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This paper presents a Marxist reply to a philosophical discourse on the role of the "progressive" teacher in the education of children. The position under attack is that teachers themselves, no matter how progressive, are a part of the social hierarchy and impose middle class values on children, thus perpetuating the system. They are, in brief, one of the "enemy" to the true radical. The argument is made that it is desirable to join progressive teachers with marxists through active trade unions, using the best potential of all to change the system. An association of the practice-oriented progressive teacher with the theory-oriented socialist will help resolve the gap of understanding between the two and aid in the development of a socialist, revolutionary, educational praxis. (JD)

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Contemporary capitalism is marked by economic, energy, and environmental crises. This article explores the interrelationships between these crises using the example of Australia, one of the world's highest per-capita carbon gas emitters. In this paper, I consider key features, impacts, and state policy responses to these three crises through the lens of Australia's institutional architecture. My finding is that the conjunction of the crises is driven by the dialectical relationship between the three spheres. I conclude that the state, by privileging policy responses to the economic crisis, is aggravating the energy and environmental crises and compounding the economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the spaces where the interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups during the period of contact and cross-cultural interaction took place around the world, was at missions. In Australia, missions were founded, rearranged and closed down over a period of time in which the attitudes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and official Government policy towards contact relationships were continually changing. By analyzing the use of these contested spaces at Australian Missions by both groups, archaeologists can begin to understand how the new relationships between these groups were negotiated, contested and played out over time. This paper analyses the use of space, using the theoretical frameworks of the archaeologies of capitalism, at Poonindie Mission in South Australia, which was established by the Anglican Church with support from the colonial government and operated between 1850 and 1896. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing 'rationalisation' of tertiary education in Australia is symptomatic, it is argued here, of the deeper tensions inherent in corporate capitalism. This paper examines one aspect of the rationalisation process-amalgamation-based on research carried out at two amalgamated colleges, with the aim of 'demystifying' the rhetoric of 'efficiency and effectiveness' underpinning current managerialist approaches to education. The impact of amalgamation on college life-increased bureaucratisation and centralisation of power harnessed to a form of `entrepreneurial zeal', resulting in administrative inefficiencies and increasing staff alienation-may be partly explained, it is suggested, by the contradictions and limitations of the ideological/economistic parameters within which the amalgamation policy was conceived, namely the `Razor Gang' proposals of the former Liberal government This in turn, it is suggested, reflects something of the interrelationship between education policy, the 'fiscal crisis' of capitalism, and the 'legitimation crisis' of the State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of organizing work and a workforce to do it has always troubled human societies. Fundamentally, the means of material production of human existence profoundly shape the nature and character of social systems. Historically the university was set aside from this process and was organized around the principle of a group of scholars set aside from the rest of society. These formulations were not static and throughout time the structure and function of the university has taken many forms. However, a core ideal has remained that the imperative to produce and contribute in some material way towards the ends of immediate existence has not been prominent in universities. This is no longer the case in Australian Universities. They have undergone considerable reform over the past 20 years or so, and much of this reform has struck at the core ideal to the extent that they are expected to contribute to society in very material ways. Higher education has become commodified. Such changes can be interpreted in the light of the Marxian idea of the subsumption of labour by capital. This is a process wherein production processes and methods come under the rubric and control of capital, through two stages. The first is the formal subsumption of labour by capital, and the second is the real subsumption of labour by capital. When this happens, planning, decision making, motivation and control of the work process is taken out of the hands of the workers, and productive process become routinized, automated and simplified. Work intensity requirements are stepped up. This leads to a fundamental change in work methods whereby the profit motive, increasing efficiency demands and an increased need to control the nature and pace of the work often destroy crafts, and is part of the commodification of labour. This paper analyses the recent changes to the higher education sector in light of the theory of subsumption. It concludes that whilst change will be an ongoing feature of higher education, the singular and defining change of our times has been the subsumption of labour by capital within the university system. It alters the nature of academic work and sets up new employment relationships amongst academics and their superiors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines industrial productivity growth in Australia from the perspective of firm entry and exit. The article postulates that explanations of firm dynamics have focused on three themes. The first is economist Joseph Schumpeter's concept of "creative destruction," whereby entrants offering new technology compete with incumbents. If the entrants' innovations succeed, they replace the incumbents. The second is the concept of experimentation under uncertainty, where firms in an industry commit to different technologies, goods and production facilities. The third premise links firm dynamics with product life cycles. New marketplaces offer growth potential for a large number of players, but as the market becomes saturated, only those firms that create an economy of scale survive.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which the concept of the corporate university is emerging as a simple re-labelling of the functional training area or a key strategic platform in developing organisational competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach - A case study approach was taken to provide an in-depth understanding of the development of a corporate university. Interviews with key informants and background/archival information was used to explore the focus of the corporate university. A typology developed by Taylor and Paton in 2001, was used to analyse the role and integration of the corporate university within the case study organisation. Findings - The research indicates that the development of the corporate university within the case study organisation has focused resources to strategically develop their human capital and is clearly linked to the strategic objectives of the organisation to enhance competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications - The research was exploratory and whilst indicating a link between the corporate university and the organisation's objectives, this was a single case study. The limitations of single case study analysis prohibit generalisability. More research is needed to identify trends developing across industry sectors. From this a more detailed review of the impact of corporate universities can be made. Originality/value - This is the first research into the strategic development of corporate universities in Australia. As such, it provides insight into the development of the phenomena in an advanced market economy. The initial findings indicate strategic development of the corporate university to support and enhance the organisations focus and competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most comparative studies of Australia and Argentina argue that the economic effects of concentrated landholding impede development, and that Australia's greater development is thus attributable to landholders' political defeat at labor's hands. In contrast, this paper argues first that Australian largeholders were primarily destroyed by their creditors, not labor; and second that Argentina and Australian landholders behaved like productive capitalists, not rentiers. Landholders' political behavior, not their economic behavior, affected the later development of agriculture and industry, for large landholders did make productivity-enhancing investments. But in Australia, landholders' political weakness allowed investment markets to be distorted in favor of industry, accelerating industrial development. The Australian and Argentine experiences suggest that a balance of market-led and market-distorting policies are needed to resolve the current Third World debt crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs the methodology of the Parisian regulation approach to periodise Australian capitalism into distinct models of development. Within such models, labour law plays a key role in articulating the abstract capitalist need to commodify labour-power with the concrete realities of class struggle. Given the differential ordering of social contradictions and the distinct relationship of social forces within the fabric of each model of development, such formations will crystallise distinct regimes of labour law. This is demonstrated by a study of the two successive models of development that have characterised Australian political economy since the post-Second World War era: antipodean Fordism (1945 to mid-1970s) and liberal-productivism (late-1980s to the present). The result of this examination is a model of legal analysis that, although tailored to the Australian experience, is capable of application in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rochdale co-operative model was imported from the United Kingdom to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century. Prior to 1945, the Australian Rochdale movement experienced waves of interest largely related to economic conditions and British immigration. While many Rochdales successfully traded for many decades, the movement failed to consolidate, experiencing internal and external political tensions and problems with wholesaling. In the post-war period, the movement went into permanent decline as individual co-operatives faced a range of challenges including competition from capitalist retailers, incompetent management and poor credit control. Defying these trends, a number of Rochdales continue to prosper in rural Australia today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often asserted that, between 1865 and 1914, economic dependence on British capital subjected settler societies to an unofficial imperialism wielded by the City of London. This article argues that both advocates and critics of such models, particularly in the recent controversy over 'gentlemanly capitalism', pay insufficient attention to the City itself. Using the Edwardian City's connections with Australia and Canada, it illustrates the range of financial intermediaries involved and explores their perceptions of political economy in these countries. It concludes that the City's influence (or 'structural power') was limited by its internal divisions and hazy conceptions of political economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market economists are thought to wield tremendous power—not only over financial markets but over governments that stray from the ‘market way’. Still, there is mystery about what economists think, and how they form their judgements. This article reports results from a survey of over 50 financial market economists from leading financial institutions in Australia conducted in December 2003 and January 2004. It provides insight into the opinions of economists who impact on markets and policy, especially through media commentary. The article identifies their economic and social views, comparing them with the Australian public. We then examine how professional views of economists differ from their personal views. Differences in professional and private views—especially over the role of government and labour markets—are an opportunity to ponder how judgements are formed and used. We offer tentative answers to the question: do these professionals—highly paid for their opinions—occasionally self-censor? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews several works on capital intensity in public administrations. Findings of a study which analyzes the capital input of the public sector in Australia; Discussion of capital intensity and productivity in the public administration; Characteristic of the public administration that may also contribute to the high level of real property intensity; Discussion on G. Tullock's factor-supplier pressure group hypothesis.