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
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.
Towards a School-Community Based Approach to Addressing Student Absenteeism. This project aims to develop an integrated school-community approach to assist education systems to effectively address student absenteeism in marginalised communities. Excessive absenteeism is linked to low academic achievement and school dropout, which limits young people’s life opportunities and perpetuates social disadvantage. This project will use interdisciplinary methods to bring the experiences of schools and co ....Towards a School-Community Based Approach to Addressing Student Absenteeism. This project aims to develop an integrated school-community approach to assist education systems to effectively address student absenteeism in marginalised communities. Excessive absenteeism is linked to low academic achievement and school dropout, which limits young people’s life opportunities and perpetuates social disadvantage. This project will use interdisciplinary methods to bring the experiences of schools and communities, existing research evidence, and academics together to enable schools to work in new ways to improve attendance. Expected outcomes will be enhanced capacity of schools to address absenteeism with the benefit of assisting the government to alleviate the societal and economic costs of this enduring problem.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
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.
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
Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety i ....Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety initiatives; and evaluates the impact of the program on the incidence of crime and perceptions of safety and security. The outcomes will advance knowledge in community psychology and inform future policy and allocation of resources to community based crime prevention programs.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
A psychosocial approach to subjectivity and the changing Australian labour market. An examination of the discourses and narratives people draw on to make sense of and adapt to the changing Australian labour market will be undertaken. The meanings that are made and the patterns of adaptation to the changing workplace in terms of fatigue, uncertainty, insecurity, stress and depression, and the effects these have on workers, their families and their places of work will also be scrutinised. Attempti ....A psychosocial approach to subjectivity and the changing Australian labour market. An examination of the discourses and narratives people draw on to make sense of and adapt to the changing Australian labour market will be undertaken. The meanings that are made and the patterns of adaptation to the changing workplace in terms of fatigue, uncertainty, insecurity, stress and depression, and the effects these have on workers, their families and their places of work will also be scrutinised. Attempting to understand these narratives offers the opportunity to think about the production of healthy work narratives and healthy workers, and about possible interventions in policy, work place practices and training.Read moreRead less
Social auditing for positive change and indigenous life-world experiences in the resource rich Pilbara. Roebourne is an impoverished Indigenous community in the heart of the booming resource industries of the Pilbara. The town symbolises the challenges and opportunities for contemporary Australia. This project has been initiated by the Ngarluma and Yjindibarndi Peoples and will be co-funded and directed by these Peoples. The Project will adapt and extend approaches developed by Indigenous commun ....Social auditing for positive change and indigenous life-world experiences in the resource rich Pilbara. Roebourne is an impoverished Indigenous community in the heart of the booming resource industries of the Pilbara. The town symbolises the challenges and opportunities for contemporary Australia. This project has been initiated by the Ngarluma and Yjindibarndi Peoples and will be co-funded and directed by these Peoples. The Project will adapt and extend approaches developed by Indigenous communities in Canada to record the needs, hopes and ambitions of the people of the Roebourne region and in doing so document their solutions to real and significant problems. The project does not just enable consultation with an Indigenous community rather it helps create a platform for that community, if it chooses, to make decisions for the future.Read moreRead less