War, Computer Games and Contemporary Technoculture. This project examines computer games with a view to understanding the profound interrelationship of war and cultural developments that influences much of the innovation in computer gaming and simulation today. In the wake of the recent escalation of terrorism and state-supported counter-terrorism, war has become even more visible in media and audio-visual entertainment, making the question of the relation between war and mainstream culture one ....War, Computer Games and Contemporary Technoculture. This project examines computer games with a view to understanding the profound interrelationship of war and cultural developments that influences much of the innovation in computer gaming and simulation today. In the wake of the recent escalation of terrorism and state-supported counter-terrorism, war has become even more visible in media and audio-visual entertainment, making the question of the relation between war and mainstream culture one which poses itself with increasing urgency. This project's exploration of computer games is aimed at illuminating crucial features of this wider question of war's place in Australian contemporary culture, connected as it is to the global media context.Read moreRead less
Artisanal making and the future of small-scale local production. Small-scale local production is essential to Australia’s post-COVID social and economic recovery. Employing a mixed methods approach, this project aims to identify the consumer identities, decision-making and sustainable artisanal production models underpinning contemporary demand for locally made goods. Moving innovatively beyond binaries of production/consumption and individual production sectors, the project expects to generate ....Artisanal making and the future of small-scale local production. Small-scale local production is essential to Australia’s post-COVID social and economic recovery. Employing a mixed methods approach, this project aims to identify the consumer identities, decision-making and sustainable artisanal production models underpinning contemporary demand for locally made goods. Moving innovatively beyond binaries of production/consumption and individual production sectors, the project expects to generate vital new knowledge about how markets for small-scale Australian production can be expanded. Expected outcomes of this project include the generation of robust data to inform strategies that will benefit operators in remaining competitive and support the development of new and emerging artisanal businesses.Read moreRead less
Promoting the making self in the creative micro-economy. The project aims to analyse a new workplace phenomenon: not simply the negotiation of work-life or public-private boundaries, but their deliberate collapse. Focussing on handmade creative micro-enterprise, it aims to identify the 'self-making' skills for success in the competitive 'long tail' craft marketplace. By examining the soft skills required to engage in online retail, the research aims to identify ways of improving the ability of c ....Promoting the making self in the creative micro-economy. The project aims to analyse a new workplace phenomenon: not simply the negotiation of work-life or public-private boundaries, but their deliberate collapse. Focussing on handmade creative micro-enterprise, it aims to identify the 'self-making' skills for success in the competitive 'long tail' craft marketplace. By examining the soft skills required to engage in online retail, the research aims to identify ways of improving the ability of creative Australians to run a micro-enterprise. It endeavours to advance the knowledge base of interdisciplinary scholarship on creative industries, cultural work, and on the impact of social media upon work/life relationships and personal privacy and identity construction.Read moreRead less