Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heri ....Province, Nation, Empire: France, 1871-1940. This project will deepen understanding of structures of political, strategic and economic power by providing insight into the dynamics of regionalist, nationalist and internationalist ideologies through study of the world's second largest overseas empire. It examines the role of non-state initiatives and pressures, while also investigating the colonial origins of contemporary globalisation. It will shed light, in particular, on the post-colonial heritage of actions in countries of the Asia-Pacific region that were French colonies or that remain French overseas outposts.Read moreRead less
'Ordinary Writings': lower-class writing practices in the transition to mass literacy in Europe, 1800-1918. This project contributes to public debate on literacy and literacy standards. Its historical perspective offers an antidote to conventional wisdom. It will show that there is no clear separation between literacy and illiteracy, that levels of literary competence vary according to specific occasions and specific tasks, and that schooling is not necessary for literacy acquisition. It will he ....'Ordinary Writings': lower-class writing practices in the transition to mass literacy in Europe, 1800-1918. This project contributes to public debate on literacy and literacy standards. Its historical perspective offers an antidote to conventional wisdom. It will show that there is no clear separation between literacy and illiteracy, that levels of literary competence vary according to specific occasions and specific tasks, and that schooling is not necessary for literacy acquisition. It will help put Australian research in the international forefront of cultural history. It will show that written heritage deserves full recognition in all its aspects, not just as the expression of educated elites. This aspect of our written patrimony needs re-evaluation, and we need to improve preservation of it and accessibility to it.Read moreRead less
Women, War and the Stalinist State, 1941-45. This project will produce a sociocultural analysis of the experiences of Soviet women soldiers in the Second World War. It will address three pivotal questions:
Why did women assume wartime roles that challenged official representations of Soviet women?
What did the phenomenon of female fighters say about relations between women, men and the Soviet state in the 1930s-40s?
What light does this phenomenon shed on the paradox of massive mobilisation ....Women, War and the Stalinist State, 1941-45. This project will produce a sociocultural analysis of the experiences of Soviet women soldiers in the Second World War. It will address three pivotal questions:
Why did women assume wartime roles that challenged official representations of Soviet women?
What did the phenomenon of female fighters say about relations between women, men and the Soviet state in the 1930s-40s?
What light does this phenomenon shed on the paradox of massive mobilisation in defence of a repressive state?
Expected outcomes include a significant conceptual advance in the historiography of women under Stalinism, to be published in a scholarly monograph and refereed journals.
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A study of recent social movements in the Philippines. This project seeks to understand the nature and development of social movements in the Philippines since the 1970s. The Philippines is an important Australian neighbour; a point endorsed by the 2005 agreement of cooperation between the Australian Federal Police and the Philippine government. And yet, it is far too little studied in this country where there are very few specialists. Australia needs to understand the Philippines better as it w ....A study of recent social movements in the Philippines. This project seeks to understand the nature and development of social movements in the Philippines since the 1970s. The Philippines is an important Australian neighbour; a point endorsed by the 2005 agreement of cooperation between the Australian Federal Police and the Philippine government. And yet, it is far too little studied in this country where there are very few specialists. Australia needs to understand the Philippines better as it will continue to be an important ally. How the tenets of an activist group in Southeast Asia are transmitted to other potential members is necessary to Australian understandings of regional social movements, and this in turn is vital to political interactions, to NGO work, and to multicultural interactions.Read moreRead less
Post-war repatriation to Japan: citizenship, identity and integration, 1945-1956. This research project contributes to our knowledge of the region by exploring the early post-war history (in which Australian troops participated as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces) of one of Australia's most important and oldest trading partners. However, the project also has broader and more contemporary significance: on the one hand, it contributes to our knowledge of the increasingly importan ....Post-war repatriation to Japan: citizenship, identity and integration, 1945-1956. This research project contributes to our knowledge of the region by exploring the early post-war history (in which Australian troops participated as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces) of one of Australia's most important and oldest trading partners. However, the project also has broader and more contemporary significance: on the one hand, it contributes to our knowledge of the increasingly important 20th century phenomenon of mass migration, and of the development of strict state controls over population movements across national borders. On the other hand, it explores the complex integration of minority groups into national populations; this is a process which clearly has relevance beyond Japan and beyond the 1950s.Read moreRead less
Soviet state and society in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-45. This project will produce a sociocultural analysis of what motivated the mass of the Soviet citizenry to defend the Stalinist state against Hitler's onslaught in the Great Patriotic War. Its significance lies in explaining a pivotal but neglected moment in the development of the Soviet Union: massive mobilisation in defence of a repressive state. Expected outcomes include a significant conceptual advance in the understanding of Soviet ....Soviet state and society in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-45. This project will produce a sociocultural analysis of what motivated the mass of the Soviet citizenry to defend the Stalinist state against Hitler's onslaught in the Great Patriotic War. Its significance lies in explaining a pivotal but neglected moment in the development of the Soviet Union: massive mobilisation in defence of a repressive state. Expected outcomes include a significant conceptual advance in the understanding of Soviet cultural and social history to be published as a scholarly monograph as well as other contributions to international, refereed journals.Read moreRead less
Early settlements in Upper Burma (Myanmar): an experiment in urban living. This project directly increases access for Australian research to a previously self-isolated nation, Myanmar. It contributes to better understanding of our region and our world by examining how past communities worked together and how they dealt with social and environmental stress.
Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, intern ....Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, international involvement and support for developing countries in Asia. Our research features regularly in the Uzbek media and has the personal approval of President Karimov. We are involved with Zoroastrian and Parsi communities in Australia and overseas, particularly in India and the USA, and our results are published regularly in the community press.Read moreRead less
East meets West: an archaeological study of early contact between China and Eurasia. The project will link Chinese and Australian researchers in a collaborative programme exploring the origins of cultural contact between China and the West. Through the work of a team of international specialists, this fresh initiative will bring western analytical techniques together with Chinese archaeological experience to create a new and robust picture of the evidence for early cultural contact. From this we ....East meets West: an archaeological study of early contact between China and Eurasia. The project will link Chinese and Australian researchers in a collaborative programme exploring the origins of cultural contact between China and the West. Through the work of a team of international specialists, this fresh initiative will bring western analytical techniques together with Chinese archaeological experience to create a new and robust picture of the evidence for early cultural contact. From this we will study the early movements of Indo-European populations and examine the question of the origins of early metal production in China.Read moreRead less
With or without pots: Investigating the archaeology of human settlement on Santa Isabel, western Solomon Islands. Following the recent civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, the SI National and Provincial Governments, as well as community bodies, have identified a better understanding of the past and the revival of traditional systems and knowledge (Kastom) as a route to stability and cohesion throughout the region. This study responds to direct requests from the Santa Isabel community for assist ....With or without pots: Investigating the archaeology of human settlement on Santa Isabel, western Solomon Islands. Following the recent civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, the SI National and Provincial Governments, as well as community bodies, have identified a better understanding of the past and the revival of traditional systems and knowledge (Kastom) as a route to stability and cohesion throughout the region. This study responds to direct requests from the Santa Isabel community for assistance with archaeological research and the recording of cultural histories. By assisting a Pacific neighbour to develop a more durable, internally generated basis for social and economic development, Australia not only encourages security in the region, but also increases its engagment with and understanding of adjacent cultures.Read moreRead less