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<TITLE>RE: [csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS</TITLE>
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<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Monaco, Courier New"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'>Just further to this thread, Graeme Turner has pointed out to me that what I was talking up as a pragmatic <I>turn </I>in Australian cultural studies could actually be seen as a fair bit older — eg. the work of people like Susan Dermody and Liz Jacka on film and media studies in the 1980s which was very much engaged with policy agencies. I’m sometimes a bit wary of arguments that ‘it’s always been so’. I’m sure there are differences in contexts and in qualities of engagement which it is useful to reflect on. And there does seem to be something reasonably specific about ‘linkage logics’ and the whole grant regime. Your point, Fiona, about the team-based nature of a lot of new projects may be part of it. But historical comparisons clearly do need to be made with caution.<BR>
<BR>
And I take your earlier point too, Mel, about some parallels with things going on in the States. Yes, Paula Treichler’s paper at CSAA/UTS on the medical scholars program at Illinois. Still, from what I could see, there are important differences there too, particularly in material contexts. It seemed to be very much driven by ‘unattached’ intellectual interest (which is not at all to deride it), rather than embeddedness in institutions outside the university. Graeme’s view is that the latter just doesn’t happen much in the US — not in cultural studies, not in education, not nowhwere.<BR>
<BR>
-- Mg<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On 4/5/06 10:34 AM, "Fiona Allon" <F.Allon@uws.edu.au> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Hi Mel,<BR>
> <BR>
> Apologies for being so late with this, but I thought I should add a couple of <BR>
> things to Mark's suggestions.<BR>
> <BR>
> Many of the projects which Mark mentions are collaborative research <BR>
> partnership projects based at the Centre for Cultural Research (CCR). A number <BR>
> of these projects will be presented and discussed in an upcoming Special Issue <BR>
> of Cultural Studies Review (12.2), which is due out in September 2006.<BR>
> <BR>
> The theme of this Special Issue of Cultural Studies Review is 'Cultural <BR>
> Research' and it will explore what is involved in precisely this kind of <BR>
> engaged, collaborative, Industry/Community 'Linkage' work. The Special Issue <BR>
> will present examples of projects from both the CCR and the Department of <BR>
> Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. The editors of this special <BR>
> issue are: Fiona Allon and Meaghan Morris.<BR>
> <BR>
> Another important question/issue, which I think would be worth raising in the <BR>
> forums you describe, is how the trend towards collaborative team-based <BR>
> projects affects early career researchers. These researchers frequently work <BR>
> on team-based projects and at the same time must also try and carve out a <BR>
> highly individualised career-path trajectory. I'm sure this is quite complex <BR>
> and at times quite fraught. I think it would be worth putting this question up <BR>
> for discussion.<BR>
> <BR>
> Best wishes,<BR>
> <BR>
> Fiona<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> **************************************************<BR>
> Dr Fiona Allon<BR>
> Research Fellow<BR>
> Centre for Cultural Research<BR>
> University of Western Sydney<BR>
> Locked Bag 1797 Penrith South DC <BR>
> NSW 1797 Australia<BR>
> Tel: +61 2 9685 9646<BR>
> Fax: +61 2 9685 9610<BR>
> Mob: 0409 901 039 <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: csaa-forum-bounces@lists.cdu.edu.au on behalf of Melissa Gregg<BR>
> Sent: Sat 4/29/2006 11:19 AM<BR>
> To: csaa-forum@lists.cdu.edu.au<BR>
> Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS<BR>
> <BR>
> thanks Mark. that's exactly the timbre of reflection i was hoping <BR>
> for. i got the same sense at CSAA conferences over the past few <BR>
> years, that linkages are creating a positive and engaged style of <BR>
> cultural studies practice here - one that may have overcome the <BR>
> policy/theory distinction of an earlier moment. although as paula <BR>
> treichler's work showed in sydney last year, these linkages and <BR>
> consultancy roles are not new or unique to us here. but, this is why <BR>
> i was seeing these issues as related to government and funding <BR>
> policies somewhat, because unlike the US, we are dependent on <BR>
> government funding a whole lot.<BR>
> <BR>
> i'd also like to know how australia differs from the UK in linkage <BR>
> work, and given that there has been an assessment exercise in the UK, <BR>
> whether linkages do well or not so well on that scale. will the RQF <BR>
> recognise linkages, or publications, or both, and how differently?<BR>
> cheers<BR>
> mel<BR>
> <BR>
> On 28/04/2006, at 5:27 PM, Mark Gibson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
>> Hi Melissa,<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Just a suggestion for something to raise on the Crossroads panel. <BR>
>> It seems to me Australian cultural studies has taken quite a <BR>
>> distinctive turn over the last decade in developing a <BR>
>> 'practical' (problem solving) focus and in working closely with non- <BR>
>> academic institutions and agencies (the emphasis being on <BR>
>> institutions and agencies, not just constituencies).<BR>
>> <BR>
>> There are different models of this -- eg. the ICR at UWS (eg. <BR>
>> 'Driving Cultures', the work with Sydney Water), the work of <BR>
>> Elspeth Probyn, Catharine Lumby, Kath Albury and others at USyd <BR>
>> (the work with the Aust Rugby League, with health agencies etc.), <BR>
>> the Creative Industries initiative at QUT. But they do share <BR>
>> something. I'd be quite interested in seeing this floated in an <BR>
>> international context.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Just how distinctive are these new emphases in Aust CS? Or is <BR>
>> something similar happening in other places too? From talking <BR>
>> recently to Lawrence Grossberg, I think there may be a particular <BR>
>> divergence from CS in the States -- an issue raised a while ago in <BR>
>> the robust exchange between Simon During and contributors to this <BR>
>> list. The pressures to find 'linkage partners' are not nearly as <BR>
>> strong there. Not sure that we need more flaming on the subject :), <BR>
>> but other kinds of reflection may be worthwhile. There are probably <BR>
>> also implications for younger academics -- eg. the increasing <BR>
>> number who get their start through 'linkage' style post-docs or PhDs.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> -- Mark<BR>
>> <BR>
>> ----------<BR>
>> From: csaa-forum-bounces@lists.cdu.edu.au on behalf of Melissa Gregg<BR>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 10:30 AM<BR>
>> To: csaa-forum@lists.cdu.edu.au<BR>
>> Subject: [csaa-forum] News + Issues in CS<BR>
>> Message Flag: Follow up<BR>
>> Flag Status: Flagged<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Hi list,<BR>
>> <BR>
>> The Association for Cultural Studies newsletter is due to publish <BR>
>> its next<BR>
>> online edition shortly. The newsletter is much like the CSAA one <BR>
>> but global,<BR>
>> featuring news, events, book reviews, conference reports or ads, short<BR>
>> debates and provocations about the state of the field in different <BR>
>> regional<BR>
>> locations. The newsletter is a widely read resource and obviously <BR>
>> with the<BR>
>> Crossroads conference coming up in July there will be plenty of new <BR>
>> ACS<BR>
>> members reading too. It's a good publicity opportunity, basically. <BR>
>> So if you<BR>
>> would like to send short pieces to me to pass on as Australia and New<BR>
>> Zealand rep, please do - I'll accept them until the end of next <BR>
>> week (May 5)<BR>
>> and then bundle them up for the editor.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> On another matter, I am also participating in a panel discussion as <BR>
>> part of<BR>
>> the Crossroads conference on current trends in cultural studies'<BR>
>> institutional practice. I'll be speaking with two hats on: as <BR>
>> regional rep<BR>
>> but also as a younger academic. As it's been a bit quiet here <BR>
>> lately, I'd<BR>
>> like to hear the views of people on this list on what you'd like me <BR>
>> to say,<BR>
>> as it is important in such a public setting that I represent the <BR>
>> situation<BR>
>> here with as much information and accuracy as I can. Things I <BR>
>> envisage being<BR>
>> of interest to an international audience include:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> -emerging strengths in Australian cultural studies research, eg. <BR>
>> new centres<BR>
>> for funded research & new projects<BR>
>> -the effect of government funding and/or rhetoric on cultural studies<BR>
>> research<BR>
>> -changing employment trends post- 'work choices' and pre-RQF<BR>
>> -what the RQF will actually involve<BR>
>> -what all of these things mean for younger academics - from their<BR>
>> perspective, right now, and from those who are good at reading tea <BR>
>> leaves<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Hopefully if people are interested in talking about this issues <BR>
>> more we<BR>
>> could also take them up in Canberra at the end of the year. At <BR>
>> recent CSAA<BR>
>> conferences I have noticed a regular lament that there aren't enough<BR>
>> opportunities to discuss industrial issues amongst our colleagues <BR>
>> nationally<BR>
>> and regionally.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Happy to receive thoughts on this on or off list.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Cheers<BR>
>> Melissa<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Dr. Melissa Gregg<BR>
>> Postdoctoral Research Fellow<BR>
>> Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies<BR>
>> and<BR>
>> Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies<BR>
>> School of English, Media Studies and Art History<BR>
>> The University of Queensland QLD 4072<BR>
>> CRICOS provider number: 00025B<BR>
>> <BR>
>> phone 61 7 3346 9762<BR>
>> mobile 61 4 1116 5706<BR>
>> fax 61 7 3365 7184<BR>
>> <BR>
>> _______________________________________<BR>
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>> <BR>
>> <BR>
>> _______________________________________<BR>
>> <BR>
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>> <BR>
>> www.csaa.asn.au<BR>
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> <BR>
> Dr. Melissa Gregg<BR>
> Postdoctoral Research Fellow<BR>
> Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies<BR>
> and<BR>
> Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies<BR>
> School of English, Media Studies and Art History<BR>
> University of Queensland 4072<BR>
> CRICOS provider number: 00025B<BR>
> <BR>
> ph 61 7 3346 9762<BR>
> mob 61 4 1116 5706<BR>
> fax 61 7 3365 7184<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> _______________________________________<BR>
> <BR>
> csaa-forum<BR>
> discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia<BR>
> <BR>
> www.csaa.asn.au<BR>
> <BR>
> change your subscription details at <BR>
> <a href="http://lists.cdu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/csaa-forum">http://lists.cdu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/csaa-forum</a><BR>
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