748 results on '"SOCIOLOGY"'
Search Results
202. Is There Too Much Inequality in Australia
- Author
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Kelley, Jonathan, Evans, MDR, and Sikora, Joanna
- Published
- 2004
203. Australians' experiences of COVID-19 during the early months of the crisis: A qualitative interview study.
- Author
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Lupton D and Lewis S
- Subjects
- Adult, Humans, Female, Male, Australia, Communicable Disease Control, Loneliness, Qualitative Research, COVID-19
- Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 crisis has wrought major changes to people's lives across the globe since the beginning of the outbreak in early 2020. The "Australians' Experiences of COVID-19" qualitative descriptive study was established to explore how Australians from different geographical areas and social groups experienced the COVID-19 crisis., Methods: Three sets of semi-structured interviews, each with a diverse group of 40 adults across Australia, were completed between 2020 and 2022. This article reports findings from the first set of interviews, conducted by telephone in mid-2020., Results: The participants discussed their experiences of living through this period, which was characterized by strong public health measures to contain the spread of COVID, including a national lockdown and border closures. Interview fieldnotes and verbatim transcripts were used to conduct an interpretive thematic analysis. The analysis is structured around the following five themes covering the quotidian and affective aspects of participants' lives in the early months of the COVID crisis: "disruption to routines;" "habituating to preventive measures;" "social isolation and loneliness;" "changes to work and education;" and "little change to life." A sixth theme concerns how participants responded to our question about what they imagined their lives would be like after the pandemic: "imagining post-COVID life.", Discussion: The crisis affected participants' experience of daily life variously according to such factors as their social circumstances and obligations as well as their histories of illness, making visible some of the unequal social and economic effects of the pandemic across different genders, ages, localities and socioeconomic groups. Our participants fell into three roughly equal groups: (i) those who found the lockdown and associated restrictions very difficult; (ii) those who reported feeling barely affected by these conditions; and (iii) those who found benefits to the "slowing down" of life during this period., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lupton and Lewis.)
- Published
- 2023
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204. Youth Work, Aboriginal Young People and Ambivalence
- Author
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Palmer, Dave
- Published
- 2003
205. The Politics of Deviance [Book Review]
- Author
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Stove, RJ
- Published
- 2003
206. The association between built environment features and physical activity in the Australian context: a synthesis of the literature.
- Author
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Zapata-Diomedi, Belen and Veerman, J. Lennert
- Subjects
- *
PHYSICAL activity , *URBAN planning , *PHYSICAL fitness , *HEALTH behavior , *PHYSICALLY active people , *COMPARATIVE studies , *ECOLOGY , *EXERCISE , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *META-analysis , *RESEARCH , *SOCIOLOGY , *WALKING , *RESIDENTIAL patterns , *EVALUATION research - Abstract
Background: There is growing evidence indicating that the built environment is a determinant of physical activity. However, despite the well-established health benefits of physical activity this is rarely considered in urban planning. We summarised recent Australian evidence for the association built environment-physical activity among adults. This summary aims to inform policy makers who advocate for the consideration of health in urban planning.Methods: A combination of built environment and physical activity terms were used to systematically identify relevant peer reviewed and grey literature.Results: A total of 23 studies were included, providing 139 tests of associations between specific built environment features and physical activity. Of the total, 84 relationships using objective measures of built environment attributes were evaluated, whereas 55 relationships using self-reported measures were evaluated. Our results indicate that walkable neighbourhoods with a wide range of local destinations to go to, as well as a diverse use of land, encourage physical activity among their residents.Conclusions: This research provides a summary of recent Australian evidence on built environments that are most favourable for physical activity. Features of walkability and availability of destinations within walking distance should be accounted for in the development or redevelopment of urban areas. Our findings emphasise the importance of urban planning for health via its impact on population levels of physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2016
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207. An ecological study of the extent and factors associated with the use of prescription and over-the-counter codeine in Australia.
- Author
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Gisev, Natasa, Nielsen, Suzanne, Cama, Elena, Larance, Briony, Bruno, Raimondo, and Degenhardt, Louisa
- Subjects
- *
CODEINE , *DRUG utilization , *ECOLOGICAL research , *NONPRESCRIPTION drugs , *PUBLIC housing , *REGRESSION analysis , *SEX distribution , *SOCIOLOGY , *DRUG abusers , *DEMOGRAPHIC characteristics , *ECONOMICS - Abstract
Purpose: The extent and factors associated with codeine use in the community remain poorly understood despite the widespread global use of codeine. The aim of this study was to examine the use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) codeine in Australia and identify the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics associated with prescription and OTC codeine use. Methods: National sales data for prescription and OTC codeine (supplied by IMS Health) were used to estimate codeine utilisation (in pack sales and milligrammes) in Australia during 2013, mapped to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and Remoteness Areas. Socio-demographic characteristics and total population estimates of SLAs were obtained from the ABS. SLA-level data on sex, age distribution, income, occupations involving physical labour and number of pharmacies were included in linear regression analyses to examine their association with total, prescription and OTC codeine use. Results: In total, 27,780,234 packs of codeine were sold in Australia during 2013, equating to 12,376 kg. OTC codeine preparations accounted for 15,490,207 packs (55.8 %) or 4967.30 kg (40.1 %). Nationally, an estimated 1.24 packs (or 554.10 mg) of codeine were sold per person; utilisation was higher in more remote areas. SLAs with a higher percentage of low-income earning households had the highest rates of prescription codeine use (β 0.16, p < 0.001), whereas SLAs with a higher percentage of males had the highest rates of OTC codeine use ( β 0.22, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Codeine use is common in Australia, with clear distinctions in the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics associated with prescription and OTC codeine use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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208. Personal and Network Dynamics in Performance of Knowledge Workers: A Study of Australian Breast Radiologists.
- Author
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Tavakoli Taba, Seyedamir, Hossain, Liaquat, Heard, Robert, Brennan, Patrick, Lee, Warwick, and Lewis, Sarah
- Subjects
- *
MAMMOGRAMS , *RADIOLOGISTS , *KNOWLEDGE workers , *JOB performance , *SOCIAL networks - Abstract
Materials and Methods: In this paper, we propose a theoretical model based upon previous studies about personal and social network dynamics of job performance. We provide empirical support for this model using real-world data within the context of the Australian radiology profession. An examination of radiologists’ professional network topology through structural-positional and relational dimensions and radiologists’ personal characteristics in terms of knowledge, experience and self-esteem is provided. Thirty one breast imaging radiologists completed a purpose designed questionnaire regarding their network characteristics and personal attributes. These radiologists also independently read a test set of 60 mammographic cases: 20 cases with cancer and 40 normal cases. A Jackknife free response operating characteristic (JAFROC) method was used to measure the performance of the radiologists’ in detecting breast cancers. Results: Correlational analyses showed that reader performance was positively correlated with the social network variables of degree centrality and effective size, but negatively correlated with constraint and hierarchy. For personal characteristics, the number of mammograms read per year and self-esteem (self-evaluation) positively correlated with reader performance. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the combination of number of mammograms read per year and network’s effective size, hierarchy and tie strength was the best fitting model, explaining 63.4% of the variance in reader performance. The results from this study indicate the positive relationship between reading high volumes of cases by radiologists and expertise development, but also strongly emphasise the association between effective social/professional interactions and informal knowledge sharing with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
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209. Pre-Survey Text Messages (SMS) Improve Participation Rate in an Australian Mobile Telephone Survey: An Experimental Study.
- Author
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Dal Grande, Eleonora, Chittleborough, Catherine Ruth, Campostrini, Stefano, Dollard, Maureen, and Taylor, Anne Winifred
- Subjects
- *
TEXT messages , *SOCIAL participation , *CELL phone systems , *TELEPHONE surveys , *TELEPHONE numbers , *HOUSEHOLD surveys - Abstract
Mobile telephone numbers are increasingly being included in household surveys samples. As approach letters cannot be sent because many do not have address details, alternatives approaches have been considered. This study assesses the effectiveness of sending a short message service (SMS) to a random sample of mobile telephone numbers to increase response rates. A simple random sample of 9000 Australian mobile telephone numbers: 4500 were randomly assigned to be sent a pre-notification SMS, and the remaining 4500 did not have a SMS sent. Adults aged 18 years and over, and currently in paid employment, were eligible to participate. American Association for Public Opinion Research formulas were used to calculated response cooperation and refusal rates. Response and cooperation rate were higher for the SMS groups (12.4% and 28.6% respectively) than the group with no SMS (7.7% and 16.0%). Refusal rates were lower for the SMS group (27.3%) than the group with no SMS (35.9%). When asked, 85.8% of the pre-notification group indicated they remembered receiving a SMS about the study. Sending a pre-notification SMS is effective in improving participation in population-based surveys. Response rates were increased by 60% and cooperation rates by 79%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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210. ‘A contributing life’: living a contributing life as ‘a person’, ‘an artist’ and ‘an artist with a mental illness’.
- Author
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Gwinner, Karleen, Knox, Marie, and Brough, Mark
- Subjects
- *
DIAGNOSIS , *PSYCHIATRIC diagnosis , *ART , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *EXPERIENCE , *INTERVIEWING , *LIFE , *PSYCHOTHERAPY patients , *SELF-perception , *QUALITATIVE research , *THEMATIC analysis , *DATA analysis software , *ATTITUDES toward mental illness , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
The Australian National Mental Health Commission recently adopted a focus on 'a contributing life' to acknowledge the importance of full and meaningful participation in community life. This concept compels new conversations about the complex nature of life experiences for people with lived experience of mental illness. This article examines narratives by eight artists with lived experience of mental illness to understand how opportunities are available through art for people with lived experience of mental illness to lead a contributing life. This article shares a common premise held by the participants to choose a 'way of life as "who I am"'. This declaration emphasised the relevance of living a contributing life as 'a person', 'an artist' and 'an artist with a mental illness'. Conceptual issues are raised in light of the findings, not least how opportunities for participation are framed and available, or otherwise, to live a contributing life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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211. The resurgence of historical laws
- Author
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Olding, Alan
- Published
- 2001
212. 'Howardism' and the Media Rhetoric of 'Battlers' vs 'Elites'
- Author
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Williams, Peter and Greenfield, Cathy
- Published
- 2001
213. Bonding for strength.
- Author
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Sweeney, John
- Published
- 2010
214. Private Men, Public Anger: The Men's Rights Movement in Australia
- Author
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Maddison, Sarah
- Published
- 1999
215. Sociology: Place, time and division [Book Review]
- Published
- 2007
216. Organisational factors for learning in the Australian gas pipeline industry.
- Author
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Maslen, Sarah
- Subjects
NATURAL gas pipelines ,SOCIAL factors ,ORGANIZATIONAL structure ,PROFESSIONALISM ,ORGANIZATIONAL commitment - Abstract
Accident analyses have captured critical moments where warnings have been shown to go ignored, and the scale of what could go wrong misjudged. These shortcomings need not be viewed as individual professional failures. Rather, expertise and professionalism can be viewed as the outcome of the organisational and institutional contexts that support or inhibit them. This article argues that building expertise is a necessary and resource-intensive process that requires ongoing and largely informal processes that support professionals and maximise the connections between daily work and potential disasters. These processes and connections are most effective when supported by organisations structurally, through resourcing, through a culture of reporting and when lessons are used to update an organisation’s rules and procedures. These findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 34 engineers in the Australian gas pipeline industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
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217. Notes on the medical underground: migrant doctors at the margins.
- Author
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Harris, Anna and Guillemin, Marilys
- Subjects
- *
HOSPITALS & psychology , *FIELDWORK (Educational method) , *HEALTH facilities , *INTERVIEWING , *SCIENTIFIC observation , *FOREIGN physicians , *STATISTICAL sampling , *PEER relations , *PROFESSIONAL identity - Abstract
Many doctors migrate to find work opportunities elsewhere. Before being allowed to practice, these doctors, commonly referred to as International Medical Graduates (IMGs), must gain local registration, which can take considerable time. During this process many IMGs linger on the margins of hospitals, without medical employment. We follow this understudied group of IMGs in Melbourne, Australia, to understand their life on the margins of medicine. This takes us into hospital places on the fringes of clinical activity: a cafeteria, tutorial room and hospital library. We argue that these places are important for the doctors in retaining and strengthening their sense of professional identity in precarious circumstances. The IMGs find creative ways to inhabit familiar settings, creating their own pathways, to find their way into the local medical system. This analysis is in contrast to more common Foucauldian interpretations of hospitals that present the institution as having a structured, disciplining effect on its inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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218. Informal caring networks for people at end of life: building social capital in Australian communities.
- Author
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Rosenberg, John P, Horsfall, Debbie, Leonard, Rosemary, and Noonan, Kerrie
- Subjects
- *
CAREGIVERS , *FAMILIES , *HEALTH promotion , *HEALTH services accessibility , *HOME nursing , *HEALTH policy , *PALLIATIVE treatment , *SOCIAL networks , *TERMINALLY ill , *SOCIAL capital , *SOCIAL support , *COMMUNITY-based social services , *FAMILY roles , *BURDEN of care - Abstract
The care of a person living at home near the end of their life is predominantly provided by family carers with the support of health services such as palliative care. In addition, informal caring networks also contribute at times to the support provided to the dying person and their carer. In this way, these networks can promote social capital in the communities from which they are drawn. This social approach to end of life care enhances community capacity to provide support to those dying at home and their carers. This article examines relevant published literature to explore the conceptual foundations of informal caring networks, examining the place of social capital and community development in the provision of end of life care at home, particularly in the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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219. Social democracy and social policy in neoliberal times.
- Author
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Deeming, Christopher
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL policy , *SOCIAL democracy , *SOCIAL classes , *PUBLIC welfare , *WELFARE state , *POLITICAL sociology , *TWENTIETH century , *HISTORY - Abstract
This article considers the path of social policy and democracy in Australia and the latest set of welfare reforms under Labor. The reforms can be seen to mark a reaction to the excesses of neoliberal government on the one hand, but they also represent continuity in neoliberal thought and policy on the other. As we shall see, engrained ideas about individualist wage-earning welfare, that were established during the formative years of the 20th century, continue to shape, if not constrain collectivist solutions to some of the inherent social risks faced by Australian citizens today. In this light, efforts to create a welfare state geared towards meeting the needs of ‘hard-working’ Australian families appear much sharper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
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220. Families and the transition to specialist palliative care.
- Author
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Kirby, Emma, Broom, Alex, Good, Phillip, Wootton, Julia, and Adams, Jon
- Subjects
- *
FAMILIES & psychology , *MEDICAL personnel , *CULTURE , *INTERVIEWING , *RESEARCH methodology , *PALLIATIVE treatment , *PSYCHOLOGY of physicians , *RESEARCH funding , *QUALITATIVE research , *JUDGMENT sampling , *PATIENTS' families - Abstract
Families play important roles in transitions to end-of-life care, yet we know little about the social relations between doctors and families at the point of referral to specialist palliative care. In this study, we explore how medical specialists negotiated the transition to specialist palliative care with families. Drawing on data from 20 qualitative interviews, we examine data accounts about the roles of family members in discussions with clinical specialists about palliative care, and how families shape interpersonal dynamics. Our results indicate that families fulfil important ‘functions’ and ‘roles’ in these delicate and emotionally laden conversations. Specialists’ accounts articulated referral processes as distinctly relational moments, with families viewed as potential ‘resources’ but also as ‘complications’, in attempts to encourage the ‘smooth’ transition to end-of-life care. On the basis of these results, we argue that further attention should be paid to the centrality of families in key moments in care (and communication therein) and how they may be utilised, managed and experienced by a range of health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
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221. Development of the Australian Dominant Drug Discourses Scale.
- Author
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Bright, Stephen Jason, Kane, Robert, Bishop, Brian, and Marsh, Ali
- Subjects
- *
DISCOURSE analysis , *EXPERIMENTAL design , *FACTOR analysis , *GOODNESS-of-fit tests , *RESEARCH methodology , *PSYCHOLOGICAL tests , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *SCALE analysis (Psychology) , *SUBSTANCE abuse , *RESEARCH methodology evaluation , *ATTITUDES toward mental illness , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
There are a limited number of dominant discourses available to frame drug use within Australia. These dominant discourses play an important role in policy debate and development, and also drug use behaviour. We describe the development of a psychometric instrument that is hypothesised to measure the degree to which individuals internalise dominant drug discourses. Sixty items were developed to reflect six dominant discourses of drug use. A substantive validity analysis was conducted. The highest loading items were included in a 27-item measure that was administered to 370 people seeking substance use treatment in Perth, Western Australia. In addition, participants completed the Locus of Control of Behaviour Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis tested the fit of a predicted six factor model, in addition to three other plausible models. The best fitting model was the predicted model. Internal locus of control was correlated with medical and legal discourse. The Dominant Drug Discourses Scale appears to measure internalisation of six dominant discourses. The tool has utility in research examining policy development and drug use behaviours. To establish the construct validity of the tool and better understand the constructs being measured, further research is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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222. Precious, Pure, Uncivilised, Vulnerable: Infant Embodiment in Australian Popular Media.
- Author
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Lupton, Deborah
- Subjects
- *
INFANTS , *MASS media , *CULTURE , *NEWSPAPERS , *SERIAL publications , *SOCIOLOGY , *TELEVISION , *QUALITATIVE research , *SOCIAL attitudes - Abstract
This article describes how infants' bodies were portrayed in a range of Australian popular media texts. Four main discourses on infant embodiment were identified: the infant as 'precious', 'pure', 'uncivilised' and 'vulnerable'. While, on the one hand, infants were positioned as the most valuable and affectively appealing of humans, they were alternatively represented as uncivilised. Infant bodies were portrayed as appropriately inhabiting the domestic sphere of the home and as barely tolerated or even as excluded in the public sphere. The discussion looks at how concepts of 'nature', civility and Self and Otherness underpinned the identified discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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223. Sociology, sociologists and core–periphery reflections.
- Author
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Collyer, Fran
- Subjects
- *
SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIOLOGICAL research , *SOCIOLOGY literature , *ACADEMIC discourse , *SOCIOLOGY periodicals , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *CROSS-cultural studies - Abstract
This article reports on a citation-context analysis of journal articles from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Examining publications from the sociology of health and medicine, the study draws a number of conclusions about the state of sociology, inter-country relationships between knowledge workers, and national systems of sociological knowledge production. It finds that core–periphery relations define significant features of sociological work, impacting on citation patterns, inter-country collaboration and the selection of reference materials. Core–periphery relations are also found to influence the sociological production of knowledge across the Australian university sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
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224. The Experience of China-Educated Nurses Working in Australia: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective.
- Author
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Zhou, Yunxian
- Subjects
- *
NURSING education , *EMIGRATION & immigration , *SOCIAL psychology , *CONSTRUCTIVISM (Education) , *MEDICAL personnel , *DILEMMA - Abstract
Background and Purpose: Transnational nurse migration is a growing phenomenon. This study explored the experiences of China-educated nurses working in Australia. Design: Using a constructivist grounded theory method, 46 in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 China-educated nurses in two major cities in Australia. Results: The core category emerged was “reconciling different realities”. Three phases of reconciling were conceptualised: realising, struggling, and reflecting. Realising refers to an awareness of the discrepancies between different realities. Struggling reflects the dilemma of the “middle position” and how being situated as “the other” is experienced. Reflecting is the process of making sense of the experience and rationalising the gains and losses associated with immigration. Conclusions: This study produced a theoretical understanding of the experience of China-educated nurses working in Australia. The findings not only inform Chinese nurses who wish to migrate but contribute to the implementation of more effective support services for immigrant nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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225. Miss Craig goes to Chicago.
- Author
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Beilharz, Peter
- Subjects
SOCIOLOGY ,ANTHROPOLOGY - Abstract
Jean Martin (nee Jean Craig) was the founding mother of Australian sociology. She trained in Anthropology with A.P. Elkin at the University of Sydney, conducting pioneering work into rural sociology at the age of 22. In 1947, she travelled to the University of Chicago. He subsequent interests shifted from internal migration to international migration, multiculturalism and displacement. This paper, part of research in progress for an intellectual biography, enquires into the question of what she learned in Sydney and what she learned in Chicago, and how these two knowledge bases and cultures combined to generate one of the most important founding sociologies in Australia. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
226. The Sixties and Seventies in Australia.
- Author
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Beilharz, Peter
- Subjects
SOCIOLOGY ,SOCIAL sciences ,RADICALISM ,SOCIALISM ,FEMINISM - Abstract
This paper conjoins two different, but necessarily related themes: the nature of the sixties (and seventies) in Australia, and the establishment of academic sociology there. The sixties in Australia, as elsewhere, saw the efflourescence of student radicalism and the confirmation of youth culture, both in and against markets or consumption. This had a direct formative influence on academic sociology, which coincides exactly with this moment. Australia has a long tradition of informal sociology, but encounters nothing like the Chicago School - nothing like Chicago, in fact - its culture is settler capitalist rather than Fordist or high industrial. The radical image of sociology in Australia, powerfully influenced by marxism and feminism, may nevertheless in retrospect be exaggerated. The presentation based on this paper in Montreal will pursue further research conducted into 2006, with reference to the founding of Australia's largest and most distinct departmental culture, that at La Trobe University under the influence of Jean Martin, and with reference to the pivotal split between radicals and reformers in the newly formed Australia and New Zealand Journal of Sociology in 1971. Finally, I shall connect these Australian themes back to those raised in Sica and Turner's Disobedient Generation (2005). In Australia, as perhaps elsewhere, sociology's larger identification is with reform rather than with revolution or reaction, even if its aura remains romantic as much as it is business-as-usual. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
227. What Do Markets Really Look Like?
- Author
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Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald, Zimmer, Catherine, and Harding, Sandra
- Subjects
MARKETS ,EXCHANGE ,BUSINESS ,CUSTOMER relations - Abstract
Social scientists have conceptualized market exchange relationships as governed by market calculus, socially embedded ties of trust and obligation, and legal ties of contract. We conceptualize and then measure these orientations to exchange relationships. We focus on the relationships of market exchange for a sample of Australian organizations with their largest supplier and customer. We find that market, socially embedded, and contract governance of exchange are widespread in the Australian economy. Consistent with the socially embedded perspective in sociology, we find that market calculus expectations are actually enhanced when the exchange relationship is socially embedded. The use of contracts is not strongly related to either market or social governance mechanisms. We also estimate statistical models predicting variation in market, social and legal governance mechanisms derived from neoclassical, social embeddedness, transaction cost, and flexible specialization theories. All of these theories, with the exception of flexible specialization, receive considerable support in these models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
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228. Testing Commercial Sex Workers for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Victoria, Australia: An Evaluation of the Impact of Reducing the Frequency of Testing.
- Author
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Chow, Eric P. F., Fehler, Glenda, Chen, Marcus Y., Bradshaw, Catriona S., Denham, Ian, Law, Matthew G., and Fairley, Christopher K.
- Subjects
- *
SEX workers , *SEXUALLY transmitted disease risk factors , *MEDICAL screening , *SEXUALLY transmitted disease diagnosis , *MEDICAL records , *HEALTH - Abstract
Background: The frequency of testing sex workers for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Victoria, Australia, was changed from monthly to quarterly on 6 October 2012. Our aim was to determine the impact of this change to the clients seen at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MHSC). Methods: Computerised medical records of all clients attending at MHSC from 7 October 2011 to 7 October 2013 were analysed. Results: Comparing between the monthly and quarterly testing periods, the number of consultations at MSHC with female sex workers (FSW) halved from 6146 to 3453 (p<0.001) and the consultation time spent on FSW reduced by 40.6% (1942 h to 1153 h). More heterosexual men (p<0.001), and women (p<0.001) were seen in the quarterly testing period. The number of STIs diagnosed in the clinic increased from 2243 to 2589 from the monthly to quarterly period, respectively [15.4% increase (p<0.001)]. Up to AU$247,000 was saved on FSW testing after the shift to quarterly testing. Conclusions: The change to STIs screening frequency for sex workers from monthly to quarterly resulted in a 15% increase in STI diagnoses in the clinic and approximate a quarter of a million dollars was diverted from FSW testing to other clients. Overall the change in frequency is likely to have had a beneficial effect on STI control in Victoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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229. Learning to prevent disaster: An investigation into methods for building safety knowledge among new engineers to the Australian gas pipeline industry.
- Author
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Maslen, Sarah
- Subjects
- *
EMERGENCY management , *INDUSTRIAL safety , *INDUSTRIAL hygiene , *GAS pipeline companies , *ENGINEERS , *PROFESSIONAL education - Abstract
Highlights: [•] Takes an organisational view of safety and expertise development. [•] Case study of the Australian gas pipeline industry. [•] Investigates learning methods engineers identify as important for professional development. [•] Suggests informal and experiential learning methods play an important role in learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
230. A Descriptive Model of Patient Readiness, Motivators, and Hepatitis C Treatment Uptake among Australian Prisoners.
- Author
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Yap, Lorraine, Carruthers, Susan, Thompson, Sandra, Cheng, Wendy, Jones, Jocelyn, Simpson, Paul, Richards, Alun, Thein, Hla-Hla, Haber, Paul, Lloyd, Andrew, and Butler, Tony
- Subjects
- *
HEPATITIS C treatment , *HEPATITIS C , *DESCRIPTIVE psychology , *PREPAREDNESS , *PRISONERS , *LIVER failure , *MOTIVATION (Psychology) , *PATIENTS - Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) has a significant global health burden with an estimated 2%–3% of the world's population infected, and more than 350,000 dying annually from HCV-related conditions including liver failure and liver cancer. Prisons potentially offer a relatively stable environment in which to commence treatment as they usually provide good access to health care providers, and are organised around routine and structure. Uptake of treatment of HCV, however, remains low in the community and in prisons. In this study, we explored factors affecting treatment uptake inside prisons and hypothesised that prisoners have unique issues influencing HCV treatment uptake as a consequence of their incarceration which are not experienced in other populations. Method and Findings: We undertook a qualitative study exploring prisoners' accounts of why they refused, deferred, delayed or discontinued HCV treatment in prison. Between 2010 and 2013, 116 Australian inmates were interviewed from prisons in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Prisoners experienced many factors similar to those which influence treatment uptake of those living with HCV infection in the community. Incarceration, however, provides different circumstances of how these factors are experienced which need to be better understood if the number of prisoners receiving treatment is to be increased. We developed a descriptive model of patient readiness and motivators for HCV treatment inside prisons and discussed how we can improve treatment uptake among prisoners. Conclusion: This study identified a broad and unique range of challenges to treatment of HCV in prison. Some of these are likely to be diminished by improving treatment options and improved models of health care delivery. Other barriers relate to inmate understanding of their illness and stigmatisation by other inmates and custodial staff and generally appear less amenable to change although there is potential for peer-based education to address lack of knowledge and stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
231. A logic of appropriation: enacting national testing (NAPLAN) in Australia.
- Author
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Hardy, Ian
- Subjects
- *
STANDARDIZED tests , *TEACHERS , *EDUCATION policy , *IN-service training of teachers , *POLITICAL science research , *EDUCATIONAL quality - Abstract
This paper explores how the strong policy push to improve students' results on national literacy and numeracy tests - the National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) - in the Australian state of Queensland influenced schooling practices, including teachers' learning. The paper argues the focus upon improved test scores on NAPLAN within schools was the result of sustained policy pressure for increased attention to such foci at national and state levels, and a broader political context in which rapid improvement in test results was considered imperative. However, implementation, (or what this paper describes more accurately as 'enactment') of the policy also revealed NAPLAN as providing evidence of students' learning, as useful for grouping students to help improve their literacy and numeracy capabilities, and as a stimulus for teacher professional development. Drawing upon the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu, the paper argues that even as more political concerns about comparing NAPLAN results with other states were recognised by educators, the field of schooling practices was characterised by a logic of active appropriation of political concerns about improved test scores by teachers, for more educative purposes. In this way, policy enactment in schools is characterised by competing interests, and involving not just interpretation, translation and critique but active appropriation of political concerns by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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232. Ensuring curricular justice in the NSW education system.
- Author
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Oubani, Dalal and Oubani, Hussein
- Subjects
CURRICULUM ,EDUCATION ,PUBLIC education - Abstract
As the demographics of the Australian population changes, it is essential for the public education system to not only cater for the needs of the new community groups that form but also to help ensure that education is used as a vehicle to facilitate social harmony, understanding and equality. The link between disadvantaged and marginalised ethno-religious groups in the Australian community and their relative exclusion in NSW education curriculums cannot be underestimated, especially in the English and History curriculums which play a significant role in shaping students' understanding and empathy of "others". It is evident from growing research on discrimination and the disadvantage experienced by Australia's Muslim population especially where education and employment are concerned--that very little has been done by the educational systems to increase understanding and equality for this minority group. The lack of action is contributing to both the marginalisation and alienation of the Australian Muslim community, and resulting inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
233. A Thumbnail Dipped in Tar: Or - Can We Write Sociology from the Fringe of the World?
- Author
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Connell, RW
- Published
- 1991
234. Schools of sociology? The structuring of sociological knowledge in the sociology of health and medicine since 1960.
- Author
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Collyer, Fran
- Subjects
- *
AUTHORSHIP , *PUBLISHING , *SERIAL publications , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *BUSINESS networks , *CHI-squared test , *CONTENT analysis , *FACTOR analysis , *SCHOLARLY method , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL care , *MEDICINE , *OCCUPATIONAL prestige , *KNOWLEDGE management , *EMPIRICAL research , *LABELING theory , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *EVALUATION - Abstract
The production of sociological knowledge in Australian universities is explored through an empirical study of research papers published in a selection of academic outlets between 1960 and 2011. Drawing on theories concerning scholarly practices, institutional formation and the sociology of knowledge, questions are posed about the factors that shape and structure the production of sociological knowledge about health and medicine. The concept of intellectual schools is examined, with evidence sought for the presence of these 'knowledge networks' in the Australian context. The study suggests the formation and maintenance of schools are subject to structural factors within the university sector, specifically the relative wealth and prestige of the university and the dictates of the higher education market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
235. A critical discourse analysis of Canadian and Australian public health recommendations promoting physical activity to children.
- Author
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Alexander, Stephanie A and Coveney, John
- Subjects
- *
PREVENTION of obesity , *DOCUMENTATION , *WORLD Wide Web , *HEALTH policy , *BODY image , *CHILDREN'S health , *COMPARATIVE studies , *DISCOURSE analysis , *EPIDEMICS , *HEALTH promotion , *MENTAL orientation , *PROBLEM solving , *SOCIAL values , *QUALITATIVE research , *PHYSICAL activity - Abstract
In the past decades, public health has increasingly addressed what has been called the children's obesity 'epidemic', most notably through large-scale initiatives promoting physical activity. Through a discourse analysis the current paper critically examines such efforts in Canadian and Australian public health. Public health websites in Canada and Australia were examined for information concerning children's health, physical activity and obesity and explored for how these issues were represented in the discourse. Bacchi's (2009) 'What's the problem represented to be?' approach to discourse analysis guided our interrogation of the taken-for-granted assumptions underlying Canadian and Australian public health discourse, the ideological and political influences involved in its construction, and the knowledge base upon which it rests. The article calls for critical reflection on how children's physical and leisure activities are being advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
236. Regulating sociology: Threshold learning outcomes and institutional isomorphism.
- Author
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Farquharson, Karen
- Subjects
- *
SOCIOLOGY education (Higher) , *INSTITUTIONAL isomorphism , *EDUCATIONAL outcomes , *EDUCATIONAL standards , *EDUCATION - Abstract
This article examines the adoption of threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) for academic disciplines in Australia as an example of institutional isomorphism. It is argued that the type of sociology embedded in the TLOs values the sociology of the metropole and that, while the TLOs are broad enough to allow for individual sociology departments to continue to teach their own version of sociology, they further institutionalise the norm that sociology is about metropolitan theory and methods. Nevertheless, these isomorphic processes may serve to positively legitimise and institutionalise sociology, potentially enhancing the discipline’s position in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
237. On the use of socioeconomic typologies for improved integrated management of data-poor regions: explorations from the Australian north.
- Author
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Larson, S., Stoeckl, N., and Blanco-Martin, B.
- Subjects
SOCIOECONOMICS ,SOCIAL types ,MANAGEMENT ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Managers operating in data-poor environments are often required to use data from one region to draw inferences about another. The quality of decisions made using this ‘typology’ approach will depend, at least in part, upon the degree of similarity between the two regions. Using data from a variety of sources relating to several different domains in 55 separate catchments in northern Australia, this paper uses statistical clustering techniques to test if it is possible to identify socioeconomically ‘similar’ catchments. It finds that regions which are socioeconomically ‘similar’ are not always adjacent, and that assessment of ‘similarity’ depends upon the type of data used. Evidently, the typology approach offers itself as a useful framework for management, but still requires reliable baseline data with which to construct the typologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
238. Contesting Islam through the 2012 Sydney Protests: An Analysis of Post-protest Political Discourse amongst Australian Muslims.
- Author
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Roose, Joshua M.
- Subjects
- *
SOCIOLOGY , *PUBLIC demonstrations , *MUSLIMS , *MULTICULTURALISM -- Social aspects , *DEBATE ,ISLAM & society - Abstract
The violent clashes between young Muslim men and police that occurred in and around Sydney's central business district on the evening of Saturday, September 15, 2012 have acted as a catalyst for an increasingly visible political struggle among different sections of the Australian Muslim population in the post-9/11 decade. The protests, ostensibly about the filmInnocence of Muslims, have brought the contested nature of Islam and being Muslim in Australia firmly into the sphere of public political debate as Muslims aligned both against and with the protestors. This article aims to explore the extraordinarily open exchanges and contestation primarily between Muslims born and raised in Australia in the immediate aftermath of the protests and the mechanisms utilized to contest power, authority and legitimacy. In doing so, it reveals important insights into the debates defining Muslim political identity and considers the broader implications for Australian Islam and multiculturalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
239. Producing the “Problem” of Addiction in Drug Treatment.
- Author
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Moore, David and Fraser, Suzanne
- Subjects
- *
COMPULSIVE behavior , *INTERVIEWING , *MEDICAL care , *HEALTH policy , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOUND recordings , *SUBSTANCE abuse treatment , *QUALITATIVE research , *PILOT projects , *THEMATIC analysis - Abstract
In this article, we argue that the “problem” of addiction emerges as an effect of treatment policy and practice as well as a precursor to it. We draw on the work of Marrati to analyze interviews with policy makers and practitioners in Australia. The interviews suggest that the episode-of-care system governing service activity, outcomes, and funding relies on certain notions of addiction and treatment that compel service providers to designate service users as addicts to receive funding. This has a range of effects, not least that in acquiring the label of “addict,” service users enter into bureaucratic and epidemiological systems aimed at quantifying addiction. Rather than treating pre-existing addicts, the system produces “addicts” as an effect of policy imperatives. Because addiction comes to be produced by the very system designed to treat it, the scale of the problem appears to be growing rather than shrinking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
240. Healthy adults and maternal bodies: Reformulations of gender in Australian alcohol guidelines.
- Author
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Keane, Helen
- Subjects
- *
NUTRITION policy , *BREASTFEEDING , *ALCOHOL drinking , *FEMINIST criticism , *HEALTH behavior , *HEALTH status indicators , *MOTHERHOOD , *PARENTING , *SEX distribution , *SOCIAL attitudes , *FETAL development , *PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability - Abstract
This article examines the formulations of gender and sexual difference in Australian public health texts on drinking, focussing on the 2009 Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. These guidelines set a single level of low risk drinking for 'healthy men and women', in contrast to the gender differentiated levels found in earlier recommendations. At the same time they demonstrate an increased focus on the risks of 'maternal alcohol consumption', recommending abstinence for both pregnant and breastfeeding women. The article argues that this reorganisation of gendered vulnerability to alcohol reflects several shifts that have taken place both in public health discourse and in the social practices and cultural norms of gender. These include the problematisation of conventional masculinity; the constitution of women as economic producers and consumers with a right to equal participation in public life and an intensification of concern about foetuses, infants and children as vulnerable citizens of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
241. Degrees of difference: The politics of classifying international medical graduates.
- Author
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Harris, Anna
- Subjects
- *
CLINICAL competence , *HOSPITAL medical staff , *INTERVIEWING , *SCIENTIFIC observation , *FOREIGN physicians , *PRACTICAL politics , *RACISM , *STATISTICAL sampling , *SOCIAL stigma , *TERMS & phrases , *ETHNOLOGY research , *QUALITATIVE research , *PEER relations , *SOCIAL attitudes , *THEMATIC analysis - Abstract
The large number of international medical graduates (IMGs) working in Australia, and many other countries around the world, has received significant attention from the media, governments and academia. These institutions utilise a number of classificatory schemes in order to categorise IMGs. Such classification is often stigmatising, yet goes largely unquestioned. In this paper I show that the 'official naming' of IMGs in Australia, as well as the naming of IMGs by staff in hospitals, is historically, politically and socially produced. Following Bourdieu's call to also study how the classified classify, the paper goes on to examine ways in which IMGs name and categorise each other, drawing on ethnographic research. I argue that IMGs use classification themselves, strategically, in order to modify their marginalised position within the 'social space' of the hospital. The article questions taken-for-granted assumptions about classified groups such as IMGs and leaves an opening for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
242. “Like Throwing a Bowling Ball at a Battle Ship” Audience Responses to Australian News Stories about Alcohol Pricing and Promotion Policies: A Qualitative Focus Group Study.
- Author
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Fogarty, Andrea S. and Chapman, Simon
- Subjects
- *
ALCOHOLS (Chemical class) , *PROMOTIONAL products , *INDUSTRIAL policy , *PRICING , *FOCUS groups , *PUBLIC health - Abstract
Introduction: Policies affecting alcohol’s price and promotion are effective measures to reduce harms. Yet policies targeting populations are unpopular with the public, whose views can be influenced by news framings of policy narratives. In Australia, alcohol taxation receives high news coverage, while advertising restrictions have not until recently, and narratives are highly contested for each. However, research specifically examining how audiences respond to such news stories is scant. We sought to explore audience understanding of news reports about two alcohol policy proposals. Method: From June to August 2012, 46 participants were recruited for 8 focus groups in age-brackets of young people aged 18–25 years, parents of young people, and adults aged 25 or older. Groups were split by education. Participants were asked their prior knowledge of alcohol policies, before watching and discussing four news stories about alcohol taxation and advertising. Results: Participants were clear that alcohol poses problems, yet thought policy solutions were ineffective in a drinking culture they viewed as unamenable to change and unaffected by alcohol’s price or promotion. Without knowledge of its actual effect on consumption, they cited the 2008 alcopops tax as a policy failure, blaming cheaper substitution. Participants had low knowledge of advertising restrictions, yet were concerned about underage exposure. They offered conditional support for restrictions, while doubting its effectiveness. There was marked distrust of statistics and news actors in broadcasts, yet discussions matched previous research findings. Conclusions: News coverage has resulted in strong audience understanding of alcohol related problems but framed solutions have not always provided clear messages, despite audience support for policies. Future advocacy will need to continue recent moves to address the links between alcohol’s price and promotion with the drinking culture, as well as facilitate understandings of how this culture is amenable to change through the use of evidence-based policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
243. Differentiating between trust and dependence of patients with coronary heart disease: furthering the sociology of trust.
- Author
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Meyer, SamanthaB. and Ward, PaulR.
- Subjects
- *
ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *CORONARY disease , *DEPENDENCY (Psychology) , *CARDIAC patients , *INTERVIEWING , *RESEARCH methodology , *PHYSICIAN-patient relations , *RISK perception , *SOCIOLOGY , *TRUST , *QUALITATIVE research , *LATENT semantic analysis , *PATIENTS' attitudes - Abstract
Sociological health research on the concept of trust has been bedevilled by its multivocalities. This article extends Luhmann's attempts to clarify a sociology of trust. Luhmann argued a semantic distinction between trust and confidence. In this article, we use empirical data on patient ‘trust’ in doctors to argue that there is also a semantic distinction between trust and dependence. We conducted 37 semi-structured interviews with patients with coronary heart disease in Adelaide, Australia in 2008 and 2009. Our findings indicate that risk, familiarity and time were critical to understand the distinction between trust and dependence. We argue that patients in situations of emergency (heightened risk) ‘depended’ on, rather than trusted, doctors, given the patients lack of familiarity with their doctors. Time was a mediating factor, as the more ‘urgent’ the situation, the more likely it was that dependence came into play, since the situation was ‘unfamiliar’. Rather than juxtaposing trust and dependence, in this article we show how dependence may coexist with trust in the health care system in times of emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
244. Examining Physical Activity Service Provision to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Australia: A Qualitative Evaluation.
- Author
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Caperchione, Cristina M., Kolt, Gregory S., and Mummery, W. Kerry
- Subjects
- *
PHYSICAL activity , *HEALTH planning , *QUALITATIVE research , *NON-communicable diseases , *DISEASE risk factors , *ETHNIC differences , *PUBLIC health , *PREVENTIVE medicine - Abstract
: Strong evidence exists for the role of physical activity in preventing and managing a range of chronic health conditions. A particular challenge in promoting physical activity as a health strategy exists in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups, as such groups demonstrate high risk for a range of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this research was to examine the perspective of multicultural health service providers for CALD groups with respect to the physical activity services/initiatives on offer, access barriers to these services, and ideas for future service delivery in this area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 multicultural health service providers across the capital cities of the three most populous states in Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria), and thematic content analysis was used to examine the data. Findings indicated that the majority of physical activity initiatives were associated with organizations offering other social services for CALD communities but were greatly restrained by resources. As well, it was found that most services were not designed by taking into account specific cultural requirements for CALD communities or their cultural expectations. Common barriers identified to service uptake were classified as socio-cultural (e.g., gender, language, context of health) and environmental (e.g., transportation) in nature. These findings should be utilized when planning future physical activity and health promotion initiatives for increasing CALD participation. In particular, programs need to be culturally tailored to the specific expectations of CALD groups, addressing cultural safety and sensitivity, and should be in partnership with other organizations to extend the reach and capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
245. Time’s Up. Descriptive Epidemiology of Multi-Morbidity and Time Spent on Health Related Activity by Older Australians: A Time Use Survey.
- Author
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Jowsey, Tanisha, McRae, Ian S., Valderas, Jose M., Dugdale, Paul, Phillips, Rebecca, Bunton, Robin, Gillespie, James, Banfield, Michelle, Jones, Lesley, Kljakovic, Marjan, and Yen, Laurann
- Subjects
- *
EPIDEMIOLOGY , *MEDICAL care , *DISEASE prevalence , *HEALTH policy , *PATIENT advocacy , *HEALTH surveys - Abstract
Most Western health systems remain single illness orientated despite the growing prevalence of multi-morbidity. Identifying how much time people with multiple chronic conditions spend managing their health will help policy makers and health service providers make decisions about areas of patient need for support. This article presents findings from an Australian study concerning the time spent on health related activity by older adults (aged 50 years and over), most of whom had multiple chronic conditions. A recall questionnaire was developed, piloted, and adjusted. Sampling was undertaken through three bodies; the Lung Foundation Australia (COPD sub-sample), National Diabetes Services Scheme (Diabetes sub-sample) and National Seniors Australia (Seniors sub-sample). Questionnaires were mailed out during 2011 to 10,600 older adults living in Australia. 2540 survey responses were received and analysed. Descriptive analyses were completed to obtain median values for the hours spent on each activity per month. The mean number of chronic conditions was 3.7 in the COPD sub-sample, 3.4 in the Diabetes sub-sample and 2.0 in the NSA sub-sample. The study identified a clear trend of increased time use associated with increased number of chronic conditions. Median monthly time use was 5–16 hours per month overall for our three sub-samples. For respondents in the top decile with five or more chronic conditions the median time use was equivalent to two to three hours per day, and if exercise is included in the calculations, respondents spent from between five and eight hours per day: an amount similar to full-time work. Multi-morbidity imposes considerable time burdens on patients. Ageing is associated with increasing rates of multi-morbidity. Many older adults are facing high demands on their time to manage their health in the face of decreasing energy and mobility. Their time use must be considered in health service delivery and health system reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
246. Managing oppositional masculinity politics: the gendering of a government-commissioned research project.
- Author
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Lingard, Bob, Martino, Wayne, and Mills, Martin
- Subjects
- *
SOCIOLOGY , *MASCULINITY , *INTERORGANIZATIONAL relations , *EDUCATORS , *FEMINISM & sociology - Abstract
In this paper, we draw on pro-feminist, anti-essentialist espistemological and theoretical frameworks, in conjunction with adopting autoethnographic narratives, both to provide critical insight into and contextualize the particular testimony and witnessing of our own personal involvement in the gendering of a government-commissioned research project on boys’ education. The research project was undertaken in a politically volatile environment, when the ‘what about the boys?’ debate was at its zenith in Australia. As pro-feminist men attempting to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of the boys’ debate, whilst contributing to the new sociology of masculinities field, we had to negotiate a complex gender politics operating within the bureaucracy, including aligning with allies, to undertake this research in ways that remained honest to our own politics and the research evidence we collected. Our experiences and negotiation of the gendered and politicized relationships between the bureaucrats who commissioned the research and us as researchers constitute the foci of this paper. The paper demonstrates the ways in which doing research produces a ‘set of findings’ beyond those that are the subject of the research questions. The approach adopted in the research rejected ‘epistemological innocence’ by making evident our own ‘positionalities’ and in so doing demonstrates the ways in which this research was socially framed, managed and contested and tells us much about the topic of the research and about the gendering of research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
247. Confidence at the expense of trust: The mass adoption of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine in Australia.
- Author
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Bunton, Vikki and Gilding, Michael
- Subjects
- *
HUMAN papillomavirus vaccines , *HEALTH policy , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *CONFIDENCE , *FOCUS groups , *IMMUNIZATION , *INFORMED consent (Medical law) , *MARKETING , *MEDICAL protocols , *PATIENT compliance , *PREVENTIVE health services , *RESEARCH funding , *RISK perception , *TRANSFER of training , *TRUST , *WOMEN , *QUALITATIVE research , *THEMATIC analysis , *HEALTH literacy , *VACCINATION , *THERAPEUTICS ,CERVIX uteri tumors ,TUMOR prevention - Abstract
Australia leads the world in the mass adoption of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, a new frontier in mass vaccination programmes. This article reports on participatory workshops with the first generation of young Australian women to participate in the HPV mass vaccination programme. In particular, it addresses the themes of trust and confidence. A substantial literature highlights the growing realm of active trust at the expense of habitual confidence in 'risk society'. Another line of inquiry highlights the preference of governments for policies designed to enhance confidence rather than trust. This study finds that participants were guided by confidence in their adoption of the HPV vaccine, at the expense of trust. Participants readily transferred their confidence in the existing vaccination regime to the HPV mass vaccination programme, notwithstanding its novel features. Yet participants expressed growing misgivings about their informed consent and the 'marketing' of the vaccine in the course of workshops, reflecting failure to achieve their active trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
248. Framing Interfaith Dialogue in Australia's Multicultural Setting: Mounting an Interfaith and Intercultural Network in Melbourne's Northern Region.
- Author
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Michael, Michális S.
- Subjects
- *
INTERFAITH dialogue , *MULTICULTURALISM , *URBAN history , *SOCIOLOGY , *RACISM - Abstract
By examining the experience of an innovative and ambitious initiative in the evolution of the interfaith movement in Australia, this article analyses three contested themes: first, how to connect religion more closely with culture, thereby placing interfaith relations within the context of intercultural awareness; second, how to develop a regional initiative which, informed by Australia's urban history and sociology, would complement and dovetail with preexisting interfaith and intercultural activities; and third, how to translate the general principles of dialogue into the operational environments of local communities. By analysing the insertion of dialogue into the modalities of ‘everyday’ life, this article illuminates how a multidimensional approach to interfaith dialogue can resonate with the cultural–political specificities of a major metropolitan concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
249. The art of letting go: Referral to palliative care and its discontents
- Author
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Broom, Alex, Kirby, Emma, Good, Phillip, Wootton, Julia, and Adams, Jon
- Subjects
- *
QUALITY of life , *MEDICAL referrals , *PALLIATIVE treatment , *PSYCHOLOGY of physicians , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
Abstract: Accompanying patients from active treatment towards specialist palliative care is a complex sphere of clinical practice that can be fraught with interpersonal and emotional challenges. While medical specialists are expected to break ‘bad news’ to their patients and ease their transitions to specialist palliative care if required, few have received formal training in such interpersonal complexities. Furthermore, there also often exists clinical ambiguity around whether to continue active treatment vis-à-vis refocusing on quality of life and palliation. In this paper we explore the experiences of twenty Australian medical specialists, focussing on issues such as: dilemmas around when and how to talk about dying and palliation; the art of referral and practices of representation; and, accounts of emotion and subjective influences on referral. The results illustrate how this transitional realm can be embedded in emotions, relationships and the allure of potentially life-prolonging intervention. We argue that the practice of referral should be understood as a relational and contextually-bound process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
250. Educational markets in space: gamekeeping professionals across Australian communities.
- Author
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Doherty, Catherine, Rissman, Barbara, and Browning, Bronwyn
- Subjects
- *
NEOLIBERALISM , *LIBERALISM , *SOCIOLOGY , *COMMUNITIES , *HUMAN settlements - Abstract
This paper argues that the logic of neoliberal choice policy is typically blind to considerations of space and place, but inevitably impacts on rural and remote locations in the way that middle-class professionals view the opportunities available in their local educational markets. The paper considers the value of middle-class professionals’ educational capitals in regional communities and their problematic distribution, given that class fraction’s particular investment in choice strategies to ensure their children’s future. It then profiles the educational market in six communities along a transect between a major regional centre and a remote ‘outback’ town, using publicly available data from the Australian Government’s My School website. Comparison of the local markets shows how educational outcomes are distributed across the local markets and how dimensions of ‘choice’ thin out over the transect. Interview data offer insights into how professional families in these localities engage selectively with these local educational markets or plan to transcend them. The discussion reflects on the growing importance of educational choices as a marker of place in the competition between localities to attract and retain professionals to staff vital human services in their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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