Australian/American relations in the era of the new nationalism. How has Australia used the American Alliance to further its own national interests? This project has a special significance for how Australians understand the history of their country's relationship with the United States and the origins of Australia's comprehensive engagement with Asia. The delicate task of balancing close ties with both the United States and Asia, especially China, is seen as the central foreign policy challenge ....Australian/American relations in the era of the new nationalism. How has Australia used the American Alliance to further its own national interests? This project has a special significance for how Australians understand the history of their country's relationship with the United States and the origins of Australia's comprehensive engagement with Asia. The delicate task of balancing close ties with both the United States and Asia, especially China, is seen as the central foreign policy challenge facing Australia today. Analysis of the history behind this present predicament extends our understanding and interpretation of Australia's role in this region and the world. It will show the continued relevance of the past to the choices that face current policy-makers. Read moreRead less
Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heri ....Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heritage of actions in countries of the Asia-Pacific region that were French colonies or that remain French overseas outposts.Read moreRead less
The Rise of Decline in the Later Roman Empire. This project aims to examine the evidence for the decline of the Western Roman Empire. For over two centuries, historians have debated whether the Western Roman Empire was in decline prior to its political disintegration in the 5th century AD. This project takes a new approach by rejecting the notion that Late Roman decline can be empirically quantified. Instead, through the examination of historical, administrative, religious and literary texts it ....The Rise of Decline in the Later Roman Empire. This project aims to examine the evidence for the decline of the Western Roman Empire. For over two centuries, historians have debated whether the Western Roman Empire was in decline prior to its political disintegration in the 5th century AD. This project takes a new approach by rejecting the notion that Late Roman decline can be empirically quantified. Instead, through the examination of historical, administrative, religious and literary texts it will explore why the Late Roman elite often chose to present their own period as an age of decline. This project aims to test the hypothesis that references to economic, political and moral decline were often the result of fissures within Late Roman society prompted by radical structural reorganisation by a centralising imperial government and a newly empowered Christian Church.Read moreRead less
Charles Langlade, the Anishinaabeg, and the making and unmaking of the Atlantic World. As Australia and its allies face one of their greatest challenges - the peaceful incorporation of refugee groups into its borders, and non-state communities into newly redrawn national boundaries - the lessons of the past are timely. Using an historic case study, this project will examine the relations between such communities and the larger political entities that sought to incorporate them. In doing so, the ....Charles Langlade, the Anishinaabeg, and the making and unmaking of the Atlantic World. As Australia and its allies face one of their greatest challenges - the peaceful incorporation of refugee groups into its borders, and non-state communities into newly redrawn national boundaries - the lessons of the past are timely. Using an historic case study, this project will examine the relations between such communities and the larger political entities that sought to incorporate them. In doing so, the project will explore the connections between the small politics of local village worlds with the larger politics of globalisation in the past - thus enhancing Australia's ability to engage with the wider global community today.Read moreRead less
Ayahs and Amahs: Transcolonial Servants in Australia and Britain 1780-1945. This project looks at female domestic care workers from India and China who travelled to Australia and elsewhere during the period of British colonialism. Accompanying colonial families along circuits of empire between Australia, Asia, and the UK over two centuries, these were extraordinarily mobile women. By exploring the historical experiences and cultural memories of these earliest global domestic workers, the project ....Ayahs and Amahs: Transcolonial Servants in Australia and Britain 1780-1945. This project looks at female domestic care workers from India and China who travelled to Australia and elsewhere during the period of British colonialism. Accompanying colonial families along circuits of empire between Australia, Asia, and the UK over two centuries, these were extraordinarily mobile women. By exploring the historical experiences and cultural memories of these earliest global domestic workers, the project aims to illuminate a broader transcolonial history of domestic work. Expected outcomes include a number of publications and a website; and the project offers the social and cultural benefits to be gained by advancing our historical understanding of the forgotten cross-cultural relationships that have shaped our world today.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100750
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,213.00
Summary
Australia and Space: Government policy and public imagination, 1957 – 2021. This project aims to be the first study to address how Australia has approached space at the public and government level from the dawn of the space age in 1957 to today. Taking a historical approach, this project employs an innovative framework that integrates Australia’s disparate space activities, analyses Australian space over a long time period, and centres the Australian experience within the global context. The pro ....Australia and Space: Government policy and public imagination, 1957 – 2021. This project aims to be the first study to address how Australia has approached space at the public and government level from the dawn of the space age in 1957 to today. Taking a historical approach, this project employs an innovative framework that integrates Australia’s disparate space activities, analyses Australian space over a long time period, and centres the Australian experience within the global context. The project is particularly timely with creation of the Australian Space Agency in mid-2018. Through publications and collaboration with space scholars and stakeholders, this project aims to inform discussion of space policy and international cooperation in space, and develop new understandings of how Australians engage with space.Read moreRead less
Indigenous peoples, the British Empire, and self-government for the Australian colonies. This study enhances our understanding of the foundations and representative functions of Australian democratic institutions, especially as they concern Indigenous-settler-missionary-imperial relationships. In drawing out the connections between two major questions for Australian history and modern society - democracy and Indigenous dispossession - the project will contribute deeper historical knowledge to cu ....Indigenous peoples, the British Empire, and self-government for the Australian colonies. This study enhances our understanding of the foundations and representative functions of Australian democratic institutions, especially as they concern Indigenous-settler-missionary-imperial relationships. In drawing out the connections between two major questions for Australian history and modern society - democracy and Indigenous dispossession - the project will contribute deeper historical knowledge to current public debate about Indigenous policy past and present. It will also illuminate the importance of understanding Australian history in broad transcolonial and transnational contexts and enhance the contribution of Australian historians to imperial, missionary, and comparative settler-society histories.Read moreRead less
The Racial Century. My aim is to produce an intellectual history of bio-politics in what I call the 'racial century' between 1850 and 1950 by studying the cases of Germany and Australia. Not only will the project contribute to the literature in social theory on race and 'modernity', but also to the recent controversial historiography of genocide and the Holocaust. It will offer a new way of linking eugenic thought and policy development (bio-politics) with nation building, imperial competition, ....The Racial Century. My aim is to produce an intellectual history of bio-politics in what I call the 'racial century' between 1850 and 1950 by studying the cases of Germany and Australia. Not only will the project contribute to the literature in social theory on race and 'modernity', but also to the recent controversial historiography of genocide and the Holocaust. It will offer a new way of linking eugenic thought and policy development (bio-politics) with nation building, imperial competition, and international and intra-national racial struggle, thereby transcending unproductive debates about the precendence or uniqueness of particular genocides.Read moreRead less
Assimilation and Empire. There are growing calls internationally for the integration of immigrant communities as a long-term means of combating terrorism. Through an understanding of the history of assimilation, this project provokes considerable scepticism concerning the current resurgence of assimilationist sentiment. The politics of culturally diverse societies are profound but they are not going to be solved by simplistic diagnosis. The politics of assimilation is not the solution to cont ....Assimilation and Empire. There are growing calls internationally for the integration of immigrant communities as a long-term means of combating terrorism. Through an understanding of the history of assimilation, this project provokes considerable scepticism concerning the current resurgence of assimilationist sentiment. The politics of culturally diverse societies are profound but they are not going to be solved by simplistic diagnosis. The politics of assimilation is not the solution to contemporary terrorism but part of the problem. Thus at the heart of this project lie concerns which directly address the National Research Priority, Safeguarding Australia.Read moreRead less
Being Famous in China: Celebrities, Heroes and Public Figures. This project furthers Australian understanding of our most strategically important neighbours, the People's Republic of China. The better we understand how it mobilises exemplars, and famous people for social cohesion or economic and political causes the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market. Celebrity systems are integral to advertising campaigns, therefore the better we understand ho ....Being Famous in China: Celebrities, Heroes and Public Figures. This project furthers Australian understanding of our most strategically important neighbours, the People's Republic of China. The better we understand how it mobilises exemplars, and famous people for social cohesion or economic and political causes the more likely we are to be able to further Australian interests within this large market. Celebrity systems are integral to advertising campaigns, therefore the better we understand how celebrity is perceived the more likely we are to create effective marketing strategies for Australian exports. The project also enhances Australia's strong reputation as leaders in scholarship in Chinese Studies by producing research publications of high impact. Read moreRead less