DOCSLIB.ORG

Through a Glass Darkly: the Social Sciences Look at the Neoliberal

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Through a Glass Darkly The Social Sciences Look at the Neoliberal University Through a Glass Darkly The Social Sciences Look at the Neoliberal University Edited by Margaret Thornton In memory of Scott Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Creator: Thornton, Margaret, author. Title: Through a glass darkly : The social sciences look at the neoliberal university / Margaret Thornton. ISBN: 9781925022131 (paperback) 9781925022148 (ebook) Subjects: Education, Higher--Australia--Evaluation. Higher education and state--Australia. Education, Higher--Economic aspects--Australia. Social sciences--Study and teaching (Higher)--Australia. Educational change--Australia. Dewey Number: 378.94 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover image: Three Figures, 1971. Carlos Merida (1891-1984)/SOMAAP. Licensed by Viscopy, 2014. Credit: Private CollectionPhoto @ Christie’s Images/Bridgeman Images Cover design and layout by ANU Press Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2015 ANU Press First edition © 2014 ANU Press Contents Acknowledgements . xiii Contributors . xv Acronyms and Abbreviations . xxi Introduction: The Retreat from the Critical . 1 Margaret Thornton The neoliberal embrace . 2 Universities upside down . 4 Wrestling with the social . 7 The collection . 10 Part I: Theorising the modern university . 10 Part II: Markets, managers and mandarins . 11 Part III: Education for the ‘real world’ . 13 Part IV: Conditions of knowledge production . 14 Part V: Telling it how it is . 14 Part VI: University futures? . 15 Part I: Theorising the Modern University 1 . Disinterested Scholars or Interested Parties? The Public’s Investment in Self-interested Universities . 19 Hannah Forsyth Introduction . 19 Academic freedom and the idea of the university . 21 The public interest and the idea of the university . 27 The evolution of self-interested universities . 30 Conclusions . 35 2 . Critical Theory and the New University: Reflections on Time and Technology . 37 Peter Beilharz 3 . Gendered Hierarchies of Knowledge and the Prestige Factor: How Philosophy Survives Market Rationality . 49 Fiona Jenkins Philosophy and the market . 50 Market mechanisms and global values . 55 Gender equality in the orbit of ‘excellence’ . 58 Part II: Markets, Managers and Mandarins 4 . What’s to be Explained? And is it so Bad? . 65 Geoffrey Brennan Getting the diagnosis right . 65 What’s the market got to do with it? . 66 What is to be explained? . 68 A modified institutional analysis . 69 Questions of motivation . 69 Extending the institutional array . 72 The modern Australian university? The issue of scale . 74 5 . Higher Education ‘Markets’ and University Governance . 79 Tony Aspromourgos Academic markets and competition . 80 Research key performance indicators . 84 Managerialism and academic ethics . 86 Some concluding thoughts . 87 6 . Transforming the Public University: Market Citizenship and Higher Education Regulatory Projects . 89 Kanishka Jayasuriya Introduction . 89 The changing mission of the public university, state projects, and citizenship . 91 Higher education regulatory state and the making of market citizenship . 96 Conclusion . 102 7 . The State of the Universities . 103 Glenn Withers History . 103 Modern Australian tertiary education . 104 Tertiary education reform in Australia . 106 Policy implementation . 107 The role of universities . 109 Future response by universities . 111 Conclusion . 116 Part III: Education for the ‘Real World’ 8 . The Modern University and its Transaction with Students . 121 Nigel Palmer The modern university . 121 Markets . 122 Ubiquitous markets . 123 Markets capitalist, free and pure . 123 Quasi-markets . 125 Resisting ‘the market’ . 126 The university–student transaction . 127 Adequate information on quality . 128 The content of the university–student transaction . 129 Knowledge . 130 The student experience . 131 Reputation and brand . 133 State and non-state rankings . 134 Resisting marketisation . 136 Managerialism and quality . 136 Conclusion . 138 9 . Markets, Discipline, Students: Governing Student Conduct and Performance in the University . 141 Bruce Lindsay Introduction . 141 Market(s), discipline and governance . 142 The student . 145 The regulatory system for student discipline and academic exclusion . 148 Student discipline and misconduct . 150 Academic progress . 151 The evolution of purposes for regulatory controls over student conduct and performance . 153 Confidence in the supply chain of cognitive capital . 153 Response to motivational crisis . 154 Managing permanent crisis and selective austerity . 155 Conclusions . 155 10 . ‘Selling the dream’: Law School Branding and the Illusion of Choice . 157 Margaret Thornton and Lucinda Shannon Introduction . 157 Competition policy . 159 The standardising imperative . 160 Marketing and the illusion of choice . 161 Branding and the aesthetic of work . 162 Websites . 164 Legal education and the ‘golden ticket’ to employment . 165 The commercial focus . 166 Skills, experiential learning and the ‘real’ world . 167 Links with the profession and beyond . 169 Internationalising the curriculum, internationalising the appeal . 170 Critique . 173 Conclusion . 175 Part IV: Conditions of Knowledge Production 11 . Disciplining Academic Women: Gender Restructuring and the Labour of Research in Entrepreneurial Universities . 179 Jill Blackmore Research, quality and the global market . 182 Gendering academic labour . 183 Institutional differentiation and branding . 185 Leading research: Normative science and the unbundling of academic labour . 185 Implications for women as research leaders . 188 Managing research and the gender division of labour . 190 Reconfiguration of the academic workforce: Diversification, de-professionalisation and casualisation . 191 The next generation? . 192 Conclusion . 193 12 . Functional Dystopia: Diversity, Contestability and New Media in the Academy . 195 Jenny Corbett, Andrew MacIntyre and Inger Mewburn Introduction . 195 The myth of the golden age . 197 Funding and freedom . 200 Marketisation and technology . 205 Conclusions . 207 Part V: Telling It How It Is 13 . A Design for Learning? A Case Study of the Hidden Costs of Curriculum and Organisational Change . 211 Diane Kirkby and Kerreen Reiger Universities under fire . 212 Making invisible work count: Trust, emotional labour, and leadership . 213 The La Trobe University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHUSS) Organisational Implementation Strategy (OCIS) . 217 Exploring the impact of the OCIS . 219 Identifying gender dynamics at work . 220 Processes and leadership issues . 222 Grief, loss and suppression of dissent . 224 Conclusions . 226 14 . ‘Smoking Guns’: Reflections on Truth and Politics in the University . 229 Judith Bessant Introduction . 229 Background . 230 Events leading to the judgment . 231 The judgment . 233 Ticking all the boxes (2004–2009) . 236 Bad times begin … . 237 The Hayward memorandum 18 March 2010 . 241 Seeking assistance from the VC and WorkSafe . 243 Secret surveillance and smoking guns . 244 Notice of dispute: Issues Resolution Committee and the agreement . 246 More secret business: Changing my title, restricting my work and salary relocation . 248 Employment terminated: July 2011–April 2012 . 249 Redundancy Review Committee (November 2011) . 249 The trial begins . 252 In lieu of a conclusion . 252 Part VI: University Futures? 15 . Seeking the Necessary ‘Resources of Hope’ in the Neoliberal University . 259 Jane Kenway, Rebecca Boden and Johannah Fahey Beyond dirges of despair: A biographical introduction . 259 The cold embrace of the neoliberal university . 262 Hope and ‘structures of feeling’ in the hope-less university . 265 Resources of hope . 268 Spaces of hope . 269 Intergenerational hope . 269 Figures of hope . 271 Hope-full student activism . 274 Hope as collective action and civic courage . 277 Hoping with others . 279 Images of hope . 280 Concluding thoughts … . ..
Recommended publications
  • Inquiry Into Agricultural Education and Training in Victoria

    Inquiry Into Agricultural Education and Training in Victoria

    Education and Training Committee Inquiry into agricultural education and training in Victoria ORDERED TO BE PRINTED November 2012 by Authority Victorian Government Printer Parliamentary paper No.196 Session 2010–2012 Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee Inquiry into agricultural education and training in Victoria This report is also available at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc Printed on 100% recycled paper ISBN 978-0-9871154-2-3 ISBN 978-0-9871154-3-0 Electronic ii Contents Contents .............................................................................................................................. iii List of figures ...................................................................................................................... xi List of case studies ........................................................................................................... xiii Committee membership .................................................................................................... xv Functions of the Committee ............................................................................................. xvi Terms of reference ............................................................................................................ xvi Chair’s foreword .............................................................................................................. xvii Executive summary ......................................................................................................... xix List of
  • The Place and Importance for Languages Other Than English in Australia’S National Interest

    The Place and Importance for Languages Other Than English in Australia’S National Interest

    From ancient to modern: the place and importance for languages other than English in Australia’s national interest by Jennifer Joan Baldwin BA, BTheol, Grad Dip Career Devpt, M Appl Ling Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies of the University of Melbourne March 2015 Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Produced on archival quality paper Abstract This thesis investigates the history of language offerings at the tertiary level in Australian institutions from the beginnings of university education with the founding of the University of Sydney in 1851. It argues that the successive influences of British university traditions, Federation, Australia’s growing political and economic engagement with the wider world, and Australia’s developing identity as a multicultural and multilingual nation, are reflected in the introduction and maintenance of languages other than English into Australian university curricula. This historical analysis has drawn upon archival, government and oral sources and scholarly literature on higher education with an emphasis on languages within the tertiary sector from the period of expansion and reform after World War Two. The thesis contends that the evolving politics and perceptions of ‘the national interest’ have been dominant influences on the establishment of language policies and government funding decisions regarding language teaching. Certain languages have been introduced at different times taking into account the prevailing circumstances of Australia’s global economy, its trade relationships, its diplomatic ties and its security and defence imperatives as well as domestic concerns. The concept of national interest has, more broadly, been variously defined by governments, universities and interest groups in relation to both the teaching of specific languages and the collective educational and vocational value of language teaching within tertiary education at different times in the history of Australia.
  • Dates Worth Noting

    Dates Worth Noting

    CCAREER MAILBOX Thursday 5th May 2016 DATES WORTH NOTING News from the University of Melbourne Engineering & I T Programs for School Students The University of Melbourne offers a range of exciting opportunities for secondary school students to visit Parkville campus and experience Engineering & IT. Some of these programs include – Hands on Computing Find out what computing and information systems study involves and the careers that can follow, through this interactive day long program. No particular computer skills are required except for an inquisitive and creative mind! Students will also have the opportunity to meet with academics and current students. Date: Tuesday 28 June 2016 Time: 9.00am – 3.30pm Hands on Engineering Hands on Engineering is a day-long program, for Year 10 students who are interested in mathematics and science, providing hands on experience in a variety of fun activities and workshops to learn about the different fields of engineering. Students will also have the opportunity to tour the campus and meet with academics and current students. Date: Thursday 30 June 2016 Time: 9.00am – 3.30pm To find out more about either of the above mentioned, and/or to register, visit Engineering & I T Holiday Programs VCA Schools Program – Walks of Art 2016 Aimed at Visual Art students and their teachers, this walking tour will take you around alleyways and into some of the smaller artist-run gallery spaces around Melbourne. Learn more about the contemporary visual art scene in Melbourne, and be inspired! This series of walking tours will be hosted by a VCA final year visual art student.
  • Structures Readings Book

    Structures Readings Book

    Structures in tertiary education and training: a kaleidoscope or merely fragments? Research readings NATIONAL CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION RESEARCH Edited by Francesca Beddie Laura O’Connor Penelope Curtin Structures in tertiary education and training: a kaleidoscope or merely fragments? Research readings Edited by Francesca Beddie Laura O’Connor Penelope Curtin NATIONAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESEARCH PROGRAM RESEARCH READINGS The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author/ project team and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government or state and territory governments. Any interpretation of data is the responsibility of the author/project team. © Commonwealth of Australia, 2013 With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the Department’s logo, any material protected by a trade mark and where otherwise noted all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia <creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au> licence. The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the CC BY 3.0 AU licence <creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode>. The Creative Commons licence conditions do not apply to all logos, graphic design, artwork and photographs. Requests and enquiries concerning other reproduction and rights should be directed to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). This document should be attributed as Beddie, F, O’Connor, L & Curtin, P (eds) 2013, Structures in tertiary education and training: a kaleidoscope or merely fragments? Research readings, NCVER, Adelaide.
  • Department of Education & Training 2016-2020 Strategic

    Department of Education & Training 2016-2020 Strategic

    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION & TRAINING 2016 -2020 STRATEGIC PLAN CONTENTS SECRETARY’S MESSAGE .......................................................................................................................................... 3 STRATEGIC INTENT .................................................................................................................................................... 4 OUR VISION .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 OUR OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................................... 4 OUR VALUES ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 OUR OUTCOMES...................................................................................................................................................... 5 DET OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................................................. 5 EDUCATION STATE TARGETS ................................................................................................................................ 5 DET OUTCOME INDICATORS .................................................................................................................................. 8 CONTEXT: CHALLENGES AND RISKS
  • Narrative Insights Into Education Eleanor Peeler Epeeler@Unimelb.Edu.Au

    Narrative Insights Into Education Eleanor Peeler [email protected]

    Windows into the past: narrative insights into education Eleanor Peeler [email protected] WINDOWS INTO THE PAST: NARRATIVE INSIGHTS INTO EDUCATION Eleanor Peeler University of Melbourne, Melbourne Abstract The intent of this paper is to stress the importance of narrative and story, and to share the experience of opening the windows of memory to look into the past and uncover fascinating and valuable histories as portrayed in a current study. The longitudinal study of an educator follows his life story and his role in education. Set in Victoria, it explores the founding of the State’s education system and highlights progressive developments. The life story reveals the history of the system and evolving philosophies that influenced the life of the subject. The study considers the philosophies and how they influenced the subject’s thinking and actions. Using windows as a metaphor, Part 1 of the paper includes discussion regarding the appropriacy of narrative as a research tool, considers the notion of memory and introduces the research subject. Part 2 gives insights into three distinct periods and the part played by three men who guided Victoria’s educational development and growth throughout the twentieth century. In relation to each is a brief discussion of their influence on the career of the research subject. Windows into the past While the story of the narratives holds interest, the process of narrative inquiry is a valuable tool for research. The intent of this paper is to stress the importance of narrative and story, and to share the experience of opening the windows of memory to look into the past and uncover fascinating and valuable histories.
  • NAVA's Submission (343.4

    NAVA's Submission (343.4

    PO Box 60 Potts Point NAVA gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by the Australian 1335 NSW Australia Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and by T +61 2 9368 1900 the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an F +61 2 9358 6909 initiative of the Australian, State and E [email protected] Territory Governments. Patrons: Pat Corrigan AM www.visualarts.net.au Professor David Throsby ACN 003 229 285 ABN 16 003 229 28 5 National Consultation on Human Rights Submission by The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) June 2009 “Regulation and legal interference in free speech is controversial, especially in a self-stated democratic society. When art and law does collide, the result is often unsatisfactory. The nature of the adversarial system pits conflicting interests against each other: the language of boundless creativity and strict regulation could be seen as comparing apples with oranges”. Quote from Freedom of Expression research paper by Jenny Lovric commissioned by the Visual Arts Industry Guidelines Research Project in 2001 and published on NAVA’s website http://www.visualarts.net.au/readingroom The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the National Human Rights Consultation Committee. NAVA is the peak body representing and advancing the professional interests of the Australian visual arts, craft and design sector, comprising 25,000 practitioners and about 1000 galleries and other art support organisations. Since its establishment in 1983, NAVA has worked to bring about appropriate policy and legislative change to encourage the growth and development of the visual arts sector.
  • Principles for Equity in Higher Education Performance Funding

    Principles for Equity in Higher Education Performance Funding

    FINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2018 Principles for equity in higher education performance funding Associate Professor Andrew Harvey Beni Cakitaki Matthew Brett ENQUIRIES Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research La Trobe University Victoria 3086 T +613 9479 5656 E [email protected] latrobe.edu.au/cheedr Principles for equity in higher education performance funding Principles for equity in higher education performance funding is published by La Trobe University. La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria 3086 Australia Tel: +613 9479 5656 Email: [email protected] Web: latrobe.edu.au/cheedr November 2018 © La Trobe University 2018 Written by Andrew Harvey, Beni Cakitaki & Matt Brett To cite this report: Harvey, A., Cakitaki, B., & Brett, M. (2018). Principles for equity in higher education performance funding. Report for the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education Research. Melbourne: Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, La Trobe University. La Trobe University 2 latrobe.edu.au Principles for equity in higher education performance funding Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the funding of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE). The original project team comprised: • Lead Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Andrew Harvey, Director, Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, La Trobe University • Chief Investigator: Matt Brett, Senior Manager, Higher Education Policy, La Trobe University • Chief Investigator: Dr Tiffany Jones, Director of Higher Education Policy, The Education Trust • Chief Investigator: Professor Julia Clarke, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Business and Law, Manchester Metropolitan University • Chief Investigator: Dr Jason Taylor, Assistant Professor, Higher Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Utah • Research Officer: Beni Cakitaki, Research Officer, Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, La Trobe University.
  • Geoffrey Brennan | Mershon Center for International Security Studies | the Ohio State University

    Geoffrey Brennan | Mershon Center for International Security Studies | the Ohio State University

    The Ohio State www.osu.edu Help Campus map Find people Webmail University home > events > feb 2011 > geoffrey brennan September Seminar Series on Ideas, Identities and Decisional Processes that Affect Security October November Geoffrey Brennan December "Causal Responsibility and Voting" Geoffrey Brennan January Professor of Economics Australian National February Friday, February 18, 2011 University 3:30 p.m. Distinguished Research March Mershon Center for International Security Studies Professor Duke University and April 1501 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43201 University of North May Carolina - Chapel Hill To see the streaming video of this event, click here Events Archive Geoffrey Brennan is distinguished research professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. In addition to his position at UNC-Chapel Hill, he is a professor of economics in the Research School of Social Sciences at Australian National University and research professor in the Department of Political Science at Duke University. He is co-director of the UNC-Duke joint program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Brennan works actively on issues at the intersection of economics, rationality, and political philosophy. He is currently editor of the journal Economics and Philosophy and has recently, with Hartmut Kliemt and Robert Tollison, edited the Collected Works of James Buchanan (Liberty Press, 1999-2000) in 20 volumes. Brennan is author of nine books including the collaborations Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral Preference (Cambridge University Press, 1993; Oxford University Press, 2002), with Loren Lomasky; Democratic Devices and Desires (Cambridge University Press, 2000), with Alan Hamlin; and The Economy of Esteem (Oxford University Press, 2004), with Philip Pettit.
  • New Books January – June 2021 Our Team

    New Books January – June 2021 Our Team

    The discussion starts here NEW BOOKS JANUARY – JUNE 2021 OUR TEAM Greg Bain, Acting Director [email protected] Sarah Cannon, Senior Marketing Coordinator [email protected] New and forthcoming books 2 Joanne Mullins, Coordinator [email protected] Award winners and shortlisters 22 Les Thomas, Designer Recent highlights 24 [email protected] Sam van der Plank, Publishing Officer Backlist 25 [email protected] How to order and distributors 37 About our eBooks and open access books 37 Monash University Publishing Monash University Level 2, Matheson Library Annexe 44 Exhibition Walk, Clayton Campus Wellington Road Clayton VIC 3168, Australia +6 13 9905 0590 [email protected] www.publishing.monash.edu Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn CONTENTS New and forthcoming books 2 Award winners and shortlisters 22 Recent highlights 24 Backlist 25 How to order and distributors 37 About our eBooks and open access books 37 NEW AND FORTHCOMING BOOKS EVE LANGLEY AND THE PEA PICKERS By Helen Vines ‘Eve Langley’s strange story, its secrets and silences, has baffled many literary sleuths’ Brenda Niall ‘Such skilful literary detective work into one of Australia’s most astonishing and misunderstood writers’ Cathy Perkins Autobiography or fiction? This question has shadowed the work of enigmatic Australian author Eve Langley since her first novel, The Pea Pickers, was published in 1942. Almost immediately after, Eve was committed to a mental asylum in Auckland where she remained for more than seven years, separated from her three RRP: AUD/US $34.95 | May 2021 young children. Hailed as a tour de force, The Pea ISBN (paperback): 9781922464392 Pickers was based on Eve’s real-life experiences in the 1920s and tells the story of two feisty sisters who wander the Australian countryside dressed as men magazine and she co-authored seeking work and adventure.
  • A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy

    A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy

    A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy Blackwell Companions to Philosophy This outstanding student reference series offers a comprehensive and authoritative survey of philosophy as a whole. Written by today’s leading philosophers, each volume provides lucid and engaging coverage of the key fi gures, terms, topics, and problems of the fi eld. Taken together, the volumes provide the ideal basis for course use, representing an unparalleled work of reference for students and specialists alike. Already published in the series: 20. A Companion to Analytic Philosophy Edited by A. P. Martinich and David Sosa 1. The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy, 21. A Companion to Genethics Second edition Edited by Justine Burley and John Harris Edited by Nicholas Bunnin and Eric Tsui-James 22. A Companion to Philosophical Logic 2. A Companion to Ethics Edited by Dale Jacquette Edited by Peter Singer 23. A Companion to Early Modern Philosophy 3. A Companion to Aesthetics Edited by Steven Nadler Edited by David Cooper 24. A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle 4. A Companion to Epistemology Ages Edited by Jonathan Dancy and Ernest Sosa Edited by Jorge J. E. Gracia and Timothy B. Noone 5. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy (2-volume set), Second edition 25. A Companion to African-American Edited by Robert E. Goodin, Philip Pettit and Philosophy Thomas Pogge Edited by Tommy L. Lott and John P. Pittman 6. A Companion to Philosophy of Mind 26. A Companion to Applied Ethics Edited by Samuel Guttenplan Edited by R. G. Frey and Christopher Heath Wellman 7. A Companion to Metaphysics Edited by Jaegwon Kim and Ernest Sosa 27.
  • The Many Sides of Agnes Heller's Concept of Emotional Households, with Case Studies Drawn from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and the Little Company

    The Many Sides of Agnes Heller's Concept of Emotional Households, with Case Studies Drawn from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and the Little Company

    LIGHT & SHADOW – THE MANY SIDES OF AGNES HELLER’S CONCEPT OF EMOTIONAL HOUSEHOLDS, WITH CASE STUDIES DRAWN FROM TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND THE LITTLE COMPANY Ann McCarthy ORCID Identifier 0000-0003-2698-3554 Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2017 School of Social and Political Sciences / School of Historical and Philosophical Studies This thesis is submitted in total fulfilment of the degree. ABSTRACT This thesis examines the model of emotional households that features in the work of Hungarian-born social theorist and philosopher Agnes Heller, and applies it to literary characters drawn from two Australian novels: Eleanor Dark’s The Little Company and M. Barnard Eldershaw’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Applying Heller’s concept of emotional households, I consider characters in each of these novels, and the ways they make the world around them their own, or fail to do so. These fictional characters are chosen for the depth and breadth of their depictions of human endeavours - of the interaction of Self and society, and the complex range of factors typically at work therein. Heller’s concept of emotional households is the basis of an approach linking emotions to personality, with the accent on the many ways feeling and thinking occur in conjunction with each other within human consciousness. It encompasses topics such as self-understanding and self-talk, the enduring meaning contained in our deep feelings, and the ideas, concepts and values we reach for to express ourselves, including in times of uncertainty and suffering. The task of enquiring into the emotional worlds of fictional characters, as undertaken in the case studies in this thesis, is one that is consistent with Heller’s own work.