Australian Responses to Refugees, 1901-2005. Determining appropriate responses to refugees is a definitive political concern in contemporary Australia. However, conceptual and historical analysis is lacking of the global context and genealogy of Australia's current policy. This project will analyse Australian reactions to refugees from Federation to the present. It is hypothesised that positions on refugees have been integral to the constitution of Australian national identity. Using an innovati ....Australian Responses to Refugees, 1901-2005. Determining appropriate responses to refugees is a definitive political concern in contemporary Australia. However, conceptual and historical analysis is lacking of the global context and genealogy of Australia's current policy. This project will analyse Australian reactions to refugees from Federation to the present. It is hypothesised that positions on refugees have been integral to the constitution of Australian national identity. Using an innovative combination of theory (relating to nationhood), cultural reading and archival research, this project will explore the complex interaction between government policy, humanitarian concerns, and the culture of security considerations. The project will inform public and policy debate.Read moreRead less
A Longitudinal Study of Recurrent Audit Failure in Australian Corporate Collapses from 1885 to the Present. As starkly illustrated with Enron in the US and with HIH in Australia, corporate collapse and audit failure may be interrelated. In response to repeated instances of audit failure, legislative and other reforms are typically adopted in order to ensure that auditor indiscretions are curtailed. Unfortunately, audit failure persists. This longitudinal Australian study of audit failure in the ....A Longitudinal Study of Recurrent Audit Failure in Australian Corporate Collapses from 1885 to the Present. As starkly illustrated with Enron in the US and with HIH in Australia, corporate collapse and audit failure may be interrelated. In response to repeated instances of audit failure, legislative and other reforms are typically adopted in order to ensure that auditor indiscretions are curtailed. Unfortunately, audit failure persists. This longitudinal Australian study of audit failure in the context of corporate collapse from the mid 1880s aims to enhance an understanding of audit failure and why it recurs. The study's findings are expected to inform future enquires and court cases and assist in developing public policy and future legislative reforms.Read moreRead less
The Power of Giving: Australian Women Philanthropists, 1880-2000. This collaborative project with the National Foundation for Australian Women explores the changing extent and nature of Australian women's philanthropic giving since1880. It will test the hypothesis that these activities both reflected broader constructions of gender and shaped civil society and public policy. The outcome will be enhanced understanding of changing gender relations, and elite women's identity, and a greatly expande ....The Power of Giving: Australian Women Philanthropists, 1880-2000. This collaborative project with the National Foundation for Australian Women explores the changing extent and nature of Australian women's philanthropic giving since1880. It will test the hypothesis that these activities both reflected broader constructions of gender and shaped civil society and public policy. The outcome will be enhanced understanding of changing gender relations, and elite women's identity, and a greatly expanded knowledge of the third sector. Given women's increasing wealth, such an understanding is not only of scholarly interest but is crucial for the nonprofit sector, including our industry partner, and for government interest in promoting philanthropic giving in Australia.Read moreRead less
Australian domestic violence public policy: history, discourse and impact, 1985-2005. The outcomes of the research will be of critical importance to policy makers and practitioners. Domestic violence has significant costs to the community and this project will have national benefits by identifying effective policy directions. The project will provide better understandings of the ways in which domestic violence policy has developed over time and, in doing so, provide assistance to state, territ ....Australian domestic violence public policy: history, discourse and impact, 1985-2005. The outcomes of the research will be of critical importance to policy makers and practitioners. Domestic violence has significant costs to the community and this project will have national benefits by identifying effective policy directions. The project will provide better understandings of the ways in which domestic violence policy has developed over time and, in doing so, provide assistance to state, territory and federal governments in formulating future policy in this area. Read moreRead less
The Social Sciences and the Making of Postwar Australia. This project explores the foundational significance of the social sciences in the creation of modern Australia. Using the history of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as a focus, it will provide the first broad historical analysis of the various social scientific fields in Australia since WWII. In doing so it will highlight the previously under-examined but critical influence these fields of knowledge exerted over civil socie ....The Social Sciences and the Making of Postwar Australia. This project explores the foundational significance of the social sciences in the creation of modern Australia. Using the history of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as a focus, it will provide the first broad historical analysis of the various social scientific fields in Australia since WWII. In doing so it will highlight the previously under-examined but critical influence these fields of knowledge exerted over civil society and public policy. Its finding will be of great significance both to our industry partner, in fulfilling its role as advocate for the social sciences, and to an understanding of the development of post-war Australian society.Read moreRead less
Discovering the fundamental metrics of political behaviour: African-Americans and their White Neighbours in an era of revolutionary change. Newly freed from slavery, African-Americans first voted in the 1870s; remarkably, their names and individual political choices still survive in the records of one American state. Using innovative software to track voters and map social networks, this project will reveal the dynamics of black and white voting in this era of revolutionary change.
A Comparative Analysis of Reparation Schemes for the Gross Violation of Human Rights and Their Applicability to Australian Indigenous Peoples. Reparation schemes for the victims of gross violation of human rights have developed significantly over the last 25 years in various jurisdictions across the world. In Australia there has been a call for reparations for Aboriginal victims of forcible removal from their families (the Stolen Generations). The research aims to (a) analyse the international e ....A Comparative Analysis of Reparation Schemes for the Gross Violation of Human Rights and Their Applicability to Australian Indigenous Peoples. Reparation schemes for the victims of gross violation of human rights have developed significantly over the last 25 years in various jurisdictions across the world. In Australia there has been a call for reparations for Aboriginal victims of forcible removal from their families (the Stolen Generations). The research aims to (a) analyse the international experience of reparations along specific criteria; (b) determine the effectiveness of various approaches and the applicability of various models to the Australian context; (c) determine other practices, policies or events in relation to Australian Indigenous people which might give rise to reparations.Read moreRead less
Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the ch ....Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the challenges will have security implications in the region. Understanding the nuclear politics in these two countries is a necessary requirement for Australia.Read moreRead less
Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising pr ....Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising practices of political parties. Accordingly, this study will be of great interest to Australian policy-makers, aid officials and businesses that wish to address the deficiencies in Indonesia's political system through political and economic cooperation programs.Read moreRead less
The Politics of Accountability Reform in Southeast Asia. Australian foreign policymakers and businesses operating in Southeast Asia derive security and commercial advantages from understanding the direction and drivers of politics in the region. New accountability reforms are integral to this politics and, consequently, Australian aid money is being directed towards support for such institutions. However, depending on their nature and support bases, accountability reforms can enhance or suppress ....The Politics of Accountability Reform in Southeast Asia. Australian foreign policymakers and businesses operating in Southeast Asia derive security and commercial advantages from understanding the direction and drivers of politics in the region. New accountability reforms are integral to this politics and, consequently, Australian aid money is being directed towards support for such institutions. However, depending on their nature and support bases, accountability reforms can enhance or suppress citizens' and investors' powers in relation to public and private authorities. Analysing accountability institutions in this way can thus help refine aid strategies and foreign policy meant to increase scrutiny of how authorities in political and economic governance exercise power. Read moreRead less