Log in
Jennifer Saul's research on implicit bias in academia has directly affected practises and policies within philosophy in several countries, leading to changes in journal refereeing procedures, conference organisation, and admissions and hiring procedures. It has also become part of larger discussions in the media and elsewhere regarding gender bias and barriers to the advancement of women.
Professor Barry C. Smith's research on `the objectivity of tastes and tasting', first presented in 2004, has made a substantial and ongoing impact on the food and drinks industry and on public interest in and understanding of the multisensory nature of flavour perception. His defence of the objectivity of taste opened up a new line of interdisciplinary research that has informed the wine industry's work and generated considerable interest among food and drinks critics, journalists, and the public.
The impact was on practitioners in art and education who used research on sexuate difference in their practices. Sexuate differences are bodily, social and cultural differences around gender that are not strictly based on sexual difference; for instance, they can be cultural differences around pregnancy. The research raised awareness of the significance of gender in contemporary cultural production and the development of educational practices. Three conferences and a network website generated dialogue, new works and novel ways of thinking about gender across artistic and educational communities. Public space for art works was made available through a website and public events.
Rai Gaita's work brings a distinctive conception of good and evil to bear on a range of central and abiding moral questions. His work has shaped and changed the understanding of core moral and political issues by the general public in Australia and in other countries, and it has influenced the attitudes of policy makers and lawyers. Some of his books are on the reading list for the Higher School Certificate in Australia and have therefore had an immediate impact on the moral sensitivities of young Australians.
Not many contemporary moral philosophers have had such impact beyond the academic sphere. Why and how has Gaita achieved this impact? While academic philosophers tend to present their ideas in more technical form, Gaita's work crosses the boundaries between philosophical inquiry and literature. He brings philosophical issues to life by using the narrative form. For instance, his book Romulus, My Father, which uses biography to meditate on the human condition, has reached and influenced vast numbers of people. It was adapted into a film of the same title internationally released in 2007 and 2008. The inextricable connection between form and content in Gaita's work enables non-philosophical audiences to engage with, and respond to, his moral philosophy. In addition, his work has made a substantial contribution to the publishing and creative industries through the outstanding success of his books and related outputs.
The Spinoza Research Network (SRN) contributed to public discourse through online presence, public lectures and radio interviews, with impact through increased understanding and awareness, and changes in behaviour. The project had impact on cultural life through engagement with artists and impact on their practice. The SRN was a 2-year AHRC-funded project for researchers in multiple disciplines working on Spinoza with non-academics. In 2008-10 SRN gained 200 members from over 16 countries. Membership is currently around 250. The outputs were an interactive website, two conferences, and an edited book, public speaking, a Facebook group, a reading group, and two radio interviews.
This case study focuses upon the translation of academic research into the improved school teaching of philosophy. Since 2003, the Department has run an annual one-day national conference, free of charge, alternating between sixth-form teachers and pupils. The impact of these has been: