Fiona Nicoll
University of Alberta, Political Science, Faculty Member
- Gambling Studies, Gender Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, New Media, Semiotics, Critical Theory, and 19 moreGambling and Gender, Gambling and Social Networking, Economics of Gambling, History of Gambling, Social History of Gambling, Gambling and Culture, Gambling regulation, Anthropology of Gambling, Critical Race and Whiteness Studies, Critical Indigenous Studies, Finance, Popular Culture, Indigenous Studies, Neoliberalism, Addiction, Welfare, Everyday Life, Gambling, and Critical Race Theory and Whiteness theoryedit
- Dr Fiona Nicoll is a Professor in Political Science at the University of Alberta in Canada and Adjunct Professor at R... moreDr Fiona Nicoll is a Professor in Political Science at the University of Alberta in Canada and Adjunct Professor at RMIT in Australia. As a transnational scholar working across two white settler-colonizing states, her research catalyzes interdisciplinary conversations about some of the most challenging cultural and political issues of our time, from gambling regulation, white nationalist social media platforms, the biopolitics of reconciliation, queer theory and white ignorance in the neoliberal university. Beyond traditional academic monographs, including From Diggers to Drag Queens and Gambling in Everyday Life, Dr Nicoll applies her research expertise to facilitate social history, public art and other knowledge transfer projects. As the founding editor and current co-editor of Critical Gambling Studies, an international, interdisciplinary, double-blind peer-reviewed journal and blog, Dr Nicoll works together with scholars around the world to shift academic discourses beyond a narrow focus on ‘problem gambling’.edit
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Dr. Garry J. Smith has spent many years at the forefront of critical gambling research in Canada. In this interview he talks about the genesis of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, how sociology brings a different lens to gambling... more
Dr. Garry J. Smith has spent many years at the forefront of critical gambling research in Canada. In this interview he talks about the genesis of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, how sociology brings a different lens to gambling studies than psychology, why he speaks out against certain aspects of commercial gambling, the relationship between fun and fairness, and the critical gaps in research that need to be added to address the inherent conflicts of interest that occur with self-regulated gambling. The interview was conducted by academics Fiona Nicoll and Mark R Johnson on 29 November, 2017. A transcript of the conversation was edited for publication. As part of this process, both interviewers and the interviewee were invited to edit their remarks
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This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles... more
This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles in countries pre-possessed by Indigenous people; it perpetuates politically active forms of white ignorance. Drawing on critical studies of race and religion I illuminate the entanglement of virtue and ignorance with reference to the impact on the academy of Donald Trump’s election in 2016. I conclude with some suggestions about how to counter the individualising force of virtue as a raced and gendered value within the neoliberal university.
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In 2014 Fiona Foley, one of Australia’s most influential contemporary artists, curated a public art installation with eight of her contemporaries in an iconic heritage site: The Great Court at the University of Queensland in Brisbane,... more
In 2014 Fiona Foley, one of Australia’s most influential contemporary artists, curated a public art installation with eight of her contemporaries in an iconic heritage site: The Great Court at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. While there is a long tradition of Indigenous artists speaking to power in public places and Foley is one of its most incisive practitioners, Courting Blakness was unique. This temporary exhibition spoke directly to the Great Court’s commissioned public art though it was not, itself, commissioned by the University. Instead, for the weeks it was on site, the selected artworks both complemented and contested official representations of the university, the state of Queensland and Indigenous people within the broader story of the nation carved into the university’s stone buildings.
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Research Interests: Art and Indigenous
Interviewer: Professor Fiona Nicoll, University of AlbertaParticipant: Professor Robin Room, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe UniversityDate: Dec. 29, 2019
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A review on Ghassan Hage's Against Paranoid Nationalism: Searching for Hope in a Shrinking Society (Pluto Press Australia, Sydney, 2003).
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This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles... more
This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles in countries pre-possessed by Indigenous people; it perpetuates politically active forms of white ignorance. Drawing on critical studies of race and religion I illuminate the entanglement of virtue and ignorance with reference to the impact on the academy of Donald Trump’s election in 2016. I conclude with some suggestions about how to counter the individualising force of virtue as a raced and gendered value within the neoliberal university.
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Editorial for the special issue 'What are Critical Gambling Studies?'
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Courting Blakness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University was a platform of cultural and political experimentation that culminated in a unique program of original art, research, teaching and staff training at the University... more
Courting Blakness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University was a platform of cultural and political experimentation that culminated in a unique program of original art, research, teaching and staff training at the University of Queensland (UQ) from 5 to 28 September in 2014. The recipe was deceptively simple. Take Australia’s leading public artist to curate an exhibition of eight Aboriginal artists and mix with an institution with a population of over 7000 staff and 46,800 undergraduate and research higher degree students. Then stir. The results of this experiment were as rich as they were challenging for the sandstone university.
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A celebration of ‘Courting Blakness’, a groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art In September 2014, Adjunct Professor Fiona Foley and a team of eight Aboriginal artists delivered a cutting-edge installation to the... more
A celebration of ‘Courting Blakness’, a groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art In September 2014, Adjunct Professor Fiona Foley and a team of eight Aboriginal artists delivered a cutting-edge installation to the sandstone heart of the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus – the Great Court. Universities have traditionally been elite institutions, isolated and dissociated from the concerns of Indigenous people. For generations, the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander thinkers, activists and artists have been invisible or undervalued in our universities. This history is etched into the walls of the Great Court, with anachronistic concepts of humanity and racial difference revealed in many of the friezes and sculptural reliefs. The Courting Blakness exhibition aimed to reclaim this historically white space, to create a visual dialogue between contemporary Aboriginal art and colonial-inspired architecture. Students and other members of the university community, as well as the general public, were invited to re-engage with the Great Court through conversations about issues that matter to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Comprising beautiful images and essays by the artists, curators and academics who presented at the associated symposium, Courting Blackness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University is a stylish and comprehensive tribute to this innovative project.
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The relationship between the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and the Australian Parliament has been widely discussed. This chapter reorients our perspective to face the Australian War Memorial. It addresses the following questions: what is the... more
The relationship between the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and the Australian Parliament has been widely discussed. This chapter reorients our perspective to face the Australian War Memorial. It addresses the following questions: what is the role of race in shaping the relationship between war and policy in Australia? How does the Aboriginal Tent Embassy rearticulate this relationship?
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This study analyzed the Responsible Gambling Check patron survey data from Canadian casinos and racinos collected from 2011-2019 (18,580 patrons and 75 venues). The results indicated increasing awareness and use over time of harm... more
This study analyzed the Responsible Gambling Check patron survey data from Canadian casinos and racinos collected from 2011-2019 (18,580 patrons and 75 venues). The results indicated increasing awareness and use over time of harm minimization tools among more frequent patrons. Despite these promising trends, it is concerning that a substantial percentage of gamblers are still unaware of the harm minimization tools available. Further, the actual impact of this awareness on responsible gambling behaviour is largely unknown. We suggest greater efforts are needed nation-wide to promote the awareness, utilization, and evaluation of these harm minimization tools.
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Book review of Kasey Henricks and David G Embrick. (2020). State Looteries: Historical Continuity, Rearticulations of Racism and American Taxation. Routledge. 220 pp. ISBN 9780367596170
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The legislative efforts by the Australian government to extinguish Aborigines' native title rights, following the decision of the Australian High Court on the Wik case, is discussed. The anti-Aboriginal backlash is a result of the Wik... more
The legislative efforts by the Australian government to extinguish Aborigines' native title rights, following the decision of the Australian High Court on the Wik case, is discussed. The anti-Aboriginal backlash is a result of the Wik decision, which requires co-existence of whites and Aborigines on the latter's rightful lands and involving them in decisions on tourism and mining in their land.
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Conference presentations and research posters presented at the event made available with the permission of the authors.
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Fiona Nicoll was interviewed by Jay Daniel Thompson about her book Gambling and Everyday Life. An earlier version of this publication was published by the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia. It is reposted here with their... more
Fiona Nicoll was interviewed by Jay Daniel Thompson about her book Gambling and Everyday Life. An earlier version of this publication was published by the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia. It is reposted here with their permission.
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Individual differences in the risk of developing gambling-related harm play an important role in theoretical models and practical interventions. The present study attempted comprehensive measurement and evaluation of 25 known risk factors... more
Individual differences in the risk of developing gambling-related harm play an important role in theoretical models and practical interventions. The present study attempted comprehensive measurement and evaluation of 25 known risk factors for gambling-related harm in order to determine which factors provided large and unique explanatory power. We surveyed 1650 regular gamblers from an online panel, screening in 1174 (466 male) who passed all checks of attention and response consistency. We evaluated each risk factor based on bivariate correlations with harms, then made separate multivariate evaluations of proximal (e.g., gambling motivations) and distal (e.g., religiosity) risk factors. Almost all bivariate correlations were significant, but most distal factors were not significant in multivariate models. Trait impulsivity was the most important risk factor by a large margin. Excessive consumption, less use of safe gambling practices, and more fallacies were key proximal risks of ha...
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The collection contributes to transnational whiteness debates through theoretically informed readings of historical and contemporary texts by established and emerging scholars in the field of critical whiteness studies. From a wide range... more
The collection contributes to transnational whiteness debates through theoretically informed readings of historical and contemporary texts by established and emerging scholars in the field of critical whiteness studies. From a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, the book traces continuity and change in the cultural production of white virtue within texts, from the proud colonial moment through to neoliberalism and the global war on terror in the twenty-first century. Read together, these chapters convey a complex understanding of how transnational whiteness travels and manifests itself within different political and cultural contexts. Some chapters address political, legal and constitutional aspects of whiteness while others explore media representations and popular cultural texts and practices. The book also contains valuable historical studies documenting how whiteness is insinuated within the texts produced, circulated and reproduced in specific cultural and national locations.
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In 1999 The Whitlams, a popular ‘indie’ band named after a former Australian prime minister whose government was controversially sacked in 1975 by the Governor-General, released a single titled ‘Blow up the Pokies’. Written about a former... more
In 1999 The Whitlams, a popular ‘indie’ band named after a former Australian prime minister whose government was controversially sacked in 1975 by the Governor-General, released a single titled ‘Blow up the Pokies’. Written about a former band member’s fatal attraction to electronic gaming machines (henceforth referred to as ‘pokies’), the song was mixed by a top LA producer, a decision that its writer and The Whitlam’s front-man, Tim Freedman, describes as calculated to ‘get it on big, bombastic commercial radio’. The investment paid off and the song not only became a big hit for the band, it developed a legacy beyond the popular music scene, with Freedman invited to write the foreword of a ‘self-help manual for giving up gambling’ as well as appearing on public affairs television shows to discuss the issue of problem gambling. The lyrics of ‘Blow up the Pokies’ frame the central themes of this article: spaces, technologies and governmentality of gambling. It then explores what cul...
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Regulatory distinctions between “problem” and “recreational” gambling have contributed to the neglect of important discursive and cultural practices at the intersection of finance and gambling. This intersection is now sufficiently... more
Regulatory distinctions between “problem” and “recreational” gambling have contributed to the neglect of important discursive and cultural practices at the intersection of finance and gambling. This intersection is now sufficiently formative of everyday life and popular culture to warrant closer scrutiny within cultural studies research. Through a range of examples, I elaborate the concept of “finopower” as a specific kind of governmentality through which individuals negotiate the mutual imbrications of gambling and finance. The final part of the article draws on theories of “post-disciplinary” societies to explore social and political implications of cultural distinctions between skill and chance-based games.
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... And research on recent migrants by Jane Haggis and Susanne Schech found that ... style of this intervention and the government's declaration of a 'state of emergency'seemed designed... more
... And research on recent migrants by Jane Haggis and Susanne Schech found that ... style of this intervention and the government's declaration of a 'state of emergency'seemed designed to send a strong message to international bodies such as the United Nations and Oxfam ...
Research Interests: Sociology and Indigenous
1. This collection of articles emerged from an online forum called 'Sovereignties' that was part of a larger conference, Globalization: Live and Online, organized by Dr Catherine Driscoll at the Research Centre for Humanities... more
1. This collection of articles emerged from an online forum called 'Sovereignties' that was part of a larger conference, Globalization: Live and Online, organized by Dr Catherine Driscoll at the Research Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at Adelaide University in the ...
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In this collection of essays Stuart Cunningham, a public intellectual who has been active from the early 1980s as a researcher, cultural critic and policy worker, provides valuable snapshots of central debates about Australian culture,... more
In this collection of essays Stuart Cunningham, a public intellectual who has been active from the early 1980s as a researcher, cultural critic and policy worker, provides valuable snapshots of central debates about Australian culture, its economy, its aesthetic value and ...
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Culture is a stake which, like all social stakes, simultaneously presupposes and demands that one take part in the game and be taken in by it; and interest in culture, without which there is no race, no competition is produced by the very... more
Culture is a stake which, like all social stakes, simultaneously presupposes and demands that one take part in the game and be taken in by it; and interest in culture, without which there is no race, no competition is produced by the very race and competition which it produces. The value of culture, the supreme fetish, is generated in the initial investment implied by the mere fact of entering the game, joining in the collective belief in the value of the game which makes the game and endlessly remakes the competition for the stakes (Bourdieu 1984, 250). “This Guy [Donald Trump] is unbelievable. His father hands him a multimillion-dollar empire. The Native American Indians are lucky if they can give their children food, clothing and a roof over their head.”-
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the current academic research foci in peer-reviewed studies on gambling. The researchers used co-citation analysis as a bibliometrics method. All the gambling-related publications indexed in... more
The purpose of this study was to investigate the current academic research foci in peer-reviewed studies on gambling. The researchers used co-citation analysis as a bibliometrics method. All the gambling-related publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were identified, and their citation patterns were analyzed. Our dataset includes a total of 2418 peer-reviewed gambling studies published over the five-year period from 2014–2018. The VOSviewer tool was used to visualize bibliometric networks and reveal key clusters among the studies. The findings indicate that gambling researchers mostly cited authors from the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, health science, and psychiatry. Only 2% of the cited authors were from other disciplines, such as those in the social sciences and humanities. The most frequently cited sources also reveal the same pattern: that gambling researchers mostly cited articles published in neuroscience, psychology, and health science journals. The pub...
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This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles... more
This chapter explores how white virtue can function as a gendered form of social capital camouflaged as secular expertise. I argue that this not only desensitises non-Indigenous people to our implication in broader sovereignty struggles in countries pre-possessed by Indigenous people; it perpetuates politically active forms of white ignorance. Drawing on critical studies of race and religion I illuminate the entanglement of virtue and ignorance with reference to the impact on the academy of Donald Trump’s election in 2016. I conclude with some suggestions about how to counter the individualising force of virtue as a raced and gendered value within the neoliberal university.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the current academic research foci in peer-reviewed studies on gambling. The researchers used co-citation analysis as a bibliometrics method. All the gambling-related publications indexed in... more
The purpose of this study was to investigate the current academic research foci in peer-reviewed studies on gambling. The researchers used co-citation analysis as a bibliometrics method. All the gambling-related publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were identified, and their citation patterns were analyzed. Our dataset includes a total of 2418 peer-reviewed gambling studies published over the five-year period from 2014–2018. The VOSviewer tool was used to visualize bibliometric networks and reveal key clusters among the studies. The findings indicate that gambling researchers mostly cited authors from the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, health science, and psychiatry. Only 2% of the cited authors were from other disciplines, such as those in the social sciences and humanities. The most frequently cited sources also reveal the same pattern: that gambling researchers mostly cited articles published in neuroscience, psychology, and health science journals. The pub...
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This study presents a large-scale mapping review of how the literature on gambling identifies suggested solutions to prevent or reduce gambling harm and whose responsibility it is to implement them. The purpose of this is to provide a... more
This study presents a large-scale mapping review of how the literature on gambling identifies suggested solutions to prevent or reduce gambling harm and whose responsibility it is to implement them. The purpose of this is to provide a concise reference for stakeholders who must make critical decisions regarding the enhancement of consumer protection and harm minimization measures. Two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, were searched to identify relevant studies. The initial search yielded 5135 results, from which a total of 1292 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2018 were selected for analysis. Inductive content analysis was performed to identify suggested solutions reported in each study. The results indicate that commonly suggested solutions are the creation of educational and awareness programs (e.g., information on the risks of gambling, resources for help seekers, how games really work) and further restrictions on gambling advertising. We found that health service providers are mostly given the responsibility to implement various strategies, followed by policy makers. Numerous empirically proven suggestions for health service providers, policy makers, gambling industry operators, educational institutions, consumers, and families are discussed in detail.
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Of the many ways we approach art as artists, audiences and critics, there is often a persistent distinction between those for whom the primary question is What is art? and those who ask What can be done with and through art? While the... more
Of the many ways we approach art as artists, audiences and critics, there is often a persistent distinction between those for whom the primary question is What is art? and those who ask What can be done with and through art? While the former question has ...
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The expansion of commercial gambling spaces and products that facilitate transnational money laundering and other crimes has occurred in tandem with government policies and academic research that focus on cultivating a greater sense of... more
The expansion of commercial gambling spaces and products that facilitate transnational money laundering and other crimes has occurred in tandem with government policies and academic research that focus on cultivating a greater sense of individual responsibility for problems related to gambling (Akçayır, et.al, 2021). While there are some parallels with other risky products and services (including tobacco, prostitution, and alcohol—as well as cannabis in some jurisdictions) gambling’s capacity to clean dirty money creates especially valuable flows of illegal substances, weapons, and money at local, national, and transnational scales. These flows are often obscured by gambling businesses through elaborately choreographed performances of community engagement and philanthropy. This chapter offers a close reading of the television series Ozark, which explores the transformation of a white suburban American family which becomes ensnared in a money laundering operation for a Mexican drug cartel. I argue that Ozark highlights gambling’s constitutive role in in American neoliberalism through processes that I call ‘finopower’.