Barriers and Facilitators of Neighbourhood Networks and Cohesion. Neighbourhoods are critical contexts for health, safety and well-being. In the face of significant urban growth, understanding and enhancing neighbourhood networks and cohesion are high priorities in Australia and internationally. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from 148 Brisbane suburbs combined with census and spatial data, this project will be the first to examine how a neighbourhood's physical and socio-structural context ....Barriers and Facilitators of Neighbourhood Networks and Cohesion. Neighbourhoods are critical contexts for health, safety and well-being. In the face of significant urban growth, understanding and enhancing neighbourhood networks and cohesion are high priorities in Australia and internationally. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from 148 Brisbane suburbs combined with census and spatial data, this project will be the first to examine how a neighbourhood's physical and socio-structural context influences neighbourhood networks and cohesion over time and across the landscape of an entire city. The project aims to advance scientific understanding of neighbourhood networks and cohesion, provide unique insights into its underpinning drivers, and inform urban policy.Read moreRead less
The geography of labour market dynamics: Competition between new migrants and laid-off workers in China's urban labour markets. The project proposes contributions: 1 To our knowledge of our region, especially of sources of conflict within China, and how Chinese labour markets operate (and are different in different places). 2 To understanding Australian society, by contributing to knowledge about the effects of categories of citizenship on labour market performance. 3 To Australia's place in int ....The geography of labour market dynamics: Competition between new migrants and laid-off workers in China's urban labour markets. The project proposes contributions: 1 To our knowledge of our region, especially of sources of conflict within China, and how Chinese labour markets operate (and are different in different places). 2 To understanding Australian society, by contributing to knowledge about the effects of categories of citizenship on labour market performance. 3 To Australia's place in international social science, by linking western debates about migration and labour markets to the conditions of societies in transition. 4 To closer cultural ties between Australia and China, by collaborative research with scholars in China. 5 To the training of future generations of scholars of China.Read moreRead less
Disability and ability: how young people with impairments make the transition to adulthood. Compared to their able-bodied peers, 15-29 year olds with disabilities have an increased risk of negative social, physical and mental health outcomes. By analysing the life histories of 100 young people with physical impairments and tracking their development over four years, this project will explore how to reduce these risks.
Anti-Consumerism in the Contemporary West. This project will investigate contemporary critiques of Western consumption emanating from within Western societies themselves. Divided into three interconnecting research themes, the project will offer a selective review of recent media and intellectual commentary on the consequences of consumption, a brief documentation of recent ?anti-consumption? activism in Europe, North America and Australasia, and an Australian-based ethnographic exploration of h ....Anti-Consumerism in the Contemporary West. This project will investigate contemporary critiques of Western consumption emanating from within Western societies themselves. Divided into three interconnecting research themes, the project will offer a selective review of recent media and intellectual commentary on the consequences of consumption, a brief documentation of recent ?anti-consumption? activism in Europe, North America and Australasia, and an Australian-based ethnographic exploration of how people limit consumption activities within contemporary everyday life. The project will culminate in a book-length study, representing one of the first attempts to fully document how a ?Western consumerism? is currently being challenged by intellectuals, social movement activists and ?consumers? themselves.Read moreRead less
The enigma of arrival: Movements of the mimosa bush and the baobab across the Indian Ocean into pre-British Australia. This project will provide new insights into northern Australia's historical place in Indian Ocean networks of trade, cultural, and biological exchanges. By seeking to solve the enigmas of arrival of the mimosa bush and baobab our project will create new knowledge about the pre-British environmental history of Australia. Its integrative approach will generate significant public ....The enigma of arrival: Movements of the mimosa bush and the baobab across the Indian Ocean into pre-British Australia. This project will provide new insights into northern Australia's historical place in Indian Ocean networks of trade, cultural, and biological exchanges. By seeking to solve the enigmas of arrival of the mimosa bush and baobab our project will create new knowledge about the pre-British environmental history of Australia. Its integrative approach will generate significant public interest and richer discussion on the question of native versus introduced plants, helping environmental practitioners make informed decisions about alien plants and develop a more balanced perspective on biodiversity management. Finally, it will increase international collaboration across the Indian Ocean and train two postgraduate students. Read moreRead less
Older Workers and Labour Market Adjustment: The Case of Ansett Airlines. By tracing over 5 years the post-retrenchment careers of former Ansett Airlines employees, the study will advance knowledge of labour market adjustments for mature skilled workers from a global service industry. The work will improve understanding of labour market inequality, marginal employment and the relationship between age, household circumstances and workers' willingness to relocate in search of work. By addressing t ....Older Workers and Labour Market Adjustment: The Case of Ansett Airlines. By tracing over 5 years the post-retrenchment careers of former Ansett Airlines employees, the study will advance knowledge of labour market adjustments for mature skilled workers from a global service industry. The work will improve understanding of labour market inequality, marginal employment and the relationship between age, household circumstances and workers' willingness to relocate in search of work. By addressing two National Research Priorities - the barriers to labour market participation of older workers and the motivations of skilled workers who emigrate from Australia - the project will contribute to the development of labour market policies attuned to the demands of an ageing workforce in a globalising economy.Read moreRead less
Australian transplants: the political ecology of Acacia exchanges across the Indian Ocean. The case studies and conclusions arising out of this project will help environmental practitioners and policymakers make informed decisions about exotic plant introductions, balancing needs to 'safeguard' Australia on the one hand with interests in 'improving' Australia on the other. The project's innovative focus on the comings and goings of a single plant genus also makes a significant contribution to ....Australian transplants: the political ecology of Acacia exchanges across the Indian Ocean. The case studies and conclusions arising out of this project will help environmental practitioners and policymakers make informed decisions about exotic plant introductions, balancing needs to 'safeguard' Australia on the one hand with interests in 'improving' Australia on the other. The project's innovative focus on the comings and goings of a single plant genus also makes a significant contribution to Australian environmental studies, by generating richer public discussion of the question of native versus introduced plants. Finally, it will produce new knowledge about our iconic wattles (made accessible through a book), increase international collaboration across the Indian Ocean, and train two postgraduate students.Read moreRead less
Pathways to health and wellbeing through housing: a new causal understanding of relationships, processes and interventions. Does housing make Australians healthier or less healthy, how can we target housing assistance so that it improves individual health and wellbeing? This research answers these questions, it develops new methods for understanding the complex causal relationship between housing and health, and evidence of how housing can improve health and wellbeing.
Understanding influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from preschool to preadolescence. While promotion of optimal levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviours during childhood is important for health, much remains unknown in this field. This study will extend an existing cohort of children, recruited at ages three to five years and followed up at six to eight years by reassessing these children at nine to eleven years. Novel additions to the cohort include long term foll ....Understanding influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from preschool to preadolescence. While promotion of optimal levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviours during childhood is important for health, much remains unknown in this field. This study will extend an existing cohort of children, recruited at ages three to five years and followed up at six to eight years by reassessing these children at nine to eleven years. Novel additions to the cohort include long term follow-up spanning preschool to preadolescence, application of an ecological framework, and collection of objective neighbourhood data using a Geographical Information System. Findings will provide important information for policy and interventions focused at the individual, family and neighbourhood level, to improve physical activity and sedentary behaviour levels across childhood.Read moreRead less
Towards better multidimensional well-being measurement. The research will develop enhanced multidimensional measures of well-being and provide guidance that will significantly improve their use and interpretation. It will provide insights that will better inform policies aimed at higher well-being levels.