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Papers by James Arvanitakis
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2017
Global media journal, 2021
COVID-19 re-shaped the political landscape across the world but in particularly the United States... more COVID-19 re-shaped the political landscape across the world but in particularly the United States. While partisanship has long defined US politics, the lack of trust between political protagonists was highlighted throughout 2020, and even shaped everything to do with the virus. It emerged when discussing the way President Trump was handling the crisis as well as just how seriously the threat should be taken. Despite using social media to dismiss concerns of the virus, it was not pandemic-related posts that ultimately led to Trump’s removal from social media but the events at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021, when throngs of people stormed the Capitol Building subsequent to a public speech by Trump earlier that day decrying perceived election injustices. The fact that Donald Trump’s statements regarding COVID-19 did not draw de-platforming, yet his statements regarding election integrity did, present a new context for consideration of a perennial question of free speech versus censorship: how do we define harm sufficient to justify removing someone’s right to express themselves in that way? If Trump’s behaviour via social media was harmful in both the pandemic context and the context of the capitol riots, why was one harm sufficient to justify his de-platforming while the other was not
Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Although some areas may have annual rainfall of over ... more Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Although some areas may have annual rainfall of over 1,200 millimeters, many regions are susceptible to drought, and the Australian climate is highly variable, changing dramatically across the continent and from year-to-year (Bureau of Meteorology 2011). This variability in weather patterns means Australia is subject to certain "natural" disasters, particularly droughts, bushfires and floods
This contribution is a reflection, conversation and debate between two people struggling to under... more This contribution is a reflection, conversation and debate between two people struggling to understand their own prejudices and interrogate the meaning of anti-racist politics. Acknowledging our own positions of privilege, we see ourselves as embodying whiteness: Dinesh as an Indian velakaran (Tamil expression for ‘white man’) and James as a ‘white-wog’ (being ethnic in name and heritage only). In the process of self-acknowledgment, we ask each other to answer four questions honestly (and brutally): How do we embody whiteness? How do we embody racism? How do you do anti-racist politics? Can we be free of racism? We conclude by reflecting on how anti-racist politics might be possible, even when guided haphazardly by ‘racists like us…
In mid-July 2016, a group of academic researchers passionate about teaching and learning gathered... more In mid-July 2016, a group of academic researchers passionate about teaching and learning gathered at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in New Delhi, India, for a two-day intensive workshop. Of those present, seven were from a cross section of universities from Australia, and a further seven from universities across India. Though they had never met face to face before, they had set themselves a daunting task: to pair off and co-write a chapter responding to one of the seven key challenges confronting Indian and Australian universities
The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understan... more The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understand. There are five dimensions of American life that may provide insights into this new environment and how it could work for Trump despite his initial handling of the crisis.
Universities, the Citizen Scholar and the Future of Higher Education, 2016
Modern higher education is faced with a common problem regardless of location and developmental c... more Modern higher education is faced with a common problem regardless of location and developmental contexts: How do we educate students in a time of disruption?
The Thinking University, 2018
The present chapter considers what constitutes a thinking university of the future. We argue that... more The present chapter considers what constitutes a thinking university of the future. We argue that universities as centres of thought need to consider the relationship between knowledge and citizenship. How knowledge is produced and transmitted matters as this is truly what is transformational to both the students encountered and the communities engaged. But the role of the contemporary university is not only to produce and transmit knowledge but also to foster individual and community empowerment. In this sense a thinking university also promotes active citizenship. Combining the philosophical postulation of Martin Heidegger’s (Heidegger M (1927) Being and time, (Trans: Macquarrie J and Robinson E 1967), Harper & Row, New York) ‘threshold’ and Paolo Friere’s (1972) liberation pedagogy, our position is that universities can create an environment where students can be empowered through knowledge and the development of a set of tools to employ that knowledge. To do this, we propose that a thinking university actively embodies and promotes the idea of the citizen scholar (Arvanitakis J (2014) Massification and the large lecture theatre: from panic to excitement. High Educ 67:735–745).
Ecopolitics Thought and Action, 2000
The new wave of arguments against migration has a decidedly green tinge. James Arvanitakis looks ... more The new wave of arguments against migration has a decidedly green tinge. James Arvanitakis looks at population and the lifeboat mentality
The rise of the Swedish right reflects a trend that is occurring across Europe riding on the back... more The rise of the Swedish right reflects a trend that is occurring across Europe riding on the back of anti-immigration rhetoric: Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and Germany. Reading the tealeaves of her own demise, German Chancellor, Angela Merkal, to announce that ‘multiculturalism has utterly failed’. This echoes former Prime Minister, John Howard’s declaration that ‘multiculturalism has gone too far’ and that the Anglo-sphere needs to be proud of it achievements. So, is multiculturalism dead and must it be killed off before we can be proud of ‘our’ achievements
"Piracy" is a concept that seems everywhere in the contemporary world. From the big scr... more "Piracy" is a concept that seems everywhere in the contemporary world. From the big screen with the dashing Jack Sparrow, to the dangers off the coast of Somalia; from the claims by the Motion Picture Association of America that piracy funds terrorism, to the political impact of pirate parties in countries like Sweden and Germany. While the spread of piracy provokes responses from the shipping and copyright industries, the reverse is also true: for every new development in capitalist technologies, some sort of "piracy" moment emerges. This is maybe most obvious in the current ideologisation of Internet piracy where the rapid spread of so called Pirate Parties is developing into a kind of global political movement. While the pirates of Somalia seem a long way removed from Internet pirates illegally downloading the latest music hit or, it is the assertion of this book that such developments indicate a complex interplay between capital flows and relations, late modernity, property rights and spaces of contestation. That is, piracy seems to emerge at specific nodes in capitalist relations that create both blockages and leaks between different social actors.PiracyLa
Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arv... more Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arvanitakis and Martin Fredriksson. This anthology takes the concept of piracy as a starting point to discuss the instability of property as a social construction and how this is spatially situated. Piracy is understood as acts and practices that emerge in zones where the construction and definition of property is ambiguous. Media piracy is a frequently used example where file-sharers and copyright holders argue whether culture and information is a common resource to be freely shared or property to be protected. This book highlights that this is not a dilemma unique to immaterial resources: concepts such as property, ownership and the rights of use are just as diffuse when it comes to spatial resources such as land, water, air or urban space.
Transformation of the University, 2022
This last fortnight in American politics has continued to surprise and confound commentators whil... more This last fortnight in American politics has continued to surprise and confound commentators while simultaneously ratifying our suspicions. We have seen the Trump Administration have a failed unofficial campaign launch, the Democrats uncertain about where to position themselves on the political spectrum and the reform movement suffering setbacks. In this article, I discuss whether an inclusive left political pivot is possible.
Universities must be nimble in the contemporary environment – not only with the delivery, but als... more Universities must be nimble in the contemporary environment – not only with the delivery, but also with our curriculum. In this blog, I review some of the literature on what employers want from graduates. If you go through the dozens of articles on this topic, there continues to emerge a series of important themes regarding the types of skills we need to ensure that our graduates and postgraduate develop. I place these under a series of thematic assemblages.
A discussion of how we universities must confront gender inquality
Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the re-emergence of One Nation, refusal to accept human ind... more Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the re-emergence of One Nation, refusal to accept human induced climate change and the failure of other evidence based policy initiatives such as needs-based school funding and health care. Just how much we have failed emerges most sharply in the United States highlighted by a Pew Research Centre study found the massive gulf between scientific opinion and the position of the general public. This paper looks at how we can respond as educators
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2017
Global media journal, 2021
COVID-19 re-shaped the political landscape across the world but in particularly the United States... more COVID-19 re-shaped the political landscape across the world but in particularly the United States. While partisanship has long defined US politics, the lack of trust between political protagonists was highlighted throughout 2020, and even shaped everything to do with the virus. It emerged when discussing the way President Trump was handling the crisis as well as just how seriously the threat should be taken. Despite using social media to dismiss concerns of the virus, it was not pandemic-related posts that ultimately led to Trump’s removal from social media but the events at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021, when throngs of people stormed the Capitol Building subsequent to a public speech by Trump earlier that day decrying perceived election injustices. The fact that Donald Trump’s statements regarding COVID-19 did not draw de-platforming, yet his statements regarding election integrity did, present a new context for consideration of a perennial question of free speech versus censorship: how do we define harm sufficient to justify removing someone’s right to express themselves in that way? If Trump’s behaviour via social media was harmful in both the pandemic context and the context of the capitol riots, why was one harm sufficient to justify his de-platforming while the other was not
Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Although some areas may have annual rainfall of over ... more Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Although some areas may have annual rainfall of over 1,200 millimeters, many regions are susceptible to drought, and the Australian climate is highly variable, changing dramatically across the continent and from year-to-year (Bureau of Meteorology 2011). This variability in weather patterns means Australia is subject to certain "natural" disasters, particularly droughts, bushfires and floods
This contribution is a reflection, conversation and debate between two people struggling to under... more This contribution is a reflection, conversation and debate between two people struggling to understand their own prejudices and interrogate the meaning of anti-racist politics. Acknowledging our own positions of privilege, we see ourselves as embodying whiteness: Dinesh as an Indian velakaran (Tamil expression for ‘white man’) and James as a ‘white-wog’ (being ethnic in name and heritage only). In the process of self-acknowledgment, we ask each other to answer four questions honestly (and brutally): How do we embody whiteness? How do we embody racism? How do you do anti-racist politics? Can we be free of racism? We conclude by reflecting on how anti-racist politics might be possible, even when guided haphazardly by ‘racists like us…
In mid-July 2016, a group of academic researchers passionate about teaching and learning gathered... more In mid-July 2016, a group of academic researchers passionate about teaching and learning gathered at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in New Delhi, India, for a two-day intensive workshop. Of those present, seven were from a cross section of universities from Australia, and a further seven from universities across India. Though they had never met face to face before, they had set themselves a daunting task: to pair off and co-write a chapter responding to one of the seven key challenges confronting Indian and Australian universities
The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understan... more The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understand. There are five dimensions of American life that may provide insights into this new environment and how it could work for Trump despite his initial handling of the crisis.
Universities, the Citizen Scholar and the Future of Higher Education, 2016
Modern higher education is faced with a common problem regardless of location and developmental c... more Modern higher education is faced with a common problem regardless of location and developmental contexts: How do we educate students in a time of disruption?
The Thinking University, 2018
The present chapter considers what constitutes a thinking university of the future. We argue that... more The present chapter considers what constitutes a thinking university of the future. We argue that universities as centres of thought need to consider the relationship between knowledge and citizenship. How knowledge is produced and transmitted matters as this is truly what is transformational to both the students encountered and the communities engaged. But the role of the contemporary university is not only to produce and transmit knowledge but also to foster individual and community empowerment. In this sense a thinking university also promotes active citizenship. Combining the philosophical postulation of Martin Heidegger’s (Heidegger M (1927) Being and time, (Trans: Macquarrie J and Robinson E 1967), Harper & Row, New York) ‘threshold’ and Paolo Friere’s (1972) liberation pedagogy, our position is that universities can create an environment where students can be empowered through knowledge and the development of a set of tools to employ that knowledge. To do this, we propose that a thinking university actively embodies and promotes the idea of the citizen scholar (Arvanitakis J (2014) Massification and the large lecture theatre: from panic to excitement. High Educ 67:735–745).
Ecopolitics Thought and Action, 2000
The new wave of arguments against migration has a decidedly green tinge. James Arvanitakis looks ... more The new wave of arguments against migration has a decidedly green tinge. James Arvanitakis looks at population and the lifeboat mentality
The rise of the Swedish right reflects a trend that is occurring across Europe riding on the back... more The rise of the Swedish right reflects a trend that is occurring across Europe riding on the back of anti-immigration rhetoric: Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and Germany. Reading the tealeaves of her own demise, German Chancellor, Angela Merkal, to announce that ‘multiculturalism has utterly failed’. This echoes former Prime Minister, John Howard’s declaration that ‘multiculturalism has gone too far’ and that the Anglo-sphere needs to be proud of it achievements. So, is multiculturalism dead and must it be killed off before we can be proud of ‘our’ achievements
"Piracy" is a concept that seems everywhere in the contemporary world. From the big scr... more "Piracy" is a concept that seems everywhere in the contemporary world. From the big screen with the dashing Jack Sparrow, to the dangers off the coast of Somalia; from the claims by the Motion Picture Association of America that piracy funds terrorism, to the political impact of pirate parties in countries like Sweden and Germany. While the spread of piracy provokes responses from the shipping and copyright industries, the reverse is also true: for every new development in capitalist technologies, some sort of "piracy" moment emerges. This is maybe most obvious in the current ideologisation of Internet piracy where the rapid spread of so called Pirate Parties is developing into a kind of global political movement. While the pirates of Somalia seem a long way removed from Internet pirates illegally downloading the latest music hit or, it is the assertion of this book that such developments indicate a complex interplay between capital flows and relations, late modernity, property rights and spaces of contestation. That is, piracy seems to emerge at specific nodes in capitalist relations that create both blockages and leaks between different social actors.PiracyLa
Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arv... more Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arvanitakis and Martin Fredriksson. This anthology takes the concept of piracy as a starting point to discuss the instability of property as a social construction and how this is spatially situated. Piracy is understood as acts and practices that emerge in zones where the construction and definition of property is ambiguous. Media piracy is a frequently used example where file-sharers and copyright holders argue whether culture and information is a common resource to be freely shared or property to be protected. This book highlights that this is not a dilemma unique to immaterial resources: concepts such as property, ownership and the rights of use are just as diffuse when it comes to spatial resources such as land, water, air or urban space.
Transformation of the University, 2022
This last fortnight in American politics has continued to surprise and confound commentators whil... more This last fortnight in American politics has continued to surprise and confound commentators while simultaneously ratifying our suspicions. We have seen the Trump Administration have a failed unofficial campaign launch, the Democrats uncertain about where to position themselves on the political spectrum and the reform movement suffering setbacks. In this article, I discuss whether an inclusive left political pivot is possible.
Universities must be nimble in the contemporary environment – not only with the delivery, but als... more Universities must be nimble in the contemporary environment – not only with the delivery, but also with our curriculum. In this blog, I review some of the literature on what employers want from graduates. If you go through the dozens of articles on this topic, there continues to emerge a series of important themes regarding the types of skills we need to ensure that our graduates and postgraduate develop. I place these under a series of thematic assemblages.
A discussion of how we universities must confront gender inquality
Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the re-emergence of One Nation, refusal to accept human ind... more Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the re-emergence of One Nation, refusal to accept human induced climate change and the failure of other evidence based policy initiatives such as needs-based school funding and health care. Just how much we have failed emerges most sharply in the United States highlighted by a Pew Research Centre study found the massive gulf between scientific opinion and the position of the general public. This paper looks at how we can respond as educators
Building on his research on citizenship and innovative pedagogical approaches, in this session Ja... more Building on his research on citizenship and innovative pedagogical approaches, in this session James will highlight how through participatory practices, the classroom can be a place knowledge making and impact. James will explore the changing nature of engagement and will demonstrate how curriculum innovation can promote not only good teaching practices, but a sense of active citizenship both within and beyond school borders. Given the changing environment, James will argue that promoting a sense of active citizenship is fundamental to the future of universities. Drawing on a number of interactive exercises, James will aim to reflect on student engagement and how we can teach like pirates.
This symposium was part of an Office of Learning and Teaching extension grant and focussed on enh... more This symposium was part of an Office of Learning and Teaching extension grant and focussed on enhancing Interactions between domestic and international students in higher education. Focussing on the need for a broader understanding of the internationalisation of the curriculum, a number of innovative pedagogical approaches where outlined.
The future of higher education is in question as universities struggle to remain relevant to the ... more The future of higher education is in question as universities struggle to remain relevant to the present and future needs of society. This book embodies a vision for higher education where graduate attributes and proficiencies akin to the Citizen Scholar are at the core of the academic project and it suggests how we can reach this future.
The future of higher education is in question as universities struggle to remain relevant to the ... more The future of higher education is in question as universities struggle to remain relevant to the present and future needs of society. The context in which learning occurs is rapidly changing and those engaged and interested in the place and position of university education need to figure out to adapt. This book embodies a vision for higher education where graduate attributes and proficiencies are at the core of the academic project, where degree programs move beyond disciplinary content and where students are encouraged to be Citizen Scholars. Through a series of cross-disciplinary and contextual cases, the contributors to this book articulate how this vision can be achieved in our pedagogical environments, future proofing higher education.
Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arvanitakis and Mar... more Introductory chapter to the book 'Property, Place and Piracy', edited by Jams Arvanitakis and Martin Fredriksson. This anthology takes the concept of piracy as a starting point to discuss the instability of property as a social construction and how this is spatially situated. Piracy is understood as acts and practices that emerge in zones where the construction and definition of property is ambiguous. Media piracy is a frequently used example where file-sharers and copyright holders argue whether culture and information is a common resource to be freely shared or property to be protected. This book highlights that this is not a dilemma unique to immaterial resources: concepts such as property, ownership and the rights of use are just as diffuse when it comes to spatial resources such as land, water, air or urban space.