Manufacturing Futures: Beyond Business as Usual

 

There is much discussion about the future of manufacturing in Australia, but before talking about what's needed and what we should do, let's look at what's working in Australian manufacturing right now. This video shows how just and sustainable Australian manufacturers are creating jobs, redressing environmental harms and benefiting communities through their work.

Based on research from the Reconfiguring the Enterprise: Shifting Manufacturing Culture in Australia project, funded by the Australian Research Council.

News

Less than half of Australian adults know how to identify misinformation online
For most of us, it’s hard to imagine a media-free day.Understanding what’s happening in the world, maintaining our social media profiles, staying in touch with family, being entertained, making new friends, engaging with governments, and with our democracy, are all activities that usually require media participation.
How young LGBTQIA+ people used social media to thrive during COVID lockdowns
During COVID-19 lockdowns, a major concern for LGBTIQ+ communities, mental health professionals and academics was that young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning, intersex and asexual+ people may suffer from being stuck in transphobic, biphobic or homophobic households.
New resource to create cooler future cities
A new online resource will help local councils, planners and developers create cooler cities in a warming climate, especially in areas such as western Sydney where heatwave temperatures are expected to reach 50C by 2050.
How new design patterns can enable cities and their residents to change with climate change
Our cities, designed for one set of climatic ranges, are increasingly “out of place” as average temperatures rise. The days above 40℃ and nights above 30℃ are increasing, especially in the expanding suburbs of Australian cities. This presents us with a massive redesign project.

Highlights

Cultural_Infrastructure_Research_group
Cultural Infrastructure
The Cultural Infrastructure Research Group is a collection of ICS researchers who have developed a body of work which analyses and identifies the needs for cultural infrastructure in Greater Metropolitan Sydney.
Audience at the Mapping the Humanities event.
ICS Seminar Series
The ICS Seminar Series presents an exciting breadth of social and cultural research from the Institute’s renowned staff and doctoral candidates as well as a range of national and international visiting scholars.
Gibson_Monks_on_Bamboo_Bridge
FutureMakers
The work of ICS researchers is featured in the latest issue of the University’s FutureMakers magazine. Read about their research successes, impact and partnerships.
Issues_thumpnail
Issues journal
Issues is a journal of short essays, housed at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University. We encourage each author to write in English and one other language.