Christian Caiconte is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Space Policy and Ethics at Kookmin University's Korea Institute for Astronauts (KIFA) in Seoul.
His current research focuses on the social determinants (politics, economics, and culture) of space policy and international space law.
He received his PhD in Political Economy from the University of Sydney in 2022.
Contact: christiancaiconte@gmail.com.
My conference paper, "A Historically Specific Genealogy of the Concepts of Astronaut and Space Personnel", argued for reclaiming the symbolic significance of the concept of the astronaut within the context of its rationalization under international space law and various "space economy" initiatives.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have delivered my presentation, titled "Yi So-Yeon: A Review of the Achievements of Korea's First Astronaut", to Korean middle and high school students at Studymode in Bucheon, South Korea. We discussed topics such as the challenges posed by gender differences in contemporary society and the paths in life that astronauts take upon returning to Earth, among others.
2026. "Heide Gerstenberger, Market and Violence: The Functioning of Capitalism in History." In: Progress in Political Economy.
2024. "Yŏgong Between the Compulsion of Production and Modern Desire," Situations: Cultural Studies in the Asian Context, 17(1), pp. 51–73.
2024. "Book forum: global libidinal economy," with Ilan Kapoor, Gavin Fridell, Maureen Sioh, Pieter de Vries, Hasmet Uluorta, Hannah Richter and María Gómez, Distinktion: Journal of Social Theory, 25(1), pp. 108–133.
2024. "Brighter than Ten Thousand Suns? Doreen Chapman, VNS Matrix and Serwah Attafuah at the 24th Sydney Biennale," Arena Quarterly, 18, pp. 36–40.
2023. "Rubbing/Loving: Do Ho Suh at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia," Arena Quarterly, 15, pp. 87–92.
2023. "The life-nerve of the dialectic: György Lukács and the metabolism of space and nature," with Sirma Altun, Madelaine Moore, Adam David Morton, Matthew Ryan, Riki Scanlan and Austin Hayden Smidt, Review of International Political Economy, 30(2), pp. 584–607.
2022. "Toward Collective Intellectual Labour; Or, How Seven Critical Scholars Got Along With Each Other And Co-Authored A Journal Article," with Sirma Altun, Madelaine Moore, Adam David Morton, Matthew Ryan, Riki Scanlan and Austin Hayden Smidt. In: Progress in Political Economy.
2022. "Travelling With Lukács," with Sirma Altun, Madelaine Moore, Adam David Morton, Matthew Ryan, Riki Scanlan and Austin Hayden Smidt. In: Progress in Political Economy.
2022. "Alfred Sohn-Rethel, Intellectual and Manual Labour: A Critique of Epistemology." In: Progress in Political Economy.
2022. "Heller On Needs, Or How To Think Radically In A Quantified World," with the Value, Health and Radical Needs Reading Group. In: Progress in Political Economy.
2022. The Developmental Unconscious: Labour and Enjoyment in Korea’s Developmental Era. PhD Thesis. Department of Political Economy, The University of Sydney, Australia.
Shin Hak-Chul (신학철), Mirage (신기루), 1984. Image credit: National Institute of Korean History.
SPE211 - Foundations in Social Policy (2026)
SPE211 provides a historical perspective on political social policy debates that helps us to understand contemporary developments in which social provisions are distributed and social conduct is regulated. The first part of this subject provides an introduction to politics, government and the Australian political system. This is aimed at providing a foundation for Part 2 which focuses more specifically on the role of governments in shaping society towards the achievement of social and economic goals. In the second part of this subject we explore the controversial and contested territory of the pursuit of social well-being through government social policies. The focus will be on the role of governments in shaping society and thereby creating a social environment in which individual citizens and whole sectors of the population enjoy more, or less, social opportunities and rewards. You are encouraged to participate in the SPE211 subject online by discussing and sharing your learning about subject topics and its application to debates in the media.
ECOP1001 - Economics as a Social Science (2026)
This unit explores different views about the economy, the role of government, policies, and the causes, social and political aspects of economic events. You are introduced to the principal schools of economic thought -Classical, Marxian, Institutional, Neoclassical, Keynesian and Contemporary Political Economy. You will learn to apply these different perspectives to a political economy analysis of contemporary issues like climate change, social protest, the gig economy, wage theft, and global health pandemics. You will study the analytical focus, core concepts and insights of the different schools of economic thought within the context of the historical development of capitalist economies.
WPHL1037 - Critical Thinking (2025-2026)
This unit aims to teach the fundamentals of critical thinking and reasoning. Students learn how to construct, analyse and critically evaluate arguments; how to detect common fallacies in reasoning; and how to think logically and creatively. Students will learn these skills by developing practical techniques for the evaluation of reasoning, and applying them to arguments from different areas such as business, law, science, politics, philosophy and the media. Critical thinking skills are invaluable across all disciplines, and will benefit students in academic contexts and in life beyond university.
SSPS4111 - The Future of Work (2025)
Technological disruption, demographic change, globalisation and economic transformation are having a profound impact on the quantity and quality of jobs, how and by whom work is undertaken as well as the distribution of income and well-being. Such changes make the future of work challenging for all societies in the 21st Century. This project unit offers students the opportunity to explore the historical, contemporary and potential future(s) of the role of 'work' in the national and international context. Students will engage in primary and secondary research, with research experts within and external to the University, and apply social science expertise to contemporary public debate.
ARTS3812 - Manias, Panics and Crashes: Global Political Economy in an Era of Crisis (2025)
The period from the early 1970s is often noted as a particularly volatile one for the global political economy (GPE). This volatility has significant implications for the ways in which we are able, or not, to live our lives today and for the future sustainability of political-economic practice. You will be asked in this course to work out what these implications are, and how they have arisen, by examining the global political economy in a variety of forms, and through multiple perspectives. You will be encouraged to think reflectively and imaginatively about questions in the GPE for which there are no easy answers, including questions of power, privilege, common sense, instability and the ongoing role of crisis-driven capitalist growth. You will be asked to make decisions about your views on the apparently systemic nature of capitalist instability. Together, we will decide to what extent, and why, the global political economy has been dominated by crisis, developing an understanding of the structure and practices of global political-economic relations, in historical and contemporary perspective.
WART1000 – Humanities and the World (2025)
How does studying the humanities, creative arts and social sciences benefit society? What are the contributions of these disciplines to the fast-evolving world of work? Studying these disciplines will open students to examining the entirety of the human condition and will encourage them to grapple with the complex personal, historical, societal and moral issues ever-present in life. This unit is an interdisciplinary introduction to the main approaches, methods and issues in the study of humanities, creative arts and social sciences. A particular emphasis of this unit lies on the key transferable skills which students will develop in their learning journey through the Diploma of Arts Media and Communications. Case studies drawn from a variety of disciplines and real-life situations will be used to illustrate the ways in which the humanities, creative arts and social sciences respond to life by making significant contributions to addressing complex situations, both on a personal and a professional level. In addition, students will develop essential skills and strategies needed to succeed in these disciplines.
LITR28002 - Literary Theory (2025)
This unit examines contemporary theoretical concepts and issues in the context of the history of literary theory. You will explore the ethical and ideological implications of different critical perspectives and reading practices including liberal humanism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, structuralism, deconstruction, and feminism. You will discover how literary theory has contributed to shaping and critiquing contemporary culture, and will, in turn, enable you to make your own informed contributions to ongoing debates in literary fields and broader social contexts.
LITR11056 - Introduction to Literature (2025)
In this unit, you will be introduced to the study of literature by learning how to read, analyse and write about the different genres of literature such as novels, short stories, poems, and dramas. You will learn how to develop independent and critical thinking skills through the imaginative engagement with the process of reading and analysing complex literary and non-literary texts.