Events

Hosted by the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, this timely event will bring together experts from the diverse corners of the field of migration studies to consider the complex and dynamic relationship between care and harm in international migration. Scholars of migration have documented the multivarious forms of harm that arise from the systems, institutions and interactions surrounding the movements of people across borders. Researchers have also explored the many forms of local and transnational care that are created by, or persist despite, international migration. In this event, we explore the ways care and harm are interwoven, interdependent and mutually constitutive in diverse migration contexts. Relationships of care (for example, between migrants or between migrants and ‘allies’ in civil society) may arise in response or resistance to the harms imposed by exploitative policies and practices. Equally, policies and practices that appear to be ‘caring’ may reproduce, obscure or naturalise harm, at times perpetuating the very inequalities and injustices they purport to address. Grounded in diverse settings including immigration detention, aged care, temporary labour migration schemes, the family home, and media platforms, the speakers will present brief talks drawing on their specialist research. The speakers will then come together for a panel discussion of harmful care, careful harm, and the […]

For Social Sciences Week 2024, Visiting Research Fellow Kirsten Bell (Imperial College London) and Professor Lisa L. Wynn (Associate Editor of the journal American Ethnologist) will host a publishing workshop discussing changes afoot in the publishing arena, including a discussion of the effects of open access initiatives, combined with practical advice on getting published. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about trends in the academic publishing space and to ask questions about publishing your own work.  Bell is a former journal editor (of Critical Public Health) and Wynn is a current journal editor (an associate editor of American Ethnologist). In addition to her experience as a journal editor, Bell has published three columns in the former Chronicle of Higher Education blog, ‘Vitae’, providing tips on getting published. She also holds a Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University, is a former member of the Executive Committee of Libraria, a collective of social scientists exploring new models of publishing that supported Berghahn and Pluto to move their stable of journals open access under a ‘subscribe to open’ model, and has helped the editorial team and board of Critical Public Health to leave their owner and publisher, Taylor & Francis, and move to a diamond open access journal. ​​

Computational social science (CSS) frequently uses Agent-based models (ABMs) to model social phenomena. ABMs are ‘bottom-up’ representations of individuals (computational agents) who exist within a society of other agents and who interact on a local scale based on sets of rules that govern their behaviour. When used like this, ABMs are attempts to create ‘Artificial Societies’ that we can study. The advantage of creating artificial societies is that imagined policies or interventions can then be made within these representations and the outcomes of those policies can be observed prior to implementation in the real world. The models can be anywhere between instructive or predictive, with the sophistication and detail of models often geared toward their purpose in this regard. In general, the most interesting models are those that try to replicate the generation of a large-scale social phenomenon when the mechanisms that create that phenomenon are currently unknown or contested (e.g., crowd behaviour, social behaviour, health behaviour, political behaviour, etc.). This session will introduce the audience to example agent-based models used in Computational Social Science and show how they can be used to augment existing research agendas, test theory, and trial simulated policies. We'll provide some very brief introductory 'how […]

Masterclass: Costume Design in Film with Oscar Winner Tim Chappel This year marks the 30th anniversary of Stephan Elliott’s 1994 masterpiece ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’. Join Beloved Australian costume designer Tim Chappel for an insight into his career and the role of costume design in storytelling. Chappel won an Academy Award, a BAFTA and an AFI Award for his costume design for the feature film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He later revisited this work in the stage show, Priscilla and won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical. At this workshop Tim will offer insights into his incredible career including the narrative power of great costumes, the different approaches to creating memorable characters and the visual poetry that costume can provide. We will also explore the essential joys of effective collaboration, communication and the dynamics of the film family and the importance of developing your own creative voice that loudly whispers, “Hire me, I’m amazing”. Presented in partnership with RMIT’s Social Change Enabling Impact Platform and RMIT Culture, as part of the Academy of the Social Sciences of Australia’s Social Sciences Week. Free, booking essential. Image: Still, ‘The Adventures […]

Three days of events across RMIT and ACMI focused on Securing Australian Content in the Streaming Era (11th-13th September) It has been nearly ten years since streaming arrived in Australia, with Stan and Netflix launching on our shores in early 2015. The Streaming Industries and Genres Network (SIGN) based at RMIT University is running three days of events to reflect on how a decade of streaming in Australia has changed the local screen entertainment landscape. Alongside research experts, come hear from screen industry leaders, policymakers, creators, and cultural commentators as we think through strategies for the next decade of streaming in Australia. Wednesday 11 September (9am-5pm): RMIT University, FREE, register above via Humanitix  A series of panels will consider the current state and future of streaming video research methods, streaming diversity, and how to understand streaming audiences. Thursday 12 September (9am-5pm + screening): ACMI, $41-48, register here: Australian Content in the Streaming Era Symposium | ACMI: Your museum of screen culture Organised around key screen genres (drama, comedy, reality TV, sport, kids/youth media, and film), this ACMI partnered event features roundtable discussion panels, talks and a screening designed to catalyse conversation. We will look forward as well as back to consider how we can […]

Undertaking PhD studies can be a powerful catalyst for advancing social change within various industries. This event will bring together current and recently graduated PhD students to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that come with leveraging advanced academic research to foster meaningful societal impact. Speakers include: Sasimali Attanagoda (Graduate School of Business and Law) - The potential challenges of hybrid work on employees Dr Bronwyn Bruce (Economics, Finance and Marketing) – Younger women's long-term financial wellbeing through social marketing interventions  Parker Rettke (Management) - Inclusion & The Iron Cage: Unleashing the Potential of Workforce Diversity Xuan Zheng (Graduate School of Business and Law) - Work Design For People With Disabilities. Moderated by Associate Professor Lena Wang. Hear from RMIT PhD students and graduates who have successfully implemented their research findings to drive social change in their industries. Gain practical advice on selecting research topics, securing funding, and overcoming common obstacles in your PhD studies. Explore the diverse career paths available to PhD graduates in both academia and industry, and learn how to position yourself for success. Thursday 12 September Time: 1-2pm Online via Teams