Neoliberalism, migration and diasporas: a comparative, ethnographic analysis of their intersections in Australia, Canada and Italy. This project will identify the connections between diasporas and the recent history of capitalism. Research data will be drawn from Canada, Italy and Australia to provide a comparative perspective on the cultural, economic and political transformations that connect diasporas with the structural changes in capitalism.
Sonic practice in Japan: sound in everyday life. This anthropological project focuses on 'sonic practice' - a way of understanding how sound is made significant to people in their everyday life - and its impact on social relations in Japan.
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
Spaces of Becoming: Spatial Strategies and the Formation of Modern Identities in Urban South Asia. The intensification of urbanisation in South Asia calls for new ways of understanding the politics of identity, and social complexity. This project will explore ways in which urban spaces (such as places of worship, streetscapes, markets, festival grounds, procession routes, and 'neighbourhoods') are used by different groups as a fundamental principle of organising social relations, including trans ....Spaces of Becoming: Spatial Strategies and the Formation of Modern Identities in Urban South Asia. The intensification of urbanisation in South Asia calls for new ways of understanding the politics of identity, and social complexity. This project will explore ways in which urban spaces (such as places of worship, streetscapes, markets, festival grounds, procession routes, and 'neighbourhoods') are used by different groups as a fundamental principle of organising social relations, including transmission of culture and creation of identity.
This interdisciplinary project argues that historicism - an exclusive temporal emphasis - can not capture the fundamental relationship between spaces and social processes that shapes contemporary cultural and social complexity in South Asia.
Read moreRead less
A study of the Brazilian community in Australia and Australian-Brazilian bilateral exchange. This study provides knowledge of a recent and growing migrant group in Australia of which there is little information beyond the bare demographics. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of class differences in shaping migrant identities, by exploring the way the immense socio-economic gap in Brazilian society is transplanted from homeland to destination country. By investigating the as yet ....A study of the Brazilian community in Australia and Australian-Brazilian bilateral exchange. This study provides knowledge of a recent and growing migrant group in Australia of which there is little information beyond the bare demographics. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of class differences in shaping migrant identities, by exploring the way the immense socio-economic gap in Brazilian society is transplanted from homeland to destination country. By investigating the as yet uncharted 'South-South' cultural pathways between Australia and Brazil, this project offers a critique of theories of power relations and globalisation. It will inform and enhance the growing bilateral relations between Australia and Brazil in the areas of tourism, investment, cultural promotion and educationRead moreRead less
New Regional Labour Circuits in the South Pacific: Gender, Culture and Transnationalism. This project aims to produce vital knowledge about transforming Pacific and Pacific Islander migration. Pacific mobility is being shaped by new patterns of international trade, investment and aid adopted by key regional players—China, United States, Australia and New Zealand especially—the effects of which are not yet well understood. Using a multi-sited analysis of regional labour circuits focusing on the C ....New Regional Labour Circuits in the South Pacific: Gender, Culture and Transnationalism. This project aims to produce vital knowledge about transforming Pacific and Pacific Islander migration. Pacific mobility is being shaped by new patterns of international trade, investment and aid adopted by key regional players—China, United States, Australia and New Zealand especially—the effects of which are not yet well understood. Using a multi-sited analysis of regional labour circuits focusing on the Cook Islands, Australia and New Zealand, this project aims to connect these broad geopolitical shifts to the movement of individuals and families, and to their gendered and culturally embedded economic practices.Read moreRead less
Angulimala walks - from understanding violence in Cambodia to building cultural competence in Australian international development. The purpose of this project is to make sure that people affected by violence in formerly war-torn countries like Cambodia (including those who migrated to Australia) are helped in culturally appropriate ways. The project will lead to a framework for 'cultural competence' to be used by Australia's international development and health sectors.
The Maronites of Lebanon: Arab Christians in the Era of ISIS. This project aims to capture ethnographically the way Maronite culture is evolving in response to regional pressures. The Maronites of Lebanon were the dominant community of modern Lebanon. Since the end of the civil war (1975–90), they have lost their economic power to the Sunnis associated with the Gulf capitalism that has rebuilt Lebanon. They have also lost their military and political power to the Shi'a who have accumulated milit ....The Maronites of Lebanon: Arab Christians in the Era of ISIS. This project aims to capture ethnographically the way Maronite culture is evolving in response to regional pressures. The Maronites of Lebanon were the dominant community of modern Lebanon. Since the end of the civil war (1975–90), they have lost their economic power to the Sunnis associated with the Gulf capitalism that has rebuilt Lebanon. They have also lost their military and political power to the Shi'a who have accumulated military strength through their struggle against Israel's occupation and their links to Iran. The Maronites are also declining numerically and, most dramatically today, like all Arab Christians, living with the spectre of Islamic fundamentalism in the region, particularly the threat of ISIS (Islamic State).Read moreRead less
Sisters and Sojourners: Stories of Rural Women in Urban China. A large increase in unofficial rural to urban migration has been one of the most significant aspects of social change in China in the last two decades. This project aims to advance our understanding of this phenomenon through a study of rural Chinese women's experiences of migration to the city, and in particular, the effects of migration upon their sense of identity, worldview and relationships with others. The project will involv ....Sisters and Sojourners: Stories of Rural Women in Urban China. A large increase in unofficial rural to urban migration has been one of the most significant aspects of social change in China in the last two decades. This project aims to advance our understanding of this phenomenon through a study of rural Chinese women's experiences of migration to the city, and in particular, the effects of migration upon their sense of identity, worldview and relationships with others. The project will involve ethnographic fieldwork, centring on the collection and analysis of rural migrant women's life stories. It will result in the publication of a book and three scholarly articles.Read moreRead less
The Commercialization of Ritual and Transformation of Kinship in Urban China. This project analyses transformations in the practice of kinship in urban China by examining the commercial enterprises that conduct funerals and weddings. Through a focus on the imagination of kinship performed in these rituals, it will address major scholarly debates on three topics: the relationship between urbanisation and practices of kinship; the wider social ramifications of the commercialisation of ritual; and ....The Commercialization of Ritual and Transformation of Kinship in Urban China. This project analyses transformations in the practice of kinship in urban China by examining the commercial enterprises that conduct funerals and weddings. Through a focus on the imagination of kinship performed in these rituals, it will address major scholarly debates on three topics: the relationship between urbanisation and practices of kinship; the wider social ramifications of the commercialisation of ritual; and how to theorise Chinese modernity. In addition to contributing to theoretical debates, the project will make a major empirical contribution to China studies by providing the first systematic depiction of contemporary urban funerals.Read moreRead less