Tara Brabazon podcast
Tara Brabazon explores popular culture and education, focusing on how the two intersect and influence each other. The podcast examines cultural trends, media, and learning in contemporary society. Each episode offers critical reflection on the role of education in shaping and responding to popular culture.
Episodes
Conversation with Suzanne Morch-Lassen - 1
Welcome to our first conversation with Suzanne Morch-Lassen. Suzanne has one year to go on her PhD. Let's share this time.
Isolation in academic life: a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla discuss the odd and unique isolation and atomization in academic life.
How do we balance the emotions of care with the labour of care? A conversation with Kelly Dombroski
How do we balance the emotions of care with the labour of care? To answer this question, Tara and Kelly talk about Kelly's article titled "Communities of Care in the Nitty-Gritty of Commons-Work." The article is available to read from here: https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5956217
How do we decide to make changes in our professional lives? A conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Making changes in our lives. It is difficult. But how do we decide when to make those changes? And what evidence is useful to these transformations?
Comparisons - A conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla talk about the challenges and difficulties when we compare ourselves with others.
Transitional commoning - a conversation with Professor Kelly Dombroski
Tara talks with Kelly about 'transitional commoning,' from her article titled, 'Can the commons be temporary?' This discussion reveals how - even through disasters - life and transformations can emerge. This research article is available here - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2019.1567480
Embodied teaching and learning - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla talk about bodies. And teaching. And learning. In supposedly digital times.
Meaningful teaching and learning cultures - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Priscilla and Tara talk about how to enhance teaching and learning in these strange times for international higher education.
Conversations with Kelly 1 - Postcapitalist politics through the sites and practices of life work
In this first conversation with Professor Kelly Dombroski, we explore her book chapter written with Dr Oona Morrow, exploring postcapitalist politics in and through life work. (The chapter is available here via Google Books: https://books.google.co.nz/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0MVgEQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA82&dq=Postcapitalist+politics+through+the+sites+and+practices+of+life+work&ots=PiwxHSpCht&sig=23Uz_5QXz
The gifts of teaching and learning - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
So often teaching and learning are minimized or reduced, in favour of the major research project, or big grant. This week, Priscilla and Tara talk about the power of teaching and learning, to enliven our universities.
Impact and engagement - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Impact and engagement. These words pump through our universities. But what do them mean?
How to develop a research trajectory
Tara and Priscilla talk about momentum, and how to build a research career, against the odds.
Community Connections - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla discuss how to build authentic and meaning community links, beyond the superficial metrics and the platitudes.
Building a positive academic culture
The news reports discussing universities around the world are negative. Horrific. Concerning. This week, Priscilla and Tara talk about how to - against the odds - build a positive academic culture, to enable growth, development and opportunities.
Boundaries and boundary management - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla talk about the power and importance of role clarity and boundary management in our professional lives.
Governance - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Governance is often unpopular. But what is its value in universities? Does it transform what matters?
From SoTL to SoS and Beyond
This is a recorded presentation of Tara's From SoTL to SoS and Beyond for the College Development Network in Scotland.
Professional Development and future proofing your career
Priscilla and Tara talk about how to use PD to build a sustainable career.
Connecting teaching and research - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
So much of academic life is separated. Atomized. This week, Priscilla and I talk about how we maintain the connection between teaching and research.
The specificity of the social work PhD
Tara and Professor Priscilla Dunk-West explore the specificity and power of a PhD in social work.
Why do a PhD now?
Tara and Professor Priscilla Dunk-West explore why there is both value and meaning in considering the enrolment into a PhD - now.
Episode Ten - Submission and examination
There is so much focus on supervisors and the candidature of a PhD. This focus reduces the understanding of the submission process and examination. Episode ten focuses on the crucial moment of a PhD. How, when and why it is examined.
Episode Nine - Writing and editing
For episode nine, Jamie and Tara focus on the writing and editing of a thesis. And the importance and value of quality writing to enable quality dissemination.
Episode Eight - Managing Failure
PhD projects - like research more generally - are filled with failure. Jamie and Tara talk about the importance of this failure and how it is a powerful moment in learning, development, transparency and accountability.
Episode Seven - Managing Feedback
Whenever complaints are listed about doctoral programmes, a lack of feedback is the most common response from students. But what is feedback - and how can it operate with transparency, compassion, and usefulness? Also - why do students ignore feedback?
Episode Six - Publications and the PhD
In this sixth episode, Tara and Jamie have a robust (!!!) discussion about the place and role of publications in a PhD programme and degree.
Episode Five - Professional development and the PhD
Professional development is often as popular as teeth extraction. But Jamie and Tara talk aboout why it matters, and why it is meaningful for a productive research education programme.
Episode Four - Relationships and the PhD
Jamie and Tara explore the vexed terrain of professional relationships during the PhD
Episode Three - PhD Writing Cultures
Jamie and Tara talk about writing in a PhD programme, with attention to the 'craft' of writing and the separation of writing and drafting.
Episode Two - PhD Reading Cultures
Jamie and Tara explore the specific reading cultures that emerge in doctoral education.
Episode One - Preparing for a PhD
In this first episode of The Dance between Experience and Expertise, Tara and Jamie discuss how to prepare fro a PhD enrolment.
Goal settings in our working lives - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
There is much talk about aspirations, inspirations and motivations. But how do we cut away the clutter to build a meaningful and actionable goal? This podcast with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West explores the power and value of specifying a goal that matters.
The power of academic mobility
This conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West explores the messy and intricate challenges of mobility in academic life.
A caring infrastructure - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla talk about care. In our tough times, caring seems the least of our concerns. But following on from the remarkable Professor Waghid, a caring infrastructure is transformative for our organizations.
Burnout - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Burnout is one of those words. It masks as much as it reveals. Let's talk about it - as a proxy and a bandaid.
Ethics - a conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Ethics clearances in research are time consuming. They can be frustrating. But why do research projects have ethical requirements? Tara and Priscilla talk about ethics - and the alternatives.
Research leadership and research management - a Conversation with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Priscilla and Tara talk about research leadership, and how to enable a plurality of disciplines and approaches, and a diversity of researchers.
A conversation about Menopause - with Professor Priscilla Dunk-West
Tara and Priscilla talk about menopause and the transformative capacity of research for women's lives.
How to prepare a second and third edition of a book - a conversation with Priscilla Dunk-West
From Passion to Traction: The skills needed for a postdoc
Tara and Jamie talk about how to take the concrete steps to find, be selected for, and enjoy, a postdoctoral post.
Pondering a Postdoc
In this first episode of Ask Tara and Jamie Anything (!!!!), we respond to Belinda's request to talk about the postdoc. What is it? What does it look like?
Doug Boothey 2 - Social capital, consciousness and social responsibility
Doug, Jamie and Tara summon Putnum's theorization of 'social capital.' Why was it meaningful - and does it have a role in understanding contemporary politics, including climate change?
Doug Boothey 1 - Learning from the past
Doug, Tara and Jamie talk about starting a PhD with power and energy, and learning from the past.
Touchstone Beginnings - Digital Doctorate
How is digitization transforming doctoral education?
Bloom 2 - Mpho Dube, midwifery research with love, dignity and care
Tara talks with Mpho Dube who explores the power of midwifery in enabling the life and voice of refugee women. Mpho describes this reearch as building life for generations. In this moving podcast, she shows the importance of love in creating a culture of care and social justice.
Bloom 1 - Megan Bayliss, Lived Experience, and the digital doctorate
When is the right time to complete a PhD? What topics will sustain your interest? In this first episode of Bloom, the podcast series for CDU's Graduate Education program, Megan Bayliss describes her journey into doctoral education, and the power of her topic for mental health and mental fitness. Megan is based in Norfolk Island and she talks about the gift and challenges of regional, rural and
Maive 28 - Headings
What do we do when ideas in a chapter are fragmented? How do we create a streamlined argument? This week, Maive, Jamie and Tara talk about the role of headings in the drafting stages of research.
Maive 27 - CV
Maive, Jamie and Tara talk about the academic CV and building momentum and a future.
Maive 26 - Interpretations
Maive, Jamie and Tara talk about how interpretations are carefully built from reading and research.
Maive 25 - Objects
As we probe the role of memory in writing a creative-led thesis, this week we add texture and complexity to objects.
Maive 24 - Boundaries
Maive, Jamie and Tara talk about building momentum in a thesis while respecting the professional boundaries of supervision.
Maive 23 - Confirming progress
In the middle of a PhD, it is difficult to confirm that the work is of standard and being produced at the necessary speed. Jamie, Maive and Tara talk about how to confirm progress.
Maive 22 - Soundscapes
Sonic memos. Sonic notetaking. But what can sound recording 'do' for our intellectual work? Let's talk about sound, speed and scholarship.
Maive 21 - Drift
Maive, Jamie and Tara explore psychogeography. Specifically, we probe 'drift.' We have discovered a key theory and trope. This session explores a distinctive way of thinking about PhD supervision, and the gift of weekly meetings.
Maive 20 - Despair
How do we understand - how do we research - despair? Case and Deaton explored 'Deaths of Despair'. But how can Maive explore despair while theorizing the historical transformations of class?
Maive 19 - Space and time and deaths of despair
Maive, Jamie and Tara explore Case and Deaton's "Deaths of Despair." How can this theory enable Maive's research into King's Cross in the 1970s?
Maive 18 - The Personal and the Professional
The relationship between the personal and the professional in supervisory relationships should be straight-forward. It rarely is. Maive and Tara - and with a late guest starring appearance from Jamie - probe the nature of supervisory relationships. Particularly when the supervisors are married. There are some controversies about married supervisors. We talk about it - from the student's perspe
Maive 17 - Solid
Maive and Tara talk about standards, particularly early in a candidature. When is enough work - enough?
Maive 16 - Managing disappointment
Managing disappointment is a necessity to survive in life. But during a PhD, disappointment creates a wash of emotions and internal dialogues. This week, Maive and Tara talk about how to manage disappointment each day, and throughout a candidature.
Maive 15 - The Sounds of Research
Maive, Tara and Jamie explore how soundscapes can offer interventions in PhD supervision, providing support, feedback and sensory memory.
Maive 14 - All Change
Maive and Tara talk about the complexity and volatility of higher education, and the impact of that volatility on higher degree students.
Maive 13 - Claustropolitanism and the internal dialogue
Tara and Maive enter claustropolitanism. What is the impact of despair, the sense that the world is ending, on how we live our lives?
Maive 12 - Thinking about harm
Harm is an important word. In life. In theory. Yet how does our research transform when 'harm' becomes the lens for research? Maive and Tara probe this concept.
Maive 11 - Why Maive researched ultra realist criminology
Maive is producing creative-led research for her thesis: an artefact and an exegesis. Why - therefore - was she drawn to a very subtle and provocative slice of criminological theory? This week, we explore why this exploration of ultra realist criminology - and social harm - was so important to Maive's PhD.
Maive 10 - Confirmation Concluded
Maive and Tara about Maive's confirmation of candidature. What happened. What were the surprises. Why it matters.
Maive 10 - Confirmation Concluded
Maive and Tara about Maive's confirmation of candidature. What happened. What were the surprises. Why it matters.
Maive 9 - Preparing for the confirmation of candidature
Maive and Tara (over)share the stress of preparing for the Confirmation of Candidature. It is a tough event in the life of PhD students. But it is a proof of concept and not an examination...
Maive 8 - Clustering the literature
Tara and Maive talk about literature reviews, and particularly how they can be constructed within the parameters of the artefact and exegesis PhD
Maive 7 - Research Headings
As Maive is moving towards her Confirmation of Candidature, she is working on her report that will be assessed by assessors. What are the requirements of that document? What headings will make a difference?
Maive 6 - Commitment
A PhD requires commitment: of time and energy. But it also requires a commitment to take a risk, and be courageous. Maive and Tara talk about the commitment to ideas, and a commitment to a mode of writing. And why that commitment matters to the form and content of research.
Maive 5 - The Soundscapes of Supervision
How do supervisors provide the context, the frame and the shape for student learning? One rather unusual method is creating a soundscape for supervisors and students to share. Tara and Maive talk about summoning 1975 through doctoral research and the power of supervisory soundscapes.
Maive 4 - Managing feedback
Maive, Tara and Jamie talk about how students can handle feedback, with attention to creating a record of learning for future publications and dissemnation. The also talk about the different modes of feedback for the artefacts and exegeses in doctoral education.
Maive 3 - The history of a place
How do we think about, remember, summon and research a place that no longer exists? How do we understand an historic place? Maive, Tara and Jamie talk about a past of meaning, resonance and power, without nostalgia.
Maive 2 - Reading builds thinking
Maive and Tara talk about the importance of reading in rebooting and freshening a PhD process. Reading new ideas and research can transform not only the writing process, but how the thesis is structured.
Maive 1 - The structure of a creative-led PhD
Welcome to our first podcast, introducing Maive's PhD thesis. What is a creative PhD? How is she structuring her research?
Suitcase Scientist
Tara and Jamie talk about 'the suitcase scientist.' They explore the synchrotron and its role, not only in scientific discovery but also urban, regional and national development. How can mobile scientists enable mobile knowledge?
Begin with the end in mind - how to finish a PhD quickly, meaningfully and powerfully
This is Tara's keynote presentation for the University of the Sunshine Coast. She was asked to talk about the PhD as a marathon - and how to complete it.
The auditory academic - transforming the soundscape of scholarship
We are approaching the first anniversary of Schafer's death. The father of the 'soundscape', I take this moment and concept and probe the nature of higher education, and its soundcape. In a visual age, how can an auditory academic transform our universities?
10 Platinum Rules for PhD Supervision
Too often - we value 'golden rules': treat other people as you would like to be treated. But what about 'platinum rules'? Treat others as they want to be treated. This podcast is derived from a piece for the Times Higher Education on assisting new supervisors to supervise a PhD with rigour, care, expertise and compassion.
Comfort is a cage. Happiness is the lure.
Tara was asked by the Times Higher Education to talk about happiness and higher education.
