Extinction stories: Inhabiting landscapes of loss in the Anthropocene. This project aims to explore the cultural, political and ethical dimensions of biodiversity loss in three of the world’s ‘extinction capitals’ in an age of mass extinction. Drawing on ethnographic research, philosophy and the natural sciences, the project asks how the loss of species and efforts to prevent these losses shape the contours of local people’s lives and the landscapes they inhabit. This project will also use a ser ....Extinction stories: Inhabiting landscapes of loss in the Anthropocene. This project aims to explore the cultural, political and ethical dimensions of biodiversity loss in three of the world’s ‘extinction capitals’ in an age of mass extinction. Drawing on ethnographic research, philosophy and the natural sciences, the project asks how the loss of species and efforts to prevent these losses shape the contours of local people’s lives and the landscapes they inhabit. This project will also use a series of creative storytelling interventions that aim to cultivate community understanding of why and how extinctions matter. The project also aims to benefit public environmental humanities through the development of resources.Read moreRead less
Coexisting with Coronaviruses: Rethinking the Emergence of the Pandemic. Before COVID-19 disrupted modern life, benign coronaviruses were circulating among people and animals in Southeast Asia. As medical researchers work to control the spread of this infectious disease, multispecies ethnography has a special role to play in generating basic knowledge about coronaviruses. This project aims to understand how interactions between people and multiple animal species generated a virus with pandemic p ....Coexisting with Coronaviruses: Rethinking the Emergence of the Pandemic. Before COVID-19 disrupted modern life, benign coronaviruses were circulating among people and animals in Southeast Asia. As medical researchers work to control the spread of this infectious disease, multispecies ethnography has a special role to play in generating basic knowledge about coronaviruses. This project aims to understand how interactions between people and multiple animal species generated a virus with pandemic potential. Approaches from science studies and the environmental humanities will generate conceptual innovations related to three themes: viral visibility, coexistence, and pathogen emergence. Innovations in multispecies methods should produce knowledge about viruses with broad benefits that may safeguard future health.Read moreRead less
Expedition to Arnhem Land: Intercultural inquiry in a trans-national context. In terms of National Research Priorities, the project will encourage cultural health and cohesiveness in Arnhem Land by providing access to cultural property held until now in remote archives. It will enhance understanding of our region and the world by studying cross-cultural interactions within Australia. Furthermore, it will illuminate how Aboriginal territory and knowledge were used to shore up the Australia-US rel ....Expedition to Arnhem Land: Intercultural inquiry in a trans-national context. In terms of National Research Priorities, the project will encourage cultural health and cohesiveness in Arnhem Land by providing access to cultural property held until now in remote archives. It will enhance understanding of our region and the world by studying cross-cultural interactions within Australia. Furthermore, it will illuminate how Aboriginal territory and knowledge were used to shore up the Australia-US relationship at a formative historical moment.Read moreRead less
The Wealth Effect: A cultural analysis of prosperity, financialisation and everyday life in contemporary Australia. Financial and real estate markets are now central to Australian family life. But current government policies to individualise responsibility for saving and borrowing decisions often exceed the individual capacity to manage complex financial choices and unknown market risks. Growing levels of home and property ownership bring new benefits but they also increase exposure to economic ....The Wealth Effect: A cultural analysis of prosperity, financialisation and everyday life in contemporary Australia. Financial and real estate markets are now central to Australian family life. But current government policies to individualise responsibility for saving and borrowing decisions often exceed the individual capacity to manage complex financial choices and unknown market risks. Growing levels of home and property ownership bring new benefits but they also increase exposure to economic downturn. For many households the Great Australian Dream of home ownership and prosperity has now turned into a nightmare. This project responds to the pressing need for greater understanding of these developments, and will advance our understanding of this new socio-economic terrain.Read moreRead less
Divine power in Indigenous Christianity: translation, theology, and Pacific politics. This project analyses missionary activities and theological education in Oceania to understand how Indigenous political activity is shaped by Christian theological principles. Oceania has politically influential Christian churches and increasingly fragile governments. An understanding of their interconnections is needed for Australia's benefit.
Chinese international students in Australia: A study of the transformative potential of education abroad. This longitudinal study of female Chinese students in Australian universities is the first to trace in detail these students’ subjective experience of their journeys from China to Australia and their post-graduation destinations. Through in-depth ethnographic research, it will reveal how these young women’s time in Australia impacts on their gendered and national-cultural sense of identity. ....Chinese international students in Australia: A study of the transformative potential of education abroad. This longitudinal study of female Chinese students in Australian universities is the first to trace in detail these students’ subjective experience of their journeys from China to Australia and their post-graduation destinations. Through in-depth ethnographic research, it will reveal how these young women’s time in Australia impacts on their gendered and national-cultural sense of identity. This project aims to deepen knowledge in areas directly linked to Australian education export, and enhance Australia’s engagement with its region.Read moreRead less
International perspectives on the regulation of young people's user-generated content. This project will examine international regulatory strategies for explicit user-generated content and suggest ways in which academics, policy makers and globally networked content users can be brought into dialogue so as to generate better informed and more effective regulatory policies.
New Regional Labour Circuits in the South Pacific: Gender, Culture and Transnationalism. This project aims to produce vital knowledge about transforming Pacific and Pacific Islander migration. Pacific mobility is being shaped by new patterns of international trade, investment and aid adopted by key regional players—China, United States, Australia and New Zealand especially—the effects of which are not yet well understood. Using a multi-sited analysis of regional labour circuits focusing on the C ....New Regional Labour Circuits in the South Pacific: Gender, Culture and Transnationalism. This project aims to produce vital knowledge about transforming Pacific and Pacific Islander migration. Pacific mobility is being shaped by new patterns of international trade, investment and aid adopted by key regional players—China, United States, Australia and New Zealand especially—the effects of which are not yet well understood. Using a multi-sited analysis of regional labour circuits focusing on the Cook Islands, Australia and New Zealand, this project aims to connect these broad geopolitical shifts to the movement of individuals and families, and to their gendered and culturally embedded economic practices.Read moreRead less
Borders, babies and biotechnologies: cross border reproductive travel in Asia and Australia. A growing number of patients travel internationally to undertake assisted reproductive care such as commercial surrogacy, egg donation or sex selection. The project aims to study the extent of this trade in Australia, Thailand and India and the cross cultural ethical, legal and social context surrounding it.
Critical conversations: An ethnographic study of Australian organ donation. There is an urgent need for new culturally sensitive ways of improving organ donation rates in Australia, which are lower in culturally and linguistically diverse groups. The project aims to reorient the research focus from decisions made prior to death to the actual times and clinical spaces in which these decisions occur. Through a comparative cross-cultural analysis this research will provide essential knowledge that ....Critical conversations: An ethnographic study of Australian organ donation. There is an urgent need for new culturally sensitive ways of improving organ donation rates in Australia, which are lower in culturally and linguistically diverse groups. The project aims to reorient the research focus from decisions made prior to death to the actual times and clinical spaces in which these decisions occur. Through a comparative cross-cultural analysis this research will provide essential knowledge that will inform innovative approaches to understanding organ donation. The outcomes will have a strong bearing on how organ donation communication, professional protocols, and ultimately, organ donation practice evolve in Australia. Read moreRead less