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Research Strengths

Monash Arts is well known for high quality research in the humanities and social sciences. Our research is innovative, fully engaged with diverse communities and international in its scope and recognition.

The Research Strengths are presented in alphabetical order and are based on the externally assessed Mock Research Quality Framework exercise in 2006.

Applied Ethics, Ethical Theory, Work in a Global Era

Australian philosophers have made innovative and ground-breaking contributions to ethical theory and bioethics, and Monash philosophers have been at the forefront of these contributions. The Monash Centre for Human Bioethics was established in 1980 as Australia’s first research centre devoted to bioethics. It has gained a high profile internationally for its research in reproductive ethics, and end-of-life decision-making. It continues to be at the forefront of applied ethics, pursuing questions on nano-technology, genetic enhancement, and military robotics. Members of the group also work on broader questions in ethical theory.

The ‘work in a globalising era’ node explores the international flow of people and production across national boundaries and how this alters the organisation of work and employment, and revises our understanding of commitment, citizenship and ethical behaviour in the workplace. Prominent among the work of this node is the Future of Work project which has attracted community and industry funding. [top]

Applied Linguistics and Education

This group consists of foreign/second language specialists who have made significant contributions in their respective areas, especially English, Japanese and Korean, on an international level. It has made important contributions to the field of intercultural communication. The four main research areas are:

  1. Korean language education, specifically language and culture, assessment in mixed groups, syntactical differences between English and Korean, and translation
  2. Computer-mediated language learning
  3. Sociocultural theory and language learning, assessment, immersion education, and internationalization and study abroad in a Japanese language context
  4. Japanese language maintenance and the acquisition of English academic literacy [top]

Archaeology

The core of this research group deals with the study of the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean with a focus upon Egypt, their interconnections and impact upon later society. Specifically, it can be divided into two main sections: study of the classical world through its literature, and the archaeology of Egypt from prehistory to late antiquity. Research into the cultural evolution of ancient Egypt covers a wide range of aspects, focusing upon the excavation of two important sites in the Dakhleh Oasis (1986 onwards) and the study of an extensive body of data derived from its survey (1978 onwards). Primary areas of investigation include: ceramology, interaction between Nile Valley Egyptians, Oasis peoples and Libyans, burial practices, archaeology of cult, numismatics and the material culture of early Christianity. The extensive research undertaken by members of this group has culminated in numerous internationally recognised publications. Furthermore, it provides a wide range of research topics and training for honours and postgraduate students. [top]

Asian Studies

The Asian Studies research grouping highlights Monash University’s expertise in several areas of Asian Studies. Geographic areas of specialisation include East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan), Southeast Asia and South Asia. Members of this grouping have contributed significantly in terms of publications with most authoring several books, refereed journal articles and book chapters.  A number of researchers have obtained nationally competitive grants. Group members have attained fluency in one or more Asian languages and all have important connections with university colleagues in Asia. The strength in Asian Studies brings Monash to the international forefront of research about Asia. [top]

Australian History

Australian history is one of the key strengths of the School of Historical Studies. Members of the group have particular strengths in indigenous histories and histories of race in settler societies; the history of migration; urban social and cultural history; oral history and life-writing; public and community history; the history of gender and class relationships; the history of war and remembrance and the history of poverty and welfare. Most members of the group also work in comparative and trans-national contexts, especially in relation to the United States, Britain and other settler societies. A key objective of the group is to further explore these comparative dimensions of our work, as well as collaborations with members of other research groups in the School in areas of shared interest such as life-writing, urban history and histories of remembrance. [top]

Australian Studies

Within this research grouping expertise is wide, incorporating academics with an interest in various aspects of Australian history, society and public policy. They contribute to scholarship and debate about how Australians understand and perceive their past, what it means to be an Australian citizen today, how public policy shapes social, political, economic and justice issues in Australia, and Australia’s relations with other nations in an era if increasing globalisation.

The members of the Australian Studies Research Group write and publish in an Australian context in the following areas: Indigenous studies, urban history, tourism, biography, policing and criminology, counter terrorism, the history of the book and reading practices, popular media and the media.  Group members have played a role in contemporary political debates, including Indigenous Studies, policing and accountability, and counter terrorism developments and thei work has had significant impact on policy developments in these fields. [top]

Cinema Studies

The Cinema Studies research group has as its framework the study of American, Asian and Australian cinemas. Strategically this Monash group has sought through its diversity to distinguish itself from similar groups at other Australian universities. Within the three national cinema studies focus areas, the Cinema Studies research group has emphasized an international approach to research. Major works by the main proponents of the group have, for example, proposed an international re-reading of the Australian film history in the immediate post WWII period. Other research attends to American cinema to formulate landmark theory of the process of film remaking as a textual, industrial and critical category. Research has also been conducted into the ways in which to understand more contemporary film texts in relation to the history of film theory and criticism, while at the same time “remaking” these films in light of theoretical proposals. [top]

Cultural Theory

Members of the Cultural Theory Group focus their research on textual studies and philosophies of cultural representation. Specific areas of interest include: cultural studies, philosophy of art and aesthetic theory and ecocriticism, i.e. the study of the relationship between literature and the non-human environment, bible studies. There is also a focus on bible studies, particularly in its interface with contemporary popular and political culture and socio-cultural theory. The group has produced a series of well received monographs on the poetics of place; British cultural studies; the relationship between literature, culture and society; contemporary cultural theory; Marxist criticism of the bible and philosophical aspects of painting. [top]

Culture & Society

The group’s research focuses on the intersection of culture and society. There are a number of specific areas of interest within the framework of this group: British cultural identity and its expression in literary and cultural texts; the social and political dimensions of everyday media texts and technologies; the book and its interface with other media forms, audience studies, communication theory and socio-cultural theory. In the assessment period the group produced a series of well-received books on feminist publishing, sport and national culture, social theory of the media, and the political aesthetic of romanticism and modernism. The group has also created a noteworthy body of admired and imaginative work in the emergent socio-aesthetic/socio-cultural field. The field overlaps to an extent with the older cultural studies tradition but draws more widely on classical sociological and social theoretical motifs. [top]

Demography

The main goal of the demographic group is to consolidate its position as one of the major centres of demographic research and policy advice in Australia in the fields of immigration, social demography, including fertility and family formation, urban studies and education. Staffing in the Centre for Population and Urban Research depends on a continuing flow of industry consulting income in these fields. This work covers population, household and workforce projections.

The Centre maintains an independent publishing capacity, including the demographic quarterly People and Place. Its consulting and academic work depends heavily on its holdings of the most detailed set of information in Australia (aside from the Federal Government itself) on immigration arrivals and departures, visa issued statistics, migrant settlement data, education enrolment data and customised census data sets. [top]

Environment & Society

An interest in human-environment relations ties together a number of researchers in the School of Geography and Environmental Science. There are four key areas of research focus. The ‘international development and environmental analysis’ sub-group investigates socio-environmental change in the Indo-Pacific rim. A second sub-group is a national leader in research on ‘corporate sustainability and socially responsible investment’. The sub-group ‘urban water governance and sustainability’ researchers how urban water managers can build institutional and governance capacity to deliver sustainable water management. Finally, a long-standing sub-group focuses on ‘social, economic, and environmental change in rural Australia’.  Collectively, we have over 100 publications to our name over the past five years, as well as significant research funding, and several awards. All areas include outputs of both academic and applied impact. [top]

Ethnomusicology

This research grouping focuses on the ethnomusicological study of: Indonesia including traditional and popular music of select ethno-linguistic groups in the outer islands, especially Sumatra and Java; Baghdadi-Jewish diaspora communities; and Australia, particularly folk, country, multi-cultural and youth orchestral music. It also contributes to theoretical issues in ethnomusicology, including in organology, culture contact, music history, music sociology, aesthetics and interactions across the arts.

The researchers are known for their significant contributions to intellectual debate in ethnomusicology, including pioneering work on classification of musical instruments and insights that instruments shed on musical systems, and interactions between dancers and musicians in performance. They share a commitment to communicating with a wider public of music activists and contributing to debates on radio and television and in the press about social issues such as music and race, music and colonialism, and the history debates around concepts of the national, nationalism and nationhood. [top]

European History

The research focus of the present research grouping extends from the 12th to the 20th centuries with particular strengths in medieval and Renaissance history, in 18th century France and the Enlightenment and in 19th and 20th century Europe. There are several thematic strands that unite all or most of the researchers’ work. These include urban history, the history of gender, sexual relations and the body; social history in its many forms; intellectual history; and the history of religious thought in its social and intellectual contexts. Most members of the group have cooperated in at least one joint research project.

All members of the group share a commitment to precise and original archival research, to exacting scholarship that serves to increase our understanding of larger issues, in particular by capturing and seeking to explain some of the major changes in European society and thought that have occurred from the 12th until the 20th centuries. [top]

European Literary & Cultural Studies

This group addresses the topic of human identity (national, gender, migrant, linguistic and regional), its construction and evolution. Closely related are the themes of intercultural encounter and, consequently, translation as a cultural practice. Group members address these problems by examining tests – literary and visual, belonging to both high and popular culture – through a range of methods and with reference to a range of theoretical frameworks. [top]

Gender, Identity and Social Change

Members of the Gender, Identity and Social Change grouping focus their research in the following areas: changing social landscapes, popular culture, youth, families' health and wellbeing and feminism.

Researchers in this group have made significant contributions to international edited collections covering topics/issues associated with feminist theory, young women and feminism, feminist cultural studies readings of motherhood and embodiment, sexuality and family relations in indigenous communities. They have also made marked contributions to debates on: young peoples’ health and well being; youth transitions; young people and sexuality; gender issues and young people; homelessness and young people; and theoretical discussions about young people and youth studies. [top]

Geographical Information Systems

The GIS research group is actively involved in research on Applied GIS (Geographical Information Systems), which is cross-disciplinary in nature with strong emphasis on scientific applications of GIS and remote sensing in environmental and social sciences. The main fields of our research include:

Global Change, Civil Society and Security

This group is committed to research excellence in exploring the changing nature of international relations and the new security risks that have emerged in the post-September 11 era. These risks are manifested in the transnational and intra-national arena with far reaching implications for liberal democratic rule. This group benefits from two key disciplinary streams of politics and criminology with significant strength in regional regional studies and Muslim affairs. The combination of this expertise allows the group to produce first class research with direct relevance to policy making circles. Close research collaboration with industry partners has meant a high impact factor. [top]

Haptics in Virtual Reality

The purpose of this group's research is to apply knowledge in the areas of sensory, perceptual and cognitive processes, with haptics - touch and kinaesthesis - a special topic of interest. One challenge is to improve haptic information in virtual environments such as telesurgery, training simulators, internet communications, and sensory substitution systems. Another is to apply knowledge of haptics to the design of autonomous robots that must learn to interact with their environment according to an action-based model of intelligence. Other interests include the use of virtual reality for diagnosis of brain damage and assessment of antisocial behaviours. [top]

History of Philosophy and History of Ideas

Scholarship in the history of ideas seeks to understand the origins and influence of important concepts in the intellectual life of a culture. History of philosophy concentrates specifically on philosophical concepts, and the texts and contexts in which they figure. Not only do we seek to understand these texts as they were received in the past, we also seek to evaluate the merit of arguments and ideas for our present context.

The history of philosophy is extensive. Few universities could lay claim to having staff with expertise in all eras. This group has two general concentrations: ancient Greco-Roman philosophy and early modern European philosophy. Its emphases include the role of women in European philosophy and the translation of important but long-neglected, ancient texts. While Australia’s international reputation in contemporary philosophical studies is well established, history of philosophy is an emerging area. Monash’s history research group is numerically small, but very significant in this trend. [top]

Indigenous Archaeology & Heritage

This research team presents the new face of Indigenous Studies in Australia informed by archaeology, anthropology, history and post-colonial theory. The approach emphasizes Indigenous community partnership research and the development of decolonized practices. Primary interests include the archaeology and anthropology of history and identity and the meaningfulness of objects in past and present land- and seascape perception, construction and engagement. Geographically, the research focus is on Australia and Melanesia. [top]

Linguistics

The group’s aim is to further linguistic research by developing and testing theoretical and descriptive tools through the investigation of a variety of language phenomena. Members of the group research semantics, syntax, discourse structure and the history and philosophy of linguistics. Some members write grammars, others undertake sociolinguistic and culturally sensitive investigations of language and investigate the pragmatics of language usage. Some linguists focus on endangered languages. The linguistics research group has links with the AFP and other police forces; with medical departments in Australia and Chile; we undertake collaborative research in linguistics and ethno-botany with colleagues in New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands; and collaborative research with economists in Australia, Belgium, South Africa and the Netherlands. [top]

Literature and Cultural History

The major research strength of this group has been its demonstrable success in tackling the compelling and interconnected theoretical areas of postcoloniality, nationality and gender, as well as more specific practices as such as textual studies, biography and stylistics.

The research grouping has an outstanding collective research performance in both Australian literary history and culture in general and Australian/Asian exchange in particular. Feminist literary historiography and feminist cultural history figure strongly, as does expertise in the developing critical field of conflict, trauma and testimony.

Consistent with its inclusive approach, the interests and outputs of the group are cross- and interdisciplinary, ranging from discourse analysis to the nexus of written and filmic practices, to media representations, to symbiotic relationships between literary and historical narrative, to the cultural and political dimensions of travel and travel writing. [top]

Logic, Language & Metaphysics

This research group conducts research in logic, language and metaphysics in the tradition stemming from early twentieth-century figures such as Frege, Russell and Carnap. This is a tradition of research currently pursued in many prominent English-speaking universities including Oxford and Princeton.  It approaches issues through the study of logic and theories of the nature of language. Its methods include the analysis of conditions that would suffice to make it true that, for example, ‘one event, c, causes another event, e’. It also studies the logical principles that govern certain fundamental concepts; for instance, possibility and necessity.

This is the kind of philosophy for which Australia has an international reputation, and Monash has played a prominent role in generating it.  Evidence of this role can be found in collaborations with many international leaders in the field and in our statistically unusual success rate in placing our graduates and former staff members in prestigious postgraduate programs and academic jobs. [top]

Religion, Culture and Belief

The researchers in this grouping study both the social and cultural factors shaping spiritual and religious life in Australia and other societies of the world and the impact of religion. Current funded research projects include the management of religious diversity, identifying the sources of religious conflict, and developments in spirituality, particularly youth spirituality. The group has become internationally recognised through publications, consultancies and addresses analysing the impact of religious resurgence, the rise of many forms of spirituality, the re-entry of religion into public policy debates and the way the global movement of people, culture and capital is not only producing increased religious diversity in most localities but is bringing together the elements for creative innovation in the religious and spiritual. The group is also internationally recognised for its work on youth spirituality. [top]

Social Policy and Advocacy

This group actively researches areas associated with inter-cultural studies, social movements, conflict resolution, labour studies and family violence policy in national and international contexts. Specific interests cover: intercultural studies of the Asian region, areas of social movements such as environmental and animal rights, international relations and the notion of sovereignty, globalisation and economic restructuring; and issues surrounding family violence and integrated responses involving police and welfare organisations. [top]

Research Staff