Hunger for Change: Student Food Insecurity and Youth Agency in Australia. Rising food prices threaten to exacerbate an already pressing problem of food insecurity among students in Australia universities. This project will examine the causes, consequences, and nature of food insecurity among students in Australia employing interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It will contribute to scholarly debates on food security and youth agency through highlighting the imaginative ways in wh ....Hunger for Change: Student Food Insecurity and Youth Agency in Australia. Rising food prices threaten to exacerbate an already pressing problem of food insecurity among students in Australia universities. This project will examine the causes, consequences, and nature of food insecurity among students in Australia employing interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It will contribute to scholarly debates on food security and youth agency through highlighting the imaginative ways in which young people are developing responses to food insecurity. The project will offer the Australian government, State governments and universities opportunities to build upon student-led solutions to food insecurity, enhance capacity for research on food and youth issues, and heighten public understanding of the issue.Read moreRead less
The financialisation of older persons residential parks and rental villages. The project aims to explore and explain contemporary change in the residential parks and communities (PC) and rental villages (RV) sectors, and to set out policy implications, including for housing affordability; housing legal rights; ageing support and care; and financial services consumer protection.
Pitched to older persons as affordable alternatives to homeownership and to retirement villages, PCs and RVs are chang ....The financialisation of older persons residential parks and rental villages. The project aims to explore and explain contemporary change in the residential parks and communities (PC) and rental villages (RV) sectors, and to set out policy implications, including for housing affordability; housing legal rights; ageing support and care; and financial services consumer protection.
Pitched to older persons as affordable alternatives to homeownership and to retirement villages, PCs and RVs are changing, with new large corporate proprietors introducing new business models and housing offers. Financialisation perspectives offer new critical insights into the sectors, including their relations to wider housing and economic dynamics, the strategies and operations of sector organisations, and the everyday lives of residents.Read moreRead less
Social Division and the Pursuit of Harmony Across the Antipodes in the Twentieth Century. Into the twentieth century,reformers envisaged the antipodes as a liberal utopia. The social laboratory in Australia and New Zealand is now viewed as a reactionary social model. This project sets out to place Paul Kelly's influential notion of an Australian Settlement within a series of frames which establish the extent of division and the limits to inclusion alongside the achievements of the antipodean exp ....Social Division and the Pursuit of Harmony Across the Antipodes in the Twentieth Century. Into the twentieth century,reformers envisaged the antipodes as a liberal utopia. The social laboratory in Australia and New Zealand is now viewed as a reactionary social model. This project sets out to place Paul Kelly's influential notion of an Australian Settlement within a series of frames which establish the extent of division and the limits to inclusion alongside the achievements of the antipodean experiment. It considers Arbitration as the core institution of the new liberal utopia, and its transformation by Labor into the 1980s. It will result in a major book, two shorter books and two doctoral theses.Read moreRead less
COVID-19, health and labour market marginalisation . This project aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour market marginalisation in Australia. It seeks to generate new insights about whether the global economic shock had a disproportionately negative effect on the employment circumstances of working-age Australians with mental health and musculoskeletal/pain conditions, which are the leading causes of disability in Australia. The expected outcomes of this project includ ....COVID-19, health and labour market marginalisation . This project aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour market marginalisation in Australia. It seeks to generate new insights about whether the global economic shock had a disproportionately negative effect on the employment circumstances of working-age Australians with mental health and musculoskeletal/pain conditions, which are the leading causes of disability in Australia. The expected outcomes of this project include improved policy responses to direct effective support and assistance to those with the greatest need, and new resources for the research community. This should lead to significant benefits through reduced inequalities and improved social, economic and workforce outcomes for vulnerable Australians.Read moreRead less
Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in ....Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in Australia.Read moreRead less
New Economy entrepreneurs: making the decision to stay in Australia or relocate overseas. This study examines information and bioscience technology entrepreneurs in Australia and the decision-making process concerning the location of their businesses. It arises from widespread concern that Australia's place in the world economy has become increasingly peripheral in the context of New Economy industries. The study examines the social characteristics of entrepreneurs in New Economy industries, the ....New Economy entrepreneurs: making the decision to stay in Australia or relocate overseas. This study examines information and bioscience technology entrepreneurs in Australia and the decision-making process concerning the location of their businesses. It arises from widespread concern that Australia's place in the world economy has become increasingly peripheral in the context of New Economy industries. The study examines the social characteristics of entrepreneurs in New Economy industries, the different types of social networks in which entrepreneurs are embedded, and how these networks inform locational decisions. More generally, the study will clarify theoretical debates about the dynamics of the New Economy, and will provide a basis for more informed public policy in Australia.Read moreRead less
Welfare reform and welfare stigma : scroungers, slackers and bludgers? This project aims to build an evidence base of the prevalence, causes and consequences of welfare stigma in Australia. Welfare policies and proposed reforms aim to reduce welfare expenditure, increase workforce participation, and promote personal and family wellbeing. However, stigmatising attitudes and discrimination towards those receiving welfare benefits may undermine these policy goals: reducing employment opportunities ....Welfare reform and welfare stigma : scroungers, slackers and bludgers? This project aims to build an evidence base of the prevalence, causes and consequences of welfare stigma in Australia. Welfare policies and proposed reforms aim to reduce welfare expenditure, increase workforce participation, and promote personal and family wellbeing. However, stigmatising attitudes and discrimination towards those receiving welfare benefits may undermine these policy goals: reducing employment opportunities and causing poorer health and wellbeing. Through innovative experimental studies, the project plans to identify ways in which welfare policy can minimise stigma and promote employment. Project outcomes may provide an evidence base for the design of more effective welfare policy.Read moreRead less
Meeting the needs of older persons in Indonesia. The project aims to identify the needs of older people in rural Indonesia for income, housing, health, daily care and social interaction and the extent to which their needs are met. It also considers the efficacy of existing policy programs and how these might be improved. Today, there are 22 million Indonesians aged 60 years and over, projected to rise to 48 million by 2035. Millions of older people live in rural areas from which younger people h ....Meeting the needs of older persons in Indonesia. The project aims to identify the needs of older people in rural Indonesia for income, housing, health, daily care and social interaction and the extent to which their needs are met. It also considers the efficacy of existing policy programs and how these might be improved. Today, there are 22 million Indonesians aged 60 years and over, projected to rise to 48 million by 2035. Millions of older people live in rural areas from which younger people have moved to the rapidly growing cities. This presents challenges for the traditional family-based aged care system in Indonesia. It is expected that findings from the study will be published in a series of policy papers to be presented in the Indonesian National Development Planning Board.Read moreRead less
Mapping the effect of social enterprise on regional city disadvantage. This project aims to explore how social enterprises affect wellbeing and community capacity in disadvantaged areas of regional cities. Governments increasingly invest in social enterprise to benefit individuals and places. This project will use a spatial methodology to map where and how benefits are realised. To date, robust evidence about how social enterprise affects disadvantage is lacking, partly due to inadequate researc ....Mapping the effect of social enterprise on regional city disadvantage. This project aims to explore how social enterprises affect wellbeing and community capacity in disadvantaged areas of regional cities. Governments increasingly invest in social enterprise to benefit individuals and places. This project will use a spatial methodology to map where and how benefits are realised. To date, robust evidence about how social enterprise affects disadvantage is lacking, partly due to inadequate research methodology. This project expects to provide web-based design tools and applications to assist regional city communities and councils in the development of social enterprises that can help disadvantaged people and places.Read moreRead less
Modelling the Causes of Regional Disparities across Australia. This project aims to explain the changing patterns of regional economic performance across Australia between 2001-2011 in the context of two developments: major structural shifts in world trade and commodity prices spawning massive mining growth and negative exchange rate impacts elsewhere (for example, manufacturing); and the financial crisis ending the credit boom leaving east coast economies struggling. The resulting regional disp ....Modelling the Causes of Regional Disparities across Australia. This project aims to explain the changing patterns of regional economic performance across Australia between 2001-2011 in the context of two developments: major structural shifts in world trade and commodity prices spawning massive mining growth and negative exchange rate impacts elsewhere (for example, manufacturing); and the financial crisis ending the credit boom leaving east coast economies struggling. The resulting regional disparities have policy implications for education and skills training, housing affordability, infrastructure provision, and community sustainability. These issues will be investigated using a new functional economic regions geography and state of art spatial modelling tools supplemented by regional case studies.Read moreRead less