Democracy and the Bourgeoisie: Post-Communism and the Transition to Capitalism. There is commonly perceived to be a relationship between social structure and regime type. This proposal seeks to understand the impact the type of bourgeoisie has upon the prospects for democracy. Its principal focus is contemporary Russia. In order to obtain theoretical purchase and historical perspective, the Russian experience will be compared with the effects on political development of a range of other bourgeo ....Democracy and the Bourgeoisie: Post-Communism and the Transition to Capitalism. There is commonly perceived to be a relationship between social structure and regime type. This proposal seeks to understand the impact the type of bourgeoisie has upon the prospects for democracy. Its principal focus is contemporary Russia. In order to obtain theoretical purchase and historical perspective, the Russian experience will be compared with the effects on political development of a range of other bourgeoisies, coming from the classic early industrialiser countries, the late industrialisers, a number of third world countries, and some of the post-communist states.Read moreRead less
Rites of Power: Symbolism, Ritual and Politics in the Soviet Union and Russia. In the last fifteen years, Russia has undergone major political change associated with the collapse of the USSR. One of the most important tasks of the new regime is to establish a sense of its legitimacy, which should in turn help to shape its future. As a major player in global politics and a significant power in the Asia-Pacific region, Russia's internal development has important consequences for Australia and the ....Rites of Power: Symbolism, Ritual and Politics in the Soviet Union and Russia. In the last fifteen years, Russia has undergone major political change associated with the collapse of the USSR. One of the most important tasks of the new regime is to establish a sense of its legitimacy, which should in turn help to shape its future. As a major player in global politics and a significant power in the Asia-Pacific region, Russia's internal development has important consequences for Australia and the world. Only by understanding Russia and what is happening inside it can Australia adequately deal with and interact with it. This project will substantially further such understanding.Read moreRead less
Public and Proprietary Knowledge in Biotechnology: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of First Generation Recombinant DNA Pharmaceuticals Development. The 'biotechnology revolution' of the 1980s was a formative period that set the present pattern of links between university life science and commerce. A clearer analysis of the shifting boundary between public and proprietary scientific knowledge in this key recent episode will thus provide valuable insight into the social role of university- ....Public and Proprietary Knowledge in Biotechnology: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of First Generation Recombinant DNA Pharmaceuticals Development. The 'biotechnology revolution' of the 1980s was a formative period that set the present pattern of links between university life science and commerce. A clearer analysis of the shifting boundary between public and proprietary scientific knowledge in this key recent episode will thus provide valuable insight into the social role of university-based science today. In addition to matters of science policy and sociology, this more accurate account of the scientific initiatives, commercial strategies, and relationships with universities among the first biotechnology firms may also contribute to business scholarship aiming to foster success in the life science sector.Read moreRead less
Creative Tropical City: Mapping Darwin's Creative Industries. This research will improve our knowledge and understanding of the creative industries in Darwin. It will provide a strong evidence base for the development of policy options for growing the creative industries in Darwin. And it will interrogate national and international creative industry policy frameworks for their applicability to Darwin.
Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts. Integration is proposed as a significant curriculum reform strategy for Australian schools at the beginning of the century, particularly for early adolescents. Despite the claimed advantages for integrating school subjects, there is an absence of substantive empirical research to show if and/or how students learn in integrated settings. The proposed study addresses this research gap directly, by exami ....Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts. Integration is proposed as a significant curriculum reform strategy for Australian schools at the beginning of the century, particularly for early adolescents. Despite the claimed advantages for integrating school subjects, there is an absence of substantive empirical research to show if and/or how students learn in integrated settings. The proposed study addresses this research gap directly, by examining the teaching context and the characteristics of student learning in integrated science, mathematics and technology classrooms. This project employs detailed and elaborated case studies of six middle school classrooms to develop sophisticated understandings about the connection between integrated pedagogy and student learning and motivation.Read moreRead less
The International History of Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism, 1814-1822. We cannot understand our entrapment in nationalism until we unravel the history of its complex inter-relationship with cosmopolitanism. This project excavates an understanding of politics and community that offers alternatives to the current global impasse. The moment in the past I will study was the origin of our present predicament, namely the inescapability of nationalism for the cosmopolitan and of cosmopolitanism for t ....The International History of Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism, 1814-1822. We cannot understand our entrapment in nationalism until we unravel the history of its complex inter-relationship with cosmopolitanism. This project excavates an understanding of politics and community that offers alternatives to the current global impasse. The moment in the past I will study was the origin of our present predicament, namely the inescapability of nationalism for the cosmopolitan and of cosmopolitanism for the nationalist. This project will consolidate the significance of Australian scholarship to a field that is critical to understanding our choices and destinies in a global society. It will make Australia the headquarters of a new international history that investigates the relevance of the past to policy-making.Read moreRead less
Thinking Australia: A cognitive acceleration program to raise high school students' achievement in science. The outcome of the Thinking Australia project will be a cognitive acceleration program consistent with the national science curriculum, contextualised in cutting edge science and delivered with modern technologies. The program will be theory driven, evidence based and consistent with neuroscience research. The national benefit will include improved outcomes on international tests, improved ....Thinking Australia: A cognitive acceleration program to raise high school students' achievement in science. The outcome of the Thinking Australia project will be a cognitive acceleration program consistent with the national science curriculum, contextualised in cutting edge science and delivered with modern technologies. The program will be theory driven, evidence based and consistent with neuroscience research. The national benefit will include improved outcomes on international tests, improved quality of science education and thinking skills for Australia's future scientists and citizens, improved student attitudes, and increased enrolments in school science. Developing and fostering human talent is essential to promoting an innovative culture and economy.Read moreRead less
Beyond the Beaker: Maximising the Impact of a Science Careers Program on High School Students' Attitudes towards Science. The falling numbers of young people choosing to pursue the study of science has become a matter of national debate and societal concern. Australia's international competitiveness is increasingly dependent on high-level, science-based technical skills, knowledge and innovation. This research will inform the national impetus required from government, business and education sect ....Beyond the Beaker: Maximising the Impact of a Science Careers Program on High School Students' Attitudes towards Science. The falling numbers of young people choosing to pursue the study of science has become a matter of national debate and societal concern. Australia's international competitiveness is increasingly dependent on high-level, science-based technical skills, knowledge and innovation. This research will inform the national impetus required from government, business and education sectors to take action by providing research-informed models about how to positively influence students' attitudes towards science and science subject selection. These models will provide critical information about how to secure the next generation of scientists in Australia and a science skilled and knowledgeable workforce and general population.Read moreRead less
The changing meanings of human eggs in fertility, assisted reproduction and stem cell research. Australian women are faced with difficult choices regarding when to have children. Assisted reproductive technologies for donating and banking fertile oocytes (eggs) are becoming important elements in these choices. This research will improve public and professional understanding of the changing meanings oocytes have for various groups of women.
The sociocultural construction of early childhood science learning: Learning of scientific concepts within situated playful encounters in early childhood contexts. As a result of large-scale international and intensive neuroscientific research, it is now widely recognized that the early childhood period is one of the most critical periods of a child's development and education. Quality educational input within the first five years of a child's life has been shown to have sustained long term so ....The sociocultural construction of early childhood science learning: Learning of scientific concepts within situated playful encounters in early childhood contexts. As a result of large-scale international and intensive neuroscientific research, it is now widely recognized that the early childhood period is one of the most critical periods of a child's development and education. Quality educational input within the first five years of a child's life has been shown to have sustained long term social and emotional outcomes, and to result in improved educational opportunities and life chances for all children. Gaining a better understanding about how scientific learning can be organized within playful early childhood contexts would lead to more appropriate models for science teaching for Australian early childhood teachers, more science being taught, and a more scientific literate population. Read moreRead less