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This book researches the study of languages other than English, and their place in the Australian tertiary sector. Languages are discussed in the context of the histories of Australian universities, and the series of reports and surveys about languages across the second half of the twentieth century. It demonstrates how changes in the ethnic mix of society are reflected in language offerings, and how policies on languages have changed as a result of societal influences. Also discussed is the extent to which influencing factors changed over time depending on social, cultural, political and economic contexts, and the extent to which governments prioritised the promotion and funding of languages because of their perceived contribution to the national interest. The book will give readers an understanding as to whether languages have mattered to Australia in a national and international sense and how Australia’s attention to languages has been reflected in its identity and its sense of place in the world.
From the 1920s to the 1960s the Australian Left struggled to make ideological sense of the Great Depression, the growth of fascism and militarism overseas, World War II, the atomic bomb, the Cold War and fear of communism. All these issues found expression on the campus of Australia's oldest university, where ardent youth pursued the ideal of social justice. Sydney's controversial philosophy professor John Anderson and his Freethought Society added volatility to the mix with their rejection of orthodox politics. Later, impassioned hostility between supporters of the Communist Party, the Labor Party and the Catholic 'Movement' led by B. A. Santamaria ruffled undergraduate life. Alan Barcan was himself a participant in the radical movement. This account of the period, leavened with anecdotes and lively undergraduate wit, recreates the texture of student life and the shifting faultlines of political loyalties.