News
The Inaugural Social Sciences Week Great Debate: Does Sport Unite or Divide Us?
20 Sep 2023
This debate was organised by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, with support from Synergy Group, as part of Social Sciences Week 2023. It was held at the National Library of Australia, Canberra on 5 September 2023, during its Grit & Gold: Tales from a Sporting Nation Exhibition (9 June 2023–28 January 2024).The debaters were....Read more.
How TikTok’s dating story time trend offers a glimpse into the sometimes weird world of modern romance
15 Sep 2023
In the ever-evolving realm of social media, TikTok has emerged as a dynamic platform that has reshaped how we engage with content and share our personal romantic stories. Within this vibrant ecosystem, one phenomenon has caught romance raconteurs’ attention: dating story time.The #DatingStoryTime hashtag has transformed into a virtual stage where users narrate their dating experiences, weaving a....Read more.
How hate speech during the Voice campaign can harm personal wellbeing, as well as democracy
06 Sep 2023
Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Australia will vote in the Voice referendum on October 14. When the proposal for a Voice to Parliament was first put forward in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, it was mostly welcomed as an invitation to Australians to come together. The subsequent announcement of a referendum brought hope and....Read more.
Western design students lead the climate conversation at Powerhouse Late
18 Aug 2023
Young people are not only leading the fight against climate change but also finding innovative forms of knowledge exchange and empowering their peers, educators, and the public towards positive climate futures. On July 27, works by Western Sydney University Design students and research by ICS scholars were showcased at POWERHOUSE LATE: CLIMATE, which featured work by....Read more.
ICS Researchers Feature in Future-Makers
19 Jul 2023
We are delighted to present you the Gender Equality Edition of Future-Makers. This special issue concentrates on the latest research happening at WSU addressing the UN Social Development Goal 5: Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment.In this issue, five articles showcase the work led by the ICS researchers. These pieces cover a broad range of topics....Read more.
Penalties, passes, and a touch of politics: the Women’s World Cup is about to kick off
19 Jul 2023
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off this Thursday night, the first football world cup hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand opens the tournament by taking on Norway in Auckland, while Australia’s Matildas will play Ireland in front of an anticipated 80,000 fans at a sold out Stadium Australia in Sydney. Despite the persistent....Read more.
Why is it so hard for Local Aboriginal Land Councils to develop land when the public needs are huge?
19 Jul 2023
Some of the largest landowners across New South Wales are Local Aboriginal Land Councils. Given the acute need for housing and infrastructure, it’s time the state government enabled these land councils to play a greater role in development. According to the Greater Cities Commission’s....Read more.
How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger
19 Jul 2023
Professional golf – and increasingly world sport – is caught in a sand trap. Not the familiar hazard between fairway and green, but the Middle Eastern desert producing enormous quantities of fossil fuels.The resulting riches are being diverted into sport, disrupting its traditional Western dominance.The latest example is....Read more.
From being mildly late to sucking on people’s tears – what is a ‘beige flag’ on TikTok?
19 Jul 2023
TikTok is one of the most prevalent social media platforms for trend-setting and trend-spotting – particularly within the relationship space. From trends and concepts like #DatingStoryTime to numbering the five stages of a relationship, TikTok is at the forefront of determining what’s hot and what’s not in the relationship world.The newest trend to hit TikTok from a relationship trend perspective: beige flags.....Read more.
Where have all the Luddites gone? Exploring what makes us human – and whether modern technology threatens to destroy it
24 May 2023
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School phone bans seem obvious but could make it harder for kids to use tech in healthy ways
28 Apr 2023
School phone bans may seem like the answer to reeling in young people’s technology use. But if we ban phones and bury this issue under the sand, when and how do our kids learn to have a healthy relationship with technology in a world becoming more tech-focused by the day?....Read more.
ICS Researchers Feature in Future-Makers
28 Mar 2023
Western Sydney University has been recognised as number one worldwide in the 2022 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings assess universities against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across four areas: research; stewardship; outreach; and teaching. This special issue of Future-Makers Special Issue (opens in a new window) on the UN Sustainable Development Goals focuses on the impactful work of WSU researchers across several SDGs. It features six articles on the research taking place at ICS.....Read more.
Why peace negotiations haven’t gained any traction in the Ukraine war – and how the stalemate could be broken
23 Mar 2023
A year after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is in ruins. At least 8,000 civilians have died, with millions displaced. Generations of infrastructure have been destroyed. Large tracts of the environment and agricultural land have been devastated. A world food shortage has been created. The global economy is in crisis mode. The world has drawn closer to the unspeakable catastrophe of a nuclear war.....Read more.
As Western Sydney residents grapple with climate change, they want political action
08 Mar 2023
Western Sydney is being developed rapidly, increasing its already high vulnerability to climate change. One day in January 2020, Penrith was the hottest place on Earth. Residents who have endured searing heat, bushfires, heavy rain, floods and huge damage bills in recent years are now a political force.....Read more.
Are you living in a food desert? These maps suggest it can make a big difference to your health
17 Jan 2023
Public concerns about high food prices highlight how meeting basic human needs can’t be taken for granted, even in a country like Australia. Food prices are but one part of the equation that determines access to food – and healthy eating more generally. Just as poverty for some can be hidden within a relatively wealthy community, lack of access to fresh....Read more.
