School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications
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ItemThe use and characterisation of aluminum-based metallic paints in Australian paintings of the first half of the twentieth century(Smithsonian Scholarly Press, 2019)This paper presents the results of research into the composition and use of metallic aluminum paints in three paintings by Australian artists from the first half of the twentieth century as well as a contemporary can of aluminum stove paint. A brief history of the development of aluminum paint and its uses is presented. The material characteristics of aluminum powders and binders used with them are described, as well as the effects variations of components have on resulting paint films. Analyses found leafing aluminum flakes and nitrocellulose binder on two paintings and identified coumarone as the binder for the stove paint.
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ItemEvidence and authenticity: the problem of cultural relativism in conservation decision-making(ICOFOM & ICOM-CC, 2019)Cultural materials conservation is, at its essence, concerned with knowledge transmission, with the construction of authenticity providing confidence in the security of this transmission. Discourse around cultural difference often problematizes attempts to provide singular approaches to conservation decision-making. Examining how an authentic record is constructed in diverse communities in Australia and Southeast Asia demonstrates the use of the same methodologies used to verify authenticity, thereby contesting cultural relativism as a useful construct in conservation decision-making.
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ItemCultural Cosmologies of the Internet: Situating Digital Networked Technologies in Diverse Moral Universes(University of Illinois Chicago, 2019)In this panel we consider how social actors situate uses of technologies within systems of moral norms and values while at the same time compelling the creation of new ones. Popular discourse tends to present dualistic thinking of the positive and negative impacts of technologies. Scholars have engaged with the internet and digital media, emphasising emancipatory subcultures (Coleman 2014; Gehl 2016, 2018) or presenting a critical view of the constraining aspects of networked technologies (Fish & Follis 2019; Fuchs 2014; Lovink 2016). These approaches are complimented by scholarship that considers technological practices and how they are embedded in social and cultural cosmologies (Burrell 2012; Horst & Foster 2018; Miller et. al. 2016). We argue for a closer integration of these bodies of scholarship through an examination of the contentious moral economies operating in emergent social spaces. The panel interrogates the relationship that social, political and economic actors have between their own ideas about what is good, appropriate and right and the diversity of orientations towards trust in techno-bureaucratic systems. We draw attention to immaterial systems and consider the social relationships and individual and collective imaginations that shape the production and experience of networked technologies. Through the papers, we articulate the forms of negotiation, resistance and refusal that occur when diverse moral universes, techno-regulating systems, and the conditions in which people find themselves collide.
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ItemSimplicity in Complexity: Trends and Future Directions in Caring for Collections in Australia and Southeast Asia(National Heritage Board, 2019-11-29)Southeast Asia and Australia are characterised by diversity in culture and custom, language, history, climate, religion and belief, methods of government, and economic capacity. Such diversity poses particular challenges for universal approaches to museum development and management, and in particular for practices, policies, and procedures relating to the care of collections. Conversely, diversity provides fertile ground for regional approaches, provided that decisions result from targeted research, the sharing of knowledge and resources, and the development of protocols and procedures that reflect the diversity and acknowledge the various capacities, including in economics, in literacy and language, and in law across the region. In this lecture, Professor Robyn Sloggett examines some of the pressing issues in collections care that need to be addressed across Australia and Southeast Asia, and explores current trends, initiatives and future directions for the care of the rich, diverse, and very important collections that exist in the region.
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ItemApathetic villagers and the trolls who love them: Player amorality in online multiplayer games(ACM, 2019-12-02)Players are sometimes understood to hold an 'amoral' stance in games, morally disengaging from game content and in-game player behaviours because 'it's just a game'. This amorality is often seen as problematic and in need of refuting or amendment, particularly if we wish to encourage more ethical play online. However, few studies have approached a theory of player amorality from the player's perspective in multiplayer games. This study aims to address this gap by conducting 20 in-depth interviews with a wide range of multiplayer game-players, exploring players' ethical views towards problematic or disruptive in-game behaviours. Preliminary results show that while players do exhibit a certain amorality regarding in-game actions, players express, justify and explain this amorality in a variety of considered ways that go beyond notions of 'it's just a game' and the 'sociopathic griefer', and step outside the framework of moral disengagement. This paper puts forward a preliminary framework of player amorality termed 'Apathetic Villager Theory', encapsulated by six key attitudes/themes that highlight the nuances involved in the (un)ethical standpoints of a range of players. It is hoped that this framework will be useful in approaching and responding to player amorality in a way that gives due recognition of the various voices and understandings involved in multiplayer digital gameplay.