A comparative sociocultural and bioethical study of uterus transplants . This socio-cultural study aims to undertake a comparative study of the new Australian Uterine Transplant (UTx) trial with established and emerging UTx programs in the US and India. Expected outcomes of this project include: enhanced understandings of the experiences and meanings of uterine transplant for women donors, recipients and staff involved in UTx trials; an exploration of the ethical issues raised by this technolog ....A comparative sociocultural and bioethical study of uterus transplants . This socio-cultural study aims to undertake a comparative study of the new Australian Uterine Transplant (UTx) trial with established and emerging UTx programs in the US and India. Expected outcomes of this project include: enhanced understandings of the experiences and meanings of uterine transplant for women donors, recipients and staff involved in UTx trials; an exploration of the ethical issues raised by this technology; and a comparison of social responses to uterine transplants across different societies.This study is anticipated to provide theoretical insights on the social and ethical impacts of this technology for improved public policy responses. Read moreRead less
Understanding the Australian public's expectations of personalised genomics. This multi-disciplinary project aims to be the first to explore the Australian public's awareness of new developments in genetic science that allow healthy individuals to access their own genetic makeup. Called 'personal genomics', this broad group of genetic tests can be used for a variety of purposes that include ancestry, paternity, sporting ability and health. These tests are developing at a rapid rate yet little is ....Understanding the Australian public's expectations of personalised genomics. This multi-disciplinary project aims to be the first to explore the Australian public's awareness of new developments in genetic science that allow healthy individuals to access their own genetic makeup. Called 'personal genomics', this broad group of genetic tests can be used for a variety of purposes that include ancestry, paternity, sporting ability and health. These tests are developing at a rapid rate yet little is known about why, how and where they are used by the public. This project will employ a mixed methods approach to examine how the public might engage with this new technology. The research aims to help define educational strategies and supports and thereby to inform national policy for personal genomics.Read moreRead less
Wealth Inequality in Australia: Sources and Solutions. The project aims to investigate the causes and consequences of asset price inflation and increasing inequalities in asset-based wealth in Australia. It expects to generate significant new knowledge about the evolution of asset-based inequality and about how the increasing concentration of asset-ownership is shaping the life opportunities of young people. Expected outcomes include the identification of policy options available to mitigate the ....Wealth Inequality in Australia: Sources and Solutions. The project aims to investigate the causes and consequences of asset price inflation and increasing inequalities in asset-based wealth in Australia. It expects to generate significant new knowledge about the evolution of asset-based inequality and about how the increasing concentration of asset-ownership is shaping the life opportunities of young people. Expected outcomes include the identification of policy options available to mitigate the negative impact of asset inflation and growing wealth inequality. This should provide significant benefits for governments and policy makers at a time when asset price inflation and the cost of housing represent critical policy challenges. Read moreRead less
Understanding selfie-editing apps in youth visual digital cultures. This project aims to investigate how young people navigate identity and body image concerns online through new digital editing tools provided by selfie-editing apps. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the literacies young people use in reading, evaluating and editing images of themselves, and the role of digital technologies in forming young people’s embodied identities, using an innovative participatory methodo ....Understanding selfie-editing apps in youth visual digital cultures. This project aims to investigate how young people navigate identity and body image concerns online through new digital editing tools provided by selfie-editing apps. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the literacies young people use in reading, evaluating and editing images of themselves, and the role of digital technologies in forming young people’s embodied identities, using an innovative participatory methodology. Expected outcomes include a new evidence base and youth-centred conceptual framework on the connections between youth selfie-editing, body image, and wellbeing. This should provide significant benefits in helping young people to better navigate body image and wellbeing in online cultures.Read moreRead less
Young Workers and the Future of Service Employment. This project aims to understand how the social and political relations of service employment are transforming, and how workers' participation can support the future viability of the service economy. It explores how young service workers negotiate their status, conditions and working relationships, and how service employment facilitates or limits their social and political participation. This evidence base supports efforts to improve the resilie ....Young Workers and the Future of Service Employment. This project aims to understand how the social and political relations of service employment are transforming, and how workers' participation can support the future viability of the service economy. It explores how young service workers negotiate their status, conditions and working relationships, and how service employment facilitates or limits their social and political participation. This evidence base supports efforts to improve the resilience and productivity of the service economy and enhance the social relations of service labour at a time of economic crisis. It will benefit policymakers, employers and worker representatives aiming to engage and support this diverse labour force.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Humans, Robotics and the Future of Work. The aim of the project is to generate new and powerful understandings of the social consequences of robotics and artificial intelligence. The project aims to develop an understanding of technologically-mediated mobility processes and test their capacity to address such issues as social futures and the sorts of digital skills that Australians will require for future jobs. It plans to use social theory to explore technological scenarios and hypothe ....Enhanced Humans, Robotics and the Future of Work. The aim of the project is to generate new and powerful understandings of the social consequences of robotics and artificial intelligence. The project aims to develop an understanding of technologically-mediated mobility processes and test their capacity to address such issues as social futures and the sorts of digital skills that Australians will require for future jobs. It plans to use social theory to explore technological scenarios and hypotheses concerning possible societal futures in Australia and beyond. Project outcomes may inform social science and contribute to worldwide efforts to solve global policy problems from work and unemployment to lifestyle change.Read moreRead less
Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship. This project will investigate male-dominated far right groups in Australia by looking at their intellectual underpinnings. The sociological focus is on how core ideas inflect tropes of masculinity and the phenomena of weak citizenship. This moves beyond a simple stereotype of angry, disenfranchised young men; to grasp the radical right-wing thinking that motivates them, and informs their hate rhetoric and actions. Using multi-me ....Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship. This project will investigate male-dominated far right groups in Australia by looking at their intellectual underpinnings. The sociological focus is on how core ideas inflect tropes of masculinity and the phenomena of weak citizenship. This moves beyond a simple stereotype of angry, disenfranchised young men; to grasp the radical right-wing thinking that motivates them, and informs their hate rhetoric and actions. Using multi-methods, we will explore attitudes, and use of transnational far right ideas to 'imagine' Australia. The project will generate new knowledge of how bonds of citizenship have weakened amongst men who define themselves at the margins; yielding insights into how masculinity is actively utilised as a recruitment mechanism.Read moreRead less
Generating insights for the future: A retrospective, comparative study of attempts to implement large-scale electronic health record systems. This is a retrospective, comparative study of five attempts to set up regional and national systems for sharing electronic health records in Australia and Britain. The purpose is to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past, so that complex technology projects such as these can be better managed in the future.
Accounting for Sustainability: Developing an Integrated Approach for Sustainability Assessments. In today's challenging world, we need to find new ways to sustain our cities, communities and organisations. In the past decade, various bodies have developed highly sophisticated indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability. However these indicators often become detached from practical tasks at hand - managing businesses, preserving the environment, or promoting social and cultural well-be ....Accounting for Sustainability: Developing an Integrated Approach for Sustainability Assessments. In today's challenging world, we need to find new ways to sustain our cities, communities and organisations. In the past decade, various bodies have developed highly sophisticated indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability. However these indicators often become detached from practical tasks at hand - managing businesses, preserving the environment, or promoting social and cultural well-being. This project will develop a framework and software system for evaluating and applying indicators in common planning and reporting situations. The project will benefit Australian organisations by a) developing clear, practical sustainability goals; b) lowering cost of reporting compliance and c) improving sustainability practices.Read moreRead less
Technologies of performance, technologies of governance: the bane, benefits, ethics and future of performance measurement in government. This study examines governments' increasing use of performance management and the complex ways this is transforming schools, universities, health and welfare services. It aims to improve service performance by identifying problems areas and engaging wider public perspectives.