Hello 2007. My first day at work on my thesis in the new year. It feels strange to be back at my desk by the 2nd of January although it helps that it's pissing down with rain and quite chilly for a Sydney summer day. In previous years I have taken a longer break over this period and often I go out of town. Last year this time I was in the UK with my partner after travelling around Eastern and Central Europe for a month. In Australia, this is traditionally the time when most people take their annual hols. This year, I've taken off just one week at the same time that my partner took her leave.
Celebrations around Christmas and New Year were great and I always enjoy the feast of food and family but after a week of it I am ready to crawl into a nice, little, solitary corner with a book and be alone with my thoughts. Some people really thrive on being surrounded by people and activity and find it an energising experience but for myself, I need to have time alone to recharge.
Just before Christmas, I had a very inspiring meeting with my supervisor recapping on what I was up to with my analysis and how to move forward with structuring my thesis. I hope I can recapture some of that inspiration two weeks on.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Another querulent triumph
Well whadya know? I managed, by some extraordinary twist of fate and bureaucracy, to have my speeding fine waivered. This is actually the second time in my life I have received a speeding fine (I've been driving for 18 years) and the second time I've had it waivered. Both times as a result of writing a letter to the RTA.
The RTA reply made a point that although the issues I raised were considered, the leniency for this offence was based on my previous driving history. I wonder if this point was made to quash any ideas I might harbour that my success was due to the brilliance of my querulency efforts. There is probably some unwritten policy of discouraging querulents from attempting greater feats of letter writing. Well, if they think this line is going to convince me that the art of composition is futile and irrelevant, they should think again! I am buoyed and encouraged to go to new heights of querulency and am just now considering how best to channel my craft.
"How about your thesis?" I hear some sensible person (probably with supervisory tendencies) call out. Well, yes, but "how about suing the NSW Department of Community Services for discriminating against same-sex couples in relation to parenting laws?" I retort, or "how about trying to uncover the story behind why the NSW Greens are staying silent on the issue of discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex in the lead up to the upcoming NSW election?" Oh the wonders of distraction and procrastination, wherever shall they lead...
The RTA reply made a point that although the issues I raised were considered, the leniency for this offence was based on my previous driving history. I wonder if this point was made to quash any ideas I might harbour that my success was due to the brilliance of my querulency efforts. There is probably some unwritten policy of discouraging querulents from attempting greater feats of letter writing. Well, if they think this line is going to convince me that the art of composition is futile and irrelevant, they should think again! I am buoyed and encouraged to go to new heights of querulency and am just now considering how best to channel my craft.
"How about your thesis?" I hear some sensible person (probably with supervisory tendencies) call out. Well, yes, but "how about suing the NSW Department of Community Services for discriminating against same-sex couples in relation to parenting laws?" I retort, or "how about trying to uncover the story behind why the NSW Greens are staying silent on the issue of discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex in the lead up to the upcoming NSW election?" Oh the wonders of distraction and procrastination, wherever shall they lead...
Friday, December 01, 2006
Triumph of the Querulent
I was pretty stoked to receive in the post the other day an acceptance of my letter appealing the original denial of my request to waiver a late fee. How's that for a querulent victory? I saved myself $65 and as I expected, I am still in the dark. The rather bland and generic form letter, not surprisingly, gives no indication of why my request was accepted this time but rejected before.
I am not feeling quite as optimistic about my speeding fine but haven't received a reply to my request to have this waivered yet, so you never know. Now, before I go on, I must congratulate Peter Gray, for if there was a Querulent of the Year Award, this is undoubtedly the one person who should receive it. Peter Gray is a Uni student in Newcastle who took a bit of time off to take the NSW Government to the Land and Environment Court to get any greenhouse impacts assessed in the proposed development of the new Anvil Coal Mine, and won! At present, any environmental impact assessment does not need to take greenhouse impact into consideration. This decision could set an exciting precedent for all sorts of developments that have adverse environmental consequences at a global as well as at a local level. The NSW Government is taking the disappointing but completely predictable stance of suggesting they will probably appeal the decision. Go Gray, is all I can say!
I'm attending the wireless cultures workshop this afternoon. Given the lack of wireless access in Australia, even in our capital cities, I'll be intrigued to find out if any Australian wireless culture has been discovered at all. Actually, I am not being completely serious. There is wireless access in just about every airport and many homes have wireless but free wireless access in public areas is pretty thin on the ground (or should I say thin in the sky?)
I am not feeling quite as optimistic about my speeding fine but haven't received a reply to my request to have this waivered yet, so you never know. Now, before I go on, I must congratulate Peter Gray, for if there was a Querulent of the Year Award, this is undoubtedly the one person who should receive it. Peter Gray is a Uni student in Newcastle who took a bit of time off to take the NSW Government to the Land and Environment Court to get any greenhouse impacts assessed in the proposed development of the new Anvil Coal Mine, and won! At present, any environmental impact assessment does not need to take greenhouse impact into consideration. This decision could set an exciting precedent for all sorts of developments that have adverse environmental consequences at a global as well as at a local level. The NSW Government is taking the disappointing but completely predictable stance of suggesting they will probably appeal the decision. Go Gray, is all I can say!
I'm attending the wireless cultures workshop this afternoon. Given the lack of wireless access in Australia, even in our capital cities, I'll be intrigued to find out if any Australian wireless culture has been discovered at all. Actually, I am not being completely serious. There is wireless access in just about every airport and many homes have wireless but free wireless access in public areas is pretty thin on the ground (or should I say thin in the sky?)
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Attending this workshop on Friday
Wireless Cultures and Technologies Workshop
Convened by Dr Gerard Goggin (USyd) and Dr Melissa Gregg (UQ)
The University of Sydney
Friday 1 December, 1.30-5pm
Wireless technologies and cultures could be said to encompass anything from WiFi-enabled laptops and handheld devices to wireless broadband protocols such as Bluetooth and Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) as well as a range of cultural and community movements centring on wireless networks. While these emerging technologies are of great critical and particularly business interest worldwide, there has been little cultural research and analysis accompanying their uptake in Australia. This lack of attention is notable, given the intense discussion of new wireless technologies in Europe and North America.
This ARC Cultural Research Network workshop aims to generate debate about the current and potential uses of wireless technology in Australia. It will draw together a number of speakers from academia and industry to showcase the kind of research and development taking place in relation to wireless use, with a view to understanding the Australian context in relation to international experience. Among other things, it will provide a voice for growing demands for quality wireless provision in public and private settings in this country. It does this by exploring the benefits of established cultural research methods and theories for understanding the rationales and desires behind technology design and adoption.
Confirmed speakers
Genevieve Bell (Intel Corporation)
Chris Chesher (USyd)
Marcus Foth (QUT)
Gerard Goggin (USyd)
Melissa Gregg (UQ)
Katrina Jungnickel (INCITE, UK)
Speakers will offer short presentations based on their current research on wireless use in particular contexts—domestic space, neighbourhood networks and workplace environments—as well as actual mobile technologies incorporating a wireless component. These discussion papers will lead into open debate on issues involved in wireless provision, policy and practice in Australia, with a view to establishing research priorities and collaborations on wireless cultures and technologies.
We invite CRN members to register for this event by emailing both organisers, Gerard Goggin (gerard.goggin@arts.usyd.edu.au) and Melissa Gregg (m.gregg@uq.edu.au). Places are also available on a strictly limited basis for other researchers and policy, community and industry representatives. Non-CRN members are asked to email the organisers by November 13 if they wish to attend, providing details of their particular interest in wireless cultures and technologies.
Draft program
1.30 pm – 2.45 pm: Panel 1 (chair: Gerard Goggin)
Genevieve Bell (Intel Corporation): ‘Life at the edges of the network: architectural, technological and social intersections of wireless in and around Australia’
Marcus Foth (QUT): ‘Using Wireless Technology and Locative Media to Digitally Augment a Society of Friendships’
Melissa Gregg (UQ): ‘Freedom to work: The impact of wireless on labour ideology’
2.45pm – 3.15pm: Afternoon tea
Jo Tacchi and Benjamin Grubb (QUT)
3.15 pm – 4.30pm: Panel 2 (chair: Melissa Gregg)
Katrina Jungnickel (Surrey, UK): ‘Hacking the home: Technological tantrums and wireless workarounds in domestic culture’
Chris Chesher (USyd): 'Joining the Mobile Milky Way: Enrolment and Translation in New Media Assemblages'
Gerard Goggin (USyd): ‘Should we imagine an Australian wireless commons!?’
4.30pm – 5.15 pm: Plenary discussion of research themes, priorities and agenda (chairs: Goggin & Gregg)
Friday, November 24, 2006
Seminar and Reading Group
Yesterday I attended a postgraduate reading group at CCR in the morning and two seminar presentations put on by the centre in the afternoon.
The readings included a chapter from Nick Couldry's book "Inside Culture: re-imagining the method of cultural studies" and the editorial of a volume of "Ethnicities" called "The Predicament of Difference" by Ien Ang and Brett St Louis. I got quite a lot out of the Couldry chapter but reacted negatively to his writing style. I found his writing style, or perhaps more accurately, his textual positioning, quite arrogant and defensive. On the other hand, this is the first time the concept of "cultural flows" has really made any sense to me. I felt Couldry put a lot of work into delivering his re-conceptualisation of "culture" within a historical context. He argued that the problems with certain traditional definitions of culture are just too difficult to overcome. He was primarily focusing on anthropological definitions and uses of culture in early cultural studies, particularly the idea of culture being only that which is "shared", "fixed to a place" and readable, "like a text".
So apparently we need a nice, new and shiny, flowing model instead of the old, dingy "contained" one (this reminds me of Terminator 2 and the arrival of the new, improved liquid metal "Terminator"). I appreciate that some of the issues Couldry raises about the need to look into the relationship between place and culture as not automatic and also the idea that cultures are made up as much by what we don't share as what we share, are valid and worthy research areas. What I don't see is why a new model of culture has to be installed onto the landscape of cultural studies for these questions to be pursued empirically or theoretically. Some of the other students had some similar views although some were more critical than others of Couldry's positioning in relation to cultural studies as a discipline.
The article by Ang and St Louis received a slightly less favourable response in the reading group. Again I found the writing style a bit frustrating but not as much as one of the other students. One student really disliked it. One of the points made we all found pertinent is the pervasiveness of the idea of identity politics, even when, the concept may have been done away with theoretically (at least within some circles). This reminded us all of the concept of "culture" in Couldry's reading and how it too is not something that can so easily be done away with...
The seminar presentations were great. One of the presentations was by Sandro Mezzadra, from the University of Bologna, on "Boundary Work. Shifting Configurations of Territory, Borders, Sovereignty and Citizenship in Contemporary Europe" and the other one was a presentation by Fiona Allon, Kay Anderson and Robyn Bushell entitled "Not In My Backyard!: Backpackers, Mobility and the ‘Global City’". Both presentations inspired me to pursue an area that is I'd like to explore in my thesis, that is, thinking about how notions like work/life balance pre-suppose a particular concept of place which is undermined by the contemporary experience of place, and is inadequate for explaining and articulating people's experience of work and life.
The readings included a chapter from Nick Couldry's book "Inside Culture: re-imagining the method of cultural studies" and the editorial of a volume of "Ethnicities" called "The Predicament of Difference" by Ien Ang and Brett St Louis. I got quite a lot out of the Couldry chapter but reacted negatively to his writing style. I found his writing style, or perhaps more accurately, his textual positioning, quite arrogant and defensive. On the other hand, this is the first time the concept of "cultural flows" has really made any sense to me. I felt Couldry put a lot of work into delivering his re-conceptualisation of "culture" within a historical context. He argued that the problems with certain traditional definitions of culture are just too difficult to overcome. He was primarily focusing on anthropological definitions and uses of culture in early cultural studies, particularly the idea of culture being only that which is "shared", "fixed to a place" and readable, "like a text".
So apparently we need a nice, new and shiny, flowing model instead of the old, dingy "contained" one (this reminds me of Terminator 2 and the arrival of the new, improved liquid metal "Terminator"). I appreciate that some of the issues Couldry raises about the need to look into the relationship between place and culture as not automatic and also the idea that cultures are made up as much by what we don't share as what we share, are valid and worthy research areas. What I don't see is why a new model of culture has to be installed onto the landscape of cultural studies for these questions to be pursued empirically or theoretically. Some of the other students had some similar views although some were more critical than others of Couldry's positioning in relation to cultural studies as a discipline.
The article by Ang and St Louis received a slightly less favourable response in the reading group. Again I found the writing style a bit frustrating but not as much as one of the other students. One student really disliked it. One of the points made we all found pertinent is the pervasiveness of the idea of identity politics, even when, the concept may have been done away with theoretically (at least within some circles). This reminded us all of the concept of "culture" in Couldry's reading and how it too is not something that can so easily be done away with...
The seminar presentations were great. One of the presentations was by Sandro Mezzadra, from the University of Bologna, on "Boundary Work. Shifting Configurations of Territory, Borders, Sovereignty and Citizenship in Contemporary Europe" and the other one was a presentation by Fiona Allon, Kay Anderson and Robyn Bushell entitled "Not In My Backyard!: Backpackers, Mobility and the ‘Global City’". Both presentations inspired me to pursue an area that is I'd like to explore in my thesis, that is, thinking about how notions like work/life balance pre-suppose a particular concept of place which is undermined by the contemporary experience of place, and is inadequate for explaining and articulating people's experience of work and life.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
hot day at home
It's muggy and hazy today. Working from home with the still air and the dozing pets makes me feel sleepy. I worry about the bushfires in the Blue Mountains nearby and the damage they are causing to wildlife habitats. I'm also concerned about my sister and her family. She recently moved up to the mountains. I know she is not in an area that is currently in danger but the idea of her up there does make me feel anxious. It is becoming more and more commonplace to expect that each summer there will be severe bushfires in the Blue Mountains where in the past, these were much less frequent. Is it to do with global warming or more development on the urban fringe? A complex interaction of these and other factors to be sure. Each year, there is a sense of looming danger as the hot days of December approach. I spoke to my sister the other day and she has tried to empty all her gutters of leaves. Some areas she couldn't reach because her roof is too high and she would have had to climb up onto the roof. I wonder how it is expected that elderly people do this sort of fire preparation.
I haven't heard back after my recent batch of letters and am taking it easy on the querulent front. I had a meeting with my supervisor late last week, and I showed her the method I'm using for filtering and extracting themes and examples from each interview. This mainly involves notetaking and grouping insights and quotes as I go. The meeting was helpful and I feel kind of reassured but still haven't resolved whether to use a qualitative research program or not. At this stage though I've decided to continue with the method I'm using since I have to listen to each interview anyway to fill in words that were missed by the transcriber. I think I might consider using NVIVO after I've completed this step, even though this means getting hold of a PC somehow.
Today, I entered the remaining observation notes from the Telco staff in Melbourne and the one session I did with a staff member at the Holiday Inn at Darling Harbour while she was working "on the road". I still have a few more observation notes to record. I've been entering the notes into the comments fields of iPhoto next to the photos I took during the observation sessions. This has the effect of creating a very film like, story-book feel to my observations. It takes ages to enter all the comments because I also recorded the sessions on a digital voice recorder so I cross reference my hand written notes with the recording while I enter the comments next to relevant stills. I still reckon my "thesis" would have made a great documentary. It might sound boring recording and photographing office workers in their daily interactions with information and communication technology but visually it is suprisingly rich and evocative.
I haven't heard back after my recent batch of letters and am taking it easy on the querulent front. I had a meeting with my supervisor late last week, and I showed her the method I'm using for filtering and extracting themes and examples from each interview. This mainly involves notetaking and grouping insights and quotes as I go. The meeting was helpful and I feel kind of reassured but still haven't resolved whether to use a qualitative research program or not. At this stage though I've decided to continue with the method I'm using since I have to listen to each interview anyway to fill in words that were missed by the transcriber. I think I might consider using NVIVO after I've completed this step, even though this means getting hold of a PC somehow.
Today, I entered the remaining observation notes from the Telco staff in Melbourne and the one session I did with a staff member at the Holiday Inn at Darling Harbour while she was working "on the road". I still have a few more observation notes to record. I've been entering the notes into the comments fields of iPhoto next to the photos I took during the observation sessions. This has the effect of creating a very film like, story-book feel to my observations. It takes ages to enter all the comments because I also recorded the sessions on a digital voice recorder so I cross reference my hand written notes with the recording while I enter the comments next to relevant stills. I still reckon my "thesis" would have made a great documentary. It might sound boring recording and photographing office workers in their daily interactions with information and communication technology but visually it is suprisingly rich and evocative.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Querulent tendencies
I know I have querulent tendencies, but it's getting worse. If I didn't put the brakes on it I'd probably be a full time letter writer. It's disturbing. I guess it's a way to direct my frustration and to express my thoughts on things (and yes, maybe to procrastinate, a bit). Sometimes my letters are attempts to feel a little less powerless in the face of seemingly impenetrable bureaucratic structures and policies. Sometimes I genuinely aim for change. Over the years I have learnt that writing a positive and polite letter instead of the one you'd really like to write (the one full of expletives) is actually a lot more effective. I know this is rather obvious but to a Querulent it is very challenging to write a nice letter. Yesterday I wrote two letters. One to try and get a speeding fine waived. The other one was to try to get a denial of a request to waiver a late fee reviewed. Both are probably futile. In the case of the second letter, apparently I have now exhausted my last "appeal". What does this mean? That all future letters I write in response to their "form" letter replies are put in the trash? Maybe I am banned from writing letters or will receive a penalty notice for letter writing. Sometimes I wonder, when I write, if my letter is read by anybody. Some replies I've received to my carefully crafted letters are so irrelevant and obscure that I'm pretty sure they are computer generated. Maybe they were opened by a person. I can only hope.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Blogger upgrade, Swedish PhD students and Return to "The Thesis"
I just upgraded my blog through blogger. I haven't fully explored the new features but at this stage they seem relatively minimal. I notice there is now an easy way to add labels at the bottom of this post and the template seems to be easier to customise, although knowledge of html and css is still required for any substantial changes.
I've been really busy since returning from hols. CCR has a visiting student from Sweden and I've been assisting her orientation and settlement to Sydney and introducing her to CCR etc. I met her while in Sweden last year when I was on the exchange program and she was very welcoming to me during my stay. I am enjoying being able to return some of her generosity. Friday and Monday we went out to CCR together. Today she has gone out to CCR in Parramatta all on her lonesome. I hope she gets there OK! It's not exactly the most accessible Uni by public transport.
Returning to the land of "The Thesis" is challenging. I am making iddy-biddy steps towards my analysis but still seem to be wading through final collation of my material. Always in the background I'm thinking about where I'm taking this thesis. I've also got a bit stuck on whether to use a qualitative research software program or not and if I do, then which one? I've done some research and Weitzman and Miles' book "Computer Programs for Qualitative Data Analysis" is pretty helpful although woefully out of date. I can't seem to find anyone to talk to about the issues. I guess one of the biggest issues is that I have a Mac and the two main programs I've considering - Nvivo and ATLAS/ti don't have versions for the Apple Mac. I have a meeting with my supervisor this Thursday and will bring it up with her then.
I've been really busy since returning from hols. CCR has a visiting student from Sweden and I've been assisting her orientation and settlement to Sydney and introducing her to CCR etc. I met her while in Sweden last year when I was on the exchange program and she was very welcoming to me during my stay. I am enjoying being able to return some of her generosity. Friday and Monday we went out to CCR together. Today she has gone out to CCR in Parramatta all on her lonesome. I hope she gets there OK! It's not exactly the most accessible Uni by public transport.
Returning to the land of "The Thesis" is challenging. I am making iddy-biddy steps towards my analysis but still seem to be wading through final collation of my material. Always in the background I'm thinking about where I'm taking this thesis. I've also got a bit stuck on whether to use a qualitative research software program or not and if I do, then which one? I've done some research and Weitzman and Miles' book "Computer Programs for Qualitative Data Analysis" is pretty helpful although woefully out of date. I can't seem to find anyone to talk to about the issues. I guess one of the biggest issues is that I have a Mac and the two main programs I've considering - Nvivo and ATLAS/ti don't have versions for the Apple Mac. I have a meeting with my supervisor this Thursday and will bring it up with her then.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
More on NSW Greens
Why do the NSW Greens remain completely silent on the issue of same sex civil unions and discrimination against gays and lesbians and their families in the lead up to the NSW election while the Victorian Greens have come out strongly in favour of recognition of civil unions in their state election platform (as seen below)? I've just sent another email to NSW Greens asking them to explain.
Civil Unions vow
| |
The Greens will push for the Victorian recognition of civil unions in state parliament after the November 25 elections. Releasing the Greens' Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex People (GLBTI) Policy, spokesperson Sue Pennicuik said, "This issue is not going away, because the Greens will keep it alive. We won't rest until same sex couples have equal rights." Human rights and social justice are pillars of the Greens philosophy. It is the responsibility of government to defend the dignity, humanity and rights of GLBTI people and to remove all forms of discrimination against GLBTI people, on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Find out more about the Greens GLBTI Policy.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Glasshouse axed - not funny
I had a fabulous holiday and I'm finding it difficult to shift from tropics to thesis mode. I was also disappointed to come back to discover the ABC comedy show, The Glasshouse, has been axed. The GlassHouse is a comedy show run on the national broadcaster which regularly satirises political and other figures in power. I'm a regular viewer of the program. Many believe the axing of the program by the ABC is politically motivated. There are a number of indicators that confirm this stance:
1/ The axing corresponds to the recent introduction of anti-bias editorial policies imposed on the ABC.
2/ The axing also corresponds to recent news that the ABC will pay a new chief censor $280,000 a year to investigate and monitor instances of bias on ABC programs.
3/ The Glasshouse is one of the most popular shows on the ABC at the moment and has been rating very well.
4/The Glasshouse has received criticism from right wing commentators and government figures that it is biased.
5/ The ABC provided a non-specific reason for its axing.
6/ The Glasshouse team claimed they were not aware that the ABC had been considering its axing and the ABC provided no indication that there was a problem with the show.
7/ The ABC remained silent on the overwhelming response and outcry by the public to the news that it was being axed.
There are just too many pointers to suggest that this move by the ABC is a result of the politicisation and control of media content. To me, it is another example of a program by government to curtail and diminish whatever forums and arenas exist for criticism and scrutiny of power in this country. Or maybe they just lack a sense of humour.
1/ The axing corresponds to the recent introduction of anti-bias editorial policies imposed on the ABC.
2/ The axing also corresponds to recent news that the ABC will pay a new chief censor $280,000 a year to investigate and monitor instances of bias on ABC programs.
3/ The Glasshouse is one of the most popular shows on the ABC at the moment and has been rating very well.
4/The Glasshouse has received criticism from right wing commentators and government figures that it is biased.
5/ The ABC provided a non-specific reason for its axing.
6/ The Glasshouse team claimed they were not aware that the ABC had been considering its axing and the ABC provided no indication that there was a problem with the show.
7/ The ABC remained silent on the overwhelming response and outcry by the public to the news that it was being axed.
There are just too many pointers to suggest that this move by the ABC is a result of the politicisation and control of media content. To me, it is another example of a program by government to curtail and diminish whatever forums and arenas exist for criticism and scrutiny of power in this country. Or maybe they just lack a sense of humour.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Phd on Holiday
I'm going to Port Douglas tomorrow morning with my girl friend for 10 whole days for a holiday. It's come up so fast I can't believe it. The last few weeks have been incredibly hectic trying to wrap up all my fieldwork before I go. The observation session yesterday went really well and was very enjoyable. In some ways it was the best observation session I'd done and a great way to complete the process. There are so many interesting and rich practices around technology use that have come up in my fieldwork I think the greatest difficulty is going to be filtering it all into a coherent argument. Now I'm struggling with the whole question of whether to bring up some academic books to Port D. or whether to feast purely on fiction for a whole 10 days. Oh it's a hard life :-).
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Working "out of the office"
OK, political rants aside and back to my research. I'm heading down to Darling Harbour in just a moment to conduct my last observation session for my phd research. This will be with one of the staff of the Telco based in Melbourne. The staff member is attending an event in Sydney and I have the opportunity to observe her conducting some work from her hotel suite. This will add to my observations of the Telco staff in their office by giving me some insights into their "out of office" ICT use. I've also covered this quite extensively in the interviews and also in the diaries (which covered both in and out of office use).
Saturday, October 14, 2006
NSW Greens overlook Gays and Lesbians
There's a state election coming up in NSW and I was recently emailed the NSW Greens policy platform. After reading it, I felt really disappointed that there was no mention of the issue of equality for gays and lesbians in NSW. This is an issue that I believe in strongly and have become increasingly active about in the last few years.
My political activism is connected to personal circumstances but is also an outcome of my awareness of the extent of discrimination that still exists against gays and lesbians (and their children) at both a State and Federal level, and my frustration with the lack of progress that has been made in this area in the last decade.
I sent a reply to the Greens and have decided to reproduce the thread in my blog. Maybe I just expect too much but I thought the response to my email reflected a cynical and politically opportunistic position by the Greens. I have removed names and made some slight modifications to protect privacy:-
My political activism is connected to personal circumstances but is also an outcome of my awareness of the extent of discrimination that still exists against gays and lesbians (and their children) at both a State and Federal level, and my frustration with the lack of progress that has been made in this area in the last decade.
I sent a reply to the Greens and have decided to reproduce the thread in my blog. Maybe I just expect too much but I thought the response to my email reflected a cynical and politically opportunistic position by the Greens. I have removed names and made some slight modifications to protect privacy:-
Hi Greens Officer,
Thank you for sending out the election platform document for the upcoming NSW state election. I was pleased to see such a comprehensive platform with much thought and research that has gone into it. I would like to express my disappointment, though, that I did not see any of the policy areas addressing equal rights for gays and lesbians in NSW. This is not a trifling or secondary issue and certainly one that I expected the Greens to tackle head on. There are many areas of overt discrimination at the State and, of course, the Federal level. The current NSW Labour government has a poor record on addressing entrenched discrimination against gays and lesbians. There have been numerous recommendations made to the current government to reform a raft of laws to bring equality to gay and lesbian citizens in NSW. The current Labour govt has not acted on any of these recommendations, nor made any announcement as to its position or intention for the future.
I am very disappointed that the Greens have not made equal rights for gays and lesbians in NSW a central issue for this election platform.
Regards
Ms M
Thank you for sending out the election platform document for the upcoming NSW state election. I was pleased to see such a comprehensive platform with much thought and research that has gone into it. I would like to express my disappointment, though, that I did not see any of the policy areas addressing equal rights for gays and lesbians in NSW. This is not a trifling or secondary issue and certainly one that I expected the Greens to tackle head on. There are many areas of overt discrimination at the State and, of course, the Federal level. The current NSW Labour government has a poor record on addressing entrenched discrimination against gays and lesbians. There have been numerous recommendations made to the current government to reform a raft of laws to bring equality to gay and lesbian citizens in NSW. The current Labour govt has not acted on any of these recommendations, nor made any announcement as to its position or intention for the future.
I am very disappointed that the Greens have not made equal rights for gays and lesbians in NSW a central issue for this election platform.
Regards
Ms M
-----------
Hi Ms M,
Thanks for your comments. I guess at the end of the day, focusing on key issues impacting on the NSW electorate and engaging new voters is important.
I will pass on your comments to State Election Campaign. There is a Gay and Lesbian Committee/Work Group that meets regularly and feeds into the State Delegates Council, where decisions are made. Perhaps you could take this up
with them too??
All the best and look forward to connecting with you in person.
Regards,
Hi Ms M,
Thanks for your comments. I guess at the end of the day, focusing on key issues impacting on the NSW electorate and engaging new voters is important.
I will pass on your comments to State Election Campaign. There is a Gay and Lesbian Committee/Work Group that meets regularly and feeds into the State Delegates Council, where decisions are made. Perhaps you could take this up
with them too??
All the best and look forward to connecting with you in person.
Regards,
Greens Officer
-----------Hi Greens Officer,
Thanks for your reply and I'm happy for you to forward my email to the Gay and Lesbian Work Group. I believe that the issue of gay and lesbian equality is a key issue that impacts on the NSW electorate.
This issue is fundamentally an issue about equality for minorities and the even distribution of civil rights in the laws and policies of NSW. It is therefore generalisable as a central tenet of any democracy and one the Greens should explicitly support, particularly in the current political climate where the distribution of rights is increasingly tied to political advantage, the strength of lobby groups and access to financial backing.
Having a platform that claims to support diversity but doesn't address it directly in its policy position is not the way to win new voters or to keep existing supporters, in my view. It will merely alienate potential voters who already feel excluded from existing party platforms. I, for one, feel very unhappy about the absence of this issue in the Greens platform.
I believe there is still time to incorporate a policy position on equality for Gays and Lesbians into the Greens platform for the upcoming NSW election and request that you forward my proposal to those concerned for consideration.
Regards,
Ms M
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Gotcha
Here's a great piccie of a few AOIRers (including myself) "back to back networking", so to speak, at the recent AOIR 7.0 conference in Brisbane. Piccie taken by Marjorie Kibby from The University of Newcastle. Thanks Marj...
Final observation at the council
Just about to go to conduct my final observation session at the Council. I'm pretty stoked that I've now got through 19 interviews and 14 observation sessions. Tomorrow, I'm flying down to Melbourne to conduct the observation sessions down there.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Slowly getting back into it
I haven't really recapped on my AOIR 7.0 experience. I must admit to having been struck by the same slight feeling of embarrassment that Adam talks about in his blog. The idea that there really are people out there reading my ravings sometimes, and that I don't even need to imagine them, because I met three of them at this conference, is a bit daunting.
The conference was very enjoyable but also a bit mixed. This probably has more to do with the disruptions to my accommodation than to the conference itself. I think there were some great papers and it was a wonderful community of researchers. I did feel that the broadness of the subject area - the "internet" - drew together such disparate approaches and topics that it felt at times that papers associated with panel themes didn't really have explicit meaningful ties. Also, I found myself wanting to have more in-depth, engaged discussions with people's work and ideas but somehow there didn't seem to be a forum for this.
The doctoral colloquium was fascinating and I really enjoyed meeting other doctoral students from around the world. I did, however, feel a bit out of place. I don't know, perhaps this is related to my subject area or my expectations. I didn't come across any one else at the conference doing related research on information technologies at work, and few from a cultural studies discipline. Being exposed to some of the social network approaches to "virtual communities" on the internet, particularly those of the U.S. students, was a real eye-opener but it's not an area or approach I have any expertise in. Overall, I found the conference immensely valuable and I hope I can go to future AOIR conferences. I commend the organisers for locating it in Australia this year as this made it possible for myself and others in this region to attend (although I recognise the location may have meant that some researchers from the northern hemisphere couldn't come this time).
The conference was very enjoyable but also a bit mixed. This probably has more to do with the disruptions to my accommodation than to the conference itself. I think there were some great papers and it was a wonderful community of researchers. I did feel that the broadness of the subject area - the "internet" - drew together such disparate approaches and topics that it felt at times that papers associated with panel themes didn't really have explicit meaningful ties. Also, I found myself wanting to have more in-depth, engaged discussions with people's work and ideas but somehow there didn't seem to be a forum for this.
The doctoral colloquium was fascinating and I really enjoyed meeting other doctoral students from around the world. I did, however, feel a bit out of place. I don't know, perhaps this is related to my subject area or my expectations. I didn't come across any one else at the conference doing related research on information technologies at work, and few from a cultural studies discipline. Being exposed to some of the social network approaches to "virtual communities" on the internet, particularly those of the U.S. students, was a real eye-opener but it's not an area or approach I have any expertise in. Overall, I found the conference immensely valuable and I hope I can go to future AOIR conferences. I commend the organisers for locating it in Australia this year as this made it possible for myself and others in this region to attend (although I recognise the location may have meant that some researchers from the northern hemisphere couldn't come this time).
Friday, October 06, 2006
A timely pellet
An addendum to yesterday's rant...It's hardly surprising that days after Howdy's speech at the anniversary dinner of Quadrant magazine, where he reiterated the Right's role as a "counterforce to the black armband view of Australian history”, the Federal government has taken another swipe at the education system. The Minister of Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, is today delivering a speech to history teachers in Western Australia, arguing for a national take over of the education curriculum to institute a "commonsense curriculum".
As I discussed in my recent post, the current Federal government is compelled to construct an ideological struggle by accusing other people of acting ideologically. Bishop's accusations are an unconvincing attempt at trying to create an "enemy" to justify an ideologically motivated takeover of the education curriculum. To do this she draws on metaphors of war and references to the fight against communism, such as, "teachers are teaching themes which come "straight from Chairman Mao"", "ideologues have hijacked school curriculum."
It's our own special brand of McCarthyism. Must be a shortage of stories on terrorism at the moment...
As I discussed in my recent post, the current Federal government is compelled to construct an ideological struggle by accusing other people of acting ideologically. Bishop's accusations are an unconvincing attempt at trying to create an "enemy" to justify an ideologically motivated takeover of the education curriculum. To do this she draws on metaphors of war and references to the fight against communism, such as, "teachers are teaching themes which come "straight from Chairman Mao"", "ideologues have hijacked school curriculum."
It's our own special brand of McCarthyism. Must be a shortage of stories on terrorism at the moment...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Quadrant: desperate for an enemy
I don't know a lot about the magazine Quadrant. I'd heard of it and recently I discovered an edition lying around at a family member's house. Besides this, I've had little exposure to it. When I came across the magazine recently, I read an article by Paddie McGuiness, the current editor and was shocked at the tone of anger, resentment and hatred of the Humanities in Australian Universities and the way that the Australian Research Grant Scheme is set up to, in his opinion, favour the Humanities. I flicked through the rest of the magazine and the views it reflected were much the same. I threw it aside, looking for something more interesting to read. It was only after hearing a moving interview on Radio National yesterday with previous Quadrant editor Robert Manne commenting on Prime Minister John Howard's speech at Quadrant's 50th anniversary dinner, and then doing a search on the Internet, that I found out a bit about the magazine's history, and the role it has played in the so called "Cultural Wars" in Australia. For those familiar with its history, this is probably rather dull but I was fascinated to find out how the magazine was set up in Australia in the 1950's as part of a defensive against the spread of communism in the West, and the powerful Australian figures that have been associated with the magazine over the years.
When I imagine the group of extraordinarily wealthy and powerful Australians that attended the anniversary of Quadrant on Tuesday night, all rubbing shoulders and basking in their own glory, at least a dozen little jigsaw pieces fell into place for me in terms of understanding what has happened and is continuting to happen in Australia's political and cultural landscape. As Robert Manne so eloquently pointed out, this group has been working hard and largely successfully at defining Australia in terms of an ideological struggle. But what I realized is that this idealogical struggle was to a large extent articulated long before Howard was elected around a decade ago. It dates back to the onset of the cold war in the 1950's. Writing on the history of the magazine, Cassandra Plybus notes that, "Quadrant was the brainchild of Richard Krygier, the founding secretary of the Australian branch of the Congress for Cultural Freedom which was established by the CIA in 1950 as a key element in their strategy to combat Soviet propaganda."
What is so notable to me about Howard's regime is this absolute committment to constructing an idea as well as the lived reality of Australia's nationhood in terms of a fight against an enemy, and how this stance has been fuelled. For years, the "enemy" was conceived as the Intellectual Left in Australia and in particular, any individual or group who articulated a critical view of the entrenched narratives that had become historical orthodoxy in Australia, particularly narratives of Australia's discovery, exploration and contact with Indigenous Australians. The construction of the Left as being the "enemy" of Liberals in Australia and by implication the "enemy" of liberal democratic thinking is maintained and reinforced today through a stream of finger-pointing rhetoric, cleverly "dropped" to the media, and immediately gobbled up, like so many chocolate-covered poison pellets. Howard's numerous interferences this year into Australia's education curriculum and his assertions of the curriculum being "hijacked" by political correctness and post-modern thinking is a case in point. But as Manne so succinctly summed up - ideological struggles can only maintain their momentum by convincing others of the ascendancy of an enemy. If the so called enemy is in decline, then what's the point?
I wonder if it is not too far fetched to suggest that the "discovery" of the new enemy of terrorism is a necessary move that has come about with the marginalisation of the Left in Australia and the increasing difficulting in convincing any "ordinary Australian" of its threat. The fear of terrorism fuels an entirely new (old) ideological struggle, and is the new object for Howard and his Quadrant fellows to continue to define Australia in terms of its enemies.
When I imagine the group of extraordinarily wealthy and powerful Australians that attended the anniversary of Quadrant on Tuesday night, all rubbing shoulders and basking in their own glory, at least a dozen little jigsaw pieces fell into place for me in terms of understanding what has happened and is continuting to happen in Australia's political and cultural landscape. As Robert Manne so eloquently pointed out, this group has been working hard and largely successfully at defining Australia in terms of an ideological struggle. But what I realized is that this idealogical struggle was to a large extent articulated long before Howard was elected around a decade ago. It dates back to the onset of the cold war in the 1950's. Writing on the history of the magazine, Cassandra Plybus notes that, "Quadrant was the brainchild of Richard Krygier, the founding secretary of the Australian branch of the Congress for Cultural Freedom which was established by the CIA in 1950 as a key element in their strategy to combat Soviet propaganda."
What is so notable to me about Howard's regime is this absolute committment to constructing an idea as well as the lived reality of Australia's nationhood in terms of a fight against an enemy, and how this stance has been fuelled. For years, the "enemy" was conceived as the Intellectual Left in Australia and in particular, any individual or group who articulated a critical view of the entrenched narratives that had become historical orthodoxy in Australia, particularly narratives of Australia's discovery, exploration and contact with Indigenous Australians. The construction of the Left as being the "enemy" of Liberals in Australia and by implication the "enemy" of liberal democratic thinking is maintained and reinforced today through a stream of finger-pointing rhetoric, cleverly "dropped" to the media, and immediately gobbled up, like so many chocolate-covered poison pellets. Howard's numerous interferences this year into Australia's education curriculum and his assertions of the curriculum being "hijacked" by political correctness and post-modern thinking is a case in point. But as Manne so succinctly summed up - ideological struggles can only maintain their momentum by convincing others of the ascendancy of an enemy. If the so called enemy is in decline, then what's the point?
I wonder if it is not too far fetched to suggest that the "discovery" of the new enemy of terrorism is a necessary move that has come about with the marginalisation of the Left in Australia and the increasing difficulting in convincing any "ordinary Australian" of its threat. The fear of terrorism fuels an entirely new (old) ideological struggle, and is the new object for Howard and his Quadrant fellows to continue to define Australia in terms of its enemies.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Back from Brizzie
I'm back from my six days in Brisbane, four at the AOIR conference and two I spent with my Dad over the weekend. I had a fantastic time despite the unpleasant motel incident on my second night and met lots of great people. I arrived home last night and headed out to the Penrith campus of UWS early this morning to work so haven't had a chance to recap on my experiences. Tomorrow I plan to get my paper in a form to email to a couple of people who indicated an interest in reading it more closely. I enjoyed giving the paper but I wish I had the courage to get up and have a conversation with the audience rather than present the written paper. Perhaps this comes more easily when you're really familiar with the material. I know that at least half of it is just setting the paper aside and letting go of the safety net of words written on the page. It's a bit like singing in accapella. At some point, you just have to put the music aside and perform without it but it's a frightening moment.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
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