The new lows : representing Asian-Australians on television

This project utilises creative practice as research, and involves writing and discussing four sample episodes of a proposed six-part dramatic, black-comedy1 television mini-series titled The New Lows. Combined, the creative project and accompanying exegesis seeks to illuminate and interrogate some of the inherent concerns, pitfalls and politics encountered in writing original Asian-Australian characters for television. Moreover, this thesis seeks to develop and deliberate on characters that would expand, shift and extend concepts of stereotyping and authenticity as they are used in creative writing for television. The protagonists of The New Lows are the contemporary and dysfunctional Asian-Australian Lo family: the Hong Kong immigrants John and Dorothy, and their Australian-born children Wendy, Simon and Tommy. Collectively, they struggle to manage the family business: a decaying suburban Chinese restaurant called Sunny Days, which is stumbling towards imminent commercial death. At the same time, each of the characters must negotiate their own personal catastrophes, which they hide from fellow family members out of shame and fear. Although there is a narrative arc to the series, I have also endeavoured to write each episode as a selfcontained story. Written alongside the creative works is an exegetical component. Through the paradigm of Asian-Australian studies, the exegesis examines the writing process and narrative content of The New Lows, alongside previous representations of Asians on Australian and international television and screen. Concepts discussed include stereotype, ethnicity, otherness, hybridity and authenticity. However, the exegesis also seeks to question the dominant cultural paradigms through which these issues are predominantly discussed. These investigations are particularly relevant, since The New Lows draws upon a suite of characters commonly considered to be stereotypical in Asian-Australian representations.

The present via the past : an archaelogical approach to analysing the design and use of a contemporary urban village

This research applies an archaeological lens to an inner-city master planned development in order to investigate the tension between the design of space and the use of space. The chosen case study for this thesis is Kelvin Grove Urban Village (KGUV), located in inner city Brisbane, Australia. The site of this urban village has strong links to the past. KGUV draws on both the history of the place in particular along with more general mythologies of village life in its design and subsequent marketing approaches. The design and marketing approach depends upon notions of an imagined past where life in a place shaped like a traditional village was better and more socially sustainable than modern urban spaces. The appropriation of this urban village concept has been criticised as a shallow marketing ploy. The translation and applicability of the urban village model across time and space is therefore contentious. KGUV was considered both in terms of its design and marketing and in terms of a reading of the actual use of this master planned place. Central to this analysis is the figure of the boundary and related themes of social heterogeneity, inclusion and exclusion. The refraction of history in the site is also an important theme. An interpretive archaeological approach was used overall as a novel method to derive this analysis.

Creative Economies, Creative Cities: Asian-European Perspectives

Thirteen papers examine Asian and European experiences with developing national and city policy agendas around cultural and creative industries. Papers discuss policy transfer and the field of the cultural and creative industries--what can be learned from Europe; creative industries across cultural borders--the case of video games in Asia; spaces of culture and economy--mapping the cultural-creative cluster landscape; beyond networks and relations--toward rethinking creative cluster theory; the capital complex--Beijing's new creative clusters; the European creative class and regional development--how relevant Richard Florida's theory is for Europe; getting out of place--the mobile creative class taking on the local--a U.K. perspective on the creative class; Asian cities and limits to creative capital theory; the creative industries, governance, and economic development--a U.K. perspective; Shanghai's emergence into the global creative economy; Shanghai moderne--creative economy in a creative city?; urbanity as a political project--toward post-national European cities; and alternative policies in urban innovation. Contributors include economists. Kong is with the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore. O'Connor is at Queensland University of Technology. Index.

Influence of UGT1A9 intronic I399C4T polymorphism on SN-38 glucuronidation in Asian cancer patients

Genetic polymorphisms in hepatically expressed UGT1A1 and UGT1A9 contribute to the interindividual variability i-n irinotecan disposition and toxicity. We screened UGT1A1 (UGT1A1*60, g.−3140G>A, UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6) and UGT1A9 (g.−118(T)9>10 and I399C>T) genes for polymorphic variants in the promoter and coding regions, and the genotypic effect of UGT1A9 I399C>T polymorphism on irinotecan disposition in Asian cancer patients was investigated. Blood samples were collected from 45 patients after administration of irinotecan as a 90 min intravenous infusion of 375 mg/m2 once in every 3 weeks. Genotypic–phenotypic correlates showed that cancer patients heterozygous or homozygous for the I399C>T allele had approximately 2-fold lower systemic exposure to SN-38 (P<0.05) and a trend towards a higher relative extent of glucuronidation (REG) of SN-38 (P>0.05). UGT1A1–1A9 diplotype analysis showed that patients harbouring the H1/H2 (TG6GT10T/GG6GT9C) diplotype had 2.4-fold lower systemic exposure to SN-38 glucuronide (SN-38G) compared with patients harbouring the H1/H5 (TG6GT10T/GG6GT10C) diplotype (P=0.025). In conclusion, this in vivo study supports the in vitro findings of Girard et al. and suggests that the UGT1A9 I399C>T variant may be an important glucuronidating allele affecting the pharmacokinetics of SN-38 and SN-38G in Asian cancer patients receiving irinotecan chemotherapy.

The Asian Tsunami Fallout : Can Schools help Troubled Students

What is the responsibility of schools in managing student mental health in the aftermath of global mega-disasters that saturate the media? Here, the focus is on the Asian tsunami but the same question can be asked in relation to other disturbing events, such as September 11, Australian bushfires with local fatalities and the Iraq War.

Are East Asian companies benefiting from western board practices?

Since the Asian crisis, East Asian nations have strived to introduce corporate governance codes, directing companies how to best improve their corporate governance practices. However, these codes have not been universally accepted by East Asian companies. This study examines the adoption of major board-related corporate governance recommendations by large nonfinancial companies in seven East Asian nations and investigates whether improvements in these board governance mechanisms have been associated with increased operating performance and market value. The results indicate that family-owned companies started with worse board governance and have been least likely to improve their board governance since the crisis. Overall, bigger, faster growing, non-family-owned companies with less concentrated ownership have been more likely to improve their board governance. Splitting of the positions of Chairman and CEO, creation of audit and nomination committees and improvements in overall board governance were found to have a positive relationship with subsequent operating performance and/or market value.

In search of good governance for Asian family listed companies : a case study on Hong Kong

Discusses the importation of Western concepts of corporate governance into Hong Kong where many companies are family companies to which Asian culture is more familiar. Considers different models of corporate governance and questions the application of Western structures to family owned companies. Examines the weaknesses inherent in the typical structure of Asian companies, particularly from the point of view of minority shareholders. Suggests that a system of governance based on Confucian philosophy may be more effective in Hong Kong.

Crossing the language and cultural divide : the challenges of educating Asian law students in a globalising world

In 2004, there were sweeping, radical changes made to the underlying legal framework regulating life in China. This reflected such things as the incorporation of basic international human rights standards into domestic law - not only in China but in countries worldwide which highlights the increasingly global nature of many important legal issues. China is not immune from this development of cross pollination of legal processes. This has led to an increase in the internationalisation of legal education and the rapid rise in the number of overseas students who undertake at least part of their university studies in a foreign country. Academics need to develop cross-cultural sensitivity in teaching these overseas students; there are important reasons why the educative process needs to meet the different set of needs presented by international students who come to study in Australia. This teaching note sets out the experiences of two particular situations, the teaching of Business Law to Asian students and an innovative Australian postgraduate program taught in Mandarin.

A tale of two cities: Education responds to globalisation in Hong Kong and Singapore in the aftermath of the Asian Economic Crisis

It has been suggested that although the most theorisation about globalisation has emerged from “western” contexts, the material implications of globalisation have been felt most strongly in non-western regions. With this in mind, we are undertaking a situated analysis of how two states, Singapore and Hong Kong, are interacting with the broader processes of globalisation through their educational policies. We apply Foucault's conceptual tool of governmentality to understand (i) the conduct of governing in the contemporary nation-state, and (ii) how the “right” rationalities are being inculcated by government to create “desiring subjects” who will play their part in ensuring national prosperity. We use the Asian Economic Crisis as a point of departure to show how global-local tensions are being managed by Singapore and Hong Kong. We conclude that both these global cities have adroitly managed the Asian economic crisis to steer their citizens away from pursuits of greater political freedom and towards concerns of material well being. They have done so through a selective interpretation of globalisation, by simultaneously resisting and embracing the contradictory strands of globalisation. Education has emerged as a critical space for this selective absorption of globalising trends.

Evaluation of community participation for the development of culture-based fisheries in village reservoirs of Sri Lanka

In this paper an attempt is made to identify the socioeconomic characteristics of a community that influences the development and management of culture-based fisheries in village reservoirs of Sri Lanka. Socioeconomic data were collected from 46 agricultural farming communities associated with 47 village reservoirs in Sri Lanka. Principal component analysis indicated that scores of the first principal component were positively influenced by socioeconomic characteristics that are favorable for making collective decisions. These included leadership of the officers, age of the group, percentage of active members of the group, percentage of kinship of the group, percentage of common interest of the group, and percentage of participation of the group. The size of the group had negative effect on the first principal component. The principal component scores of communication were positively related to willingness to pay (P< 0.001). The communities with socioeconomic characteristics favouring collective decision making were in favor of culture-based fisheries. Homogeneity of group characteristics facilitated successful development of culture-based fisheries.

Communication and culture : mobile telephony in PNG villages

This paper examines the recent introduction of mobile telephony into rural communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It presents the findings of substantial fieldwork conducted in 2009, and suggests ways in which the new technology is already changing people’s lives and relationships. The paper identifies the roles of mobile telephones in two communities, the changes taking place and how villagers are responding to them. Comparison of the two villages is strategic as it highlights similarities in perceptions of mobile phones in these two very different settings. An ethnographic approach is adopted, situated within an interpretative methodology. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, orally-administered surveys and participant observation. The village lifestyle or ‘culture’ provides an important lens for understanding this data and the assertions made by village respondents. This research is significant as it addresses changes currently occurring in the communication methods of whole communities.