Researchers,bureaucrats and the lifeworlds of cultural policy

This paper reflects on the value of cultural policy research, particularly when such research forms part of projects that seek to produce insights or ‘outcomes’ that are useful to non-university research partners. The paper draws from the author’s involvement in a project examining cultural diversity in the arts that was funded as part of the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Project scheme. It addresses Eleonora Belfiore’s provocation that this kind of instrumental cultural policy research routinely amounts to ‘bullshit.’ However, in order to understand the critical function of such research, there needs to be greater attention to the lifeworlds of cultural policy and the multiplicity of the policy-making process. This multiplicity both complicates the possibilities for usefulness in policy research, at the same time that it enables such research to be generative in unpredictable ways.     

Indigenous Methodologies: Suggestions for Junior Researchers

Indigenous methodologies in geography have recently been developed to decolonise Western dominated paradigms. It has been argued that research which does not benefit Indigenous communities should not be conducted. However, Indigenous methodologies are not taught in many post-secondary institutions. Therefore, when they pursue Indigenous topics, many junior researchers are self-taught in these methodologies. However, these methodologies cannot be defined simply and they are too diverse to be learnt in a short period. In Japan, Indigenous peoples are not widely recognised and research on contemporary Indigenous issues is limited. The concept of Indigenous methodologies is rarely discussed. Because of this, Japanese researchers rarely identify their research as adopting an Indigenous methodology. Indigenous researchers are thereby discouraged from pursuing Indigenous methodologies. Furthermore, a methodology or a thesis statement used by researchers to reflect Indigenous perspectives often gets little support from Indigenous peoples. My master's research on the Ainu mirrored this situation. While Indigenous methodologies remain difficult to learn, junior researchers should not be discouraged from this form of engagement. Practical suggestions are therefore necessary to encourage their use and application. Based on my experience, I suggest that researchers approach Indigenous communities from a learning perspective. This would encourage open-mindedness and sensitivity. Researchers should also be prepared and willing to refine their research questions and to continue their literature searches after their fieldwork is completed. These strategies could limit misinterpretation and exploitation of Indigenous knowledges and peoples.     

The Image of the Bedouin in Travel Literature and Western Researchers Who Visited Palestine in the Nineteenth Century

With the weakening of the Ottoman government from the end of the sixteenth century onwards, the Bedouin took over the control of the entire Country of Palestine. As the Bedouin were present across the country, western travelers and researches visiting the Holy Land as tourists, visitors, and investigators often met the Bedouin, especially during the robbery and plunder executed by the Bedouin upon travelers, and when hiring them as tour guides, renting their camels, or employing them as guards. On their return to their countries, these travelers reported on their experiences in the East in the form of books. These western travelers and researchers, in their writings, dealt with the Bedouin. They described them as providers of services to caravans, transporters of luggage, tour guides, and robbers. The writers and researchers explicitly described the traits, characters, food habits, clothing, residences, and occupations of the Bedouin.     

Making Cultural Heritage Significant for the Public. The Role of Researchers in Encouraging Public Awareness and Local Pride

The municipality of Olavarría, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, has a rich, diverse, and ancient natural and cultural heritage, although this is not well known by the local community. For this reason, an itinerant exhibition was developed to promote public access to scientific information and community awareness concerning the importance of local heritage. This project was the starting point of an integral programme of public outreach and science education, whose main goal is to facilitate intellectual and physical access to academic knowledge by local communities. After seven years of development, several lessons have been learned, including the need to increase stakeholders’ participation and the exploration of new strategies of communication in order to engage different segments of the public.     

Bibliometric Indicators of the Scholarly Productivity of Researchers and Scientists in Kuwait as Documented by Citation to Their Published Works

The study uses the bibliometric method of research to examine the productivity of academic scientists and re searchers in Kuwait. The Institute for Scientific Information's Arts and Humanities Index, Social Science Index, and Science Citation Index are surveyed to gather the data by department and year from 1986 through 1995. Analysis of Kuwaiti cited papers show the majority of journals (35%) which cited Kuwaiti institutions are published in the U.S. Analysis of the papers published in 1994 revealed that Kuwaiti's participation in the international scientific literature is higher than those of their colleagues from Morocco or Egypt. The data is discussed in light of theories of bibliometrics and the Bradford Law of Scattering.     

客观历史的可能性与研究者——读房德邻教授《评“‘假如’史学”》感言

《近代史研究》杂志2005年第3期发表房德邻教授的文章《评“‘假如’史学”》,拜读之余,笔者也想说点什么,可是提起笔来,又觉得欲吐之言了无新意———都是新时期以来人们已经讨论得不要讨论的老话。于是踌躇:时下提倡节约,怕浪费了纸张与大家的时间;又担心思想的历程别是画了一个圆圈,如是则浪费更不可计。但愿这仅是一种“假如”,而下面的话也能供史学新进们些许参考。新时期肇始的1978年,笔者作为大学历史系的一名新生,听思想解放潮中的老师们讲历史,最受触动的便是:历史原来并不像中学教科书里说的那么简单,那么一律,那么必该如此。历史…     

港台学者对中国大陆经济改革若干重大问题研究述略

自1978年改革开放以来,中国大陆地区的经济建设取得了举世瞩目的成就。香港和台湾地区的学者自始至终都密切关注着大陆的改革开放、经济与社会发展,并进行了大量的研究,成果丰富。整理、分析这些与大陆地区研究视角有很大差异的研究成果,有利于我们反思大陆地区经济建设的成败得失,以资借鉴。也可以通过这个窗口,了解港台地区经济、政治与学术的发展、变迁与互动。     

地方史研究在国史研究中的地位与作用

地方史研究与国史研究同为历史研究的组成部分 ,是局部与整体、个性与共性的关系 ,地方史的研究是开展国史研究的基础和前提。现在在国史、地方史的研究质量、深度、范围上仍存在许多不尽人意的地方 ,如何把国史、地方史研究向纵深方向推进 ,是国史、地方史研究人员同样面临的问题     

成都武侯祠的研究工作与诸葛亮研究会

1974年建立管所后,武侯祠的研究工作开始起步。1983年秋成立诸葛亮研究会、1984年初建立武侯祠博物馆之后,研究工作有长足的进步,多次筹办学术会议和组织学术活动,编写的正式出版物有40多种,获省政府、市政府的社科优秀成果奖达十多次。