Video and Audio

Research in Times of Uncertainty

Seminar by  Professor Megan Watkins & Professor Greg Noble, HDR Candidate Linda Marsden, Dr Benjamin Hanckel, and  Associate Professor Shanthi Robertson

Chair: Professor Ned Rossiter and Professor Heather Horst

This seminar focuses on the experiences of five researchers who have conducted research over the past year with youth, parents, communities and various government sectors. Presenters will highlight the challenges of researching during a global pandemic and the different ways in which their research teams coped with the conditions of uncertainty. As much as our research practices have been stymied by the impact of Covid-19, the pandemic has also prompted new coordinates in our collective pursuits of knowledge and how we make sense of a world in the midst of dramatic transformation.

So you care about Indigenous scholars?

Seminar by Dr Corrinne Sullivan, Dr Carolyn Smith, Dr Sibyl Diver and Dr Jessica Weir

Chair: Associate Professor Karen Soldatic

From the outset we chose to work across the differences in our situated positions as Indigenous and allied scholars from North America and Australia, and establish mutually supportive roles, while centring Indigenous voices and leadership in the collaboration. Indigenous collaborators generously shared their experiences of extractive and abusive encounters as vignettes, and, together with graphic artists, our allied collaborators contributed as accomplices to create posters rich with humour, irony, and vividly teachable moments. Our motivation is to secure a more respectful academy that can learn how to appropriately centre Indigenous voices. Come along and hear about the practical steps you can take that do not involve taking a minute of an Indigenous scholar’s time.

Policy Models in the Wild

Seminar by Professor Jamie Peck

The presentation explores the social, political and technical means by which policy-making 'models' are made, circulated and reproduced. Beginning with an assessment of the origination and evolution of the 'policy mobilities' research program, a fast-developing interdisciplinary project that has made a distinctive contribution to the methodological renewal of the field of critical policy studies, it outlines an approach to the study of the making and movement of policy models, drawing on insights from economic geography, economic sociology, and economic anthropology.

The Magic of Automation

Seminar by Dr Declan Kuch

‘There is so much magic about automation’, remark the editors of the Springer Handbook on [Industrial Engineering] Automation. ‘It is a wonderful and essential part of human civilisation.’ (Nof et al, 2009 xix). This seminar reflects on both the technooptimism and claims to universality underpinning this quip. What does it mean to take seriously the idea that automation is magic? Dr Kuch takes his point of departure in the promises of contemporary technosciences to fix its own problems, especially to provide boundless supplies of energy and deliver cures, to revive some key strands of the sociology, anthropology and history ofmagic.

Living with Border Closures: Western Sydney Migrant Stories

This online panel and community forum aims to bring together community members and leaders from government, advocacy, media and academia to discuss the impacts of border closures on Western Sydney’s migrant communities. Along with hearing from a panel of sector leaders, we will be listening to the stories of Western Sydney residents about what the border closure means for their lives, their families and their communities.

Contemporary Global Sport: Questions of (Mis)Management

Did the pandemic create inequalities in sport or exacerbate existing inequality? Where does sport sit within the public health debate? Originally recorded for an international conference Emeritus Professor David Rowe speaks on issues that have a bearing on global sport management as it intersects with various social cultural and political issues. David touches on these topics through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM Contagion Design: Labour, Economy, Habits, Data

How is contagion designed? How do labour, migration, habits and data configure contagion? Across a program of four weeks of discussion and debate, this event explored the current conjuncture through these vectors to address issues of rising unemployment, restricted movement, increasing governance of populations through data systems and the compulsory redesign of habits.

This event organised by the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University included speakers from the ICS together with national and international colleagues and research institutes. The recordings from the four sessions have been made available. 

Beyond the Crisis: Transitioning to a Better World?

Distinguished Professor Ien Ang presented the sixth seminar in the COVID-19 series (opens in a new window)co-hosted by the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI) and the Science and Society Network.

Digital Media, Collaboration and Knowledge Production in an Epoch of COVID-19: Seminar on Theories, Methods and Practices for HASS Researchers

This seminar invited some of Western Sydney University's leading scholars and creative practitioners in Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) to briefly present how they have enlisted digital media technologies in their research and teaching.

Episodes: Part 1 (opens in a new window), Part 2 (opens in a new window), Part 3 (opens in a new window), Part 4 (opens in a new window)

Social Science Myth Busters

The line between fact and myth can be hard to work out when it comes to the realities of everyday social life! Our Expert Social Science Myth Busters from the University and beyond tackle nitty gritty questions of sex, housework, animals, food, families, pop culture and more in BLab Coats podcast. They tackle some burning, awkward and fascinating questions about life and society through the findings of social science research, busting a few myths and stereotypes along the way.

Australian Culture, Inequalities and Social Divisions

This event shares findings from the Australian Research Council-funded project Australian Cultural Fields: National and Transnational Dynamics including those published in the book Fields, Capitals, Habitus: Australian Culture, Inequalities and Social Divisions (opens in a new window)(Routledge 2020), edited by Professor Tony Bennett, Emeritus Professor David Carter, Professor Modesto Gayo, Dr Michelle Kelly and Professor Greg Noble. The research offers an insightful analysis of the relations between culture and society in contemporary Australia, involving a detailed national survey and in-depth interviews of Australian cultural tastes and practices.

How life experiences inspired a research career

Distinguished Professor Ien Ang joins The Migration Podcast (opens in a new window) and speaks about her research on media audiences , cultural consumption, migration and identity politics in an age of globalisation, and what her biography has got to do with it. Her two books, “Watching Dallas” and “On not speaking Chinese”, are classics in the field of cultural studies and have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Turkish, German, Korean, and Spanish.

CityRoadPod · 51. Post-Pandemic Urbanism

Dr Emma Power joins via CityRoad Pod (opens in a new window) with a group of leading Sydney-based urbanists who start a conversation about what cities will look like post-COVID and how pathways towards a just urban recovery might be fostered.

How Research is Changing Amidst COVID-19

Action Research Amidst COVID-19

Institute PhD candidate Bhavya Chitranshi is interviewed on the BLab Coats podcast discussing what Action Research is and how her research in India has been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Education Will Look Like Post-COVID-19

Professor James Arvanitakis speaks on the BLab Coats podcast about how education is changing and what the future of education could be post COVID-19.

International Journal of Housing Policy 8. Housing Journal Podcast

Dr Emma Power is one of the hosts of the Housing Journal Podcast (opens in a new window). Episode 8.1 and 8.2 discuss the impact of COVID-19 on housing and the role of housing in post-COVID-19 recovery.

Episodes: Part 1 (opens in a new window), Part 2 (opens in a new window)

International Journal of Housing Policy · 9. Housing Journal Podcast - August 2020

Dr Emma Power talks with Associate Professor :Louise Crabtree about her policy review with colleagues: Impediments and opportunities for growing the cooperative housing sector: an Australian case study. Listen to Policy Forum Pod (opens in a new window).

Policy Forum Pod - Water, Decolonisation, and Connections to Country

On this episode, guest host Kim Cunio is joined by Kathleen Harriden and Dr Jessica Weir to talk about the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the deep connection of Indigenous people to Country, and how to decolonise Australian institutions. Are the disciplinary boundaries used by universities and the policymaking apparatus to understand challenges and distribute resources actually preventing society from effectively tackling complex issues like water policy?

Nightfall on Gaia

Gateway Cities and the Future of Antarctica

The Antarctic Cities project is studying the relationship of key Antarctic gateway cities – Hobart, Christchurch, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia and Cape Town – with Antarctica and with each other. Antarctic Cities is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant. In this documentary chief investigators Professor Juan Francisco Salazar and Associate Professor Liam Magee share the different aspects of the project including sights from the youth expedition to Antarctica, formation of The Antarctic Youth Coalition and the development of Antarctic Futures, a digital serious game that translates complex scientific scenarios into a playable experience.

Manufacturing Futures: Beyond Business as Usual

There is much discussion about the future of manufacturing in Australia, but before talking about what's needed and what we should do, let's look at what's working in Australian manufacturing right now. This 3 minute video shows how just and sustainable Australian manufacturers are creating jobs, redressing environmental harms and benefiting communities through their work.

Based on research from the Reconfiguring the Enterprise: Shifting Manufacturing Culture in Australia project, funded by the Australian Research Council.

Antarctic Youth Coalition - Documentary

In February 2020, five young Antarctic enthusiasts from the Antarctic gateway cities travelled down to King George Island on the Antarctic Peninsula. They got a taste of what life in Antarctica entailed, visited international research stations, (and even cooked for a whole station!), witnessed and participated in real life science projects and began their journey to form a youth network of fellow enthusiasts and ambassadors for this fragile icy continent. From this expedition, the Antarctic Youth Coalition was born and these five young enthusiasts have now become five young leaders in their cities, advocating for Antarctic education, outreach, protection and passion.

Watch this short film (opens in a new window)to see where it all started.