26 June 2007

Book Project - Exquisite Women

My name is Thao Nguyen, a Vietnamese woman living in Australia.
I am putting together a book called Exquisite Women about Asian woman immigrants.

As an Asian woman immigrant, I notice the stereotypes that Asian women deal with on a regular basis and I am passionate about a book that tells the real stories of Asian women immigrants, a book with stories that are enriching and empowering for all involved.

Imagine being one of the authors of a beautiful book about Asian women immigrants. The book will be a gift to you, your children, grandchildren and friends, and all other Asian women. You will tell your story, thus sharing with them in a way that allows them to know and appreciate you and always have something amazing to remember you by.

About the book:

It will be exquisite, interesting, and intimate (giving the impression of a woman's personal diary); It will be an expression of the unique inner and outward beauty of Asian women; It will be full of pictures and stories (in your own words) that paint vivid images of your life, journey, hopes and dreams; It will allow the readers to see the Asian countries that you left behind through your eyes.

Who can contribute?

Any woman who are of Asian descent and migrated to another country to live; There is no selection criteria for being a contributor to the book. Please don't entertain any fear of having a story that is not interesting enough or not being able to write very well. The only question that I invite you to answer is: "Do I want to?"; All stories will be published. A number of stories will be selected to publish in the book, others will be published on the website associated with the book.

Why contribute?

Your story will make a difference to those who read it; The process of writing your story will make a difference to you - you will have the experience of being acknowledged and proud for who you are and what you have achieved. You will have the exprience of being self-expressed, of being present to the amazing person that you are, your dreams, your passion, what you do have in your life.

What next if you want to get involved:

Please contact me at +614 2317 5382 or email
thaonguyen@westnet.com.au if you want to contribute; I will then send you a very thorough guide consisting of questions that you simply have to answer to start the process of writing your stories. It will be fun and challenging, it might be one of the most amazing things you've ever done.

Thao Nguyen
P.O. Box 561, Fremantle
WA 6959, Australia
Mobile: +61 4 2317 5382
Skype id: soiecocochine

Call for Submissions - Anthology Project: Growing up Asian in Australia (Due: Dec 1st 2007)

Call for Submissions - Growing up Asian in Australia

Asian-Australians are known to each other and the outside world by many labels: Quiet Achiever. FOB. Gangster Chigger. Mainlander. Banana. Yet are these labels based on some degree of truth, or only fiction? What is it like to grow up Asian in Australia?

We are looking for personal experience narratives of growing up Asian-Australian that are unique, honest and reflective, for an anthology.

The pieces can be in any manner, tone or style, but we are not looking for abstract or sociological treatments. They can deal with any aspect of growing up Asian-Australian so long as they are original and provide insight into the fascinating lives of Asian-Australians that defy, question
or shed light on the usual stereotypes.

Submissions should be between 800 and 3000 words in length and must be received by 1st December 2007. Late entries will not be accepted. This collection will be edited by Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem, and published by Black Inc. in 2008.

Please address submissions to
The Editor, Black Inc., Level 5, 289
Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Hard copy only, but receipt will be acknowledged by email so please include an email address. Final selection of pieces will be made in early 2008. Enquiries should be addressed to
deniseo@blackincbooks.com.

22 June 2007

CFP - ISSCO VI (21-23 Sept 2007; Peking U, China)

6th Conference of the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas
Sept. 21-23, 2007 Peking University, China


CONFERENCE THEME:
Recent Trends in the Relations between Chinese Abroad and Their Ancestral Homeland

The rapid flow of capital, labor, technology, and information across the globe as well as the
emergence of China as a new and important player in global economy and politics have made China not only the foremost destination for investment, manufacturing, and trade in the world, but also a source for both skilled and unskilled labor within China and throughout the world. The primary objective of the Sixth International ISSCO conference is to examine the interaction between the powerful process commonly known as globalization and the old-and-new phenomenon of out-migration from China, the linkage between the Chinese overseas communities and their homeland, and the implications of the accelerating process of outward migration from China in the long history of Chinese diaspora.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The topics of sessions will ultimately be decided based on papers and abstracts accepted. Proposals of panels, papers and abstracts are welcomed on any topic within social sciences, history, literature, and the arts related to Chinese migration.

Abstracts must be 350 words or less, in English, submitted in MS Word 11 Point Times font on A4 paper with the title in 12 point times font and one inch margins, and include:
1) the title of the abstract in capital letters;
2) the author names and affiliations;
3) name of presenting author in bold and contact information of presenter.

Proposals for panels and abstracts should be submitted via email to oec238c@pku.edu.cn with
“abstract submission” in the subject line before July 31, 2007.


Proposals for papers should be submitted with “paper submission” in the subject line before Sept. 10, 2007.

We will confirm receipt of proposals via email.

CFP - The Intercultural World: Theoretical Approaches, Interdisciplinary Perspectives (29-30 November 2007; Melbourne) Deadline: 17 Aug 2007

Interested scholars are invited to submit proposals for papers on the above theme.

The aim of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for scholars working within the field of interculturality, broadly conceived, to discuss theoretical approaches to this area of inquiry. Although the field of interculturality is well established, critical and systematic reflection on theoretical approaches to the intercultural world has been comparatively neglected. This workshop is intended to encourage the elaboration of varied theoretical perspectives from a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, to offer an opportunity for the presentation of such perspectives, and to provide a forum for in-depth collective discussion of issues and questions.

Date: 29-30th November, 2007
Venue: Monash University, Melbourne (Caulfield Campus)

Topics and themes of discussion might include (but are in no way restricted to) the following:

  • The meanings of interculturality
  • Theorizing intercultural communication
  • The ‘clash of civilizations’
  • Theorizing the ‘self’, the ‘other’ and ‘strange’
  • Theorizing intercultural, cross cultural and comparative approaches

Paper proposals to be received by Friday, 17th August, 2007.

Email proposals to: Intercultural.World@arts.monash.edu.au
Please include: title, abstract of 150-200 words, institutional affiliation.
Proposers will be notified about their proposals early September.
A final title and abstract for distribution to participants will be required by 31st October.

Papers will be of 30 minutes duration, with extra discussion time.

For further information, email Dr Suzi Adams: suzi.adams@arts.monash.edu.au

The workshop is jointly sponsored by the School of Political and Social Inquiry and the School of Linguistics, Cultures and Languages, Monash University.

The Jean Martin Award - For Excellence in Scholarship in the Field of Sociology (Closing Date: 30 June, 2007)

JEAN MARTIN AWARD
The Jean Martin Award recognises excellence in scholarship in the field of Sociology and aims to assist with establishing the career of a recent PhD graduate.

The Closing Date is 30 June, 2007

About the Award
This Award, which was given for the first time in 1980, is granted to the best PhD thesis in social science disciplines from an Australian tertiary institution submitted to the Award Committee. Theses may be on theoretical as well as empirical topics. Excellence in scholarship and balanced treatment of sociological theory and research are the main criteria for deciding the Award. Work done in one of Jean Martin's major areas of interest and which assesses implications for social policy are other criteria the judges will also take into account. Jean Martin's research interests are defined as: migration, community and family studies, the concept of 'ethnicity', ethnic politics, social class, theories of culture and of social change.

The Prize
The recipient of the 2007 Award will receive:

$500 from the Jean Martin Memorial Fund
A TASA JMA trophy and certificate
Free conference registration to attend the annual TASA conference at which the Award is presented (including Conference dinner)
Invitation to contribute a synopsis of the thesis to be published in Nexus
Invitation to be part of the next judging panel for the Award.

Submission Details
Supervisors and Heads of Sociology departments/schools and interdisciplinary Social science departments and other departments with a major commitment to Sociological analysis within Australian tertiary institutions are invited to submit candidates for the Award. Theses must have been completed and successfully examined in the period 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2007. All candidates must be members of TASA at the time of submission and include an AUS$25 processing fee, payable to TASA. Further details are included on the nomination form (over page). Please ensure that a return address is included in your submission to ensure that the thesis is returned to you safely.

Further details, the nomination form and guidelines are available from: TASAweb: www.tasa.org.au (go to the ‘TASA info’ section, and click on TASA Awards, then Jean Martin Award)

Or contact the TASA Executive Officer:
TASA Office
School of Social Science
University of Queensland
St Lucia QLD 4072
Phone: 07 3365 7516
Email: admin@tasa.org.au

Master Class With Professor Sharon Zukin (11-12 July 2007)

MASTER CLASS WITH PROFESSOR SHARON ZUKIN

Urban Cultural Economy in an Age of Globalisation

The Centre for Cultural Research at the University of Western Sydney is seeking expressions of interest from postgraduate research students interested in participating in a master class with eminent urban scholar Professor Sharon Zukin of Brooklyn College and the City University of New York. Details of Professor Zukin's Achievements are listed below.

The master class will commence on the morning of the 11th July and run until lunchtime on the 12th. It will include a presentation by Professor Zukin and participants will be given the opportunity to discuss their own research. Some readings will be supplied. The event will be held at the UWS Parramatta campus with a maximum of 23 participants. There will be a $30 registration charge to cover the cost of lunch and morning and afternoon teas. There will also be a dinner arranged the evening of the 11th that is not covered in the registration charge.

We invite expressions of interest from those who are working in the fields of sociology, geography, cultural studies, and urban studies. Please send a brief summary of your research and its relevance to the title of the master class (200 words maximum) to george.morgan@uws.edu.au by June 22nd (extended deadline).

Sharon Zukin, the Broeklundian Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, is one of the world’s foremost observers and theorists of the contemporary city. The author of five books, including Landscapes of Power: From Detroit to Disney World (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991), for which she won the prestigious C. Wright Mills Award, her work sits at the intersection of sociology, geography, cultural studies, and political economy. Loft Living (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982) tracked the cultural and economic processes through which parts of New York were transformed into gentrified residential spaces. The Culture of Cities (Blackwell, Oxford, 1996) examines the regeneration of central urban areas, and how vernacular cultures are often marginalised in the process of establishing new symbolic economies based on tourism and cultural industries. Her most recent book Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture (2004) critically examines urban spaces of consumption. Although the United States and specifically New York, have provided the empirical focus for much of her work, Zukin's work has great relevance to Australian cities. Broadly, her work examines the cultural economy of the contemporary city, including themes such as culture-led urban regeneration; spaces of consumption; urban development, art and real estate; racialised ghettoes; public space; and the transformation of urban life and form under globalisation.

Conference - 17th biennial conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (1-3 July 2008)

17th biennial conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA)

1-3 July 2008, Sebel Albert Park Hotel, Melbourne


Theme: "Is this the Asian Century?"

The biennial Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) conference is
the largest gathering of expertise on Asia in the southern hemisphere.
The theme for 2008 invites you to assess how the regions and issues on
which you are interested are faring. The ASAA conference is
multi-disciplinary and covers Central, South, South-East and North
East Asia and the relationship of all of these with the rest of the world.

The 17th biennial conference on 1-3 July 2008 will bring together
specialists to assess trends in Asian law, medicine and health,
science,ethics/human rights, politics, regional security, economics, culture,
religion, environment, media, the performing arts and many other
fields.

Given the theme, we encourage cross-country and inter-regional
analysis.

To assess how Asia is doing, we need to think broadly about Asia and
compare trends in India and China, the new giants of Asia, with the
older industrial power Japan and newly emerging economies of
Singapore,Thailand and Indonesia. We also need to link up these trends with
events outside Asia.

Join us either as a presenter of a conference paper or as a participant
to debate what is happening in the Asian region and its impact on the
rest of the world. In some fields, trends in Asia are driving world
affairs but in other areas Asia lags behind. What is the case in your
field? Will this be the Asian century?

The 2008 conference is hosted by Monash Asia Institute, Monash
University on behalf of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA).

To visit the conference website,

http://www.conferenceworks.net.au/asaa/index.php


To register, visit

http://www.secureregistrations.com/Asian

18 June 2007

CFP - Celebrity Colonialism: Fame, Representation, and Power in Colonial and Post-Colonial Cultures (Deadline: 27 July 2007)

Call for Submissions to an Edited Collection of Academic Papers

Colonialism and postcolonialism produce their fair share of celebrities, yet the meanings, forms, and functions of celebrities within colonial and post-colonial cultures have received little scholarly attention.

Invitations are extended to scholars who wish to contribute to a collection of papers that explores the various and ambivalent relationships between the cultures of celebrity and (post)colonialism. In particular papers are sought that examine
  • Celebrities and the Colonial Moment: how have radio, art, film, literary, exploration, and other celebrities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries been implicated in colonial and anti-colonial processes?
  • Celebrities and the Contemporary Politics of Benevolence: from Hollywood celebrities adopting children from developing nations, to music superstars advocating global economic reforms, how do celebrities influence contemporary public understanding of the line between benevolence and exploitation? How is celebrity questioned, critiqued, and resisted in alternative media?
  • Celebrities and Subalternity: from UK’s Celebrity Big Brother to Bollywood and Indigenous Australian cinema actors, how do celebrities complicate the politics of race and class, and how do indigenous celebrities function as cultural intermediaries for the negotiation of contemporary political and economic inequalities? Are there such things as ‘subaltern celebrities,’ and if so, how do they function within post-colonizing cultures to shape cultural memory and intervene in process such as the ‘Reconciliation’ movements of the 1990s?

In May 2006 journalist Brendan O’Neill coined the term ‘celebrity colonialism’ while reporting on the drama attending the Namibian birth of the child of Hollywood celebrities Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The term was meant to describe the power celebrities possess to influence public and private institutions within colonial and post-colonial cultures. Colonial cultures have always produced celebrities, yet there has been little examination of them through the prism of their celebrity. In April this year the University of Queensland Postcolonial Research Group hosted a two-day symposium to explore the various and ambivalent relationships between the cultures of celebrity and colonialism. The present project will showcase a number of the papers from that conference while seeking contributions from other scholars working in this field. The collection will seek to answer the questions: How do celebrities function within colonial and post-colonial cultures? In what way have various famous figures made their name through their celebration of or antagonism towards colonial and neo-colonial imperialism? How does the popular appeal of celebrity inflect the way (post-) colonial matters can be brought before and received by the public?

Interested contributors should email a 250 word proposal to Dr Robert Clarke (rgclarke@uq.edu.au), along with a biographical note, by no later than Friday 27 July 2007. Final submission of papers would be required by no later than Friday 27 June 2008.

NEWSLETTER - AustLit News June/July 2007

This huge, informative newsletter from AustLit includes updates about the Australian Multicultural Writers information subset.

It talks about material available from Merlinda Bobis, Suneeta Peres da Costa, Michelle de Kretser, and Shaun Tan (esp with Tan's new publication, The Arrival).

>> View the full newsletter on the AustLit site HERE.

======

For those who've never encountered AustLit:
AustLit is a non-profit collaboration between eleven Australian Universities and the National Library of Australia providing authoritative information on hundreds of thousands of creative and critical Australian literature works relating to more than 94,000 Australian authors and literary organisations. Its coverage spans 1780 to the present day.

AustLit indexes and describes Australian literature published in a range of print and electronic information sources. It also makes available selected critical articles and creative writing in full text. Researchers, bibliographers and librarians, working around the country, gather information about Australian writers and writing, providing authoritative information on and facilitating access to Australian literature.

12 June 2007

EXHIBITION - Entanglement (Shoufay Derz + Owen Leong) Westspace, Melbourne

Opening Thursday 21 June 2007, 6-8pm.

Exhibition: 22 June - 14 July 2007

Venue: Westspace, Level 1, 15-19 Anthony Street, Melbourne
www.westspace.org.au

>> View EXHIBITION FLYER.

8 June 2007

CFP - Postcolonial Issues in Australian Literature (NeMLA, 10-13 April 2008; Buffalo, NY, USA) DEADLINE: 15 Sept 2007

Call for Papers: Postcolonial Issues in Australian Literature
39th Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
April 10-13, 2008
Buffalo, New York

Proposals are invited for papers examining postcolonial issues within Australian literature, such as hybridity, first contact, resistance, indigeneity, colonialism, imperialism, immigration/ invasion, national identity, marginalisation, expatriation and diaspora.

Papers that emphasize the postcoloniality of Australian literature are particularly welcome.

Please send 250-word abstracts, institutional affiliation and contact information via email to Nathanael O'Reilly at: nathanael.oreilly@wmich.edu

Deadline: September 15, 2007

Please include with your abstract:
Name and Affiliation
Email address
Postal address
Telephone number
A/V requirements (if any)

The complete Call for Papers for the 2008 Convention will be posted in June, 2007: www.nemla.org

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA panel; however panelists can only present one paper. Convention participants may present at a paper session panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable.

CONFERENCE - Muslim Students in Australian Universities (3-4 Sept 2007; U of Western Sydney)

Inaugural national 'Muslim Students in Australian Universities' conference hosted by the University of Western Sydney
3 and 4 September 2007
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Parramatta, NSW

The University of Western Sydney (UWS) plans to bring together government, university and TAFE leaders as well as high school principals and representatives of the Muslim community at the two-day conference.

The Conference aims to stimulate debate; it will discuss national strategies which universities may use in making provision for Muslim students; examine and further develop inclusive practices and teaching strategies; identify areas where adjustment is needed and the principles behind these; discuss issues associated with gender, discrimination and respect for difference; and to engage the Australian Muslim community in partnership and dialogue about educational aspirations, and local involvement.

Enquiries:

The Conference Secretariat
PO Box 20622,
World Square,
Sydney 2002

E-mail: muslimconference@uws.edu.au
Website: http://www.uws.edu.au/muslimconference

RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS - Monash University Research Fellowships (Closing date: 31 July 2007)

This year Monash is offering Up to four (4) awards.

Eligibility
  • Applicants must not hold a current position at Monash University (including casual/ sessional appointments) at the time of application and/or during the selection process of the Monash Fellowships Program.
  • Applicants, who have spent considerable time at Monash University prior to their application submission, completing their PhD and/or being employed, may not be eligible.
  • Applicants may be a citizen of any country, but in order to be eligible to accept the offer of a Monash Fellowship he/she must obtain the appropriate visa as required by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
  • Applicants will normally have not less than two and not more than eight years of post-doctoral experience as at 1 September 2007, calculated from the date of submission of PhD thesis. This may be full-time employment or part-time equivalent, and should be at or above Academic Level A or equivalent. Applicants who have experienced a major interruption to their research career (such as maternity leave or illness) since the submission of their PhD thesis must explain this in their application.
  • Applicants must demonstrate excellent research outcomes at international level.


Funding
Successful applicants will be awarded up to $AUD160,000 per annum (comprising a salary, including on-costs, in the Research Fellow Level B range, currently $AUD67, 818 - $AUD80, 535 per annum, including on-costs and a research support grant of up to $AUD50,000 per annum, for 5 years). A starting salary within this range may be negotiated and will usually be dependent upon the number of years of postdoctoral research experience.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE MONASH RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PAGE.

JOB: Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at UNSW (Applications Close: 15 June 07)

JOB: Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at UNSW
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
School of English, Media and Performing Arts

REF. 5016NET
FIXED-TERM - The salary range for Lecturer is A$68,320 - A$80,541 per
annum pro-rata (plus 9% employer superannuation and leave loading)

Applications close : 15 June 2007

For More information see:
http://www.hr.unsw.edu.au/services/recruitment/jobs/01060710.html

4 June 2007

JOB - Professor of Sociology at The University of Western Sydney (Closing Date: 17 July 2007)

Professor in Sociology


The University of Western Sydney is seeking to appoint a Professor in Sociology who has an established national and international reputation in the discipline. The successful applicant will provide leadership in developing the profile of UWS in sociology. Applications are particularly welcome from those who have expertise in one or more of the School’s areas of sociological expertise which include gender and health, urban sociology, the sociology of religion, and the study of globalisation and local cultures. The successful applicant would also be supported and encouraged to develop their specific areas of research specialisation.

The successful applicant will have a distinguished international reputation in Sociology, be able to provide academic leadership in both research and teaching, and contribute to the governance of the School of Social Sciences. He or she will hold a PhD in Sociology, and have an outstanding record of publication, research higher degree supervision, and success in attracting external competitive research funds.

Penrith Campus Ref No. 70146

Remuneration Package:
Academic Level E - AUD$154,054 p.a. (comprising Salary, Superannuation and Leave Loading)

Position Enquiries:

Professor Deborah Stevenson

Phone: +61 2 4736 0019

or email: d.stevenson@uws.edu.au

Closing Date: 17 July 2007.

Website:

http://apps.uws.edu.au/staff/change_process/posvac/

FELLOWSHIPS - Macquarie University Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Scheme (Closing date: Friday 6 July 2007)

Macquarie University Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Scheme

Centre for Research on Social Inclusion (Macquarie University) welcomes expressions of interest from early career researchers (recent PhD or close to submission) interested in applying through the Centre to the Macquarie University Postdoctoral Research Fellowship scheme.

Details on CRSI can be found at:

www.crsi.mq.edu.au

Details of the scheme can be found at:

www.research.mq.edu.au/researchers/funding/internal/mqrf

Interested applicants should email the Centre Manager, Dr. Armen Gakavian, at crsi@scmp.mq.edu.au outlining proposed research area.

Closing date: Friday 6 July 2007 5pm