Rethinking women's depression through narratives of recovery and wellbeing. This research project explores the growing problem of depression for women in Australia from a new angle. It investigates how rural and urban women at different life stages talk about their own experiences of recovery from depression and what helped to improve their emotional wellbeing. By considering the social and gendered context of women's depression this project will contribute to a broader evidence base for preven ....Rethinking women's depression through narratives of recovery and wellbeing. This research project explores the growing problem of depression for women in Australia from a new angle. It investigates how rural and urban women at different life stages talk about their own experiences of recovery from depression and what helped to improve their emotional wellbeing. By considering the social and gendered context of women's depression this project will contribute to a broader evidence base for prevention policies and treatment practices. It will also enable different ways of approaching women's depression amongst health professionals, families and communities.Read moreRead less
The sexual cultures of Thai men; implications for Australia's international HIV/AIDS strategy. This project contributes to safeguarding Australia's national interests by supporting the implementation of AusAID's international HIV/AIDS strategy laid out in the policy document 'Meeting the Challenge: Australia's International HIV/AIDS Strategy' (2004). This project directly addresses research priorities identified in the analytical report for the White Paper on Australia's AID program, 'HIV/AIDS i ....The sexual cultures of Thai men; implications for Australia's international HIV/AIDS strategy. This project contributes to safeguarding Australia's national interests by supporting the implementation of AusAID's international HIV/AIDS strategy laid out in the policy document 'Meeting the Challenge: Australia's International HIV/AIDS Strategy' (2004). This project directly addresses research priorities identified in the analytical report for the White Paper on Australia's AID program, 'HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific Region' (AusAID 2005): (1) the cultural, economic, and political dynamics driving the HIV epidemic in Asia; (2) the nexus between HIV/AIDS, economic activity, and development; and (3) the Asian experience of feminisation and gender impacts as factors in the epidemic HIV in the region.Read moreRead less
Reforming the Male: Masculinity, Medicalisation and Men's Health. Men's health is an issue of significant national importance and community concern. This project will contribute to knowledge of the social and cultural determinants of men's health and health practices in Australia. It is at the forefront of new approaches to men's health which emphasise the impact of norms and practices of masculinity on wellbeing. As well as providing specific insight into problems such as attention deficit di ....Reforming the Male: Masculinity, Medicalisation and Men's Health. Men's health is an issue of significant national importance and community concern. This project will contribute to knowledge of the social and cultural determinants of men's health and health practices in Australia. It is at the forefront of new approaches to men's health which emphasise the impact of norms and practices of masculinity on wellbeing. As well as providing specific insight into problems such as attention deficit disorder and depression in men, the project will also contribute to international debate about medicalisation, the rise of pharmacological treatments for problems of living and the existence of a crisis in masculinity.
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Reconfiguring intimate life: Gender and sexuality as sites of national redefinition in Australia since 1996. This project opens up current thinking about the nature of change in twenty-first century life in Australia by focusing on issues of gender and sexuality. It draws critical attention to a field of contest and re-negotiation of national identity and belonging, thus far not identified, that has far-reaching effects for the national fabric. It provides opportunities for thinking about sexual ....Reconfiguring intimate life: Gender and sexuality as sites of national redefinition in Australia since 1996. This project opens up current thinking about the nature of change in twenty-first century life in Australia by focusing on issues of gender and sexuality. It draws critical attention to a field of contest and re-negotiation of national identity and belonging, thus far not identified, that has far-reaching effects for the national fabric. It provides opportunities for thinking about sexual and reproductive relationships in ways that can be open to voices, stories and forms of belonging that signal a more generous, sustainable and healthy non-violent future.
The impact of the project will be on professional and scholarly training, teaching and research across a variety of disciplinary areas, as well as public debate. Read moreRead less
Evaluation of the relative efficacy and mechanisms of a couple-based intervention for Premenstrual Syndrome through a randomised control trial using mixed methods. Of 9,689 Australian women recently surveyed nationally, 33% reported moderate or severe premenstrual symptoms (PMS). Whilst relationships have been identified as a significant factor in the experience of premenstrual distress, to date there has been no systematic description or evaluation of couple-based PMS interventions. This resear ....Evaluation of the relative efficacy and mechanisms of a couple-based intervention for Premenstrual Syndrome through a randomised control trial using mixed methods. Of 9,689 Australian women recently surveyed nationally, 33% reported moderate or severe premenstrual symptoms (PMS). Whilst relationships have been identified as a significant factor in the experience of premenstrual distress, to date there has been no systematic description or evaluation of couple-based PMS interventions. This research study will do this, helping health-care providers understand the experience and treatment of PMS in the context of family relationships, thereby reducing PMS, and the physical and psychological distress associated with it. This will lead to improved psychological wellbeing and quality of life for women and their families.Read moreRead less
Peer Based Mentoring in Sport: Strategies for Best Practice. Federal and state governments and agencies have acknowleged the need to increase participation in sport. This project will support this important aim because it will generate empirical data about the value and best practice design of mentoring programs in elite and community or school based sport.Such programs are designed to ensure that sport is a forum for promoting positive social behaviours on and off the field and to increase part ....Peer Based Mentoring in Sport: Strategies for Best Practice. Federal and state governments and agencies have acknowleged the need to increase participation in sport. This project will support this important aim because it will generate empirical data about the value and best practice design of mentoring programs in elite and community or school based sport.Such programs are designed to ensure that sport is a forum for promoting positive social behaviours on and off the field and to increase participation in sport by reducing any negative behaviours associated with sporting cultures.Read moreRead less
Country Girlhood: the meaning and experience of girlhood in rural and regional Australia. What meanings does Australian country life impose on or generate for girls, and how have these helped define both country life and girlhood in Australia? Looking at the experience of growing up in rural and regional (ie. non-metropolitan) Australia, and how governments and communities have sought to respond to and define it, this project considers how country girlhood has interacted with social policy and o ....Country Girlhood: the meaning and experience of girlhood in rural and regional Australia. What meanings does Australian country life impose on or generate for girls, and how have these helped define both country life and girlhood in Australia? Looking at the experience of growing up in rural and regional (ie. non-metropolitan) Australia, and how governments and communities have sought to respond to and define it, this project considers how country girlhood has interacted with social policy and other influences, and as a particular conjunction of age, gender, location, and community. Is there such a thing as Australian country girlhood, and how has it been shaped by or helped form Australian ways of life?Read moreRead less
Infertility, IVF and reproductive tourism in Thailand and the region. This project will deepen our knowledge of the cross-cultural issues involved in infertility and the transfer of assisted reproductive technologies in the Asian region. Australian IVF expertise and technology is exported overseas and the project will reflect upon the processes and dilemmas involved in this. Innovative work on reproductive tourism will develop new theoretical insights as well as describe a growing social phenome ....Infertility, IVF and reproductive tourism in Thailand and the region. This project will deepen our knowledge of the cross-cultural issues involved in infertility and the transfer of assisted reproductive technologies in the Asian region. Australian IVF expertise and technology is exported overseas and the project will reflect upon the processes and dilemmas involved in this. Innovative work on reproductive tourism will develop new theoretical insights as well as describe a growing social phenomenon in our region. Read moreRead less
Understanding the long term impact of childhood emotional abuse. This project will generate new knowledge about the social dimensions of childhood emotional abuse. Experiences of childhood emotional abuse are extremely common, with many affected individuals going on to face long term health problems, social marginalisation, intergenerational family violence and re-victimisation. This project will investigate how different social contexts influence childhood emotional abuse itself and the interco ....Understanding the long term impact of childhood emotional abuse. This project will generate new knowledge about the social dimensions of childhood emotional abuse. Experiences of childhood emotional abuse are extremely common, with many affected individuals going on to face long term health problems, social marginalisation, intergenerational family violence and re-victimisation. This project will investigate how different social contexts influence childhood emotional abuse itself and the interconnected problems flowing from it that often persist over the life course. The findings of this project will increase the evidence base and inform the future development of policy and practice that aims to prevent the intergenerational transmission of violence and abuse, and improve health and social outcomes. Read moreRead less
Partner choice and sexual behaviour among gay and bisexual men. Current social and political debate about what constitutes legitimate relationships hinge on the status of same-sex relationships. Partner choice is key to understanding individuals' sexual behaviour and the relationships they develop in response. Yet gay and bisexual men's (GBM) sexual partner choices have not been researched. The project aims to describe types of partner choices among GBM and how these affect the specific sex prac ....Partner choice and sexual behaviour among gay and bisexual men. Current social and political debate about what constitutes legitimate relationships hinge on the status of same-sex relationships. Partner choice is key to understanding individuals' sexual behaviour and the relationships they develop in response. Yet gay and bisexual men's (GBM) sexual partner choices have not been researched. The project aims to describe types of partner choices among GBM and how these affect the specific sex practices, including risk behaviours, in which they engage and their style and pattern of relationships. It also aims to identify the contextual and individual factors associated with these choices. This evidence is expected to inform current debate and help improve health promotion and relationship support work among GBM.Read moreRead less