EEO in a Culture of Uncertainty. Australia appears to be losing its commitment to equal opportunity as work becomes increasingly insecure. Deference to employers, including transnational corporations, is already exercising a disproportionate effect on women, racial minorities and people with disabilities. The impact of the market, globalisation and free trade agreements is resulting in the increasing marginalisation of EEO and anti-discrimination measures. As a turning away from social justice i ....EEO in a Culture of Uncertainty. Australia appears to be losing its commitment to equal opportunity as work becomes increasingly insecure. Deference to employers, including transnational corporations, is already exercising a disproportionate effect on women, racial minorities and people with disabilities. The impact of the market, globalisation and free trade agreements is resulting in the increasing marginalisation of EEO and anti-discrimination measures. As a turning away from social justice in favour of the market and profit-making can only impoverish a democratic society, this timely study will examine the nature of the retreat in the hope that something might be done about it. Read moreRead less
Exploring the experience of security in the Australian Vietnamese community: practical implications for policing. Effective policing in Victoria depends upon sensitive relations with complex communities, but police experience persistent difficulties in implementing community policing strategies with the Australian Vietnamese community. Vietnamese residents call for police action and protection from drug and gambling-related crime. However, police find it difficult to build effective communicati ....Exploring the experience of security in the Australian Vietnamese community: practical implications for policing. Effective policing in Victoria depends upon sensitive relations with complex communities, but police experience persistent difficulties in implementing community policing strategies with the Australian Vietnamese community. Vietnamese residents call for police action and protection from drug and gambling-related crime. However, police find it difficult to build effective communication and co-operation with a community that seems reticent and lacking in trust. This project explores solutions to these problems, drawing on qualitative research on attitudes, experience of security and insecurity, institutional culture and cultural understandings amongst both police and community members. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100134
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,088.00
Summary
Addiction in the Australian legal system: A sociological analysis. This project is designed to analyse and compare legal approaches to addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AOD), identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Harms associated with AOD cost Australia over $25 billion per year. The law plays a central role in managing these harms. Yet legal responses to AOD and the key concept of ‘addiction’ are often inconsistent. These variations have unintended and often adve ....Addiction in the Australian legal system: A sociological analysis. This project is designed to analyse and compare legal approaches to addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AOD), identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Harms associated with AOD cost Australia over $25 billion per year. The law plays a central role in managing these harms. Yet legal responses to AOD and the key concept of ‘addiction’ are often inconsistent. These variations have unintended and often adverse economic, social and health implications. The expected project outcomes will inform new, more productive approaches to AOD-related harms in Australian law, contributing to improved economic, social and health outcomes.Read moreRead less
Improving social, economic and health outcomes through drug policy reforms. Globally, recognition is growing that common prohibitionist drug policies contribute to drug-related harms and have not succeeded. Identified harms include the current drug overdose crisis in North America and a surge in overdose deaths in Australia, adding new force to calls for urgent reform. This project aims to respond to these calls by exploring how human rights considerations can inform improvements to drug policy. ....Improving social, economic and health outcomes through drug policy reforms. Globally, recognition is growing that common prohibitionist drug policies contribute to drug-related harms and have not succeeded. Identified harms include the current drug overdose crisis in North America and a surge in overdose deaths in Australia, adding new force to calls for urgent reform. This project aims to respond to these calls by exploring how human rights considerations can inform improvements to drug policy. The project seeks to generate new knowledge on how human rights can guide reform so as to improve social, economic and health outcomes. The project should provide significant benefits to the nation, informing Australian legal, policy and practice reforms as well as international efforts to reduce drug-related harms.Read moreRead less
Addressing hepatitis C-related discrimination in a post-cure world. This project aims to address the legal and policy dimensions of hepatitis C discrimination. Hepatitis C is a major public health challenge linked to profound discrimination, including in law and policy. Treatments introduced in 2016 improved cure rates; optimism about disease elimination is high, but questions remain about discrimination faced by those who are cured. This interdisciplinary project’s goal is to generate new knowl ....Addressing hepatitis C-related discrimination in a post-cure world. This project aims to address the legal and policy dimensions of hepatitis C discrimination. Hepatitis C is a major public health challenge linked to profound discrimination, including in law and policy. Treatments introduced in 2016 improved cure rates; optimism about disease elimination is high, but questions remain about discrimination faced by those who are cured. This interdisciplinary project’s goal is to generate new knowledge about hepatitis C discrimination in a post-cure context, and identify opportunities for legal and policy reform. Expected outcomes of the project include better legal, social and policy outcomes for Australians cured of hepatitis C, significantly benefiting these individuals directly and society more broadly.Read moreRead less
Solar solutions to improve energy affordability for low-income renters. This Project aims to develop solutions for low-income renters to access solar energy. Low-income households spend higher proportions of income on electricity costs. Solar energy is a key way to reduce electricity costs and thus improve energy affordability. Renters are largely excluded from this opportunity. Intended Project outcomes are solutions to access solar energy suitable for widespread application to low-income priva ....Solar solutions to improve energy affordability for low-income renters. This Project aims to develop solutions for low-income renters to access solar energy. Low-income households spend higher proportions of income on electricity costs. Solar energy is a key way to reduce electricity costs and thus improve energy affordability. Renters are largely excluded from this opportunity. Intended Project outcomes are solutions to access solar energy suitable for widespread application to low-income private, public and community rental housing. Adoption of the Project’s outcomes are expected to benefit low-income renters, assist electricity retailers to maintain and extend their customer base, and provide commercial incentives for the many stakeholders providing rental housing and residential solar and battery systems.Read moreRead less
Reducing the harms associated with conscientious objection to abortion. This project aims to critically evaluate the regulation of conscientious objection to abortion. A range of state-based laws regulate this practice in Australia, and there is evidence that all result in inequitable access, harms to women and lack clarity for providers. The project will critically evaluate the legal and regulatory options for managing conscientious objection and interview conscientious objectors to develop a c ....Reducing the harms associated with conscientious objection to abortion. This project aims to critically evaluate the regulation of conscientious objection to abortion. A range of state-based laws regulate this practice in Australia, and there is evidence that all result in inequitable access, harms to women and lack clarity for providers. The project will critically evaluate the legal and regulatory options for managing conscientious objection and interview conscientious objectors to develop a conceptual model to explain their practices. A participatory process with experts will identify the optimal model for regulation and how to translate the model to practice. Expected outcomes are world first evidence on practice, progress towards effective regulation, and benefits will be reduced conflict and harms.Read moreRead less
Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and raci ....Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and racial patterns of developmental outcomes, key risk and protective factors and identify pathways to health and wellbeing, education and juvenile delinquency outcomes among WA children and youth, including those who have had contact with the Child Protection System. Outcomes for specific groups identified as ät risk" will also be examined".Read moreRead less
Opportunity spaces - community engagement in the planning, use and governance of shared school facilities. This project will capitalise on investment across Australia in renewing schools and building community education precincts. The work will illuminate the role played by civic infrastructure in community building, the benefits of coordinating social and educational services, and the potential of schools as learning resources for the whole community.
Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety i ....Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety initiatives; and evaluates the impact of the program on the incidence of crime and perceptions of safety and security. The outcomes will advance knowledge in community psychology and inform future policy and allocation of resources to community based crime prevention programs.Read moreRead less