Constructing regionally appropriate anti-racism strategies for Australia. Racism is an international social scourge, and Australia is not immune from its injurious effects. The experience of racism degrades senses of belonging and generates disaffection, leads to ill-health and restrictions of mobility, as well as other social and individual pathologies. Reducing racism will strengthen Australia's social fabric. This project tests the utility of anti-racism templates and does so in rural as well ....Constructing regionally appropriate anti-racism strategies for Australia. Racism is an international social scourge, and Australia is not immune from its injurious effects. The experience of racism degrades senses of belonging and generates disaffection, leads to ill-health and restrictions of mobility, as well as other social and individual pathologies. Reducing racism will strengthen Australia's social fabric. This project tests the utility of anti-racism templates and does so in rural as well as urban Australia. The templates will be usable by local authorities and NGOs in framing their anti-racism efforts.Read moreRead less
The Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Gaming Machines on Communities: Health and Wellbeing Consequences. The long-term economic and social impact of EGMs is of great importance to Australia. Gambling is a major industry in Australia, with over 7,000 businesses generating profits in excess of $16 billion annually. Poker machines account for more than half the total revenue collected from all gambling. On the other hand, there are over 290,000 adults in Australia who are experiencing signif ....The Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Gaming Machines on Communities: Health and Wellbeing Consequences. The long-term economic and social impact of EGMs is of great importance to Australia. Gambling is a major industry in Australia, with over 7,000 businesses generating profits in excess of $16 billion annually. Poker machines account for more than half the total revenue collected from all gambling. On the other hand, there are over 290,000 adults in Australia who are experiencing significant problems with their gambling, and on average, the lives of six other people are adversely affected by every problem gambler. This project will inform regulatory frameworks to balance the costs and benefits of gambling. The findings will be used by local governments and regulatory authorities.Read moreRead less
Understanding police and ethnic group interactions: Testing an integrated theoretical model. This project uses social science research methods to examine perceptions of the roles and authority of the police among ethnic groups in Australia. Outcomes will have implications for police community cooperation and cooperation with social institutions more generally (e.g. government authorities). The research addresses issues that impact on the provision of information to the police and the willingness ....Understanding police and ethnic group interactions: Testing an integrated theoretical model. This project uses social science research methods to examine perceptions of the roles and authority of the police among ethnic groups in Australia. Outcomes will have implications for police community cooperation and cooperation with social institutions more generally (e.g. government authorities). The research addresses issues that impact on the provision of information to the police and the willingness of groups in Australia to participate in collaborative crime control. National and community benefits include ascertaining how greater levels of cooperation with the police can be promoted among ethnic groups who feel ill-served and marginalised by the criminal justice system. Read moreRead less
An exploration of the frequency, outcomes, enablers and constraints of bystander anti-racism. Bystander anti-racism involves ordinary people speaking up and taking prosocial action when witnessing racism. This project will develop empirical understandings of this underexplored, yet potentially powerful, form of anti-racism, including its frequency, the outcome of action, and factors that enable and constrain bystander anti-racism.
Working from the Ground Up: A Participatory Approach to Community Regeneration in Public Housing Neighbourhoods. This research will discover approaches, strategies and interventions that contribute to sustainable changes in public housing estates. It will trial interventions and develop quantitative tools. The outcomes of the project will include stronger, more cohesive communities, opportunities for residents to actively participate in their communities, and the development of services through ....Working from the Ground Up: A Participatory Approach to Community Regeneration in Public Housing Neighbourhoods. This research will discover approaches, strategies and interventions that contribute to sustainable changes in public housing estates. It will trial interventions and develop quantitative tools. The outcomes of the project will include stronger, more cohesive communities, opportunities for residents to actively participate in their communities, and the development of services through partnerships between the communities and relevant government, non government and private organizations. This will enhance health and wellbeing and increase education and training opportunities for residents. Read moreRead less
Community spirit, social transformation, sustainable partnership: community capacity building for community transformations. This partnership is at the forefront of developments in the provision of community services. The project will contribute to a growing international field of research focused on developing integrated frameworks for measuring community wellbeing. The community capacity building approach will serve as a best practice model for other Australian municipalities. The indicators a ....Community spirit, social transformation, sustainable partnership: community capacity building for community transformations. This partnership is at the forefront of developments in the provision of community services. The project will contribute to a growing international field of research focused on developing integrated frameworks for measuring community wellbeing. The community capacity building approach will serve as a best practice model for other Australian municipalities. The indicators are a tool for engaging communities in making informal decisions and developing shared goals; a policy tool for evidence based planning; and a reporting tool to track and communicate progress towards agreed goals and outcomes. The outcomes will be efficient use of available funding for community services and lower cost of provision of social welfare.Read moreRead less
Avoiding community backlash in the fight against terrorism . This project examines the willingness of diverse minority groups to cooperate in counter-terrorism initiatives and how fair procedures and perceptions of the law shape attitudes towards counter-terrorism policing. Outcomes will provide insights into how public cooperation in counter-terrorism can be enhanced.
Communities, trust, governance and partnerships: The role of Local Government in community management and development in areas of social disadvantage. This project is significant as much contemporary social policy is predicated on normative assumptions of 'community' 'trust' 'collective efficacy' 'social capital', which are contested, contextual concepts. Importantly there are differences in meaning and practice of 'community' between areas of advantage and disadvantage. In being based on thes ....Communities, trust, governance and partnerships: The role of Local Government in community management and development in areas of social disadvantage. This project is significant as much contemporary social policy is predicated on normative assumptions of 'community' 'trust' 'collective efficacy' 'social capital', which are contested, contextual concepts. Importantly there are differences in meaning and practice of 'community' between areas of advantage and disadvantage. In being based on these assumptions policy implementation, which increasingly relies on community capacity, infrastructure and human resources, may have the unintended outcome of exacerbating disadvantage. This project examines these contested concepts and explores Local Government's role in creating local partnership options and modes of governance to facilitate equitable outcomes for disadvantaged communitiesRead moreRead less
Exploring the construction of memory and place in repeat disaster landscapes. Community disaster resilience requires active engagement from emergency management agencies and people in at-risk landscapes. There is tension between collaborative planning in preparing for emergencies and command-and-control procedures during actual emergencies. Communities and agencies need new ways to interact and adapt to future repeat disasters in changing landscapes. This innovative research project analyses com ....Exploring the construction of memory and place in repeat disaster landscapes. Community disaster resilience requires active engagement from emergency management agencies and people in at-risk landscapes. There is tension between collaborative planning in preparing for emergencies and command-and-control procedures during actual emergencies. Communities and agencies need new ways to interact and adapt to future repeat disasters in changing landscapes. This innovative research project analyses community-led planning projects underway nation-wide, identifying emergent theory, assessing opportunities and benefits, as well as barriers to change. It aims to build community resilience and shared responsibility by integrating and refining existing practices; strengthening civic society through social resilience to risk.Read moreRead less
Comparative dimensions of active citizenship: an analysis of indicators of inclusivity and exclusivity in civil society. Active citizenship is a key concept in debates around the nature of civil society and the changing forms of citizenship. To date, grounded studies of the concept have been few. The project's significance lies in its focus on developing indicators of active citizenship. This enables the empirical charting of active citizenship. The comparative aspect to the project will heighte ....Comparative dimensions of active citizenship: an analysis of indicators of inclusivity and exclusivity in civil society. Active citizenship is a key concept in debates around the nature of civil society and the changing forms of citizenship. To date, grounded studies of the concept have been few. The project's significance lies in its focus on developing indicators of active citizenship. This enables the empirical charting of active citizenship. The comparative aspect to the project will heighten our ability to understand these processes in Australia in relation to other countries.
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