Local canons: institutional authority and the category of the literary in Australian secondary-school English syllabuses, 1901-2001. Does literature still have a role to play in contemporary Australian culture and society? Is there any national benefit from the study of Shakespeare? Patrick White? Is literary study irrelevant, and out of touch with contemporary culture? These are contentious and important questions. This research, in seeking a deeper and more detailed understanding of the variab ....Local canons: institutional authority and the category of the literary in Australian secondary-school English syllabuses, 1901-2001. Does literature still have a role to play in contemporary Australian culture and society? Is there any national benefit from the study of Shakespeare? Patrick White? Is literary study irrelevant, and out of touch with contemporary culture? These are contentious and important questions. This research, in seeking a deeper and more detailed understanding of the variability of the category of literature in Australian school education over the past century, promises to make an important contribution to long-standing and still vital national and international debates over the canon: debates that tell us a great deal about our region and the world.Read moreRead less
Mass-market fiction and the shaping of cultural identities in eleven Australian communities, 1880-1950. This project analyzes the circulation of commercial mass-market novels and stories in eleven non-metropolitan towns and cities between 1888 and 1950, in order to determine the role of mass culture in the shaping of cultural identities in Australia during a crucial period of its history. Developing innovative research methods based in book history and bibliography, literary studies, and cultura ....Mass-market fiction and the shaping of cultural identities in eleven Australian communities, 1880-1950. This project analyzes the circulation of commercial mass-market novels and stories in eleven non-metropolitan towns and cities between 1888 and 1950, in order to determine the role of mass culture in the shaping of cultural identities in Australia during a crucial period of its history. Developing innovative research methods based in book history and bibliography, literary studies, and cultural history, the project will reevaluate received explanations of Australia's cultural past, challenge assumptions about mass culture and its impact on local cultures, and advance research methods in book history and literary studies.Read moreRead less