The Western Nation-State, Cultural Pluralism and the Transnational Circulation of Political Emotions in the Shi'a Lebanese Diaspora. At its most general level, this research aims to expose and explain the importance of emotions in the formation of all cultures. In so doing it opens the way for a more complex understanding of some of the invisible but important forces that shape intercultural relations within culturally plural nations. It will thus open the possibilities for ameliorating and refi ....The Western Nation-State, Cultural Pluralism and the Transnational Circulation of Political Emotions in the Shi'a Lebanese Diaspora. At its most general level, this research aims to expose and explain the importance of emotions in the formation of all cultures. In so doing it opens the way for a more complex understanding of some of the invisible but important forces that shape intercultural relations within culturally plural nations. It will thus open the possibilities for ameliorating and refining government policies concerned with the management of pluralism. At a more particular level, the research hopes to produce critical knowledge about diasporic Arab Muslim cultures that will ameliorate the thorny relations these cultures have today with western governments.Read moreRead less
Civic Sinoburbia? New Chinese migrants and everyday citizenship in Sydney . Australia has seen a large influx of China-born migrants in the past few decades. Large numbers of them have taken up residency in various Sydney suburbs, where they now make up almost a third of the population. Focusing on four such suburbs, this project examines how these new Chinese migrants participate in everyday civic life, the barriers that may prevent participation, and how local civic organisations adapt to thei ....Civic Sinoburbia? New Chinese migrants and everyday citizenship in Sydney . Australia has seen a large influx of China-born migrants in the past few decades. Large numbers of them have taken up residency in various Sydney suburbs, where they now make up almost a third of the population. Focusing on four such suburbs, this project examines how these new Chinese migrants participate in everyday civic life, the barriers that may prevent participation, and how local civic organisations adapt to their growing presence in five domains of social life: education, culture, sport, religion and community service. The project will generate nuanced new knowledge on the local impacts of new Chinese migration, of benefit for urban multicultural governance and enhancing local community cohesion. Read moreRead less
A History of Manners: Savagery and Civility in Colonial Australia. The lessons of the past are vital to Australia's future. In the twenty-first century, Australia faces the urgent need to communicate across cultural barriers, and to acknowledge and respect divergent codes of conduct and manners. The history of manners in nineteenth-century Australia helps us to come to terms with our contested past by illuminating the complexities of a colonising culture, and the difficulties of adapting codes o ....A History of Manners: Savagery and Civility in Colonial Australia. The lessons of the past are vital to Australia's future. In the twenty-first century, Australia faces the urgent need to communicate across cultural barriers, and to acknowledge and respect divergent codes of conduct and manners. The history of manners in nineteenth-century Australia helps us to come to terms with our contested past by illuminating the complexities of a colonising culture, and the difficulties of adapting codes of conduct to the needs of a young, disparate and ever-changing society. Exploring the limitations of Australian elitism and egalitarianism, it opens the way for diverse and inclusive understandings of identity and national character. Read moreRead less
In the shadow of Singapore: The limits of transnationalism in Insular Riau. This project will contribute to the process of safeguarding Australia, through a better understanding of our nearest neighbours. An enhanced understanding of nationalism and regionalism in Southeast Asia is central to the maintenance of effective bilateral and multilateral relations between Australia and its near neighbours. Cross-border tension between our ASEAN neighbours is potentially a problem for Australia, and thu ....In the shadow of Singapore: The limits of transnationalism in Insular Riau. This project will contribute to the process of safeguarding Australia, through a better understanding of our nearest neighbours. An enhanced understanding of nationalism and regionalism in Southeast Asia is central to the maintenance of effective bilateral and multilateral relations between Australia and its near neighbours. Cross-border tension between our ASEAN neighbours is potentially a problem for Australia, and thus of political and economic concern to all Australians.Read moreRead less
Cultural Research for the 21st Century: Building Cultural Intelligence for a Complex World. This project will advance our knowledge of the complex cultural challenges facing 21st century Australia, and how these challenges can be addressed through engaged cultural research. It will promote cultural innovation by enabling public institutions to develop effective responses to the increasing complexity of their operating environments, especially in light of society's proliferating cultural diversit ....Cultural Research for the 21st Century: Building Cultural Intelligence for a Complex World. This project will advance our knowledge of the complex cultural challenges facing 21st century Australia, and how these challenges can be addressed through engaged cultural research. It will promote cultural innovation by enabling public institutions to develop effective responses to the increasing complexity of their operating environments, especially in light of society's proliferating cultural diversity. The project will expand the national innovation system by building the capacity of cultural researchers (and humanities and social science researchers more generally) to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research that contributes to the solution of important social and cultural problems. Read moreRead less
Promoting young people's citizenship in a complex world. This project aims to promote empowerment and agency to young Australians by developing the concept and practice of 'active citizenship'. This is done by confronting the emerging sense of disempowerment and alienation that many young people feel by developing ongoing work with a cross section of groups that are an important part of the civic landscape.
From Mass to Public: Discourses and Representations of Popular Sovereignty in Indonesia. The end of the New Order and transition to more representative government in Indonesia since 1998 have been unruly and violent. The process of political transition has been represented on Australian radios and television screens and has contributed to a perception that Indonesia is in crisis and inherently chaotic. This research aims to show that we can understand this unruliness in part as an outcome of a r ....From Mass to Public: Discourses and Representations of Popular Sovereignty in Indonesia. The end of the New Order and transition to more representative government in Indonesia since 1998 have been unruly and violent. The process of political transition has been represented on Australian radios and television screens and has contributed to a perception that Indonesia is in crisis and inherently chaotic. This research aims to show that we can understand this unruliness in part as an outcome of a rapid development of publicness: a desire for public discussion and activity, motivated by values of popular sovereignty, transparency and accountablity in governance which were seen as crucially lacking during the New Order period.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101359
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Imagining diversity: race and ethnicity in popular fantasy. How do fantasy worlds represent and reconstruct real world approaches to racial and cultural difference? This project examines the ways reader and writers of popular culture think and talk about race and ethnicity, offering insight into contemporary discourses of diversity and an essential window into Australia's multicultural society.
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
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