Visual Research in Social Aesthetics. Despite a few pioneering efforts beginning in the 1930s, visual anthropology (like anthropology itself) has largely confined its interest in aesthetics to studies of indigenous art. It has focused instead on technology, religion, economics, social structure, politics and ideology as the dominant forces in society. I believe this has limited the potential of visual anthropology, which is in fact ideally suited to studying the broader role of aesthetics in h ....Visual Research in Social Aesthetics. Despite a few pioneering efforts beginning in the 1930s, visual anthropology (like anthropology itself) has largely confined its interest in aesthetics to studies of indigenous art. It has focused instead on technology, religion, economics, social structure, politics and ideology as the dominant forces in society. I believe this has limited the potential of visual anthropology, which is in fact ideally suited to studying the broader role of aesthetics in human societies. The aim of this research is to examine how a reconsideration of the aesthetics of everyday life might form the basis for a revitalised visual anthropology.
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Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: A comparative analysis. This partnership offers a unique opportunity to bring together anthropologists, educationlists, museum curators and Indigenous communities to research ways of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into school and museum education programs. The project uses the expertise of the partners to analyse the process of inclusion from the perspective of cross-cultural discourse. The research will enable complex conceptual and ethical issues t ....Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: A comparative analysis. This partnership offers a unique opportunity to bring together anthropologists, educationlists, museum curators and Indigenous communities to research ways of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into school and museum education programs. The project uses the expertise of the partners to analyse the process of inclusion from the perspective of cross-cultural discourse. The research will enable complex conceptual and ethical issues to be addressed that will enable an extended and productive exchange between Indigenous communities and the general educational sector. The outcomes will include refereed publications and works in new media.Read moreRead less
Childhood and Modernity: Indian Children's Perspectives. This research, to be carried out in partnership with Indian institutions and scholars, will contribute to better public understanding of children's perspectives, rights, and social roles in India in an era of rapid change and globalisation. The focus on visual methods and collaboration with children will advance the methodologies of childhood research and produce knowledge valuable for a range of disciplines, from anthropology to history t ....Childhood and Modernity: Indian Children's Perspectives. This research, to be carried out in partnership with Indian institutions and scholars, will contribute to better public understanding of children's perspectives, rights, and social roles in India in an era of rapid change and globalisation. The focus on visual methods and collaboration with children will advance the methodologies of childhood research and produce knowledge valuable for a range of disciplines, from anthropology to history to cognitive science. The information gained will provide insights into the next generation of Indian adults, contributing to Australia's growing ties with India and the Asia-Pacific region.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
Government, Religion and the Problem of Moral Order in Contemporary Papua New Guinea. Successful Australian international relations depend on understanding the popular culture within which neighbouring people formulate grievances and desires for change. PNG is physically close to Australia; it was an administered colony and today as a regional ally it receives much Australian aid. Many Australian organizations, companies and citizens reside in PNG. This project will provide accurate knowledge o ....Government, Religion and the Problem of Moral Order in Contemporary Papua New Guinea. Successful Australian international relations depend on understanding the popular culture within which neighbouring people formulate grievances and desires for change. PNG is physically close to Australia; it was an administered colony and today as a regional ally it receives much Australian aid. Many Australian organizations, companies and citizens reside in PNG. This project will provide accurate knowledge of how popular religious movements can provide a political language for voicing everyday expectations and grievances. Social and cultural changes can produce new perceptions of injustice that are voiced as a moral critique of present day government, where the future kingdom of God or of the dead is used as a point of ethical contrast.Read moreRead less
Digital Technologies, Mediated Futures: Envisioning Culture in Arnhem Land. This research offers an exciting new way to understand how Aboriginal people are envisioning, and working towards, a culturally viable future for themselves and their children. Digital media technologies allow Yolngu elders to connect with current and future generations in new, but nevertheless, culturally appropriate ways. They allow them to work innovatively to strengthen the social fabric of communities in crisis. ....Digital Technologies, Mediated Futures: Envisioning Culture in Arnhem Land. This research offers an exciting new way to understand how Aboriginal people are envisioning, and working towards, a culturally viable future for themselves and their children. Digital media technologies allow Yolngu elders to connect with current and future generations in new, but nevertheless, culturally appropriate ways. They allow them to work innovatively to strengthen the social fabric of communities in crisis. For mainstream Australian society, this project represents an important opportunity for to learn directly from, and about, indigenous cultures. It offers a significant opportunity to take up the ethical and imaginative challenges of seeing the world from indigenous perspectives. 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
Arabian Africans or African Arabs? The dynamics of Islamic African identity in the Arabian Peninsula. An understanding of the social and cultural background to current conflicts is a step towards resolving them and this project is a significant contribution to Australia's understanding of the world and of Muslims. It will explain how and why many non-Arab Muslims are drawn towards the Arab world, by virtue of what it can offer them and of what the alternatives are increasingly failing to offer, ....Arabian Africans or African Arabs? The dynamics of Islamic African identity in the Arabian Peninsula. An understanding of the social and cultural background to current conflicts is a step towards resolving them and this project is a significant contribution to Australia's understanding of the world and of Muslims. It will explain how and why many non-Arab Muslims are drawn towards the Arab world, by virtue of what it can offer them and of what the alternatives are increasingly failing to offer, both on a personal level and in a political sense. This is a study of African Muslims, but as a comparative study it has a direct relevance to Australia's relationship with the Islamic world, Arab, African or Asian. Ultimately, it will help to explain why contemporary events seem to have led to the clash of two civilisations, the West and Islam.Read moreRead less
Warlpiri songlines: anthropological, linguistic and Indigenous perspectives. This partnership combines anthropologists, linguists, Indigenous knowledge holders and Indigenous bicultural linguists to record, document and analyse Warlpiri song series. Warlpiri songs link ancestral power, landscape, emotions and aesthetics and are central to religious life. Because the diversity of performance contexts in which these songs are learnt is rapidly reducing, this aspect of Warlpiri high culture is unde ....Warlpiri songlines: anthropological, linguistic and Indigenous perspectives. This partnership combines anthropologists, linguists, Indigenous knowledge holders and Indigenous bicultural linguists to record, document and analyse Warlpiri song series. Warlpiri songs link ancestral power, landscape, emotions and aesthetics and are central to religious life. Because the diversity of performance contexts in which these songs are learnt is rapidly reducing, this aspect of Warlpiri high culture is under threat. This project will create a cultural archive informed by Indigenous exegesis, that integrates it into the world of anthropological and lingusitic scholarship and provides materials for the school curriculum.Read moreRead less
Connecting Indigenous Community Photographies: a transnational case study. The project aims to conduct the first transnational comparison of Indigenous community-controlled photography, exploring Indigenous peoples’ ways of seeing and documenting their worlds. The project seeks to significantly advance Australian and global understanding of Indigenous vernacular photography through investigating formerly unexplored private collections of images created by Indigenous photographers during the mid ....Connecting Indigenous Community Photographies: a transnational case study. The project aims to conduct the first transnational comparison of Indigenous community-controlled photography, exploring Indigenous peoples’ ways of seeing and documenting their worlds. The project seeks to significantly advance Australian and global understanding of Indigenous vernacular photography through investigating formerly unexplored private collections of images created by Indigenous photographers during the mid 20th Century in four communities across three countries. One of the outcomes of the project is a nuanced visual history that cannot be excavated from other sources. The benefits of this project include public exhibitions, a book, symposiums, and a scholarly anthology that encourages the public’s connection with the past.Read moreRead less