Institute for Social Change News

A number of Institute for the Study of Social Change affiliated researchers from the University of Tasmania have been awarded funding to support the development of Australian Research Council grant applications for 2018.

The successful applicants for the support funding are:

• Prof Christopher Lueg (Computing) and Dr Claire Konkes (Journalism, Media and Communications)  for a project exploring the possibilities of using human centred ICT design to mitigate the effects of fake news and mis/dis-information. If successful in garnering ARC funding the project will leverage human centred interface design, information security and smart social media tracking along with best practices in journalism regarding the vetting and tracing of news items.
• Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron (Police Studies) and Associate Professor Roberta Julian (Sociology) for a project titled Law Enforcement and Public Health: unveiling the reality of practice. The synergies between law enforcement and public health (LEPH) are increasingly becoming an area of focus and scrutiny of governments the world over. This pilot project, will help to identify, map and assess the effectiveness of Law enforcement/public health associated programs in Tasmania.
• Lisa Fletcher (Humanities) for a project titled International Megasellers and the Contemporary Book Industry. The global publishing industry has been fundamentally reshaped by the regular emergence of international megasellers such as Harry Potter or Fifty Shades of Grey. This project asks: what are the cultural possibilities created by international megaselling books? What are the industrial processes that support or inhibit these possibilities? How do responses to megasellers affect, and how are they affected by, a transforming media environment? Answering these questions will benefit the publishing industry in Australia and internationally by equipping cultural practitioners and industry professionals to respond productively to the comet-and-tail structure that has been recognised but not fully explored as a dominant feature of contemporary book culture.
• Professor Keith Jacobs, Dr Julia Verdouw and Dr Kathleen Flanagan (Housing and Community Research Unit) for a project aimed at identifying how the nature of interpersonal relationships in place-based service delivery affects outcomes. While there is a large body of research that stresses the importance of face-to-face interaction and social connections in human service delivery, we know very little about how interpersonal dynamics in service delivery operate in any methodological rigorous way. This project will provide valuable knowledge to assist organisations delivering welfare services to better target their delivery models to achieve long-lasting benefits for clients.
• Dr Carolyn Philpott (Conservatorium of Music, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies) for a project titled Exploring Antarctica in Music. The project aims to investigate the creative techniques used by composers to represent Antarctica in sound, revealing how music can influence public perceptions of the icy continent and enhance understanding of critical environmental issues affecting the region.

The Institute wishes to congratulate the successful researchers and wish them well in their endeavours.