Australian responses to the images and discourses of terrorism and the other: establishing a metric of fear. The world was changed on 9/11. Small-scale studies indicate half the Australian non-Muslim population is now anti-Muslim and up to 80% of Muslims are in a siege mentality. This research examines Australian perceptions of the other, of terrorism, of refugees and of fears about these. In seeking to analyse these influences upon contemporary society, the project investigates ways that policy ....Australian responses to the images and discourses of terrorism and the other: establishing a metric of fear. The world was changed on 9/11. Small-scale studies indicate half the Australian non-Muslim population is now anti-Muslim and up to 80% of Muslims are in a siege mentality. This research examines Australian perceptions of the other, of terrorism, of refugees and of fears about these. In seeking to analyse these influences upon contemporary society, the project investigates ways that policy can drive appropriate communication responses to racism and to social isolation, particularly in supporting fear-filled communities. Arguing that the global response to 9/11 is out of proportion to the events themselves, the study suggests strategies to support ethnically diverse groups that feel threatened by media discourses and adverse public opinion.Read moreRead less
Australian youth: exploring ethnicity in cyberspace. Australia's youth are moving towards adulthood in a society that is both ethnically diverse and increasingly reliant on information technologies. This project will investigate how these characteristics of our society are intersecting for young people, as they use computer-mediated communication to seek information relevant to their ethnic backgrounds and interact with others from their ethnic groups. The central aim of the project is to establ ....Australian youth: exploring ethnicity in cyberspace. Australia's youth are moving towards adulthood in a society that is both ethnically diverse and increasingly reliant on information technologies. This project will investigate how these characteristics of our society are intersecting for young people, as they use computer-mediated communication to seek information relevant to their ethnic backgrounds and interact with others from their ethnic groups. The central aim of the project is to establish how this activity is impacting on the process of ethnic identity construction and young Australians' sense of 'community'. The research findings will also provide a broader understanding of young people's use of information technologies.Read moreRead less