THE PLACE OF CHRONOLOGICAL STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY A VIEW FROM THE OLD WORLD*

This article deals with the univeral problem of chronological versus social change and discusses the methodological foundations and the scientific functions of chronological studies, exemplified by the Nordic Bronze Age, a classic example of the development of a chronological system. First the universal validity of the premises of typology and seriation are questioned. Secondly, there is a discussion of the chronological implications of the many possible relationships between the period of production, the period of use and the period of deposition of artefacts. Thirdly the foundations of chronological change is analysed and finally the place of chronological studies in the research process is discussed.     

Partnership,Master Planning and State Provision: a Case Study of ‘Actually Existing Neoliberalism’ on the Central Coast of New South Wales

Over the past decade neoliberalism has come to represent the dominant policy discourse and ideology in the majority of western economies. Following the attention given to this phenomenon at a global (and national) scale, there has been a recent rise in interest in its regional implementation and expression and in how these are mediated through the embedded institutional associations of context dependent localities. Using Brenner and Theodore's (2002a) notion of ‘actually existing neoliberalisms’, this paper explores the hybrid nature of the residential property market. Using one of Greater Sydney's fastest growing regions as an example, this paper shows how residential developments are hybrid constructions, framed by institutional and policy resonances constituted by both state and market actants. Key factors here are the processes of partnership (a process of joining the market and the state), master planning (a process of recognising and pursuing the goals of both the market and the state) and negotiation and provision of state infrastructure (a process of direct state construction of the market).     

Multiple Suburban Publics: Rethinking Community Opposition to Consolidation in Sydney

Since the late 1980s urban consolidation has become the dominant strategic planning paradigm across Australian cities; however, sites of densification are increasingly becoming sites of community resistance and conflict. In the context of the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy, this paper explores Ku‐ring‐gai in Sydney's northern suburbs as a site of community resistance centred on opposition to urban consolidation. Moving beyond more traditional constructions of community resistance as a form of NIMBYism, we present here a typology of community resistance groups and explore the complex relationships between these groups, which are used to challenge development. In addition we draw on understanding of urban publics to explore the ways in which these groups attempt to engage and act on behalf of a diverse set of publics operating across scales.