Rethinking Zoo Biology: The Histories, Effects and Futures of Captivity. This project aims to transform our understanding of the captive management of wild animals by examining the histories, effects and potential futures of zoo biology. It expects to clarify, synthesise and generate knowledge in the history and philosophy of zoo biology using interdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of human and animal lives. Expected outcomes of this project include international and interdisciplinary ....Rethinking Zoo Biology: The Histories, Effects and Futures of Captivity. This project aims to transform our understanding of the captive management of wild animals by examining the histories, effects and potential futures of zoo biology. It expects to clarify, synthesise and generate knowledge in the history and philosophy of zoo biology using interdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of human and animal lives. Expected outcomes of this project include international and interdisciplinary collaborations that will develop sophisticated methods and conceptual resources for understanding and improving human-wildlife relations. This will provide significant environmental and social benefits, protecting threatened biological communities and helping them to flourish alongside people in changing conditions.Read moreRead less
Australia a space-faring nation: imaginaries and practices of space futures. This project investigates the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest for Australia. Combining ethnography and creative practice, the project analyses how a range of imaginaries of outer space are produced through a study of the development of Australia’s National Space Agency, the role of new venture capital firms in Australia, and ....Australia a space-faring nation: imaginaries and practices of space futures. This project investigates the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest for Australia. Combining ethnography and creative practice, the project analyses how a range of imaginaries of outer space are produced through a study of the development of Australia’s National Space Agency, the role of new venture capital firms in Australia, and scientific research on alien life in terrestrial analogue sites in Australia, the U.S and Chile. Research outputs will contribute to national research capacity in social studies of science, foster opportunities for international interdisciplinary collaborations, and inspire Australian public engagement with space research. Read moreRead less
Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes i ....Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes include generating original empirical data, building international collaboration, and creating a new conceptual framework for assessing contemporary photographic practices. The research will provide community benefit by enabling insight into the social and ethical tensions affecting photography in the present.
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Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR200200604
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,000.00
Summary
Extremism and the Australian National Imaginary. The project will use innovative temporal methods to assess the influence of extreme nationalist discourses on mainstream political discussion in Australia. It will develop computational tools to unpick the relationship between digital media, speed and increasing polarisation in political discourse. Expected outcomes include a dataset describing extreme discourses in Australia, an empirical evaluation of the influence of extremism within mainstream ....Extremism and the Australian National Imaginary. The project will use innovative temporal methods to assess the influence of extreme nationalist discourses on mainstream political discussion in Australia. It will develop computational tools to unpick the relationship between digital media, speed and increasing polarisation in political discourse. Expected outcomes include a dataset describing extreme discourses in Australia, an empirical evaluation of the influence of extremism within mainstream publics, and the development of software, methods and a collaborative framework to support research excellence. Expected outcomes include training governmental and non-governmental advocates and policy makers seeking to address extremism for a socially cohesive Australia. Read moreRead less
Investigating Innovative Waste Economies: redrawing the circular economy . Australia is facing a waste crisis and government and industry are promoting the Circular Economy as a solution. This project investigates innovative cultural and economic practices in three waste streams: single use plastics, organics and bulky household waste, to understand how they realise or redraw the circle. The project develops empirical evidence to advance thinking about how novel waste economies are organised and ....Investigating Innovative Waste Economies: redrawing the circular economy . Australia is facing a waste crisis and government and industry are promoting the Circular Economy as a solution. This project investigates innovative cultural and economic practices in three waste streams: single use plastics, organics and bulky household waste, to understand how they realise or redraw the circle. The project develops empirical evidence to advance thinking about how novel waste economies are organised and the cultural and social innovations they generate. Outcomes include national and international case studies of innovative waste economies, social learning events with industry stakeholders and academic publications. Key benefits provide evidence of how different waste practices enable more sustainable ways of living. Read moreRead less
Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge . No archiving system adequately responds to the interconnected and relational knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples'. This project aims to explore the potential of Indigenous Storytelling, which supports the interconnection of everything, as a way of intervening in the linear structure of institutional archives. A non-linear, interactive archiving system will be developed in collaboration with Aboriginal people. Such a sys ....Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge . No archiving system adequately responds to the interconnected and relational knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples'. This project aims to explore the potential of Indigenous Storytelling, which supports the interconnection of everything, as a way of intervening in the linear structure of institutional archives. A non-linear, interactive archiving system will be developed in collaboration with Aboriginal people. Such a system aims to better reflect Aboriginal perspectives about culture and histories in relation to collections held in galleries, libraries, archives and museums. An evaluation of museums globally will advance understandings of the opportunities for greater Indigenous co-management of their dispersed collections. Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR200200677
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Staying on Country: Infrastructure Needs for Remote Community Viability. This project introduces the concept of infrastructural biographies to revisit the history of remote community formations from the self-determination era to today. Using ethnographic approaches to understand infrastructural legacies, it aims to interrogate the governance and hardware requirements for supporting Indigenous residents to stay on country. The project will produce four case studies capturing community resilience ....Staying on Country: Infrastructure Needs for Remote Community Viability. This project introduces the concept of infrastructural biographies to revisit the history of remote community formations from the self-determination era to today. Using ethnographic approaches to understand infrastructural legacies, it aims to interrogate the governance and hardware requirements for supporting Indigenous residents to stay on country. The project will produce four case studies capturing community resilience efforts in northern and central Australia. Expected benefits include an enhanced understanding of infrastructural issues in relation to viability concerns, and improved policy strategies for Indigenous corporations, NGOs, and governments working on remote Indigenous governance, maintenance programs, and climate-readiness.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100486
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,182.00
Summary
Drone witnessing: technologies of perception in war and culture. This project aims to investigate how drones and other technologies of perception are changing how we bear witness and determine the meaning, importance and truth of events. The project will generate new knowledge about the impact of drone warfare and drone technologies on forms and processes of witnessing by analysing both primary and creative texts and by conducting field research into new practices of testimony. Anticipated outco ....Drone witnessing: technologies of perception in war and culture. This project aims to investigate how drones and other technologies of perception are changing how we bear witness and determine the meaning, importance and truth of events. The project will generate new knowledge about the impact of drone warfare and drone technologies on forms and processes of witnessing by analysing both primary and creative texts and by conducting field research into new practices of testimony. Anticipated outcomes include a critical and conceptual framework for witnessing, new terms to inform public debates about the cultural impact of increased reliance on drones in war and culture, and new channels for knowledge exchange between drone and autonomous system designers, humanities scholars and creative practitioners.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100080
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,933.00
Summary
Tasting history: food, culture, and national identity. This project aims to prioritise the role of taste in history by mapping how cultural heritage has driven nation building in Australia through the example of food. Scholarly research on the sense of taste is a significant area of critical historical inquiry. This project will develop a novel approach in a comparative study of the significance of biscuit consumption from colonial expansion to militarism; among other sources, it explores cookbo ....Tasting history: food, culture, and national identity. This project aims to prioritise the role of taste in history by mapping how cultural heritage has driven nation building in Australia through the example of food. Scholarly research on the sense of taste is a significant area of critical historical inquiry. This project will develop a novel approach in a comparative study of the significance of biscuit consumption from colonial expansion to militarism; among other sources, it explores cookbooks and recipe archives as documents that underpin cultural heritage. In addition to historical analysis, this project will yield cultural, health, and environmental benefits in Australia that intersect with international debates about the sociocultural ramifications of food politics and food sovereignty.Read moreRead less
The Promise of Justice. Justice is often framed as a human problem. How other species shape just or unjust futures is rarely considered. Biodiversity loss and modernisation programs can result in unequal suffering for Indigenous communities. Health inequalities, produced by microbial diseases, also disproportionately impact marginalsed peoples in developing countries. Collaborative ethnographic research in Indonesia will enable participants to reconceptualise justice and make policy reccomendati ....The Promise of Justice. Justice is often framed as a human problem. How other species shape just or unjust futures is rarely considered. Biodiversity loss and modernisation programs can result in unequal suffering for Indigenous communities. Health inequalities, produced by microbial diseases, also disproportionately impact marginalsed peoples in developing countries. Collaborative ethnographic research in Indonesia will enable participants to reconceptualise justice and make policy reccomendations in three arenas: 1) the environment, 2) human rights, and 3) health. New knowledge in cultural theory and multispecies studies will be generated through collaborations with distinguished international scholars and indigenous intellectuals.Read moreRead less