Reason in Revolt: The Role of Intellectuals in Australian Radicalism. The project aims to produce new ways of understanding and interpreting the role of intellectuals in the development of Australian political radicalism during the period 1872 to 2000. By digitizing a sizeable and representative data base of primary source materials produced by radical intellectuals, the Chief Investigators will be able to investigate these texts in innovative ways, producing a co-authored monograph and other re ....Reason in Revolt: The Role of Intellectuals in Australian Radicalism. The project aims to produce new ways of understanding and interpreting the role of intellectuals in the development of Australian political radicalism during the period 1872 to 2000. By digitizing a sizeable and representative data base of primary source materials produced by radical intellectuals, the Chief Investigators will be able to investigate these texts in innovative ways, producing a co-authored monograph and other research that will provide an improved understanding of Australia's past, present and possible futures. Secondary outcomes will include the establishment of a substantial on-line collection of radical political primary source material, with scholarly commentary and analysis, easily accessible to other researchers.Read moreRead less
New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal. Vibrant democracies require generational renewal as norms, values and cultures evolve. This project is a systematic study of Australian students in the climate change movement. Examining who the students are, why they participate, how they organise, how they represent themselves and are represented by others in social and mainstream media, the project ethically advances ways of co-researching students’ civic and political participation in o ....New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal. Vibrant democracies require generational renewal as norms, values and cultures evolve. This project is a systematic study of Australian students in the climate change movement. Examining who the students are, why they participate, how they organise, how they represent themselves and are represented by others in social and mainstream media, the project ethically advances ways of co-researching students’ civic and political participation in offline and online settings. Expected outcomes include improved capacity for investigating student political action, new knowledge of the motivations, norms and practices that characterise student climate politics and concepts and tools for democratic renewal through engagement with young people.Read moreRead less
Improving Spiritual Health Care for LGBT Australians. Research has demonstrated that attempts to change the sexual and gender orientation of LGBT people do not work, but little is known about their impacts or the extent of their practice in Australia. This project aims to investigate the history, scale and nature of LGBT conversion therapy in Australia. Robust data on Australian conversion practices will be collected through a national survey, life history interviews and focus groups with spirit ....Improving Spiritual Health Care for LGBT Australians. Research has demonstrated that attempts to change the sexual and gender orientation of LGBT people do not work, but little is known about their impacts or the extent of their practice in Australia. This project aims to investigate the history, scale and nature of LGBT conversion therapy in Australia. Robust data on Australian conversion practices will be collected through a national survey, life history interviews and focus groups with spiritual and mental health care providers. These data will be used to establish the impacts of conversion practices and develop resources to support improved spiritual care of LGBT people. The findings will benefit society, supporting social cohesion in the fraught area of religious and LGBT rights.
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Jean Martin and the Social Sciences in Australia. Jean Martin was a major founder of the social sciences in Australia, a pioneer in institution building and cultural traffic. She built institutions and networks by working Sociology and Anthropology together, combining intellectual cultures from Australia, America, Germany and Britain. A collectively authored book will establish the nature of Martin's contribution to social science and society, and uncover the nature of intellectual innovation, ....Jean Martin and the Social Sciences in Australia. Jean Martin was a major founder of the social sciences in Australia, a pioneer in institution building and cultural traffic. She built institutions and networks by working Sociology and Anthropology together, combining intellectual cultures from Australia, America, Germany and Britain. A collectively authored book will establish the nature of Martin's contribution to social science and society, and uncover the nature of intellectual innovation, networking and institution-building in social sciences in Australia and beyond. This project develops new perspectives on the culture of the social sciences, Australian nation-building and civil society in the twentieth century.Read moreRead less
Understanding identity, social change and emerging needs: Melbourne's Jewish community and Australian society. Understanding current developments within ethnic and religious groups is of vital national importance. The detailed profile of Australian ethno-religious groups to be produced will be of relevance to a range of planning issues, including: strategies to maximize the life potential of young Australians, preventative health care, appraisal of future needs of an ageing population and of the ....Understanding identity, social change and emerging needs: Melbourne's Jewish community and Australian society. Understanding current developments within ethnic and religious groups is of vital national importance. The detailed profile of Australian ethno-religious groups to be produced will be of relevance to a range of planning issues, including: strategies to maximize the life potential of young Australians, preventative health care, appraisal of future needs of an ageing population and of the capacity of voluntary agencies to maintain their existing levels of social welfare provision. Integral to the project is ongoing consultation with communal leaders, social workers and policy makers. It will provide for informed public discussion and promote a climate of consultation and dialogue. Read moreRead less
Hopes and Aspirations of Australian Muslims. Promoting harmony and increasing security are critical national issues. This project will provide reliable information on the socio-political outlook of Australian Muslims - a growing community in Australia which has attracted extensive public scrutiny in recent years. By testing the hopes and aspirations of Australian Muslims, the findings of this project will (a) offer tangible guidelines for Commonwealth and state policy makers, (b) contribute to a ....Hopes and Aspirations of Australian Muslims. Promoting harmony and increasing security are critical national issues. This project will provide reliable information on the socio-political outlook of Australian Muslims - a growing community in Australia which has attracted extensive public scrutiny in recent years. By testing the hopes and aspirations of Australian Muslims, the findings of this project will (a) offer tangible guidelines for Commonwealth and state policy makers, (b) contribute to an informed public discourse on the place of Islam in Australia, and (c) enrich inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue and social harmonyRead moreRead less
The Political Sociology of the Australian Jewish Community. This project will examine the internal dynamics of the Australian Jewish community, its institutional structure, and responses to internal and external pressures, including terrorism. The study will analyse the interaction of the Jewish community with the broader Australian society, including relations between the internalised norms of the community and the demands made by participation in a pluralist society. Primarily sociological a ....The Political Sociology of the Australian Jewish Community. This project will examine the internal dynamics of the Australian Jewish community, its institutional structure, and responses to internal and external pressures, including terrorism. The study will analyse the interaction of the Jewish community with the broader Australian society, including relations between the internalised norms of the community and the demands made by participation in a pluralist society. Primarily sociological and political in approach, the study will also explore previously unexamined archives. The project will develop an improved model for Jewish community leadership which may also be useful for other communities.Read moreRead less
A study of the rise of Islam and community survival in Indigenous Australia. The recovery of the history of Islam in Indigenous Australia makes available new information about the sources of national identity. It provides compelling arguments to dismantle community stereotypes that have prevented the recognition of an exemplary hybrid community tradition as integral to our collective sense of self. Linked to the contemporary phenomenon of Indigenous Islamicisation, this study makes possible a ne ....A study of the rise of Islam and community survival in Indigenous Australia. The recovery of the history of Islam in Indigenous Australia makes available new information about the sources of national identity. It provides compelling arguments to dismantle community stereotypes that have prevented the recognition of an exemplary hybrid community tradition as integral to our collective sense of self. Linked to the contemporary phenomenon of Indigenous Islamicisation, this study makes possible a new and timely dialogue between Australian Muslims, Indigenous communities and Australian society generally. Identifying new sources and resources of community-making at a local, national and international level, this study significantly enriches Australia's capacity to negotiate its place in the world. Read moreRead less
Developing a national rural volunteering roadmap. This project aims to investigate the challenges affecting rural volunteering in Australia. Conducting a national analysis of volunteering demand and supply, this project expects to generate new interdisciplinary knowledge of the structural, demographic, organisational and personal factors affecting the sustainability of rural volunteering. Expected outcomes of this project include a world-first index of volunteering vulnerabilities and a spatial ....Developing a national rural volunteering roadmap. This project aims to investigate the challenges affecting rural volunteering in Australia. Conducting a national analysis of volunteering demand and supply, this project expects to generate new interdisciplinary knowledge of the structural, demographic, organisational and personal factors affecting the sustainability of rural volunteering. Expected outcomes of this project include a world-first index of volunteering vulnerabilities and a spatial map of volunteering unevenness, leading to the development of an evidence-based National Rural Volunteering Roadmap (2025-2035), which will guide our volunteering peak body partners, governments and rural communities to plan for and support rural volunteering over the longer-term.Read moreRead less
Constituencies for welfare: Public responses to Australia's 'new welfare state'. The main national and community benefits fall within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health, and particularly 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Australia's welfare state helps maintain the social fabric, but its performance depends on citizens' confidence in the purposes and outcomes of welfare. This project investigates how well Australians understand recent welfare changes ....Constituencies for welfare: Public responses to Australia's 'new welfare state'. The main national and community benefits fall within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health, and particularly 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Australia's welfare state helps maintain the social fabric, but its performance depends on citizens' confidence in the purposes and outcomes of welfare. This project investigates how well Australians understand recent welfare changes, and measures their confidence in policy directions. The project will produce fresh research into the public's response to the Australian government's largest area of fiscal responsibility, provide new analytical and data tools for policymakers, and strengthen Australia's international profile in research into welfare reform.Read moreRead less