Work, Love and Play: Understanding resilience in same-sex parented families. This research will provide information about the experiences of same-sex parented families in accessing health and community services in Australia and New Zealand. This will inform policy development aimed at improving access to services and reducing discrimination for same-sex attracted people and other minority groups. Additionally the research will increase knowledge about the impact of limited social or community su ....Work, Love and Play: Understanding resilience in same-sex parented families. This research will provide information about the experiences of same-sex parented families in accessing health and community services in Australia and New Zealand. This will inform policy development aimed at improving access to services and reducing discrimination for same-sex attracted people and other minority groups. Additionally the research will increase knowledge about the impact of limited social or community support on the health and wellbeing of families. Families are a key unit in society, and supporting strong and healthy families - in all their forms - is an important part of supporting the overall economic and social and physical wellbeing of society (National Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health).Read moreRead less
A study of the prevalence, experience and nature of child-to-mother violence in a high risk geographical area. Child-to-mother violence is an under acknowledged but serious problem in the Australian and international contexts. This four phased study will measure the extent, scope and nature of child-to-mother violence in a high risk geographic area of Sydney. It will provide insights into the perspectives of mothers, health and welfare workers. Data will be generated from population survey and ....A study of the prevalence, experience and nature of child-to-mother violence in a high risk geographical area. Child-to-mother violence is an under acknowledged but serious problem in the Australian and international contexts. This four phased study will measure the extent, scope and nature of child-to-mother violence in a high risk geographic area of Sydney. It will provide insights into the perspectives of mothers, health and welfare workers. Data will be generated from population survey and in-depth interviews. Synthesised data will provide a framework for sustainable and supportive interventions for affected families. The findings can be utilised by policy makers and the community to expose and address this complex problem of family violence.Read moreRead less
The emotional and social burden of caring for a young child with complex health needs. The National Agenda for Early Childhood and the Stronger Families and Community Strategy provide a framework for achieving efficient and effective outcomes in early childhood. This project will contribute to those strategies by gaining an understanding of the currently unknown issues faced by the group of families of young infants and children with complex health needs in a variety of geographic, community and ....The emotional and social burden of caring for a young child with complex health needs. The National Agenda for Early Childhood and the Stronger Families and Community Strategy provide a framework for achieving efficient and effective outcomes in early childhood. This project will contribute to those strategies by gaining an understanding of the currently unknown issues faced by the group of families of young infants and children with complex health needs in a variety of geographic, community and service settings, and the government supported services required. The identification of risk and resilience factors will enable the early detection of children at 'high-risk' and provide the opportunity to implement preventative and early intervention programs.Read moreRead less
Living Alone in Australia Project (LAAP). This study investigates one aspect of the changing nature of Australia's social fabric. It asks whether the sharp rise in living alone reflects a breakdown in Australia's social fabric or simply marks a change in the way in which the fabric is woven. Living alone has important implications for social policy, service provision and housing. But before these implications are identified we need a much better understanding of who lives alone and what living ....Living Alone in Australia Project (LAAP). This study investigates one aspect of the changing nature of Australia's social fabric. It asks whether the sharp rise in living alone reflects a breakdown in Australia's social fabric or simply marks a change in the way in which the fabric is woven. Living alone has important implications for social policy, service provision and housing. But before these implications are identified we need a much better understanding of who lives alone and what living alone means for people in terms of their social ties. By understanding the causes and consequences of the increasing popularity of living alone the study will help identify those who are at ?risk? and thus assist with effective targeting of supports and interventions.Read moreRead less
Inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services. The aim of this APAI doctoral project is to investigage the barriers to, and factors which facilitate effective inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services in the Australian funding, policy and practice context. The proposed project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the process and outcomes of inclusion in long day care, preschool and family day ca ....Inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services. The aim of this APAI doctoral project is to investigage the barriers to, and factors which facilitate effective inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services in the Australian funding, policy and practice context. The proposed project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the process and outcomes of inclusion in long day care, preschool and family day care. The findings will inform policy and practice by enabling early childhood agencies to be more responsive and to better tailor their services to individual child and family needs.Read moreRead less
Housing affordability: the use and misuse of reverse mortgages by older households. Many retirees are without compulsory superannuation although daily living costs have risen substantially. As additional workers in the 'baby boom' generation retire and less tax will be paid to the government, it appears there will be increasing pressure placed on the pension system. A large proportion of the population may struggle to enjoy a fulfilling retirement and be drawn towards a reverse mortgage, which ....Housing affordability: the use and misuse of reverse mortgages by older households. Many retirees are without compulsory superannuation although daily living costs have risen substantially. As additional workers in the 'baby boom' generation retire and less tax will be paid to the government, it appears there will be increasing pressure placed on the pension system. A large proportion of the population may struggle to enjoy a fulfilling retirement and be drawn towards a reverse mortgage, which in turn may be misunderstood. With an increasing proportion of older residents leaving the workforce, the community would be adversely affected if this cohort required government financial assistance due to the misuse of home equity loans.Read moreRead less
Interpersonal and Family Relations in Transcultural/Transnational Marriages. The research explores recent developments in internet-mediated courtship and the interpersonal and social relationships it generates. Literature on this topic is largely concerned with textual interpretations of match-making web sites, while media comment and academic writing promotes negative stereotypes of those who contract transnational marriages. Focusing on Australia's Indonesian and Filipino immigrant communitie ....Interpersonal and Family Relations in Transcultural/Transnational Marriages. The research explores recent developments in internet-mediated courtship and the interpersonal and social relationships it generates. Literature on this topic is largely concerned with textual interpretations of match-making web sites, while media comment and academic writing promotes negative stereotypes of those who contract transnational marriages. Focusing on Australia's Indonesian and Filipino immigrant communities we analyse such marriages in the context of contemporary forms of electronic intimacy and relationship brokering and develop a more nuanced picture of family values and gender relations in them. This timely study of an increasingly utilised means contracting Australian marriages takes current debates beyond narrow stereotypes.Read moreRead less
Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and chi ....Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and child outcomes. The Growing-Up in Australia study (available in 2005) surveys 10,000 children, combining measures of child well-being, existing validated measures of work conditions and family functioning, with a new child-focused diary that measures time and activities undertaken with children. New knowledge generated will inform future policy development.Read moreRead less
Job quality and the mental health and well-being of working parents and their children. Maximizing workforce participation is a national priority, essential to support an ageing population. Also critical is the full development of children's capabilities; part of a healthy start to life. Jobs, parents, children and family life lie at the centre of these priorities. Although employment supports families financially, this may come at a cost if aspects of the job affect parent well-being, or strain ....Job quality and the mental health and well-being of working parents and their children. Maximizing workforce participation is a national priority, essential to support an ageing population. Also critical is the full development of children's capabilities; part of a healthy start to life. Jobs, parents, children and family life lie at the centre of these priorities. Although employment supports families financially, this may come at a cost if aspects of the job affect parent well-being, or strains family relationships, which are critical to children's development and well-being. As well as informing industrial relations changes, this project will benefit the twin economic and social policy goals of workforce participation while at the same time supporting the health and well-being of parents and their children.Read moreRead less
Understanding an important aspect of current-day family dynamics: the institution of repartnering in Australia. Families are at the core of Australia's social fabric. Understanding their dynamics assists in developing good policies and mechanisms to support them. Repartnering is an important aspect of current-day family dynamics. Yet we know relatively little about how these partnerships operate. This project will illuminate the patterns and issues central to repartnering and provide a significa ....Understanding an important aspect of current-day family dynamics: the institution of repartnering in Australia. Families are at the core of Australia's social fabric. Understanding their dynamics assists in developing good policies and mechanisms to support them. Repartnering is an important aspect of current-day family dynamics. Yet we know relatively little about how these partnerships operate. This project will illuminate the patterns and issues central to repartnering and provide a significant contribution to social research. Results from this study will equip policy makers with appropriate knowledge to develop policies aimed at assisting families. The findings will contribute to growing international knowledge on family dynamics in repartnered relationships, as well as strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric through stronger families.Read moreRead less