Sanctuary and Security in Contemporary Australia: Muslim Women's Networks 1980 - 2005. This project makes an important contribution to Muslim women's participation in public life. It researches the scope and potential of social networks and, crucially, acknowledges that both religious practice and secular activities are legitimate facets of everyday multicultural society. The project proposes a dynamic account of Muslim women's achievements and challenges, highlighting the causes and symptoms of ....Sanctuary and Security in Contemporary Australia: Muslim Women's Networks 1980 - 2005. This project makes an important contribution to Muslim women's participation in public life. It researches the scope and potential of social networks and, crucially, acknowledges that both religious practice and secular activities are legitimate facets of everyday multicultural society. The project proposes a dynamic account of Muslim women's achievements and challenges, highlighting the causes and symptoms of past and present insecurity. The key concept of sanctuary - as - security is both innovative and significant to contemporary political debate. The project will result in a reflective organisational history, online oral history, policy recommendations for the advancement of Muslim women, and scholarly publications.Read moreRead less
The relationship between mining companies and mine-affected communities in developing countries. Conflicts with local communities have been a major source of social risk for mining companies operating in Indonesia and other parts of the Asia Pacific region, and this research will contribute to Australian national security by dealing directly with this issue. It will contribute to the formation of better policies and practices for empowering women and empowering communities in the Indonesian mini ....The relationship between mining companies and mine-affected communities in developing countries. Conflicts with local communities have been a major source of social risk for mining companies operating in Indonesia and other parts of the Asia Pacific region, and this research will contribute to Australian national security by dealing directly with this issue. It will contribute to the formation of better policies and practices for empowering women and empowering communities in the Indonesian mining sector. At a regional and global scale, the lessons learnt about the construction of effective strategies for 'engendering' the development process will be applicable in other locations where Australian capital, technology and expertise are invested in large-scale industrial development, both inside and outside of the mining sector.Read moreRead less
Transforming Drivers: Driving as Social, Cultural and Gendered Practice. Drawing on cultural studies, social psychology, philosophy and social studies of technology, this interdisciplinary project responds to industry calls for more in-depth alternatives to traditional models of driver psychology that rely on behaviour. A model of driving as a complex cultural practice and social activity will be elaborated through an innovative approach which explores the links between the experience of drivin ....Transforming Drivers: Driving as Social, Cultural and Gendered Practice. Drawing on cultural studies, social psychology, philosophy and social studies of technology, this interdisciplinary project responds to industry calls for more in-depth alternatives to traditional models of driver psychology that rely on behaviour. A model of driving as a complex cultural practice and social activity will be elaborated through an innovative approach which explores the links between the experience of driving, cultural identity and media representations. The focus is on young drivers, with a special emphasis on gender differences. The project will generate new approaches to road safety research and driver education campaigns.Read moreRead less
Promoting ethical non-violent relationships of young women and men. The research aims to contribute to the prevention of sexual violence between young women and men aged 16-25years to promote their ability to live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. It will provide a multidisciplinary approach to developing an evaluated educational training programme based on young people's experiences of sexual intimacy, sexuality and anti-violence education, delivery of a training programme in three rura ....Promoting ethical non-violent relationships of young women and men. The research aims to contribute to the prevention of sexual violence between young women and men aged 16-25years to promote their ability to live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. It will provide a multidisciplinary approach to developing an evaluated educational training programme based on young people's experiences of sexual intimacy, sexuality and anti-violence education, delivery of a training programme in three rural and metropolitan sites and follow up interviews with young people six months after completion of the course.The findings of the research will inform policy makers, educators and community organisations working with young women and men.Read moreRead less
The role of community connectedness in retaining skilled migrant women in Australia. Australia faces a severe skills shortage in areas central to its social fabric and that are traditionally dominated by women: nursing, childcare and teaching. While we are successful in attracting skilled migrants to fill these gaps, one third choose to leave Australia within 5 years. This is a very unfavourable outcome in view of the continuing skills shortage and the unrecoverable costs associated with attract ....The role of community connectedness in retaining skilled migrant women in Australia. Australia faces a severe skills shortage in areas central to its social fabric and that are traditionally dominated by women: nursing, childcare and teaching. While we are successful in attracting skilled migrants to fill these gaps, one third choose to leave Australia within 5 years. This is a very unfavourable outcome in view of the continuing skills shortage and the unrecoverable costs associated with attracting skilled migrants. The project will gain insight into factors that influence the retention rates of skilled female migrants and, in doing so, enable government agencies to develop targeted retention measures.Read moreRead less
Trends in Time: Work, Family and Social Policy in Australia 1992-2006. This project will contribute to the national priority goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives', within the National Research Priority of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians'. It will provide sound new evidence for effective strategies fostering the policy goals of reducing stress on families, maintaining ....Trends in Time: Work, Family and Social Policy in Australia 1992-2006. This project will contribute to the national priority goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives', within the National Research Priority of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians'. It will provide sound new evidence for effective strategies fostering the policy goals of reducing stress on families, maintaining fertility and encouraging women into paid work. Identifying measures that most support men and women to balance work-family commitments, to spend adequate time with their children and social networks, and most facilitate female workforce participation, will promote national wellbeing. Read moreRead less
Assessing development: designing better indices of poverty and gender equity. Contributing to development worldwide, this research raises Australia`s global standing and helps fulfil the values and responsibilities of the Australian people. It strengthens the basis for gender-related and poverty-related policy development and service delivery within Australia and helps correct the current over-emphasis, in measuring domestic gender inequity, on the more privileged women.
Because severe poverty ....Assessing development: designing better indices of poverty and gender equity. Contributing to development worldwide, this research raises Australia`s global standing and helps fulfil the values and responsibilities of the Australian people. It strengthens the basis for gender-related and poverty-related policy development and service delivery within Australia and helps correct the current over-emphasis, in measuring domestic gender inequity, on the more privileged women.
Because severe poverty and radically unequal gender relations burden many of our South East Asian and Pacific neighbours, development aid remains an important plank of our foreign policy. By providing better tools for measuring poverty and gender inequity, this project can improve our understanding of our region and augment the impact of our aid.Read moreRead less
Development assistance to women in postconflict situations. In the last decade, internal armed conflicts have attracted increasing attention as major obstacles to development in poor countries. For development assistance organisations this poses serious challenges. Moreover, men and women experience conflict differently. This project documents, analyses and assesses work amongst women in post-conflict situations by an Australian non-government development agency, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA ....Development assistance to women in postconflict situations. In the last decade, internal armed conflicts have attracted increasing attention as major obstacles to development in poor countries. For development assistance organisations this poses serious challenges. Moreover, men and women experience conflict differently. This project documents, analyses and assesses work amongst women in post-conflict situations by an Australian non-government development agency, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA). Three countries, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and East Timor, comprise the case studies. In reports and scholarly articles, this research will evaluate how well OCAA meets women's needs in the post-conflict transition, and identify how development organisations can improve such work in future.Read moreRead less
Regional boards: Understanding the impact of gender diversity on board performance. The aim of this project is to identify what the impact of public policies to increase women's representation on boards has been to the operations and effectiveness of regional development boards. Given the concerted efforts made at both federal and state levels to increase women's representation on key decision-making boards in regional locations, it is timely now to assess whether the benefits assumed to occur ....Regional boards: Understanding the impact of gender diversity on board performance. The aim of this project is to identify what the impact of public policies to increase women's representation on boards has been to the operations and effectiveness of regional development boards. Given the concerted efforts made at both federal and state levels to increase women's representation on key decision-making boards in regional locations, it is timely now to assess whether the benefits assumed to occur as a result of diversity have been achieved for these boards and their communities, and if not, why not? This information will be used to inform policy making concerning regional boards, and government boards more generally, at both federal and state levels.Read moreRead less
Professional induction of female and male firefighters in a metropolitan fire station. This research offers new understanding of how the gendered professional identity of recruit firefighters is shaped by the regimes of selection, training and transition to work, in a metropolitan fire station. Doctoral research will explore whether women's relational and communication capacities are developed or discouraged in a masculinist work setting such as firefighting. The project will enhance understandi ....Professional induction of female and male firefighters in a metropolitan fire station. This research offers new understanding of how the gendered professional identity of recruit firefighters is shaped by the regimes of selection, training and transition to work, in a metropolitan fire station. Doctoral research will explore whether women's relational and communication capacities are developed or discouraged in a masculinist work setting such as firefighting. The project will enhance understanding of why some occupations remain male dominated despite 20 years of policy and program level change initiatives. It will have direct benefits for both metropolitan and rural firefighting services in Australia, assisting them to adapt to new professional and equity imperatives.Read moreRead less