Consumer Culture: the influence of economics on modern theories and practices of sexual psychology. The project has implications for a wide range of public debates in Australia today, including debates about the ethics and psychology of the pornography industry and the pervasive use of the ‘sex sells’ principle in marketing and entertainment. It will produce new knowledge and understanding of how psychological theory has been used to rationalise the commercialisation of sex in consumer culture a ....Consumer Culture: the influence of economics on modern theories and practices of sexual psychology. The project has implications for a wide range of public debates in Australia today, including debates about the ethics and psychology of the pornography industry and the pervasive use of the ‘sex sells’ principle in marketing and entertainment. It will produce new knowledge and understanding of how psychological theory has been used to rationalise the commercialisation of sex in consumer culture and how modern rhetoric of sexual liberation have been shaped by the very economic concerns they purport to repudiate. Finally, the project will advance the knowledge-base of key disciplines in the new humanities and enhance Australia's reputation for groundbreaking research in cultural history and analysis.Read moreRead less
Participatory public space: a right to the networked city. The National Broadband Network (NBN) is the largest single public investment in Australian history. This research seeks to understand how digital networks such as the NBN can contribute to improvements in civic life. Improving participation in public space can address problems such as social isolation, enhance citizen empowerment and develop a sense of collective belonging.
Australian Film Theory and Criticism. Australian film theory and criticism has burgeoned over the past thirty years, but there is no dedicated book-length study of the field. This research project will fill the gap, not only tracing the specificity of Australian film theory and criticism but also reasserting its place on the international scholarly agenda. In tracing the critical positions, personalities and institutions that have shaped film theory and criticism in this country, this project wi ....Australian Film Theory and Criticism. Australian film theory and criticism has burgeoned over the past thirty years, but there is no dedicated book-length study of the field. This research project will fill the gap, not only tracing the specificity of Australian film theory and criticism but also reasserting its place on the international scholarly agenda. In tracing the critical positions, personalities and institutions that have shaped film theory and criticism in this country, this project will at once disseminate and preserve (for scholars and the general public alike) the legacy of those critical intellectuals who have striven to understand the nation's most popular art and entertainment form, the cinema. Read moreRead less
Minds, Bodies, Machines: a cultural and intellectual history of technologies in the 21st century. This project benefits the intellectual and cultural life of the nation by establishing a unique dialogue between the I.T. community and University researchers in the humanities and social sciences. Using an
interdisciplinary methodology to explore technologically-driven social change across a period of more than two hundred years, the project will generate new and fresh ways of thinking about emerg ....Minds, Bodies, Machines: a cultural and intellectual history of technologies in the 21st century. This project benefits the intellectual and cultural life of the nation by establishing a unique dialogue between the I.T. community and University researchers in the humanities and social sciences. Using an
interdisciplinary methodology to explore technologically-driven social change across a period of more than two hundred years, the project will generate new and fresh ways of thinking about emerging areas of intense debate and controversy, such as humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence. The dialogue we propose will foster an environment of enhanced innovation, one in which knowledge translates directly and indirectly into social and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal young people in Victoria and digital storytelling. Victorian Aboriginal youth are using digital technology to tell stories, (which assert and affirm their identities), and also to produce and consume information in creative and interactive ways, that are relevant to them. This project on digital storytelling will support creative approaches for building digital literacy, while increasing understandings of Aboriginal culture.
Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis o ....Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis of the role of the avatar, in consultation with industry, this project offers a unique opportunity to develop a wider perspective that will contribute to an understanding of the uses and policies for the digital economy.Read moreRead less
Children of Frankenstein: Science Fiction, Automata and the Emergence of Robot Realities. Entertainment technologies are integral to everyday life and they play a crucial role in acclimatizing the public to new technologies. This project provides a unique account of the role played by creative industries in developing cutting-edge technologies that include robots, and film and computer game special effects that rely on artificial intelligence. The computer game industry in Australia is developin ....Children of Frankenstein: Science Fiction, Automata and the Emergence of Robot Realities. Entertainment technologies are integral to everyday life and they play a crucial role in acclimatizing the public to new technologies. This project provides a unique account of the role played by creative industries in developing cutting-edge technologies that include robots, and film and computer game special effects that rely on artificial intelligence. The computer game industry in Australia is developing into a very profitable industry and attracts an audience far greater than that of the cinema. Like film effects designers, game programmers are implementing artificial intelligence into their games. By considering Australian industries within an international context, much can be learned about our role as innovators on a global scale.Read moreRead less
Art precincts and cultural participation in networked public space. This project aims to examine the changing relation between public culture and public space. Cultural activity in the contemporary city is increasingly networked and street-based, manifest in events that use the city as a stage for mass participation in art. This challenges the dominant model of cultural engagement that focuses on activities within cultural institutions located in designated arts precincts. This project will deve ....Art precincts and cultural participation in networked public space. This project aims to examine the changing relation between public culture and public space. Cultural activity in the contemporary city is increasingly networked and street-based, manifest in events that use the city as a stage for mass participation in art. This challenges the dominant model of cultural engagement that focuses on activities within cultural institutions located in designated arts precincts. This project will develop tools for data gathering to map this shift. The analysis is expected to contribute to the evaluation of cultural policy settings and design developments in Australian cities.Read moreRead less
Speed, Time and the Political Process in Australia. The project represents the first empirically-based study to research the traditional processes of political decision-making from the perspective of time and speed in the context of economic globalisation and the networked society. A clearer understanding of how political processes function in a globally-networked setting will provide valuable insight into how well the fundamental, politically grounded, aspects of Australian life and culture are ....Speed, Time and the Political Process in Australia. The project represents the first empirically-based study to research the traditional processes of political decision-making from the perspective of time and speed in the context of economic globalisation and the networked society. A clearer understanding of how political processes function in a globally-networked setting will provide valuable insight into how well the fundamental, politically grounded, aspects of Australian life and culture are functioning. This unique perspective will form the basis of an incisive method of applying 'time-awareness' not only to the political process, but to the many national/community sectors across Australian society that depend upon responsible and effective decision-making practices.Read moreRead less
After the apocalypse: the mediasphere, global crisis and violent ecologies. This project examines the ways in which the media shapes our thinking and practices around crisis. The study focuses particularly on the evolution of a 'crisis consciousness' and the ways in which human desires are implicated in the cultural politics of violence. The study focuses specifically on Australia's participation in post-9/11 conflicts.