News
Media Literacy Lessons a Must for Schools
29 May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of teaching students the difference between real and fake or misleading news say the authors of a new report into news media literacy education. The News Literacy and Australian Teachers: How News Media is Taught in the Classroom report also recommends teachers be given more time, resources, and curriculum support to do so.....Read more.
Emeritus Professor David Rowe Awarded ICA's The Legacy Scholar Award
26 May 2020
Congratulations to Emeritus Professor David Rowe who has been awarded the International Communication Association's (ICA) The Legacy Scholar Award for a sustained program of research that has significantly shaped the scholarly field of sport communication at the highest level.....Read more.
Opinion: Tonight We Riot? What Nintendo’s ‘Revolutionary’ Video Game Misses About Worker Liberation
21 May 2020
“In a world where the wealthy elite control the media, elections and lives of working people, we’re faced with two choices – accept it or fight for something better.” That’s the premise of Tonight We Riot, a new video game for touted as a leftist response to the “neocon fantasies” like Call of Duty.....Read more.
New Australian Research Council Grant to Help Prevent Social Isolation Through Innovative Housing Models
21 May 2020
Western Sydney University has been awarded an ARC Linkage grant worth $594,268 (including partner contributions) to investigate the benefits of housing cooperatives as an alternative housing option in Australia.....Read more.
ICS Welcomes New Director, Professor Heather Horst
12 May 2020
The Institute is pleased to welcome Professor Heather Horst as its new Director as of February 2020. A sociocultural anthropologist researching material culture and the mediation of social relations through digital media and technology, Heather is well-known for her work in digital anthropology, studies of media and technology in families, and research into mobile media in developing contexts.....Read more.
Opinion: Cultural Justice: Creativity in a Time of Crisis
01 May 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has made it clearer than ever how crucial arts and culture are to our everyday lives. Use of streaming services like Netflix has spiked; neighbours are singing and dancing in the streets and DJing from their balconies; and we’re keeping occupied with reading, writing, drawing and painting.....Read more.
Opinion: Five Years on From the Earthquake in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Heritage-led Recovery is Uniting Community
24 Apr 2020
Since the Gorkha earthquake killed almost 9,000 people in April 2015, Nepal has been on a slow and arduous route to recovery. Nepal’s vibrant cultural heritage of monuments, religious places, crafts, festivals and traditional practices has been key to this process.....Read more.
Opinion: Forget Old Screen ‘Time’ Rules During Coronavirus. Here’s What You Should Focus on Instead
14 Apr 2020
COVID-19 has left parents grappling with the challenges of online learning, entertainment and work. It’s natural the amount of time children spend using screens will now increase. But that’s OK. Screen time recommendations we’ve enforced for so long no longer apply to our situation. There are ways to make the best of kids’ increased use of screens.....Read more.
Opinion: Young People Are Anxious About Coronavirus. Political Leaders Need to Talk With Them, Not at Them
03 Apr 2020
Young people in Australia are among the fastest-growing group to contract COVID19. According to the Department of Health, there are now more cases in Australia among people aged 20 – 29 years than any other age group. Our research has found that, contrary to popular belief, many young people in Australia are seriously concerned about the virus.....Read more.
Opinion: 1 in 10 Children Affected by Bushfires is Indigenous. We’ve Been Ignoring Them for Too Long
03 Apr 2020
The catastrophic bushfire season is officially over, but governments, agencies and communities have failed to recognise the specific and disproportionate impact the fires have had on Aboriginal peoples. Addressing this in bushfire response and recovery is part of Unfinished Business the work needed for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to meet on more just terms.....Read more.
‘Hopeful’ Gen Z Lead Sydney School Strike for Climate
03 Apr 2020
Western Sydney University academics have joined with researchers from 34 universities in 16 countries to track the hopes and fears of young people participating in Global Climate Strikes. The findings released this week are based on survey data from 19 cities around the world. In Sydney, protesters said their main reason for attending the Strike was to pressure politicians for change.....Read more.
Opinion: The Safest Sex You’ll Never Have: How Coronavirus is Changing Online Dating
31 Mar 2020
When Tinder issued an in-app public service announcement regarding COVID-19 on March 3 we all had a little laugh as a panoply of memes and gags hit the internet. Two weeks later the laughter has subsided, but the curiosity continues. How will singles mingle in the time of Corona?....Read more.
Opinion: All Sport is Global: A Hard Lesson From the Pandemic
30 Mar 2020
There is a common saying that all politics is local. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, we should invent a new one: all sport is global. In a few short months, worries about sport – especially via the media – being only too available, have given way to complaints that live sport action has become as rare as panic-purchased toilet paper.....Read more.
Opinion: Lessons From the Great Depression: How to Prevent Evictions in an Economic Crisis
26 Mar 2020
The queues of unemployed people outside Centrelink offices in recent days are reminiscent of the dole queues seen across Australia during the Great Depression of the 1930s. At that time, most states provided inadequate food vouchers rather than cash to people in the form of income support payments.....Read more.
Opinion: Why Housing Evictions Must Be Suspended to Defend Us Against Coronavirus
24 Mar 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is a double crisis affecting public health and the economy. And both aspects are playing out in our housing system – in our homes. More and more of us are being directed to stay home, to work from home, or to socially isolate at home.....Read more.
Opinion: 3 Ways to Help Children Think Critically About the News
25 Feb 2020
Like adults, children use the news to learn about what’s happening in the world. But the circulation of misinformation, such as the recent spread of fake news about COVID-19 (the disease caused by coronavirus), blurs our understanding of events and issues. In 2017, we conducted the first nationally representative survey of how Australian children, aged eight to 16, consume news.....Read more.
Opinion: Looking for Love on a Dating App? You Might be Falling for a Ghost
12 Feb 2020
Love requires imagination: a shared vision, narrative or trajectory. In our connected world, this imagination is fostered from the very start of the interaction. It happens from the moment we pick up our phones, tap on an app and consider swiping right.....Read more.
Research sends five young people on expedition to care for Antarctica’s future
03 Feb 2020
Five young leaders from Antarctic ‘gateway cities’ will travel to the continent from 12-19 February as part of an international research project led by Western Sydney University with its partners, including the University of Tasmania and Chilean Antarctic Institute. During the journey, the leaders will visit international research stations and take part in discussions about how their cities can act together as custodians.....Read more.
Opinion: How to Cope With Extreme Heat Days Without Racking Up the Aircon Bills
29 Jan 2020
Summer in Australia is getting hotter. Extreme heat events, with daytime temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius, are becoming more common and we are getting more of these days in a row. We all need to prepare ourselves, our homes and our neighbourhoods for hot and very hot days.....Read more.
New Australian Research Council Grant to Help Artificial Intelligence Break Down Barriers for People with Disability
24 Jan 2020
Institute researchers have been awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage grant worth over $700,000, including partner contributions, to investigate how future Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments and policy can ensure economic, social and cultural inclusion for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are living with disabilities.....Read more.
Opinion: Australia’s Bushfire Smoke Is Lapping the Globe, and the Law Is Too Lame to Catch It
24 Jan 2020
Smoke from Australia’s bushfires has travelled far beyond its origins. As climate change takes hold and global temperatures rise, bushfires are set to increase in severity and frequency. The underlying cause of the fires and resulting smoke haze are often numerous. Legal and policy frameworks - local, national and international – fail to capture these diffused responsibilities.....Read more.
Research Examines Future of Manufacturing in Australia and Calls for New Policy Approach
22 Jan 2020
New research by Western Sydney University and the University of Newcastle has identified examples of a just and sustainable culture of manufacturing in Australia, and calls for policy changes to safeguard the sector’s future.....Read more.
Opinion: The Olympics Have Always Been a Platform for Protest. Banning Hand Gestures and Kneeling Ignores Their History
17 Jan 2020
It is the year of the Tokyo Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee was quickly out of the blocks with new guidelines regarding athlete protests.....Read more.
Opinion: Living with Fire Demands a Long-term Perspective
16 Jan 2020
Australians must take a long-term approach to living with the threat of large bushfires. This means learning from Indigenous people, who have always had long-term interests at heart when looking after the landscape, Leslie Schultz, Dr Jessica Weir, and Helen Langley write. Working together places us in the strongest position to help look after all that we value.....Read more.
Opinion: Strength from Perpetual Grief: How Aboriginal People Experience the Bushfire Crisis
10 Jan 2020
How do you support people forever attached to a landscape after an inferno tears through their homelands: decimating native food sources, burning through ancient scarred trees and destroying ancestral and totemic plants and animals?....Read more.
New Resource by Institute Researchers Provides Advice on How to Prepare for Heat
10 Jan 2020
A new resource developed by the Cooling the Commons research team will help low-income communities prepare for extreme heat and stay cool in summer. The pamphlet provides simple, low-cost and practical tips.....Read more.
Dr Malini Sur Comments on Air Pollution in Sydney
18 Dec 2019
Dr Malini Sur has appeared on ABC News Afternoons and Evenings, commenting on the current smoke and dust pollution in Sydney and about air pollution as a global epidemic. Dr Sur has been researching dust in various contexts including how the ground is broken in Parramatta's current construction boom and the effects of air pollution on cyclists in cities.....Read more.
Institute for Culture and Society Launches Issues: A New Multilingual Journal
16 Dec 2019
The Institute is pleased to announce the launch of Issues, a new multilingual journal of short essays on topics of historical and contemporary relevance, housed at the Institute for Culture and Society and edited by Dr Malini Sur and Dr Liam Magee.....Read more.
Opinion: The Government Wants to Privatise Visa Processing. Who Will Be Held Accountable When Something Goes Wrong?
05 Dec 2019
The Department of Home Affairs has begun taking steps to outsource its visa processing to private service providers. This move has sparked an important national debate on transparency, accountability and profiteering in the immigration system.....Read more.
Institute Researchers Awarded Three ARC Discovery Grants
05 Dec 2019
Congratulations to Professor Ned Rossiter, Professor Brett Neilson, Dr Liam Magee, Associate Professor Sandro Mezzadra, Dr Shanthi Robertson, Distinguished Professor Ien Ang, Dr Bonnie Pang, Professor Megan Watkins, Gregory Noble and their colleagues who between them have been awarded three ARC Discovery Grants in the latest funding round.....Read more.
Western Sydney University Partners with Chilean Organisations to Address Climate Emergency
29 Nov 2019
On 2-3 December 2019 in Santiago, Chile, Western Sydney University will join the University of Chile, CIGIDEN, NUMIES and other international partners to host a symposium addressing the climate emergency, results from which will be live-steamed to the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 in Madrid, Spain.....Read more.
Opinion: What Do Sydney and Other Cities Have in Common? Dust
22 Nov 2019
Sydney and its suburbs have been enveloped in haze over the past few days. The haze is a mixture of bushfire smoke and dust blown in from western New South Wales. As particles move from rural locations, like Gospers Mountain in this case, they make grey cities. In Australia, dust blurs the distinction between the bush and the city.....Read more.
Diversity & Urban Growth: Western Sydney University Welcomes The Australian Sociological Association to Parramatta
21 Nov 2019
Next week (25-28th November), the University will host over 300 delegates from across Australia and the wider world for the annual conference of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA). This conference is one of the highlights of Australian Sociology’s calendar.....Read more.
Opinion: Natural History on TV: How the ABC Took Australian Animals to the People
20 Nov 2019
Most of us will never see a platypus or a lyrebird in the wild, but it’s likely we’ve encountered them on television. Our new research looks at the vital role early ABC television played in making Australian animals accessible to audiences.....Read more.
Associate Professor Denis Byrne Elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
18 Nov 2019
Congratulations to Associate Professor Denis Byrne who is a newly elected Fellow to the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the highest honour for achievement in the humanities in Australia, for his work in heritage studies.....Read more.
New Young and Resilient Research Centre Launched
06 Nov 2019
The new Young and Resilient Research Centre, led by Co-Directors Associate Professors Philippa Collin and Amanda Third, has been launched. Bringing together research expertise from the Institute for Culture and Society, and throughout the University, the Centre researches how to harness technology to explore the resilience of young people and their communities.....Read more.
World Premiere of The Bamboo Bridge Features at Antenna Documentary Film Festival
25 Oct 2019
The world premiere of The Bamboo Bridge, a film directed by Associate Professor Juan Francisco Salazar, screened at Antenna Documentary Film Festival this week. In the awards ceremony on Wednesday night, the film received Special Mention in the Best Australian Documentary category.....Read more.
Young Australians Become News Champions at National Forum
23 Oct 2019
This week, twenty-one students aged 10-17 came together in a national forum at the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra to discuss the future of news media and train to be News Champions, equipped to lead discussions and engage with news in their local communities, as part of the Advancing the Media Literacy of Young Australians research project.....Read more.
Juan Francisco Salazar Awarded ARC Future Fellowship
17 Oct 2019
Congratulations to Associate Professor Juan Francisco Salazar who has been awarded an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship for his project 'Australia a Space-faring Nation: Imaginaries and Practices of Space Futures'. Associate Professor Salazar will receive just over $1 million to investigate the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest for Australia.....Read more.
ICS Researcher Named Top in the Field of Communication
03 Oct 2019
Congratulations to Emeritus Professor David Rowe who has been named top researcher in the field of Communication in The Australian's 2019 Research Magazine. Western Sydney University has been named top institution in Sociology. Research analytics firm League of Scholars analysed data from Google Scholar to identify leaders in 258 fields of scholarship based on both volume of research produced and its quality.....Read more.
Opinion: Affordable Housing Lessons from Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore: 3 Keys to Getting the Policy Mix Right
20 Sep 2019
Affordable housing is a critical problem for Australia’s biggest housing markets. Five Australian cities are in the top 25 with “severely unaffordable” housing in a 2019 Demographia survey of 91 major metropolitan markets. Sydney was ranked the third least affordable of the 91.....Read more.
Opinion: Keeping the City Cool Isn’t Just About Tree Cover – It Calls for a Commons-based Climate Response
18 Sep 2019
A recent report by the Greater Sydney Commission singles out urban heat as one of four priority areas given our coming climate. It identifies tree canopy as the top response for reducing city temperatures and delivering amenity. However, the public conversation about urban heat often misses the complex relationship between trees, people and the built environment, which challenges this response.....Read more.
Opinion: On an Average Day, Only 1% of Australian News Stories Quoted a Young Person
03 Sep 2019
On one unremarkable day in April this year, just over a third of news stories were about issues likely to impact young people, such as policies to address climate change, school teacher training, the impact of automation on future employment and proposed social media regulation.....Read more.
Opinion: Ben Stokes: England Cricketer’s Triumph Over Adversity is a Classic Hero’s Tale
03 Sep 2019
In August last year, England cricketer Ben Stokes stood with head back and eyes closed as he was found not guilty of affray in a Bristol court. On Sunday, Stokes stood in a similar pose with his head back and his eyes closed. But now he was roaring in triumph having pretty much single-handedly won the third Ashes Test match for England against the old enemy Australia.....Read more.
Opinion: Australia’s Art Institutions Don’t Reflect Our Diversity: it’s Time to Change That
03 Sep 2019
For most of us, it is easy to pass judgement on others while finding it difficult to reflect on ourselves.Diversity Arts Australia recently undertook a research project, Shifting the Balance, with the assistance of Western Sydney University and BYP Group. We investigated representation of culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians in leadership positions within our major arts, screen and cultural.......Read more.
Opinion: Will time tear us apart? Exploring the Appeal of Joy Division 40 Years On
03 Sep 2019
In a previous century, I conducted doctoral fieldwork among the abandoned warehouses, smoky pubs and crumbling squats of the British post-punk, independent rock scene. How strange that I should become re-acquainted with that scene at the shimmering Sydney Opera House.....Read more.
Opinion: Most Migrants on Bridging Visas Aren’t ‘Scammers’, They’re Well Within Their Rights
03 Sep 2019
Recent articles in the media have raised concerns about the rapid rise in migrants living and working in Australia on bridging visas, whose numbers have more than doubled in the last four years.....Read more.
Research Highlights Need for Young People to be Included in Australian News Media
02 Sep 2019
A new report on the inclusion and representation of young Australians in the news finds that young people are seldom given the opportunity to speak for themselves and are given almost no attention as a social group.....Read more.
Dr Louise Crabtree Is Finalist In Housing Challenge
02 Jul 2019
Congratulations to Dr Louise Crabtree and Jason Twill (Director, Urban Apostles) whose Metropolitan Land Trust Policy is one of seven shortlisted proposals in the City of Sydney's Alternative Housing Ideas Challenge.....Read more.
Opinion: Our National Anthem is Non-inclusive: Indigenous Australians Shouldn’t Have to Sing It
06 Jun 2019
It is traditional at major sports events to begin with a rendition of the national anthem. At the State of Origin rugby league clash between New South Wales and Queensland on Wednesday, however, at least four Indigenous rugby league players have vowed to remain silent – a protest against an anthem they feel doesn’t represent them.....Read more.
Opinion: How to Know If Your Child Is Addicted to Video Games and What to Do About It
06 Jun 2019
If your child spends long hours playing video games, you might be worried they’re addicted.“Gaming disorder” is real, and has now been classified as a disease in the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The new ICD will be adopted in 2022.....Read more.
Opinion: Is This a Housing System That Cares? That’s the Question for Australians and Their New Government
30 May 2019
Growing numbers of Australians are locked out of home ownership or struggling in insecure and unaffordable private rental markets. There are concerns about home owners drowning in debt. And for lower-income earners, high housing costs mean that paying for food, energy bills and health costs is an ongoing challenge.....Read more.
Disposability
23 May 2019
Disposable’ usually describes minor ephemeral things from take-away coffee cups to plastic bags. More recently, it has been applied to furniture, fashion, technologies and even people. But what does it mean? The phrase ‘easy come, easy go’ captures many of the popular assumptions about disposability.....Read more.
New Book in Honour of Manfred B Steger
02 May 2019
Congratulations to Professor Manfred B. Steger who has had a book of essays published in honour of his important contributions to the field of global studies. Revisiting the Global Imaginary: Theories, Ideologies, Subjectivities: Essays in Honor of Manfred Steger is a tribute to the extensive body of work on globalisation that.......Read more.
Katherine Gibson Appointed to Prestigious Harvard Position
15 Apr 2019
Congratulations to Professor Katherine Gibson who has been appointed as the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard University for the 2020-2021 academic year.....Read more.
Sexism in Sport Why Taking Down the Action Photo of Women’s AFL Player Tayla Harris Shows Double Standard
22 Mar 2019
The treatment of an action photo of Women’s AFL player Tayla Harris demonstrates continuing obstacles to women in sport, says Western Sydney University’s Emeritus Professor David Rowe.....Read more.
Linkage Grant Success Highlights Partnership Strength and Impact
20 Mar 2019
Western Sydney University researchers have been awarded almost $500,000 in funding after securing two prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grants. The funding will see researchers from the Institute for Culture and Society explore how migrant communities experience and interact with existing heritage places in Parramatta, and researchers from the MARCS Institute work on improving.......Read more.
Opinion: Don’t Fall for It: A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Kids from Online Hoaxes
19 Mar 2019
It’s a parent’s responsibility to protect their children from harm, no matter where that threat of harm comes from. But what if the threat is a hoax?We’ve seen recently a rollercoaster of panic from parents trying to protect their kids from a supposed online threat known as the Momo challenge, that has for months been debunked as a hoax.....Read more.
Opinion: Young Voters May Hold the Key to the NSW State Election: Here’s Why
14 Mar 2019
Young Australians are more connected, educated and informed than previous generations. They are also more likely to have higher debt and less economic independence into their 30s. Many feel excluded from traditional politics and policy making and are turning to local action and global issues to express their political views.....Read more.
Opinion: More Can Be Done for Housing in Western Sydney
11 Mar 2019
Housing affordability, a woe not simply for the rich.A great deal has been made of the ongoing investment into infrastructure in Greater Western Sydney – the recently-named Nancy-Bird Walton airport and the Metro West spring to mind. While these investments and the jobs they bring are welcome, it is perhaps time to focus on the most critical infrastructure of all, our communities and how people can live well in them.....Read more.
Opinion: Rugby League May Finally Have Reached Its Tipping Point on Player Behaviour and Violence
11 Mar 2019
St George Illawarra and NSW State of Origin player Jack de Belin has become the first player to be banned under a new “no fault stand down” policy introduced by the National Rugby League (NRL).....Read more.
Helen Barcham Awarded Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equality Fund
08 Feb 2019
Congratulations to our PhD candidate, Helen Barcham, who has been awarded a competitive Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equality Fund to support her women’s health project, Women Doing Well.Women Doing Well is an interdisciplinary research project that seeks to expand understandings of women’s health, wellness, and the body.....Read more.
Western to Co-lead Research Streams for New Social Think Tank
08 Feb 2019
Western Sydney University will co-lead two research streams for a new collaborative think thank– the Centre of Excellence for Resilient Communities and Inclusive Societies (CERCIS) - to forge solutions to problems caused by social polarization and racism as well as youth-related issues in the digital age.....Read more.
Opinion: One Infinity Explores Tension and Connection Between China and the West
07 Feb 2019
In an age of growing mistrust, the Chinese-Australian artistic collaboration One Infinity demonstrates the ability of dance and music to navigate tensions between different cultures.....Read more.
Urban Heat Makes Us Sedentary, Passive and Lonely: Western Sydney University Research
24 Jan 2019
Researchers from Western Sydney University have investigated the effect of rising temperatures on the liveability of cities. They found that an over-reliance on air-conditioning and lack of cooling elements in public outdoor areas are leading to sedentary lifestyles and social isolation.....Read more.
Gap Year and Millennials: New Research Investigates the Long-term Effects of Overseas Experiences on Young Australians
23 Jan 2019
Whether it be as overseas workers, international students or travellers, young people between the ages of 25-39 today account for the greatest number of long-term departures amongst Australians. At this time of year in particular, high school and university graduates have the opportunity to choose their next path, and many will consider an overseas experience.....Read more.
