Transnational Affect and the Moral Economies of Temporary Skilled Migration of South Indians to Australia. India is expected to surpass China soon as Australia's third largest migration source after New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A majority of Indian migrants to Australia work in highly skilled occupations, a large proportion of whom arrive on a temporary skilled migration visa (457). There is intense international competition for these highly educated and skilled migrant workers and this m ....Transnational Affect and the Moral Economies of Temporary Skilled Migration of South Indians to Australia. India is expected to surpass China soon as Australia's third largest migration source after New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A majority of Indian migrants to Australia work in highly skilled occupations, a large proportion of whom arrive on a temporary skilled migration visa (457). There is intense international competition for these highly educated and skilled migrant workers and this migration category represents a major new direction in Australia's migration policy. The proposed study will provide significant insights for policy makers into the impacts of the new temporary skilled migration scheme on both the temporary migrants and the wider Australian community. Read moreRead less
Cross-cultural 'larrikins' in a Neo-liberal world: ideology and myth in postmodern Australia, Mexico and Brazil. This project will help to re-frame the Ozzie 'larrikin' as a cross-cultural mediator, a complex, inclusive figure able to draw together the many strands of multicultural Australia. At the same time it will help Australian business in Latin America by pointing out misleading assumptions about culture in management training, proposing in their stead a more flexible, better-informed and ....Cross-cultural 'larrikins' in a Neo-liberal world: ideology and myth in postmodern Australia, Mexico and Brazil. This project will help to re-frame the Ozzie 'larrikin' as a cross-cultural mediator, a complex, inclusive figure able to draw together the many strands of multicultural Australia. At the same time it will help Australian business in Latin America by pointing out misleading assumptions about culture in management training, proposing in their stead a more flexible, better-informed and thoroughly contemporary approach, through which Australian business people can be more sensitive and effective, economically successful, and ambassadors for their country. Read moreRead less
Putting humanities to work in a chaotic world: dynamic interdisciplinarity and community engagement. This project will rethink theories and methods in humanities and social sciences so that they can make a more direct contribution to the community. It will build stronger interdisciplinarity across these various fields. It will incorporate ideas from science, from chaos theory, to make it more powerful and science-friendly. It will develop the new theory out of a series of strategic collaboration ....Putting humanities to work in a chaotic world: dynamic interdisciplinarity and community engagement. This project will rethink theories and methods in humanities and social sciences so that they can make a more direct contribution to the community. It will build stronger interdisciplinarity across these various fields. It will incorporate ideas from science, from chaos theory, to make it more powerful and science-friendly. It will develop the new theory out of a series of strategic collaborations with local government, industry and community players, around critical incidents. This will be new theory, but with strong links with existing disciplines, offering good humanities and social science academics methods and models for a more engaged research.Read moreRead less
The Special Broadcasting Service and Australian Cultural Democracy: Evolution, Uses and Innovation. This project seeks to assess the role and impacts of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as a force for democratic change. Four key themes will be investigated: evolution, uses, innovation and cultural democracy, with the aim of documenting and critically assessing how SBS has used cultural difference as a resource for enhancing democratic inclusion and representation. The approach used will be ....The Special Broadcasting Service and Australian Cultural Democracy: Evolution, Uses and Innovation. This project seeks to assess the role and impacts of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as a force for democratic change. Four key themes will be investigated: evolution, uses, innovation and cultural democracy, with the aim of documenting and critically assessing how SBS has used cultural difference as a resource for enhancing democratic inclusion and representation. The approach used will be primarily derived from new political theory which focuses on how democratic processes and practices can be deepened in increasingly complex multicultural societies. Such a comprehensive analysis of SBS's unique role has never been undertaken. The research will produce knowledge of SBS's past and present practices that can be used strategically to inform future policy developments and enhance the way the broadcaster approaches its Charter obligations.Read moreRead less
China's Tibetan Buddhist Margins: Identity, Culture and Development. China's social and political stability is of critical concern to Australia. Tibet and ethnic politics generally are an ongoing source of tension within the multi-ethnic Chinese state and its relations with the international community. As China accelerates development in its ethnic minority western regions, it is to Australia's benefit to have comprehensive and detailed knowledge of Tibetan issues in order to ensure that we are ....China's Tibetan Buddhist Margins: Identity, Culture and Development. China's social and political stability is of critical concern to Australia. Tibet and ethnic politics generally are an ongoing source of tension within the multi-ethnic Chinese state and its relations with the international community. As China accelerates development in its ethnic minority western regions, it is to Australia's benefit to have comprehensive and detailed knowledge of Tibetan issues in order to ensure that we are able to position ourselves effectively in relation to crises that may occur.Read moreRead less
A study of the Brazilian community in Australia and Australian-Brazilian bilateral exchange. This study provides knowledge of a recent and growing migrant group in Australia of which there is little information beyond the bare demographics. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of class differences in shaping migrant identities, by exploring the way the immense socio-economic gap in Brazilian society is transplanted from homeland to destination country. By investigating the as yet ....A study of the Brazilian community in Australia and Australian-Brazilian bilateral exchange. This study provides knowledge of a recent and growing migrant group in Australia of which there is little information beyond the bare demographics. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of class differences in shaping migrant identities, by exploring the way the immense socio-economic gap in Brazilian society is transplanted from homeland to destination country. By investigating the as yet uncharted 'South-South' cultural pathways between Australia and Brazil, this project offers a critique of theories of power relations and globalisation. It will inform and enhance the growing bilateral relations between Australia and Brazil in the areas of tourism, investment, cultural promotion and educationRead moreRead less
Being Asian in Australia and the United States: Analysing Ethnic Representations in Visual Arts, Popular Culture, Academia and Community Festivals. Australia's engagement with Asia and North America remains central to our national security and economic development. This research offers a unique window into the experiences and sensibilities of a constituency within the Australian population which has been relatively unacknowledged in the official domain. A better understanding about Asians in Aus ....Being Asian in Australia and the United States: Analysing Ethnic Representations in Visual Arts, Popular Culture, Academia and Community Festivals. Australia's engagement with Asia and North America remains central to our national security and economic development. This research offers a unique window into the experiences and sensibilities of a constituency within the Australian population which has been relatively unacknowledged in the official domain. A better understanding about Asians in Australia and the US will enhance Australia's capacity to interpret itself to Asia and North America. Information about transnational Asian communities is an important means of improving our ability to respond to changing conditions within Australia and the region at large.Read moreRead less
Junction Zones: Practices of Coexistence in Australasia and the Pacific. "Junction Zones" addresses three key national concerns post-2001: regional relations, border protection and security. As Australia faces an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, new interpretive and policy directions are needed to provide more nuanced analyses of the region, taking sociocultural as well as political and economic factors into account and engaging multiple disciplinary areas. The project contributes ....Junction Zones: Practices of Coexistence in Australasia and the Pacific. "Junction Zones" addresses three key national concerns post-2001: regional relations, border protection and security. As Australia faces an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, new interpretive and policy directions are needed to provide more nuanced analyses of the region, taking sociocultural as well as political and economic factors into account and engaging multiple disciplinary areas. The project contributes to these ends by considering alternative understandings of place, conflict and displacement; examining how differences are negotiated; and identifying emergent political relations, social identities and cultural forms. It proposes fresh conceptual and analytical tools for understanding and responding to the region.Read moreRead less
Investing in the Future of Children in Multicultural Australia - Cultural Competence in Families First (CULCOFAM). Healthy start to life - Discovering how to use valuable parenting knowledge of parents from culturally different backgrounds will help us to draw on them and achieve their childrens' potential (National Agenda for Early Childhood initiative). Preventive healthcare - Knowing how to use cultural resources will help us to promote parenting in culturally appropriate ways, and strengthen ....Investing in the Future of Children in Multicultural Australia - Cultural Competence in Families First (CULCOFAM). Healthy start to life - Discovering how to use valuable parenting knowledge of parents from culturally different backgrounds will help us to draw on them and achieve their childrens' potential (National Agenda for Early Childhood initiative). Preventive healthcare - Knowing how to use cultural resources will help us to promote parenting in culturally appropriate ways, and strengthen capacity for children to grow in best health (Focus on Prevention Initiative). Strengthening Australia's social fabric - The results will help to ensure that child services strengthen local community cohesion, and families can make culturally acceptable choices to better look after their children (National welfare reform and participation agendas). Read moreRead less
Communities Across Borders: The Transnational Dynamics of Emerging and Stateless Refugee Groups in Australia. Dealing with the pressing issue of the refugee experience, this project investigates the transnational dynamics of four emerging and relatively 'invisible' refugee groups in Australia who are stateless minorities in their homelands. Through ethnographic fieldwork among the Assyrians, Kurds, Southern Sudanese and Oromo in Sydney and Melbourne, the project will present a comprehensive pict ....Communities Across Borders: The Transnational Dynamics of Emerging and Stateless Refugee Groups in Australia. Dealing with the pressing issue of the refugee experience, this project investigates the transnational dynamics of four emerging and relatively 'invisible' refugee groups in Australia who are stateless minorities in their homelands. Through ethnographic fieldwork among the Assyrians, Kurds, Southern Sudanese and Oromo in Sydney and Melbourne, the project will present a comprehensive picture of the impact of transnationalism upon the settlement and citizenship of stateless refugees in multicultural Australia. The project will broaden the debate on the transnational cultural processes which operate across borders and challenge the ability of democratic nation-states to sustain the belonging and participation of citizens.Read moreRead less