[csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS

Thu May 4 12:04:44 CST 2006

Hi Mel,

Apologies for being so late with this, but I thought I should add a couple of things to Mark's suggestions.

Many of the projects which Mark mentions are collaborative research partnership projects based at the Centre for Cultural Research (CCR). A number of these projects will be presented and discussed in an upcoming Special Issue of Cultural Studies Review (12.2), which is due out in September 2006.

The theme of this Special Issue of Cultural Studies Review is 'Cultural Research' and it will explore what is involved in precisely this kind of engaged, collaborative, Industry/Community 'Linkage' work. The Special Issue will present examples of projects from both the CCR and the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. The editors of this special issue are: Fiona Allon and Meaghan Morris.

Another important question/issue, which I think would be worth raising in the forums you describe, is how the trend towards collaborative team-based projects affects early career researchers. These researchers frequently work on team-based projects and at the same time must also try and carve out a highly individualised career-path trajectory. I'm sure this is quite complex and at times quite fraught. I think it would be worth putting this question up for discussion.

Best wishes,

Fiona

**************************************************
Dr Fiona Allon
Research Fellow
Centre for Cultural Research
University of Western Sydney
Locked Bag 1797 Penrith South DC 
NSW 1797 Australia
Tel: +61 2 9685 9646
Fax: +61 2 9685 9610
Mob: 0409 901 039 

-----Original Message-----
From: csaa-forum-bounces at lists.cdu.edu.au on behalf of Melissa Gregg
Sent: Sat 4/29/2006 11:19 AM
To: csaa-forum at lists.cdu.edu.au
Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS

thanks Mark. that's exactly the timbre of reflection i was hoping  
for. i got the same sense at CSAA conferences over the past few  
years, that linkages are creating a positive and engaged style of  
cultural studies practice here - one that may have overcome the  
policy/theory distinction of an earlier moment. although as paula  
treichler's work showed in sydney last year, these linkages and  
consultancy roles are not new or unique to us here. but, this is why  
i was seeing these issues as related to government and funding  
policies somewhat, because unlike the US, we are dependent on  
government funding a whole lot.

i'd also like to know how australia differs from the UK in linkage  
work, and given that there has been an assessment exercise in the UK,  
whether linkages do well or not so well on that scale. will the RQF  
recognise linkages, or publications, or both, and how differently?
cheers
mel

On 28/04/2006, at 5:27 PM, Mark Gibson wrote:

> Hi Melissa,
>
> Just a suggestion for something to raise on the Crossroads panel.  
> It seems to me Australian cultural studies has taken quite a  
> distinctive turn over the last decade in developing a  
> 'practical' (problem solving) focus and in working closely with non- 
> academic institutions and agencies (the emphasis being on  
> institutions and agencies, not just constituencies).
>
> There are different models of this -- eg. the ICR at UWS (eg.  
> 'Driving Cultures', the work with Sydney Water), the work of  
> Elspeth Probyn, Catharine Lumby, Kath Albury and others at USyd  
> (the work with the Aust Rugby League, with health agencies etc.),  
> the Creative Industries initiative at QUT. But they do share  
> something. I'd be quite interested in seeing this floated in an  
> international context.
>
> Just how distinctive are these new emphases in Aust CS? Or is  
> something similar happening in other places too? From talking  
> recently to Lawrence Grossberg, I think there may be a particular  
> divergence from CS in the States -- an issue raised a while ago in  
> the robust exchange between Simon During and contributors to this  
> list. The pressures to find 'linkage partners' are not nearly as  
> strong there. Not sure that we need more flaming on the subject :),  
> but other kinds of reflection may be worthwhile. There are probably  
> also implications for younger academics -- eg. the increasing  
> number who get their start through 'linkage' style post-docs or PhDs.
>
> -- Mark
>
> ----------
> From:   csaa-forum-bounces at lists.cdu.edu.au on behalf of Melissa Gregg
> Sent:   Thursday, April 27, 2006 10:30 AM
> To:     csaa-forum at lists.cdu.edu.au
> Subject:        [csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS
> Message Flag:   Follow up
> Flag Status:    Flagged
>
> Hi list,
>
> The Association for Cultural Studies newsletter is due to publish  
> its next
> online edition shortly. The newsletter is much like the CSAA one  
> but global,
> featuring news, events, book reviews, conference reports or ads, short
> debates and provocations about the state of the field in different  
> regional
> locations. The newsletter is a widely read resource and obviously  
> with the
> Crossroads conference coming up in July there will be plenty of new  
> ACS
> members reading too. It's a good publicity opportunity, basically.  
> So if you
> would like to send short pieces to me to pass on as Australia and New
> Zealand rep, please do - I'll accept them until the end of next  
> week (May 5)
> and then bundle them up for the editor.
>
> On another matter, I am also participating in a panel discussion as  
> part of
> the Crossroads conference on current trends in cultural studies'
> institutional practice. I'll be speaking with two hats on: as  
> regional rep
> but also as a younger academic. As it's been a bit quiet here  
> lately, I'd
> like to hear the views of people on this list on what you'd like me  
> to say,
> as it is important in such a public setting that I represent the  
> situation
> here with as much information and accuracy as I can. Things I  
> envisage being
> of interest to an international audience include:
>
> -emerging strengths in Australian cultural studies research, eg.  
> new centres
> for funded research & new projects
> -the effect of government funding and/or rhetoric on cultural studies
> research
> -changing employment trends post- 'work choices' and pre-RQF
> -what the RQF will actually involve
> -what all of these things mean for younger academics - from their
> perspective, right now, and from those who are good at reading tea  
> leaves
>
> Hopefully if people are interested in talking about this issues  
> more we
> could also take them up in Canberra at the end of the year. At  
> recent CSAA
> conferences I have noticed a regular lament that there aren't enough
> opportunities to discuss industrial issues amongst our colleagues  
> nationally
> and regionally.
>
> Happy to receive thoughts on this on or off list.
>
> Cheers
> Melissa
>
> Dr. Melissa Gregg
> Postdoctoral Research Fellow
> Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
> and
> Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies
> School of English, Media Studies and Art History
> The University of Queensland QLD 4072
> CRICOS provider number: 00025B
>
> phone    61 7 3346 9762
> mobile   61 4 1116 5706
> fax    61 7 3365 7184
>
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Dr. Melissa Gregg
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
and
Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies
School of English, Media Studies and Art History
University of Queensland 4072
CRICOS provider number: 00025B

ph     61 7 3346 9762
mob  61 4 1116 5706
fax    61 7 3365 7184