Challenging colonialism: Australians who helped us embrace human equality. This project aims to investigate how ten influential Australian thinkers, writers and activists helped the nation to embrace human equality in the mid-twentieth century, by tracing how challenges to colonialism and racial inequality circulated. It expects to produce new knowledge about decolonisation in a settler-state and is methodologically innovative in using group biography to follow how ideas spread outwards via netw ....Challenging colonialism: Australians who helped us embrace human equality. This project aims to investigate how ten influential Australian thinkers, writers and activists helped the nation to embrace human equality in the mid-twentieth century, by tracing how challenges to colonialism and racial inequality circulated. It expects to produce new knowledge about decolonisation in a settler-state and is methodologically innovative in using group biography to follow how ideas spread outwards via networks. Expected outcomes include developed understanding of how activists and groups successfully explained human rights and equality to mainstream Australia. Benefits should include new insight into how ideas of equality eroded cultural acceptance of White Australia and Australians reconceptualised their society as diverse.Read moreRead less
The Politics of Guilt in Asia: the Afterlife of Japanese War Crimes. This project aims to investigate the perception of Japan’s continuing guilt for atrocities committed during the Second World War. Until the 1970s, it was widely believed that Japan had resolved its guilt by accepting punishment, paying recompense and apologising, and could move on. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the process by which the idea of Japan’s guilt was revived to become a major issue in East Asian ....The Politics of Guilt in Asia: the Afterlife of Japanese War Crimes. This project aims to investigate the perception of Japan’s continuing guilt for atrocities committed during the Second World War. Until the 1970s, it was widely believed that Japan had resolved its guilt by accepting punishment, paying recompense and apologising, and could move on. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the process by which the idea of Japan’s guilt was revived to become a major issue in East Asian and world affairs. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of how historical grievance is constructed and why it has come to be considered always open to review. Anticipated benefits include a greater understanding of the changing ways in which historical grievance is used, both politically and ethically.Read moreRead less
Living with Smallpox in Early Modern Britain (c.1580–1780 CE). This project aims to examine how people in the past made sense of an acute infectious disease, including its long-term effects on individuals and their communities. Using traditional techniques and digital tools, it anticipates reconstructing how the experiences of the majority – who survived – were shaped by their socio-cultural circumstances, and tracing how those experiences changed over time, particularly in relation to advances ....Living with Smallpox in Early Modern Britain (c.1580–1780 CE). This project aims to examine how people in the past made sense of an acute infectious disease, including its long-term effects on individuals and their communities. Using traditional techniques and digital tools, it anticipates reconstructing how the experiences of the majority – who survived – were shaped by their socio-cultural circumstances, and tracing how those experiences changed over time, particularly in relation to advances in medical technology and public health. Expected outcomes include insight into historical responses to pandemics, as well as enhanced knowledge of the emergence of modern techniques for regulating public health, with benefits for our understanding of similar challenges in the present day. Read moreRead less
Towards a globalised history of international relations, the case of Japan. This project aims to revise the Euro-American-centric understanding of the history of international relations by incorporating the case of the first non-Euro-American modern power, Japan, and developing theory that internalises colonialism. Benefits to Australia and beyond include gaining a more historically accurate knowledge of this history, greater insights into the impact of this dominant understanding on the actions ....Towards a globalised history of international relations, the case of Japan. This project aims to revise the Euro-American-centric understanding of the history of international relations by incorporating the case of the first non-Euro-American modern power, Japan, and developing theory that internalises colonialism. Benefits to Australia and beyond include gaining a more historically accurate knowledge of this history, greater insights into the impact of this dominant understanding on the actions of non-Euro-American powers, and enhanced sensitivity of policy-makers and practitioners to their schemes to post-colonial societies. This revised history could also benefit general public debates on rethinking measures for dealing with issues arising from the diversity within Australian society and internationally.Read moreRead less
Protest and Terror: Political Violence in Western Europe after 1968. This project aims to explore how the protest era of the 1960s in Western Europe transformed into a decade of political violence and terror in the 1970s. By undertaking an unprecedented transnational analysis of the history of political violence in France, Italy and West Germany after 1968, the project intends to generate a new understanding of the origins of home-grown terrorism in Europe and the precariousness of democratic st ....Protest and Terror: Political Violence in Western Europe after 1968. This project aims to explore how the protest era of the 1960s in Western Europe transformed into a decade of political violence and terror in the 1970s. By undertaking an unprecedented transnational analysis of the history of political violence in France, Italy and West Germany after 1968, the project intends to generate a new understanding of the origins of home-grown terrorism in Europe and the precariousness of democratic stability. The project aims to place the rise and fall of political terror in a new perspective, via an analysis of a wide variety of forms of violence by individuals, political groups, social movements and states, with significant benefits to understanding similar challenges in the contemporary world.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100603
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$411,000.00
Summary
Unwanted heroes: the Nationalist Sino-Japanese War veterans in China. This project aims to conceptualise the history of one of East Asia’s most significant modern conflicts, the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), focusing on neglected stories of the Nationalist soldiers. Combining historical research, ethnography and discourse analysis, the project intends to investigate the local, national and international context behind the veterans' journey of being forgotten and re-remembered in Chinese history ....Unwanted heroes: the Nationalist Sino-Japanese War veterans in China. This project aims to conceptualise the history of one of East Asia’s most significant modern conflicts, the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), focusing on neglected stories of the Nationalist soldiers. Combining historical research, ethnography and discourse analysis, the project intends to investigate the local, national and international context behind the veterans' journey of being forgotten and re-remembered in Chinese history. This work will assist governments and others to understand the legacies of the Second World War in China, and the complexity of Chinese nationalism. Potential benefits include reconciliation in this region through the facilitation of a more open discussion on war experiences and commemoration in Asia, intersecting with Australian commemoration practices.Read moreRead less
Social histories of Holden in Australia. This project aims to investigate the social histories of Holden’s manufacturing operations in Australia in the post-World War II (WW2) period through oral interviews and archival research. It will place workers, workplace culture, and the communities in which Holden’s factories were based at the centre of the company’s history. A key focus will be an evaluation of recent assistance provided by Holden to workers to transition to new jobs. The project will ....Social histories of Holden in Australia. This project aims to investigate the social histories of Holden’s manufacturing operations in Australia in the post-World War II (WW2) period through oral interviews and archival research. It will place workers, workplace culture, and the communities in which Holden’s factories were based at the centre of the company’s history. A key focus will be an evaluation of recent assistance provided by Holden to workers to transition to new jobs. The project will produce 100 oral histories and the interviews and interpretive work undertaken during the project will be incorporated into exhibitions at the National Motor Museum and print and online publications. These outcomes will enhance our understanding of Australia's automotive heritage and workplace culture.Read moreRead less
GM Holden and the Mobilisation of Private Industry during World War II. Through a focus on General Motors Holden (GMH), this project aims to explain how Australian industry adapted, diversified, and developed new workforce skills during World War II. Its significance lies in expanding knowledge of GMH’s under-recognised role and impact on Australia’s industrial economy during a pivotal moment in the nation's history. In doing so, it will contribute to broader current discussions about the import ....GM Holden and the Mobilisation of Private Industry during World War II. Through a focus on General Motors Holden (GMH), this project aims to explain how Australian industry adapted, diversified, and developed new workforce skills during World War II. Its significance lies in expanding knowledge of GMH’s under-recognised role and impact on Australia’s industrial economy during a pivotal moment in the nation's history. In doing so, it will contribute to broader current discussions about the importance of maintaining Australian manufacturing industries and their capacity to adapt rapidly in times of crisis to meet national needs. The expected outcomes and benefits include the generation of new interpretive texts and exhibitions for libraries and museums, and building research capacity in early career researchers.Read moreRead less
Suharto's enablers? Social complicity in the Indonesian killings of 1965-66. This projects aims to revolutionise understandings of civilian involvement in the most critical and bloody turning point in modern Indonesian history, the 1965-66 killings, and to transform the evidence base for Indonesian history-writing. By accessing critically endangered and never before used survivor community archives, the project will examine the complicity of civilians in the killings and how the violence shaped ....Suharto's enablers? Social complicity in the Indonesian killings of 1965-66. This projects aims to revolutionise understandings of civilian involvement in the most critical and bloody turning point in modern Indonesian history, the 1965-66 killings, and to transform the evidence base for Indonesian history-writing. By accessing critically endangered and never before used survivor community archives, the project will examine the complicity of civilians in the killings and how the violence shaped modern Indonesian national identity and moral consciousness. It will further generate a new, centralised archive of these preserved materials and compile new oral history interviews with the remaining witnesses to these pivotal events.Read moreRead less
Resilient humanitarianism: the League of Red Cross Societies, 1919-1991. This project aims to advance the concept of resilient humanitarianism through a historical investigation of one humanitarian body, the League of Red Cross Societies, from its inception to the end of the Cold War. Global humanitarian crises abound due to ongoing conflict and natural disasters but nation states, bodies such as the United Nations and humanitarian organisations seem incapable of offering lasting solutions to in ....Resilient humanitarianism: the League of Red Cross Societies, 1919-1991. This project aims to advance the concept of resilient humanitarianism through a historical investigation of one humanitarian body, the League of Red Cross Societies, from its inception to the end of the Cold War. Global humanitarian crises abound due to ongoing conflict and natural disasters but nation states, bodies such as the United Nations and humanitarian organisations seem incapable of offering lasting solutions to intractable situations. This project will use rarely accessed archives and an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the evolution of humanitarianism, voluntary action and global civil society during the 20th century. This historical analysis can inform humanitarian policy, debates and practice of the present and future.Read moreRead less