Continental Theory in the Wake of Cognitive Literary Studies. In an era that is plainly 'post-theoretical', the recent pioneering attempts to bridge the gap between literary studies and the cognitive neurosciences have far-reaching consequences for the study of English literature. This project will address those consequences by implementing a comparative critical study of continental theory and cognitive poetics, and through this comparison enlarge and refine urgent debates about the future of t ....Continental Theory in the Wake of Cognitive Literary Studies. In an era that is plainly 'post-theoretical', the recent pioneering attempts to bridge the gap between literary studies and the cognitive neurosciences have far-reaching consequences for the study of English literature. This project will address those consequences by implementing a comparative critical study of continental theory and cognitive poetics, and through this comparison enlarge and refine urgent debates about the future of the humanities and the kinds of teaching practices carried out therein. The project will therefore provide important groundwork for future research carried out at the frontier of literature, critical theory and cognitive science.Read moreRead less
The Visual Mediation of a Complex Narrative: TGH Strehlow's Journey to Horseshoe Bend. TGH Strehlow's biographical memoir, Journey to Horseshoe Bend, is a vivid ethno-historiographic account of Aboriginal, settler and Lutheran communities of Central Australia in the 1920's. This project intends to construct an extensive digital hub elaborating key textual thematics of Aboriginal identity and sense of ?place?, supplemented with oral histories. Consistent with the Strehlow Research Centre's missio ....The Visual Mediation of a Complex Narrative: TGH Strehlow's Journey to Horseshoe Bend. TGH Strehlow's biographical memoir, Journey to Horseshoe Bend, is a vivid ethno-historiographic account of Aboriginal, settler and Lutheran communities of Central Australia in the 1920's. This project intends to construct an extensive digital hub elaborating key textual thematics of Aboriginal identity and sense of ?place?, supplemented with oral histories. Consistent with the Strehlow Research Centre's mission in the management and preservation of the Strehlow Collection's vast archival materials, the project will provide access to and foster engagement with Strehlow's works. The project will employ innovative visual methodologies in the production and mediation of Indigenous knowledge related to the text. Read moreRead less
Reverse Diaspora: Australian Expatriate Writers in Britain since the 1830s. The changing relations between Australia and Britain are explored in this project through writers of literature and drama. Reverse Diaspora explores the aspirations, problems and achievements of eighty expatriate Australians who have chosen to live and work in Britain since the early nineteenth century. From one point of view they represent a 'brain drain'; from another they are exporters of Australian ideas, experience ....Reverse Diaspora: Australian Expatriate Writers in Britain since the 1830s. The changing relations between Australia and Britain are explored in this project through writers of literature and drama. Reverse Diaspora explores the aspirations, problems and achievements of eighty expatriate Australians who have chosen to live and work in Britain since the early nineteenth century. From one point of view they represent a 'brain drain'; from another they are exporters of Australian ideas, experience and talent. This study will increase knowledge and understanding of the lives, creative achievements and public impact of Australians abroad. It will enhance Australians' capacity to interpret their national culture in their region and the world.Read moreRead less
Globalising Australian literature: Asian-Australian writing, Asian perspectives on Australian literature. Through the arts, and in particular through its literature, a nation defines its identity and aspirations. Literature is also a force for cultural diplomacy, leading to enhanced understanding and cooperation between nations and cultures. This study of literary interactions between Australia and Asia produces detailed knowledge of how cross-cultural influences shape the production, circulatio ....Globalising Australian literature: Asian-Australian writing, Asian perspectives on Australian literature. Through the arts, and in particular through its literature, a nation defines its identity and aspirations. Literature is also a force for cultural diplomacy, leading to enhanced understanding and cooperation between nations and cultures. This study of literary interactions between Australia and Asia produces detailed knowledge of how cross-cultural influences shape the production, circulation and reception of literary texts, and develops strategies for using this knowledge for national benefit: greater understanding of the forces shaping the nation's self-image and perceptions of Australia in the Asian region, models for cultural diplomacy enhancing Australia's reputation as a sophisticated and culturally diverse nation.Read moreRead less
Basil of Caesarea and the nexus of Greek, Latin and Semitic cultures in late Antiquity. In a period of heightening religious and cultural tension in Australia, this project seeks to explore a moment when Western and Semitic cultures worked together very well, only to yield in the following two centuries to increasing alienation that prepared the ground for Islam. In terms of international scholarship the project tackles an outstanding lacuna in late 4th century history: the Syrian chapter in the ....Basil of Caesarea and the nexus of Greek, Latin and Semitic cultures in late Antiquity. In a period of heightening religious and cultural tension in Australia, this project seeks to explore a moment when Western and Semitic cultures worked together very well, only to yield in the following two centuries to increasing alienation that prepared the ground for Islam. In terms of international scholarship the project tackles an outstanding lacuna in late 4th century history: the Syrian chapter in the dissemination of Basil of Caesarea's teaching on Christian monasticism. The collaboration with overseas scholars, and the high standard and solidity of projected outcome will confirm Australia's high reputation in ancient, Middle Eastern and Religious studies.Read moreRead less
Gifts of Friendship: intimacy and exchange in cross-cultural contact. This project will investigate an apparently contradictory phenomenon: the existence of explicit policies of friendship-making within Euro-American imperial exploration and colonial settlement. Focusing on the Pacific islands in the period 1767-1830, it will look at the interaction of European and Polynesian traditions and practices of friendship, particularly in relation to practices of exchange. The project will examine a hug ....Gifts of Friendship: intimacy and exchange in cross-cultural contact. This project will investigate an apparently contradictory phenomenon: the existence of explicit policies of friendship-making within Euro-American imperial exploration and colonial settlement. Focusing on the Pacific islands in the period 1767-1830, it will look at the interaction of European and Polynesian traditions and practices of friendship, particularly in relation to practices of exchange. The project will examine a huge body of archival evidence, which initial findings suggest will prove to be much more self-conscious and anxious about the ethical and ideological implications of cross-cultural friendship-formation than current understandings of the operations of colonial discourse would allow.Read moreRead less
Learning from Life: The Creation of Experiential and Life-Long Learning in Europe in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods. Experiential and life-long learning are fundamental principles of modern Australian educational practice, from primary and high school to university and centres of adult education; they are of interest to the Federal Government (Higher Education Review, Senate Inquiry, DEST project). This innovative project will investigate the cultural heritage of these practices, detailin ....Learning from Life: The Creation of Experiential and Life-Long Learning in Europe in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods. Experiential and life-long learning are fundamental principles of modern Australian educational practice, from primary and high school to university and centres of adult education; they are of interest to the Federal Government (Higher Education Review, Senate Inquiry, DEST project). This innovative project will investigate the cultural heritage of these practices, detailing how they arose in medieval Europe and were refined by thinkers and practitioners throughout the early modern period. It will reveal how a reliance on received authority and example was transformed into a modern pedagogic mode that encourages learning throughout the course of life and teaches pupils how to think for themselves and to learn from life experience.Read moreRead less