Conflict & society

The nexus of social and military history

The research strengths within UNSW Canberra, and especially the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, revolve around concepts such as ‘conflict’ and ‘society’. ‘Conflict’ expresses an interest in war and peace and the shades and nuances of social, political and military dimensions. These include societal discord more broadly. ‘Society’ encompasses culture (in all senses) including military culture and its relationship to civil societies. One of the school’s traditional strengths is a broad, diverse and coherent focus on the investigation of what can be concisely described as ‘Conflict and Society’.

Within the broad constellation of approaches, several interdisciplinary projects or ventures can be identified: the investigation of ‘Cold War Lives and Literature’ project, the prospective ‘Security in Colonial Australasia’ project, and the existing ‘Conflict and Society’ seminar series and the editing of the international scholarly journal War & Society. Further proposals, short- and long-term, will arise from the cooperation between participants in the Conflict & Society Research Group.

These enterprises bring together the school’s staff, postgraduates and visiting fellows to pursue interdisciplinary research articulating key ideas within and beyond its community.

The Conflict & Society Research Group is led by Dr Neil Ramsey.

Research themes

Military history

We have a significant and growing international presence in the study of armed conflict and society from a historical perspective.

Information warfare and influence

We investigate the historical dimensions of information warfare. These include propaganda (the mobilisation of print culture in the conduct of modern war), the politics of war commemoration, the histories of censorship, and the production and circulation of war narratives in the English-speaking world from the 18th century to the present.

Literature, media & cultures of conflict

UNSW Canberra furthers public understanding of Australian and international literary and cultural heritage. Our prize-winning books reach general readerships, giving the public new ways to access the forms of culture we all inherit.