The Power of the Image: affect, audience and disturbing imagery. In a period of fear and uncertainty about terrorism and war there is a pressing need to examine the specific contemporary modes of teenagers' engagements with media violence and the ways it contributes to their understanding of violence in the world around them. This project will identify the links young people make between affective and emotional reactions to media imagery, their own values and attitudes about the violence in ever ....The Power of the Image: affect, audience and disturbing imagery. In a period of fear and uncertainty about terrorism and war there is a pressing need to examine the specific contemporary modes of teenagers' engagements with media violence and the ways it contributes to their understanding of violence in the world around them. This project will identify the links young people make between affective and emotional reactions to media imagery, their own values and attitudes about the violence in everyday life (e.g. sexual harassment, bullying, fights at school), and their assessment of their own power and agency. It adds much needed Australian research to a field lacking a distinctive Australian perspective.Read moreRead less
Television in the post-broadcast era: the role of old and new media in the formation of national communities. This Federation Fellowship program will examine the place of television in a range of national locations during the post-broadcast era, addressing its socio-cultural function for the citizen as well as considering the competing or complementary roles played by new forms of online journalism. The program will provide a unique international comparative overview of contemporary media system ....Television in the post-broadcast era: the role of old and new media in the formation of national communities. This Federation Fellowship program will examine the place of television in a range of national locations during the post-broadcast era, addressing its socio-cultural function for the citizen as well as considering the competing or complementary roles played by new forms of online journalism. The program will provide a unique international comparative overview of contemporary media systems in the midst of dramatic change. The expertise, critical mass and findings developed within the program will equip Australia to better understand and manage the complex role the media plays in socio-cultural change, while providing cutting edge policy advice to government and industry.Read moreRead less
Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growin ....Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growing sociocultural importance of the Internet and its potential role as a catalyst for, and an enabler of, knowledge creation and management. Age, gender, power, pleasure, competencies and roles relating to Internet use within Australian family settings will all be addressed.
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Entertainment rights in the age of the franchise: a reappraisal of personality rights under Australian intellectual property laws. Global entertainment industry practice is to assert broad rights in creative entertainment concepts and characters. There is huge global merchandising potential for cultural products, as demonstrated by The Wiggles, Harry Potter and Pokemon. In the US, the UK, Japan and Korea there have been developments to enhance the protection of character and personality rights. ....Entertainment rights in the age of the franchise: a reappraisal of personality rights under Australian intellectual property laws. Global entertainment industry practice is to assert broad rights in creative entertainment concepts and characters. There is huge global merchandising potential for cultural products, as demonstrated by The Wiggles, Harry Potter and Pokemon. In the US, the UK, Japan and Korea there have been developments to enhance the protection of character and personality rights. However there is no current study of the status of the entertainment franchise under Australian intellectual property law. With Australian imports of cultural products at an all-time high and with local productions increasingly geared towards worldwide audiences, this study critically evaluates how Australian law fits with the realities of the global entertainment marketplace.Read moreRead less
Safer Sex Beliefs and Practices in Multi-Partner Heterosexuals. Recent Australian research has indicated that heterosexuals with multiple or concurrent partners require targeted safer sex messages, and sexual health promotion resources. This is the first Australian study to address these groups, gaining community input into resource development. It is also the first local qualitative study to examine the attitudes, beliefs and safer sex practices of non-lesbian women seeking same-sex partners. T ....Safer Sex Beliefs and Practices in Multi-Partner Heterosexuals. Recent Australian research has indicated that heterosexuals with multiple or concurrent partners require targeted safer sex messages, and sexual health promotion resources. This is the first Australian study to address these groups, gaining community input into resource development. It is also the first local qualitative study to examine the attitudes, beliefs and safer sex practices of non-lesbian women seeking same-sex partners. The information gathered will assist researchers and educators nationally. Identification of media networks will also aid service provision in rural or regional areas.Read moreRead less
Television Presenters as Cultural Intermediaries. With significant changes in television programming, especially its preoccupation with everyday life through formats such as lifestyle shows and reality TV, it is important that research maintains its understanding of television's social and cultural function. This project will examine what kinds of ethical and social advice are being presented to the public, how this advice is being given and what the context of such advice is. The hypotheses inv ....Television Presenters as Cultural Intermediaries. With significant changes in television programming, especially its preoccupation with everyday life through formats such as lifestyle shows and reality TV, it is important that research maintains its understanding of television's social and cultural function. This project will examine what kinds of ethical and social advice are being presented to the public, how this advice is being given and what the context of such advice is. The hypotheses investigated will enable hard data to be inserted into debates about the media's role in society, benefiting the industry itself as well.Read moreRead less
The Monitored Audience: Control of Personal Information in the Digital Era. In an era when the internet can gather detailed information about citizens and mobile phones can target ads to them based on their location, consumers need a say in the policies and practices governing the use of their personal information. Research indicates Australians are concerned about the collection and use of their information. This project would explore what they are doing about it and what information handling p ....The Monitored Audience: Control of Personal Information in the Digital Era. In an era when the internet can gather detailed information about citizens and mobile phones can target ads to them based on their location, consumers need a say in the policies and practices governing the use of their personal information. Research indicates Australians are concerned about the collection and use of their information. This project would explore what they are doing about it and what information handling policies and practices they support. The findings will provide a citizen perspective on deliberations over information and data handling policy as well as on ethical and legal debates about commercial monitoring at a time when the technology for capturing personal information continues to develop at a rapid pace.Read moreRead less
Young, Mobile, Networked: Mobile Media and Youth Culture in Australia. Mobiles are a common part of life for young Australians, yet there is very little reliable data about how these are used and their social and cultural implications - especially new services such as mobile music, cameras and television. The qualitative and quantitative data from this project will give a detailed, national picture of mobile media use, and will be highly valuable for Australian companies, policymakers, regulator ....Young, Mobile, Networked: Mobile Media and Youth Culture in Australia. Mobiles are a common part of life for young Australians, yet there is very little reliable data about how these are used and their social and cultural implications - especially new services such as mobile music, cameras and television. The qualitative and quantitative data from this project will give a detailed, national picture of mobile media use, and will be highly valuable for Australian companies, policymakers, regulators, non-governmental organizations as well as researchers. It will provide new knowledge to inform planning and innovation, and contribute to a better understanding of the social and cultural implications of mobile technologies.Read moreRead less
An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and commu ....An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and communication change strategies offer potential ways forward. Strategies that reduce incidents confer clear community benefits and competitive advantage. Effective management of such challenges assists with the recruitment and retention of appropriate staff, improving profitability. Benefits include reduced costs of public transport, increased passenger load, and positive environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Risk, Media and Identity in Kosovo: Local/Global Trends in Democratization. In the new, post-Cold War global order, overt conflict and everyday risk for national populations has been endemic. What some call military humanism, followed by democratic reform and human renewal have marked the recent and current histories of Kosovo, Bosnia, East Timor, Afghanistan and various African states. Focussing on media and popular culture, this project will take Kosovo as a case study of democratic reform and ....Risk, Media and Identity in Kosovo: Local/Global Trends in Democratization. In the new, post-Cold War global order, overt conflict and everyday risk for national populations has been endemic. What some call military humanism, followed by democratic reform and human renewal have marked the recent and current histories of Kosovo, Bosnia, East Timor, Afghanistan and various African states. Focussing on media and popular culture, this project will take Kosovo as a case study of democratic reform and renewal. Drawing centrally on cultural and risk theory, it will examine new journalism training, the expansion of local radio, religious pilgrimage/tourism, and media coverage of memories of violence and risk in today's Kosovo.Read moreRead less