstly, it aims to describe the process by which people are able to move beyond conventional ways of thinking and working and to be both creative and innovative, where innovation refers to the ways in which this new creative thought is put into practice as a new product or technology. The other benefit of the project is that it describes the landmark work of an Australian artist and intellectual who is ....Jack Lindsay: critic, writer, socialist. The national benefits of this project are two-fold. Firstly, it aims to describe the process by which people are able to move beyond conventional ways of thinking and working and to be both creative and innovative, where innovation refers to the ways in which this new creative thought is put into practice as a new product or technology. The other benefit of the project is that it describes the landmark work of an Australian artist and intellectual who is not as well-known as he should be, Jack Lindsay, oldest son of Norman Lindsay. It will provide access to Jack Lindsay's ideas and writing, both analytical and creative, to show how these can contribute to our current need for new and creative ways of working and thinking.Read moreRead less
The Promise of Justice. Justice is often framed as a human problem. How other species shape just or unjust futures is rarely considered. Biodiversity loss and modernisation programs can result in unequal suffering for Indigenous communities. Health inequalities, produced by microbial diseases, also disproportionately impact marginalsed peoples in developing countries. Collaborative ethnographic research in Indonesia will enable participants to reconceptualise justice and make policy reccomendati ....The Promise of Justice. Justice is often framed as a human problem. How other species shape just or unjust futures is rarely considered. Biodiversity loss and modernisation programs can result in unequal suffering for Indigenous communities. Health inequalities, produced by microbial diseases, also disproportionately impact marginalsed peoples in developing countries. Collaborative ethnographic research in Indonesia will enable participants to reconceptualise justice and make policy reccomendations in three arenas: 1) the environment, 2) human rights, and 3) health. New knowledge in cultural theory and multispecies studies will be generated through collaborations with distinguished international scholars and indigenous intellectuals.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,250.00
Summary
Human-kangaroo relations: Reconciling perceptions, knowledges and practices. This research aims to reveal the diverse perceptions, knowledges and practices shaping human-kangaroo relations in Australia. Using inter-disciplinary and multi-sited methods, the project expects to generate innovative empirical and conceptual insights into the contested status of the kangaroo as native species and pest, food resource and political symbol. Planned outcomes of the project include the development of parti ....Human-kangaroo relations: Reconciling perceptions, knowledges and practices. This research aims to reveal the diverse perceptions, knowledges and practices shaping human-kangaroo relations in Australia. Using inter-disciplinary and multi-sited methods, the project expects to generate innovative empirical and conceptual insights into the contested status of the kangaroo as native species and pest, food resource and political symbol. Planned outcomes of the project include the development of participatory and applied approaches to reconciling environmental conservation with ethical food production and multispecies justice. Anticipated benefits include fast-tracking a multi-stakeholder dialogue to ensure an ecologically viable, ethically just and economically sustainable future for Australian wildlife. Read moreRead less
Encountering Crows: Living with wildlife in a changing world. This project will analyse the cultural and ethical issues that define human interactions with wildlife in the context of environmental and social change. It will fuse ethnography, philosophy and biology in an environmental humanities approach, through comparative studies.