Sketches of Bali in 1830: The unpublished letters and papers of Pierre Dubois, Dutch agent at Kuta, 1828-1831. The primary benefit of this work is its scholarly contribution to knowledge of Indonesian history in the nineteenth century. Perceptions of Bali forged in the colonial period provide the foundation on which contemporary ideas of identity are constructed. These images, notably those pertaining to Bali's Hindu religion and unique culture, remain important to contemporary Indonesian region ....Sketches of Bali in 1830: The unpublished letters and papers of Pierre Dubois, Dutch agent at Kuta, 1828-1831. The primary benefit of this work is its scholarly contribution to knowledge of Indonesian history in the nineteenth century. Perceptions of Bali forged in the colonial period provide the foundation on which contemporary ideas of identity are constructed. These images, notably those pertaining to Bali's Hindu religion and unique culture, remain important to contemporary Indonesian regional identities. They also point to some of the complex interconnections across Western and Indonesian cultures. As Australia-Indonesia relationships enter a more optimistic phase, this historical research thus has the potential to broaden our understandings of cultural differences to enhance Australia's capacity to interpret regional issues. Read moreRead less
Mobile Indonesians: social differentiation and digital literacies in the twenty first century. This is the first dedicated study of the social implications of mobile telephony's recent and rapid popularisation throughout the country. This project will study metropolitan, urban and rural users to understand how mobile phones create the new and unexpected social networks which will shape tomorrow's Indonesians.
The origins and trajectory of secularism in modern Indonesian politics. This reseach will provide both historical perspective and contemporary analysis of the vexed problem of secularism in Indonesian politics. It will provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the secularist bent in Indonesian political history and thinking, and will assist commentators, scholars and policy makers better to appreciate Indonesia's continuing struggle to create, construct and maintain a secularis ....The origins and trajectory of secularism in modern Indonesian politics. This reseach will provide both historical perspective and contemporary analysis of the vexed problem of secularism in Indonesian politics. It will provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the secularist bent in Indonesian political history and thinking, and will assist commentators, scholars and policy makers better to appreciate Indonesia's continuing struggle to create, construct and maintain a secularist polity. Read moreRead less
Contesting the sea: maritime territoriality in the Indonesian archipelago since 1850. This project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the seas that Australia shares with Indonesia. It will give policymakers and the general public a historical perspective on many questions related to maritime territoriality that concern Australia such as why the sea has become an important part of Indonesia's national identity, the impact that the drawing of boundaries in the Arafura and Timor seas has ....Contesting the sea: maritime territoriality in the Indonesian archipelago since 1850. This project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the seas that Australia shares with Indonesia. It will give policymakers and the general public a historical perspective on many questions related to maritime territoriality that concern Australia such as why the sea has become an important part of Indonesia's national identity, the impact that the drawing of boundaries in the Arafura and Timor seas has had on peoples who previously moved about freely in these waters, and why the Indonesian government has had so little control over what goes on within its maritime territory. The project will shed light on the tensions between Australia and Indonesia concerning the seas they share and lay the foundation for greater cooperation.
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The idea of Indonesia: a history. This project seeks to discover the origins of the idea of Indonesia in the mid-nineteenth century and to explore its trajectory through to the present time, with particular reference to the fate of the idea and the various manifestations it has taken since the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The outcome will be a monograph which will provide essential historical context and analysis for understanding Indonesia's current travails and prospects ....The idea of Indonesia: a history. This project seeks to discover the origins of the idea of Indonesia in the mid-nineteenth century and to explore its trajectory through to the present time, with particular reference to the fate of the idea and the various manifestations it has taken since the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The outcome will be a monograph which will provide essential historical context and analysis for understanding Indonesia's current travails and prospects as a unified, democratic nation state.Read moreRead less
The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project ....The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project sets this detailed examination in the context of the extreme political tension in Indonesia in the early 1960s and more-deeply rooted patterns of violence in Indonesian society.Read moreRead less
From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representa ....From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representations. With its scope covering historical and contemporary, and popular and serious, the project will enhance Australia's understanding of Japanese literature, culture, and society. It will also be beneficial to studies of women, children, and adolescence in other communities including Australia.Read moreRead less
Paths Not Taken: The False Spring of Political Pluralism in Postwar Singapore. The project aims to recast Singapore's postwar history to challenge the hegemonic paradigm by studying civil and political movements that have operated outside the parameters of imagination created by the ruling party. Using a combination of archival, interview, and anthropological/artistic research techniques, we will study Singapore's postwar period of political pluralism, which was finally smothered in the late 197 ....Paths Not Taken: The False Spring of Political Pluralism in Postwar Singapore. The project aims to recast Singapore's postwar history to challenge the hegemonic paradigm by studying civil and political movements that have operated outside the parameters of imagination created by the ruling party. Using a combination of archival, interview, and anthropological/artistic research techniques, we will study Singapore's postwar period of political pluralism, which was finally smothered in the late 1970s. It will culminate in an international conference and an edited book. We intend to use the project to build international partnerships and it should place Australia in an unprecedented strategic position as a major partner of researchers in Singapore.Read moreRead less
Land, language and heritage. The project will produce full documentation (written, audiovisual and web form) of the Jirrbal tribe from north Queensland, dealing with traditional life and language, ancient and recent history and cultural adaptation. The project works towards the empowerment of Indigenous Australians, reaffirmation of their identity and sustainable use of traditional environment.
China’s Law-Based Governance Revolution under Xi Jinping . To sustain its unmitigated power, the Chinese Communist Party is transforming its legal ideology and governance focus to make politico-legal institutions more capable of supervising and moulding people’s behaviour and beliefs. This project aims to examine how this transformation is constructed by key institutions and digested into public policy and legal decision-making guidelines. It expects to generate new knowledge on how Xi Jinping-e ....China’s Law-Based Governance Revolution under Xi Jinping . To sustain its unmitigated power, the Chinese Communist Party is transforming its legal ideology and governance focus to make politico-legal institutions more capable of supervising and moulding people’s behaviour and beliefs. This project aims to examine how this transformation is constructed by key institutions and digested into public policy and legal decision-making guidelines. It expects to generate new knowledge on how Xi Jinping-era legal ideology guides policy and decision-making in China. The expected outcomes include an enhanced conceptual and empirical understanding of politico-legal change in China. This project has significant implications for Australia given China’s increasingly assertive role in international governance. Read moreRead less