Young People, Technology, and Wellbeing Research Facility. Large numbers of initiatives now mobilise technology to support the wellbeing of young Australians. However, amongst communities undertaking this work, there is currently significant duplication and insufficient sharing of research and best practice models. A Research Facility that consolidates existing research, and guides new research and initiatives will improve service delivery to young Australians by: reducing duplication between or ....Young People, Technology, and Wellbeing Research Facility. Large numbers of initiatives now mobilise technology to support the wellbeing of young Australians. However, amongst communities undertaking this work, there is currently significant duplication and insufficient sharing of research and best practice models. A Research Facility that consolidates existing research, and guides new research and initiatives will improve service delivery to young Australians by: reducing duplication between organizations working with young people; providing an accessible interface with research that can help address the community’s concerns about the role of technology in young people’s lives, and inform future policy and programs; and model effective cross-sector knowledge brokering to Australian industry. Read moreRead less
An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and commu ....An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and communication change strategies offer potential ways forward. Strategies that reduce incidents confer clear community benefits and competitive advantage. Effective management of such challenges assists with the recruitment and retention of appropriate staff, improving profitability. Benefits include reduced costs of public transport, increased passenger load, and positive environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Isolation, illness and the Internet: Exploring the possibility of a second life for sufferers of ME. Chronic illnesses affect not only the suffering parties but also the general population by draining the workforce and increasing the burden on our social support systems. This study addresses our national priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health by analysing the support structures that are available for those who face isolation resulting from chronic illnesses. It will strengthen this fa ....Isolation, illness and the Internet: Exploring the possibility of a second life for sufferers of ME. Chronic illnesses affect not only the suffering parties but also the general population by draining the workforce and increasing the burden on our social support systems. This study addresses our national priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health by analysing the support structures that are available for those who face isolation resulting from chronic illnesses. It will strengthen this fabric by creating and piloting a virtual forum which will have direct, meaningful effects beyond the reaches of the study. The transnational nature of the research will enhance Australia's international profile in the area, forging links and improving information sharing regarding the use of the Internet to manage chronic illnesses.Read moreRead less
Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growin ....Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growing sociocultural importance of the Internet and its potential role as a catalyst for, and an enabler of, knowledge creation and management. Age, gender, power, pleasure, competencies and roles relating to Internet use within Australian family settings will all be addressed.
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Improved communication with heart patients in the context of the gift economy. Coronary Heart Disease is Australia's biggest killer and a patient's diagnosis is a traumatic event. A majority of patients resists the implications of their disease and fails to follow medical recommendations fully. Humanities research enables increased understanding of, and better communication with, heart patients yet has not been extensively used to understand how patients make sense of their new status. HeartNET, ....Improved communication with heart patients in the context of the gift economy. Coronary Heart Disease is Australia's biggest killer and a patient's diagnosis is a traumatic event. A majority of patients resists the implications of their disease and fails to follow medical recommendations fully. Humanities research enables increased understanding of, and better communication with, heart patients yet has not been extensively used to understand how patients make sense of their new status. HeartNET, a therapeutic website, is used to investigate construction of the self as a heart patient and the research also applies gift economy theory to online interactions which help both self and others. Benefits include patient support and improved health outcomes, reducing human and financial costs to the community and Australia.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the effectiveness of online support in building community, promoting healthy behaviours and supporting philanthropy. The Heart Foundation (WA) provides quality support services and communications for patients in rural, remote and regional WA but they find that distance creates problems. They also seek to cultivate active donor engagement.
Audience research and cultural studies tools are used to investigate two different communications environments in terms of whether these have an ....Evaluating the effectiveness of online support in building community, promoting healthy behaviours and supporting philanthropy. The Heart Foundation (WA) provides quality support services and communications for patients in rural, remote and regional WA but they find that distance creates problems. They also seek to cultivate active donor engagement.
Audience research and cultural studies tools are used to investigate two different communications environments in terms of whether these have an effect on patient/donor participation rates (and attitudes and behaviours linked to participation). A web site will be developed to support online Heart Foundation communities and these audiences will be compared with current communication practice. Findings will inform future charitable and health promotion initiatives.
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Developing guidelines for integrating social networking technologies and professional advice-giving in constructing an online community for supporting breast cancer survivors. National benefits include new knowledge about online communities that deliver specialist health advice. Specific research benefits comprise improved education and support for earlier detection of, and enhanced recovery rates for, breast cancer. The project investigates whether we can harness the cluster-power of social net ....Developing guidelines for integrating social networking technologies and professional advice-giving in constructing an online community for supporting breast cancer survivors. National benefits include new knowledge about online communities that deliver specialist health advice. Specific research benefits comprise improved education and support for earlier detection of, and enhanced recovery rates for, breast cancer. The project investigates whether we can harness the cluster-power of social networks to build integrated and supportive online communities. Relevant to Australian organisations using digital communications for education and support, the study seeks to reduce disadvantage due to distance. Organisations concerned about minimising risk arising from uninformed opinion and discussion will learn whether they can integrate specialist expertise and comment without destroying online dynamics.Read moreRead less
Smart Communities - Applied research into integrated government services and regional networked neighbourhoods to support children and young people at risk. This applied research project investigates and provides directions for improvement in the life choices available to children and young people at risk in remote, rural and urban areas of Western Australia. It does this by (i) conducting a detailed study of children and young people at risk, as identified by government and non-government agen ....Smart Communities - Applied research into integrated government services and regional networked neighbourhoods to support children and young people at risk. This applied research project investigates and provides directions for improvement in the life choices available to children and young people at risk in remote, rural and urban areas of Western Australia. It does this by (i) conducting a detailed study of children and young people at risk, as identified by government and non-government agencies (ii) conducting quantitative and qualitative fieldwork into the communication patterns and information-seeking behaviour of children and young people at risk; (iii) exploring strategies and interventions through inter-agency co-operation in the provision of content and technology (as geographical or virtual communities).Read moreRead less
Australian responses to the images and discourses of terrorism and the other: establishing a metric of fear. The world was changed on 9/11. Small-scale studies indicate half the Australian non-Muslim population is now anti-Muslim and up to 80% of Muslims are in a siege mentality. This research examines Australian perceptions of the other, of terrorism, of refugees and of fears about these. In seeking to analyse these influences upon contemporary society, the project investigates ways that policy ....Australian responses to the images and discourses of terrorism and the other: establishing a metric of fear. The world was changed on 9/11. Small-scale studies indicate half the Australian non-Muslim population is now anti-Muslim and up to 80% of Muslims are in a siege mentality. This research examines Australian perceptions of the other, of terrorism, of refugees and of fears about these. In seeking to analyse these influences upon contemporary society, the project investigates ways that policy can drive appropriate communication responses to racism and to social isolation, particularly in supporting fear-filled communities. Arguing that the global response to 9/11 is out of proportion to the events themselves, the study suggests strategies to support ethnically diverse groups that feel threatened by media discourses and adverse public opinion.Read moreRead less