Investigating a New Explanation of Discrimination Against Migrant and Excluded People. Migrants and socially excluded people are often the subjects of discrimination and prejudice. Our research will provide valuable knowledge about when and why people discriminate against migrant and excluded individuals as well as how this type of behaviour can be reduced. Our research will benefit Australia by contributing scientific information to the policy developments of national organizations that aim to ....Investigating a New Explanation of Discrimination Against Migrant and Excluded People. Migrants and socially excluded people are often the subjects of discrimination and prejudice. Our research will provide valuable knowledge about when and why people discriminate against migrant and excluded individuals as well as how this type of behaviour can be reduced. Our research will benefit Australia by contributing scientific information to the policy developments of national organizations that aim to reduce discrimination and prejudice. Hence, our research falls within the Government's broader goal of creating a more harmonious multicultural Australian society.Read moreRead less
Promoting Well-Being in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Groups: Towards Evidence-Based Practice. In order to serve families from diverse communities properly, we require models of well-being that reflect the unique circumstances of their lives and culture. At present, the helping professions lack models of well-being that are sensitive to cultural diversity. Therefore, the study will develop models of well-being that are unique to four different cultural groups: Anglo-Australians, Vietnam ....Promoting Well-Being in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Groups: Towards Evidence-Based Practice. In order to serve families from diverse communities properly, we require models of well-being that reflect the unique circumstances of their lives and culture. At present, the helping professions lack models of well-being that are sensitive to cultural diversity. Therefore, the study will develop models of well-being that are unique to four different cultural groups: Anglo-Australians, Vietnamese, Maltese and Italians. We will compare community members' conceptions of well-being with those of the professionals helping them. The research will produce theory regarding cross-cultural well-being and will inform practice as well.Read moreRead less
Beyond the Beach: What it means to be Australian - A critical analysis of national, transgenerational, multicultural and self perspectives. The question ?What does it mean to be Australian?? raises issues of deep significance about our values, goals, loyalties, behaviours, and international image. Identity conceptions are fundamental to diverse national interest issues (e.g., social cohesion, multiculturalism, defence, promoting industry, social action/reform, immigration) and imagining our futu ....Beyond the Beach: What it means to be Australian - A critical analysis of national, transgenerational, multicultural and self perspectives. The question ?What does it mean to be Australian?? raises issues of deep significance about our values, goals, loyalties, behaviours, and international image. Identity conceptions are fundamental to diverse national interest issues (e.g., social cohesion, multiculturalism, defence, promoting industry, social action/reform, immigration) and imagining our future. This study will characterise: national identity; personal, ethnic, generational, regional and gender commonalities and variations; preferred futures; and moderating influences on identifying as Australian. Outcomes include new knowledge about contemporary national identity, multi-identity constructions, and processes underpinning identity formation; and advances in identity theory/research that will inform social, economic, and educational policy and practice.Read moreRead less
Playing for Life: the everyday music practices of marginalised youth as strategic pathways to agency, employment and socio-economic inclusion. Popular music is widely recognised as affectively and culturally central to marginalised youth, often providing strategic pathways to employment and socio-economic inclusion. This project is the first comparative international project to explore how marginalised youth engage with popular music in post-industrial societies, and how they develop their music ....Playing for Life: the everyday music practices of marginalised youth as strategic pathways to agency, employment and socio-economic inclusion. Popular music is widely recognised as affectively and culturally central to marginalised youth, often providing strategic pathways to employment and socio-economic inclusion. This project is the first comparative international project to explore how marginalised youth engage with popular music in post-industrial societies, and how they develop their music and technological skills by using local cultural resources that exist outside of formal schooling. Located in community-based organisations, the study will identify processes of learning and agency from the perspectives of young people themselves. The findings will enrich current social theory on youth, policy and program development of youth services.
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The role of social identity complexity in the success of interethnic contact. Australians collectively represent more than 250 ethno-cultural, 400 linguistic, and 100 religious groups. Although contact with diverse individuals is becoming increasingly common in many facets of life (e.g., work, school, social gatherings), such encounters are often awkward and stressful, even for well-intentioned people. Negative interactions between diverse individuals can fuel tension and hostility between diver ....The role of social identity complexity in the success of interethnic contact. Australians collectively represent more than 250 ethno-cultural, 400 linguistic, and 100 religious groups. Although contact with diverse individuals is becoming increasingly common in many facets of life (e.g., work, school, social gatherings), such encounters are often awkward and stressful, even for well-intentioned people. Negative interactions between diverse individuals can fuel tension and hostility between diverse groups. The project will determine whether the processes and outcomes of interethnic interactions are influenced by the ways in which individuals understand their social groups. Insights into the factors that contribute to positive interethnic interactions will improve our ability to promote harmony in diverse societies.Read moreRead less
Bolstering commitment to positive social change through group-based interaction. Building on an impressive series of preliminary results, this research uses small group interaction to bolster commitment to work towards long-term goals. The methods explored in the proposal have the potential to boost commitment in the public, private, and community sectors by identifying the key factors responsible for sustaining long-term change. The research is relevant for efforts to combat racism, and to incr ....Bolstering commitment to positive social change through group-based interaction. Building on an impressive series of preliminary results, this research uses small group interaction to bolster commitment to work towards long-term goals. The methods explored in the proposal have the potential to boost commitment in the public, private, and community sectors by identifying the key factors responsible for sustaining long-term change. The research is relevant for efforts to combat racism, and to increase community support for international development and environmental sustainability. Benefits are expected both in terms of the promotion of positive attitudes in society and in overcoming apathy within organisations.Read moreRead less
Negotiating the Challenge of Cultural Diversity in Children's Health Care: The Australian Context. The increasing population of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians creates challenges which research to date has only partially identified and addressed. In particular, family dynamics, parenting practices and culturally specific beliefs regarding illness in childhood influence and at times severely inhibit effective access to all aspects of our health care system. Employing qual ....Negotiating the Challenge of Cultural Diversity in Children's Health Care: The Australian Context. The increasing population of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians creates challenges which research to date has only partially identified and addressed. In particular, family dynamics, parenting practices and culturally specific beliefs regarding illness in childhood influence and at times severely inhibit effective access to all aspects of our health care system. Employing qualitative and quantitative methods, this project will generate Australian evidence-based research by mapping the range of cultural practices at the interface of health service provision, providing culturally appropriate and relevant data to inform policy, planning and resourcing of health services for CALD children and parents/carers in NSW.Read moreRead less
Cooperative dual identity: A new approach to promote ethnic harmony between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. This project makes a significant contribution to strengthening Australia's social fabric by promoting positive cooperation between Muslim and non-Muslim students. Cooperative contact and dual identity strategies will be innovatively integrated into school curricula using web technology to encourage positive intergroup interactions that are currently not commonplace. Researchers, policy- ....Cooperative dual identity: A new approach to promote ethnic harmony between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. This project makes a significant contribution to strengthening Australia's social fabric by promoting positive cooperation between Muslim and non-Muslim students. Cooperative contact and dual identity strategies will be innovatively integrated into school curricula using web technology to encourage positive intergroup interactions that are currently not commonplace. Researchers, policy-makers, and teachers will have available a significantly effective long-term ethnic harmony strategy, which will be incorporated routinely into their research and practice. We expect this cutting edge research program to yield timely and influential findings, and advance Australia's position as a leader in the field of social and developmental psychology.Read moreRead less
From the inevitability of prejudice to the origins of social change: The emergence of perceived illegitimacy in intergroup relations. This project examines the social psychological processes underpinning the (il)legitimacy of intergroup relations, prejudice, and social stability and change. To date it is accepted that those who do not perceive a social system (community, culture, society) as politically and morally legitimate are more likely to reject the status quo and seek change. What is miss ....From the inevitability of prejudice to the origins of social change: The emergence of perceived illegitimacy in intergroup relations. This project examines the social psychological processes underpinning the (il)legitimacy of intergroup relations, prejudice, and social stability and change. To date it is accepted that those who do not perceive a social system (community, culture, society) as politically and morally legitimate are more likely to reject the status quo and seek change. What is missing is the crucial analysis of how and when perceived legitimacy is transformed into illegitimacy. The project elaborates a novel and comprehensive approach to the illegitimacy question based on social identity and self-categorization theories and tests it through a major program of survey and laboratory-based research.Read moreRead less
Fostering the development of intercultural confidence as an integral part of university education. A better understanding of the opportunities created by social and cultural diversity in the context of internationalisation of higher education can lead to substantial educational and social benefits. The research will provide a conceptual basis for the development of innovative teaching practices, which capitalise on diversity to enhance all students', international and domestic, preparation for p ....Fostering the development of intercultural confidence as an integral part of university education. A better understanding of the opportunities created by social and cultural diversity in the context of internationalisation of higher education can lead to substantial educational and social benefits. The research will provide a conceptual basis for the development of innovative teaching practices, which capitalise on diversity to enhance all students', international and domestic, preparation for professional practice. It directly addresses the national research priority of enhancing Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment, through greater reciprocal understanding of the interface of diverse cultures and societies.Read moreRead less