Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,275.00
Summary
Social change and youth drinking: a cross-cultural and temporal examination. This project aims to examine the significant decrease in alcohol consumption that has occurred among youth in high income countries over the last 15 years. The analysis will focus on Australia, Sweden and the UK through a novel cross-cultural and qualitative longitudinal design. This project expects to inform prevention and policy efforts to sustain or progress these trends, and illuminate the social processes and cultu ....Social change and youth drinking: a cross-cultural and temporal examination. This project aims to examine the significant decrease in alcohol consumption that has occurred among youth in high income countries over the last 15 years. The analysis will focus on Australia, Sweden and the UK through a novel cross-cultural and qualitative longitudinal design. This project expects to inform prevention and policy efforts to sustain or progress these trends, and illuminate the social processes and cultural meanings that are manifesting in a distinct historical era for alcohol research.Read moreRead less
Young injecting drug users, embodied identities and social worlds: an ethnographic study. This research explores the social experience of young injecting drug users, mapping processes of initiation, the hidden drug experience, and modes of maturing out of drug use. It analyses and compares the trajectories of young drug users in both rural and urban contexts, focusing on the experience of embodied selfhood, social worlds and identities, exploring injecting use as a medium of relationship with t ....Young injecting drug users, embodied identities and social worlds: an ethnographic study. This research explores the social experience of young injecting drug users, mapping processes of initiation, the hidden drug experience, and modes of maturing out of drug use. It analyses and compares the trajectories of young drug users in both rural and urban contexts, focusing on the experience of embodied selfhood, social worlds and identities, exploring injecting use as a medium of relationship with the self and the other, and mapping social networks and cultures of risk. It will develop key implications for national and local drug policy in three critical areas: prevention, harm minimisation and withdrawal.Read moreRead less
An examination of the factors shaping recent developments in youth drinking. Over the past 15 years, the proportion of Australian teenagers who drink alcohol has halved. This project aims to understand the drivers of this major shift in teenage drinking behaviour. Initial work has shown that drinking has declined across demographic, socio-economic and cultural groups. This project plans to use mixed methods to analyse new and existing data to examine four potential drivers of this generational c ....An examination of the factors shaping recent developments in youth drinking. Over the past 15 years, the proportion of Australian teenagers who drink alcohol has halved. This project aims to understand the drivers of this major shift in teenage drinking behaviour. Initial work has shown that drinking has declined across demographic, socio-economic and cultural groups. This project plans to use mixed methods to analyse new and existing data to examine four potential drivers of this generational change in behaviour. Understanding the reasons behind this shift is important both to expand knowledge about the socio-cultural conditions shaping teenage alcohol consumption practices, and to support and maintain these trends through informed social policy.Read moreRead less
'Digital Natives': Growing up with new and old media in Australia. Developing a sophisticated digital literacy is important for both the future of children, the cultural, social and economic well-being of the nation. Digital literacy requires not only communications infrastructure but targeted investment in human skills. Investing in the development of a digitally literate Australian population has become an explicit means for promoting the future economic and social well-being of the nation. Th ....'Digital Natives': Growing up with new and old media in Australia. Developing a sophisticated digital literacy is important for both the future of children, the cultural, social and economic well-being of the nation. Digital literacy requires not only communications infrastructure but targeted investment in human skills. Investing in the development of a digitally literate Australian population has become an explicit means for promoting the future economic and social well-being of the nation. The information provided by this project has the potential to contribute significantly to giving children 'a healthy start to life' in their early years. Read moreRead less
Women's concepts, beliefs and practices related to the health of their infants and young children: a sociological study. It has been frequently argued that parents should take responsibility for promoting optimal health and development in their children. Little is known, however, about how parents of infants and young children conceptualise 'good health' in relation to their children, what steps they take to promote optimal health and development, how they make decisions about these steps, what ....Women's concepts, beliefs and practices related to the health of their infants and young children: a sociological study. It has been frequently argued that parents should take responsibility for promoting optimal health and development in their children. Little is known, however, about how parents of infants and young children conceptualise 'good health' in relation to their children, what steps they take to promote optimal health and development, how they make decisions about these steps, what sources of information they use, what difficulties they may encounter and what help they need. Insights into these phenomena derived from the proposed project have the potential to inform policy and programs directed at promoting and maintaining good health in the early years of life.Read moreRead less
Drug using behaviours and beliefs, and associated harms, among gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men have high rates of drug use. This cohort study will contribute to Australia’s response to drug use by identifying: risk factors for, and prevalence and incidence of, drug use and associated harms within this high risk population; the role of gay community norms in individuals' beliefs about and motivations for drug use; and, implications for HIV and HCV infection. The findings will help to b ....Drug using behaviours and beliefs, and associated harms, among gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men have high rates of drug use. This cohort study will contribute to Australia’s response to drug use by identifying: risk factors for, and prevalence and incidence of, drug use and associated harms within this high risk population; the role of gay community norms in individuals' beliefs about and motivations for drug use; and, implications for HIV and HCV infection. The findings will help to better target, educate and support those at risk of drug use and associated harms. Read moreRead less
Socio-economic determinants and health inequalities over the life course: Australian and English comparisons. Our multidisciplinary investigation will yield Australia's first major body of knowledge on the socio-economic determinants of health and health inequalities over the life course. It will point the way towards policies that can promote health and reduce the health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged individuals and families. It will indicate how improving the health of ageing Aus ....Socio-economic determinants and health inequalities over the life course: Australian and English comparisons. Our multidisciplinary investigation will yield Australia's first major body of knowledge on the socio-economic determinants of health and health inequalities over the life course. It will point the way towards policies that can promote health and reduce the health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged individuals and families. It will indicate how improving the health of ageing Australian men and women can increase productivity and reduce needs for health services during the rapid population ageing that lies ahead. Comparisons with England will inform policy choices. We will train researchers who will play a future role in building Australia's evidence base to guide constructive policies to 2020 and beyond.Read moreRead less
Alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer identifying women. This project aims to examine practices of alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer-identifying (LBQ) women, which are considerably higher compared to heterosexual women. By using an innovative, longitudinal qualitative approach, this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the cultural and social forces that shape higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use among LBQ women, and to better underst ....Alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer identifying women. This project aims to examine practices of alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer-identifying (LBQ) women, which are considerably higher compared to heterosexual women. By using an innovative, longitudinal qualitative approach, this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the cultural and social forces that shape higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use among LBQ women, and to better understand their impacts. It is anticipated that the project will enhance the capacity of health promotion and policy organisations to meet the alcohol management and smoking cessation needs of this population. Findings from this project should help to alleviate health and social inequalities experienced by LBQ women.
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Building the Australian response to the ‘superbugs’ crisis. This project aims to investigate the Australian public’s engagement with communications and media on antimicrobial resistance, examine the public’s trust in expert knowledge and study how the public enacts expert advice about antimicrobial drugs in everyday life. The resistance of common infections to antibiotics and other drugs (the ‘superbugs’ crisis) jeopardises health worldwide. The ‘superbugs’ crisis means that individuals and care ....Building the Australian response to the ‘superbugs’ crisis. This project aims to investigate the Australian public’s engagement with communications and media on antimicrobial resistance, examine the public’s trust in expert knowledge and study how the public enacts expert advice about antimicrobial drugs in everyday life. The resistance of common infections to antibiotics and other drugs (the ‘superbugs’ crisis) jeopardises health worldwide. The ‘superbugs’ crisis means that individuals and care givers need to use drugs as prescribed and reduce their expectations for drug treatments. Research findings are expected to underpin Australia’s public health policy and communications response to ‘superbugs’, improving national and international health outcomes.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