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
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
What makes a community resilient? Examining changes in the adaptive capacities of Brisbane suburbs before and after the 2011 flood. This project will be the first study to examine the key community processes and structures associated with community resilience both before and after the 2011 Brisbane floods. Drawing on a longitudinal study of Brisbane suburbs, it will critically assess the conditions under which suburban communities respond to and recover from a major disaster.
Women Consider Retirement: A Critical Investigation of Attitudes Towards Work, Ageing and Retirement in Three Generations of Australian Women. The broad aim of this project is to investigate what work and retirement mean for women as they age and to consider the implications of these attitudes, intentions and experiences for government policy, especially given current concerns about workforce maintenance in view of population ageing.
The project will:
- develop a comprehensive understanding ....Women Consider Retirement: A Critical Investigation of Attitudes Towards Work, Ageing and Retirement in Three Generations of Australian Women. The broad aim of this project is to investigate what work and retirement mean for women as they age and to consider the implications of these attitudes, intentions and experiences for government policy, especially given current concerns about workforce maintenance in view of population ageing.
The project will:
- develop a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, attitudes and experiences of three generations of women in relation to work, ageing and retirement
- examine the extent and consequences of generational and geographic differences in attitudes and choices
- explore the complex social and cultural factors shaping these attitudes, choices and consequences.
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Measuring and enhancing community capacity in outback NSW: the case of Broken Hill. The project will elucidate the necessary conditions for rural renewal through intensive analysis of social capital formation and mobilisation in one outback community in NSW. This entails a multidimensional analysis of social capital at the micro and macro levels in Broken Hill, in relation to cross-sector collaboration, interaction with economic, human and ecological factors, the role of community organisations ....Measuring and enhancing community capacity in outback NSW: the case of Broken Hill. The project will elucidate the necessary conditions for rural renewal through intensive analysis of social capital formation and mobilisation in one outback community in NSW. This entails a multidimensional analysis of social capital at the micro and macro levels in Broken Hill, in relation to cross-sector collaboration, interaction with economic, human and ecological factors, the role of community organisations and the social entrepreneur. The project directly addresses the widely acknowledged need to find effective pathways for sustainability of rural communities. The project will produce practical recommendations to policy makers and the community, and will contribute to social capital theory.Read moreRead less
Building connections: schools as community hubs. This project aims to support school systems and planning authorities enhance engagement between schools and local communities. The key objective is to advance the cost-effective development of the infrastructure required to deliver community programs and services from school sites, in addition to education programs for school-aged students. The project expects to generate new knowledge about how best to plan, design, govern and manage facilities a ....Building connections: schools as community hubs. This project aims to support school systems and planning authorities enhance engagement between schools and local communities. The key objective is to advance the cost-effective development of the infrastructure required to deliver community programs and services from school sites, in addition to education programs for school-aged students. The project expects to generate new knowledge about how best to plan, design, govern and manage facilities and infrastructure to enable schools to operate successfully as more than a school, encouraging the development of resilient and connected communities. The outcomes are expected to include a development framework for maximising schools as community hubs.Read moreRead less
An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector ....An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector benefits in assisting health reforms to be more effective; and education sector benefits in understanding how professionals from different disciplines can learn together more collaboratively. The benefits are transferable to other industries and professional groups, as well as to Australia's international partners.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
Sampling Gay Men: Testing Methodological Alternatives in a Minority Population. This project will systematically assess the efficacy and appropriateness of five separate techniques for the recruitment of gay and homosexually active men in Australia. The project will use the data from the Australian Study of Health and Relationships to assess the representativeness of the samples obtained. Using theoretical considerations of the inter-relationship of identity, attraction and practice, the suitabi ....Sampling Gay Men: Testing Methodological Alternatives in a Minority Population. This project will systematically assess the efficacy and appropriateness of five separate techniques for the recruitment of gay and homosexually active men in Australia. The project will use the data from the Australian Study of Health and Relationships to assess the representativeness of the samples obtained. Using theoretical considerations of the inter-relationship of identity, attraction and practice, the suitability of recruitment strategies for research projects addressing key elements of gay men's health will be assessed. As a by-product of the sampling exercise, a description of the key health concerns of gay and homosexually active men will be developed. Read moreRead less
Cosmopolitan Heritage in a Multicultural Society: Ethnic Communities and the Built Environment in Australian Cities and Regional and Rural Areas. This project investigates the historical and contemporary contribution of minority ethnic communities to the built environment of Australian cities and towns. This is significant because this story of the impact of minority ethnic communities on the built environment has been ignored in the Australian immigration debate. The focus is on regional and ru ....Cosmopolitan Heritage in a Multicultural Society: Ethnic Communities and the Built Environment in Australian Cities and Regional and Rural Areas. This project investigates the historical and contemporary contribution of minority ethnic communities to the built environment of Australian cities and towns. This is significant because this story of the impact of minority ethnic communities on the built environment has been ignored in the Australian immigration debate. The focus is on regional and rural areas as well as cities. Expected outcomes include: a stocktake of ethnic heritage; an insight into social aspects of the built environment; an understanding of how ethnic heritage relates to community relations; and an investigation into ethnic precincts and the links between ethnic heritage and increased tourism.Read moreRead less