The meaning of work, well-being and the changing terms, times and spaces of service sector jobs. This research investigates how work and its terms, timing, technologies and location are changing, and how these affect well-being. It will analyse the meaning that service sector workers draw from work, and how workers at the top (like professionals and consultants) compare with those at the lower end (like carers and cleaners).
Theoretical and policy implications of changing work/life patterns and preferences of Australian women, men and children, households and communities. This project establishes a Research Fellowship for Ass. Prof. Barbara Pocock, that will principally analyse and investigate, over five years, the relationship of changing patterns of work (broadly defined) in Australia, and the changing nature of Australian households, communities and workplaces. The study explores the effects of work upon househol ....Theoretical and policy implications of changing work/life patterns and preferences of Australian women, men and children, households and communities. This project establishes a Research Fellowship for Ass. Prof. Barbara Pocock, that will principally analyse and investigate, over five years, the relationship of changing patterns of work (broadly defined) in Australia, and the changing nature of Australian households, communities and workplaces. The study explores the effects of work upon households, along with individual preferences and household, community and workplace structures (and their interaction), drawing out implications for social theory and policy. It will analyse policy, quantitative data, and collect and analyse new qualitative data at Australian sites, within an international context.Read moreRead less
Understanding low skilled men's access to jobs: An occupational case-study approach. The withdrawal of low skilled men from the labour force has been substantial over recent decades. As many as 40% of men without post-school qualifications do not have full-time jobs. This development has many negative social consequences. It damages the affected men's wellbeing, and that of their families. It reduces labour supply at a time of labour shortages. It increases dependency on the welfare system. ....Understanding low skilled men's access to jobs: An occupational case-study approach. The withdrawal of low skilled men from the labour force has been substantial over recent decades. As many as 40% of men without post-school qualifications do not have full-time jobs. This development has many negative social consequences. It damages the affected men's wellbeing, and that of their families. It reduces labour supply at a time of labour shortages. It increases dependency on the welfare system. This project will develop new understandings of the barriers low skill men face when they seek jobs in areas of rising employment, such as the service sector. It will provide an assessment of the possibilities of overcoming these barriers, and develop ideas about how best to enhance low skilled men's access to good jobs. Read moreRead less
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
Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and raci ....Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and racial patterns of developmental outcomes, key risk and protective factors and identify pathways to health and wellbeing, education and juvenile delinquency outcomes among WA children and youth, including those who have had contact with the Child Protection System. Outcomes for specific groups identified as ät risk" will also be examined".Read moreRead less
Local government, mining companies and resources development in regional Australia: meeting the governance challenge. Sustainable regional development and continuing growth of the resources sector are key national priorities. The current resources boom is placing significant pressure on the physical, social and governance infrastructure of mining-intensive regions. Unless these issues can be better managed, new resource projects risk being delayed or deferred and the trend to fly-in fly-out oper ....Local government, mining companies and resources development in regional Australia: meeting the governance challenge. Sustainable regional development and continuing growth of the resources sector are key national priorities. The current resources boom is placing significant pressure on the physical, social and governance infrastructure of mining-intensive regions. Unless these issues can be better managed, new resource projects risk being delayed or deferred and the trend to fly-in fly-out operations will be accelerated, with deleterious consequences for sustainable regional growth. This project will contribute to a more effective response to these challenges by investigating the changing nature of local level governance in mining intensive regions and how these arrangements can be improved.Read moreRead less
Solar solutions to improve energy affordability for low-income renters. This Project aims to develop solutions for low-income renters to access solar energy. Low-income households spend higher proportions of income on electricity costs. Solar energy is a key way to reduce electricity costs and thus improve energy affordability. Renters are largely excluded from this opportunity. Intended Project outcomes are solutions to access solar energy suitable for widespread application to low-income priva ....Solar solutions to improve energy affordability for low-income renters. This Project aims to develop solutions for low-income renters to access solar energy. Low-income households spend higher proportions of income on electricity costs. Solar energy is a key way to reduce electricity costs and thus improve energy affordability. Renters are largely excluded from this opportunity. Intended Project outcomes are solutions to access solar energy suitable for widespread application to low-income private, public and community rental housing. Adoption of the Project’s outcomes are expected to benefit low-income renters, assist electricity retailers to maintain and extend their customer base, and provide commercial incentives for the many stakeholders providing rental housing and residential solar and battery systems.Read moreRead less
Australian Global Identities: Images of Globalization, Transnationalism and Individualism among New Expatriates. Globalization is dramatically transforming Australian society. By exploring the neglected terrain of emergent 'Australian global identities', this research will benefit policy analysts, government and the public they serve. Research findings on how globalization influences the decisions of Australians to live and work abroad, promoting new lifestyles and international careers, will ....Australian Global Identities: Images of Globalization, Transnationalism and Individualism among New Expatriates. Globalization is dramatically transforming Australian society. By exploring the neglected terrain of emergent 'Australian global identities', this research will benefit policy analysts, government and the public they serve. Research findings on how globalization influences the decisions of Australians to live and work abroad, promoting new lifestyles and international careers, will be used by organizations and government to shape policy in employment, education and professional development. The research will shed new light on the rising numbers of Australians working abroad, as well as detail ways Australia might better adapt to global institutional networking in order to attract expatriates back to Australia.Read moreRead less
Developing a national rural volunteering roadmap. This project aims to investigate the challenges affecting rural volunteering in Australia. Conducting a national analysis of volunteering demand and supply, this project expects to generate new interdisciplinary knowledge of the structural, demographic, organisational and personal factors affecting the sustainability of rural volunteering. Expected outcomes of this project include a world-first index of volunteering vulnerabilities and a spatial ....Developing a national rural volunteering roadmap. This project aims to investigate the challenges affecting rural volunteering in Australia. Conducting a national analysis of volunteering demand and supply, this project expects to generate new interdisciplinary knowledge of the structural, demographic, organisational and personal factors affecting the sustainability of rural volunteering. Expected outcomes of this project include a world-first index of volunteering vulnerabilities and a spatial map of volunteering unevenness, leading to the development of an evidence-based National Rural Volunteering Roadmap (2025-2035), which will guide our volunteering peak body partners, governments and rural communities to plan for and support rural volunteering over the longer-term.Read moreRead less
Institutional abuse and organisational reform in the Australian defence force. This project aims to investigate institutional abuse within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 1969. It will collect survivor accounts of Defence abuse and the formal ADF institutional responses to abuse. The focus is to uncover the experiences of survivors of Defence abuse within the historical context of the military at the time. The research intends to analyse the processes of change to policies and practic ....Institutional abuse and organisational reform in the Australian defence force. This project aims to investigate institutional abuse within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 1969. It will collect survivor accounts of Defence abuse and the formal ADF institutional responses to abuse. The focus is to uncover the experiences of survivors of Defence abuse within the historical context of the military at the time. The research intends to analyse the processes of change to policies and practices, matched to wider cultural shifts influencing the ADF to diversify its workforce. It is intended the project outcomes will inform wider questions about how institutions respond to social change.Read moreRead less