Arts Faculty News

Professor Margaret Kartomi, from the School of Music – Conservatorium, has been awarded an Australia Research Council grant for a 3-year project entitled ‘Female body percussion music as a contribution to cultural identity in western Aceh before and after the conflict and tsunami’.

Project Description

This is the pioneering project on an unstudied but widely practised mode of music and dance in the world: female body percussion. The fieldwork locale is western Aceh, which recently experienced prolonged war and the tragic tsunami. The project aims to analyse the techniques and social functions of the body percussion genres, examine change caused by the conflict and tsunami, and develop the first theory of the functions of female body percussion. Research outcomes include archival deposits of audio-visual recordings, three refereed articles, an edited book on cross-cultural comparative body percussion, two book chapters, and a PhD thesis.

View Monash Magazine article ‘Taking Notes‘ for further information on Professor Kartomi’s research.

View Professor Kartomi’s profile.

On the 23rd-25th of August 2009, the University of Copenhagen in partnership with Monash University’s School of English, Communications and Performance Studies and Social Aesthetics Research Unit held a symposium on aesthetics, culture and social life, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event brought together scholars at the forefront of investigations into socio-aesthetics and cultural analysis. It was the first of a series of planned symposia engaging with the theme of Socio-Aesthetics. Drawing together scholars from various fields of the humanities and social sciences, the focus upon interdisciplinary exchange was noteworthy, with delegates interrogating a wide range of phenomena.

The three-day conference saw contributions from more than 40 academics from Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and many other international institutions. The symposium included two keynote speakers, Gerhard Schulze and Scott Lash. Both provided telling, yet dramatically divergent accounts of the dimensions of the aesthetic in social and economic life.

The symposium was a great experience that has set high expectations for the next socio-aesthetics symposium, tentatively scheduled 2011, in Melbourne. Congratulations to all delegates and organizers for their considerable efforts.

See Social Aesthetics Research Unit for further research activities and events.

For further information on the Symposium read Michael Walsh’s report or view the University of Copenhagen’s SocioAesthetics site.

Associate Professor Christian Kull

Associate Professor Christian Kull from the School of Geography and Environmental Science has been awarded the 2009 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research by Early Career Researchers.

Christian’s research focuses the social processes that transform landscapes, particularly:

• environmental transformations and their causes
• the politics of conservation and development, specifically with respect to natural resource management
• local practice, science, and policy for fire management.

More about the Faculty of Arts Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research by Early Career Researchers

Professor Rae Frances presents Dr Farzard Sharifian with his award

Congratulations to Dr Farzad Sharifian (School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics) who has received this years Early Career Researcher award for the Faculty of Arts.

Two female graduate students wearing mortarboards.

Postgraduate Study at Monash Arts offers you an opportunity to join the vibrant research culture at Australia’s largest university. Monash Arts has international expertise in a diverse range of disciplines and encourages interdisciplinary projects.

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Rae Francis & the AFP

Monash University and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will promote research collaboration between the two organisations and provide law enforcement officers with increased professional development opportunities.

Monash University offers 500 post-graduate research and coursework study options across its ten faculties for people looking to further develop their skills in both the public and private sectors.

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Research Matters Banner Image

Research Matters Monash Research Month 18 August – 19 September 2008 Discover great minds, innovative thinking and leading-edge research.

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Monash researchers with the Australian Federal Police

Monash researchers are collaborating with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on a new training program as part of a broader research project on counter-terrorism policing.

A one-WEEK pilot course on investigative interviewing techniques has been launched, incorporating linguistic as well as psychologically-based approaches to interviewing. Inter-cultural communication issues will also be addressed.

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Dr Bree Carlton's book Imprisoning Resistance

A Monash University researcher has uncovered the compelling story behind the closure of Victoria’s most controversial prison block.

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Rebekah Brown

New research from Monash University has mapped the transformation of Melbourne’s stormwater quality management from traditional practice to a more sustainable water sensitive urban design approach.

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