Cosmopolitanism, the nation-state and imaginative realism

Contemporary writing on cosmopolitanism has asserted the need for a new sociological toolkit to deal with an emergent post-national social order. At the heart of this agenda is a misunderstanding about the role of the nation-state, which has led to some rather unhelpful theorizations. The state is assumed to be a dead hand in the development of post-national sentiments or an increasingly irrelevant social structure. We argue that the superseding of the nation-state is not necessary for the development of cosmopolitan sentiments of solidarity. In addition to classical sociology, it is work surrounding the concepts of cosmopolitan democracy and constitutional patriotism and the public sphere that can assist us in theorizing cosmopolitanism. What distinguishes this tradition is the utilization of social science concepts such as democracy, state, public sphere and law in an attempt to ground the idea of cosmopolitanism within the context of existing social structures.

The Sociology of Cosmopolitanism:Globalization, Identity, Culture and Government

The dream of a cosmopolitical utopia has been around for thousands of years. Yet the promise of being locally situated and at the same time globally connected and mobile has never seemed more possible than it is today. The question remains as to whether it is positive and realistic for us to have multiple loyalties. Can we sustain community and solidarity with our neighbours while we look beyond our nation? And if we can't - or won't – consider distant strangers as part of our own world, are there increasingly dire consequences? This book reconnects classical sociological theory and contemporary ideas on mobility, otherness, material assemblages, consumption and surveillance to render the idea of a global cosmopolitan utopia amenable to sociological investigation. The book takes a realistic approach to the development of cosmopolitical arrangements. It embraces the imaginative impulses the cosmopolitan dream provides, but takes into account the political, ethical and cultural dimensions of such cosmopolitan developments. In revisiting the relevance of classical sociological approaches in the context of contemporary theoretical challenges, the distinctive approach this book takes to understanding cosmopolitanism will be of use to scholars and students alike.

Bitter streak

This script, a performative satire on theatre, focussed on 'theatre streaking', was a finalist in the Queensland Theatre Company's George Landen Dann Awards in 2000 (predescessor to the Queensland Premier's Drama Award) ----- ----- ----- It had a workshop reading in 2000 at QTC, with Artistic Director Michael Gow reading the part of the Nude Man.----- ----- ----- It was first performed at QUT in the Woodward Theatre in 2003.

The empty city (Stage adaptation)

This pre-production script for a non-verbal, multimedia performance is the outcome of three rounds of creative development (2009-10) focussed on adapting a children's picture book for the stage. Protoype versions of this script were realised at work-in progress performances at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex in January 2009, and the Woodward Theatre in July 2009. Supported by the Australia Council, Arts Queensland, Windmill Theatre (SA) and QUT

Buyer's waiver of a special condition

A recent decision of the Queensland Supreme Court (McMurdo J) raises matters of interest for practitioners undertaking conveyancing. Woodward v Nagel [2003] QSC 100 was delivered on 11 April 2003.

Chlorzoxazone, an SK-type potassium channel activator used in humans, reduces excessive alcohol intake in rats

Background Alcoholism imposes a tremendous social and economic burden. There are relatively few pharmacological treatments for alcoholism, with only moderate efficacy, and there is considerable interest in identifying additional therapeutic options. Alcohol exposure alters SK-type potassium channel (SK) function in limbic brain regions. Thus, positive SK modulators such as chlorzoxazone (CZX), a US Food and Drug Administration–approved centrally acting myorelaxant, might enhance SK function and decrease neuronal activity, resulting in reduced alcohol intake. Methods We examined whether CZX reduced alcohol consumption under two-bottle choice (20% alcohol and water) in rats with intermittent access to alcohol (IAA) or continuous access to alcohol (CAA). In addition, we used ex vivo electrophysiology to determine whether SK inhibition and activation can alter firing of nucleus accumbens (NAcb) core medium spiny neurons. Results Chlorzoxazone significantly and dose-dependently decreased alcohol but not water intake in IAA rats, with no effects in CAA rats. Chlorzoxazone also reduced alcohol preference in IAA but not CAA rats and reduced the tendency for rapid initial alcohol consumption in IAA rats. Chlorzoxazone reduction of IAA drinking was not explained by locomotor effects. Finally, NAcb core neurons ex vivo showed enhanced firing, reduced SK regulation of firing, and greater CZX inhibition of firing in IAA versus CAA rats. Conclusions The potent CZX-induced reduction of excessive IAA alcohol intake, with no effect on the more moderate intake in CAA rats, might reflect the greater CZX reduction in IAA NAcb core firing observed ex vivo. Thus, CZX could represent a novel and immediately accessible pharmacotherapeutic intervention for human alcoholism. Key Words: Alcohol intake; intermittent; neuro-adaptation; nucleus accumbens; SK potassium channel

Dopamine responsiveness is regulated by targeted sorting of D2 receptors

Abstract Aberrant dopaminergic signaling is a critical determinant in multiple psychiatric disorders, and in many disease states, dopamine receptor number is altered. Here we identify a molecular mechanism that selectively targets D2 receptors for degradation after their activation by dopamine. The degradative fate of D2 receptors is determined by an interaction with G protein coupled receptor-associated sorting protein (GASP). As a consequence of this GASP interaction, D2 responses in rat brain fail to resensitize after agonist treatment. Disruption of the D2-GASP interaction facilitates recovery of D2 responses, suggesting that modulation of the D2-GASP interaction is important for the functional down-regulation of D2 receptors.

Punishing 'poor parents': 'Respect', 'responsibility' and parenting orders in Scotland

This article critiques the rise of parenting orders in Scotland within New Labour’s self-styled model of ‘respect’ and ‘responsibility’. It examines the emergence of parenting orders in Scotland, which became available in April 2005, and argues that Scottish local authorities are sceptical of an approach they perceive as an ideological and legislative mix premised on punitive notions of individual responsibility and justice.

Stephen Russell : Super Vanitas

This article is an analysis and contextualisation of 'Super Vanitas' a video installation by Stephen Russell that was held at Boxcopy ARI, Brisbane. It discusses the significance of the painting 'Death of Marat' (J.L. David, 1793) to the work and describes the methodological processes that are revealed in the work.

Five senses digital stories

These digital stories were produced during a commercial research project with SLQ and Flying Arts. The works build on the research of Klaebe and Burgess related to variable workshop scenarios, and the institutional contexts of co-creative media. In this instance, research focused on the distributed digital storytelling workshop model; and the development of audiences for digital storytelling. The research team worked with regional artists whose work had been selected for inclusion in the Five Senses exhibition held at the State Library of Queensland to produce stories about their work; these works were then in turn integrated into the physical exhibition space. Location remoteness and timeline were factors in how the stories were made in a mix of individual meetings and remote correspondence (email &phone).

Content sharing on public screens: experiences through iterating social and spatial contexts

This paper describes the design and study of public urban screen applications aiming to facilitate urban dwellers to control content shown on public urban screens. Two types of content sharing are presented: aggregating existing social media content about particular locations for sharing, and sharing online videos with collocated people at a public urban screen. The paper describes an exploratory study, an observational study, as well as an interpretational study in regards to application usage and user experience. Sharing content on public urban screens can pique the curiosity of users towards collocated people and the application itself resulting in raised awareness of collocated people.