Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101224
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$351,996.00
Summary
Labour, race and belonging: strengthening Rural Workforces and Communities. This project aims to strengthen understandings of race and labour relations in Australia’s horticultural industry. Horticulture is Australia’s third largest agricultural industry and the seasonal nature of work in this industry poses challenges for workforce recruitment and development. Such challenges are often framed in terms of economic and policy considerations, but debates about the ‘backpacker tax’ and exploitation ....Labour, race and belonging: strengthening Rural Workforces and Communities. This project aims to strengthen understandings of race and labour relations in Australia’s horticultural industry. Horticulture is Australia’s third largest agricultural industry and the seasonal nature of work in this industry poses challenges for workforce recruitment and development. Such challenges are often framed in terms of economic and policy considerations, but debates about the ‘backpacker tax’ and exploitation suggest that there are also complex racial dimensions associated with the industry. Using an innovative historical-anthropological approach, this project will generate new insights into race and labour relations that can improve the equity and sustainability of horticultural industry workforces, and strengthen belonging within rural communities.Read moreRead less
The Political and Economic Agency of Africans in Australia. This project examines the nature and impact of political and economic agency among African migrants in Australia, using mixed methods (survey, interviews, media and policy analysis). With the right policy settings, African migrants and Australian communities stand to benefit enormously from projected African population growth. However, due to a two decade research focus on African refugees, little is known about the successful navigatio ....The Political and Economic Agency of Africans in Australia. This project examines the nature and impact of political and economic agency among African migrants in Australia, using mixed methods (survey, interviews, media and policy analysis). With the right policy settings, African migrants and Australian communities stand to benefit enormously from projected African population growth. However, due to a two decade research focus on African refugees, little is known about the successful navigation of political and economic life among the wider African diaspora. This project will generate new knowledge offering a blueprint for such policy settings. Outcomes include a monograph, 8 papers, and evidence-based policy advice on enhancing African migrant political and economic engagement in Australia. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101520
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,573.00
Summary
Work fragmentation in the gig economy. The gig economy has fragmented working arrangements in Australia and globally, disrupting how, where and on what terms work is performed. This study will systematically interrogate the consequences for work and workers in Australia of the growth and diversification of gig work. It will use a labour geography approach to explain how workers navigate working in the gig economy in the context of their wider lives. This will extend existing research by groundin ....Work fragmentation in the gig economy. The gig economy has fragmented working arrangements in Australia and globally, disrupting how, where and on what terms work is performed. This study will systematically interrogate the consequences for work and workers in Australia of the growth and diversification of gig work. It will use a labour geography approach to explain how workers navigate working in the gig economy in the context of their wider lives. This will extend existing research by grounding analysis in the lived experience of workers both across various segments of the gig economy and over time. The project will extend academic theory and provide guidance to policymakers as to how to harness the benefits of gig work while mitigating potential harm.Read moreRead less
Enforcing labour standards in supply chains through voluntary frameworks. This project aims to investigate the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives to ensure the enforcement of labour standards in supply chains by examining the cleaning accountability framework - an initiative comprised of diverse representatives in the commercial cleaning supply chain in Australia. It is expected that this will result in the development of new regulatory methods/technology to improve compliance. This is e ....Enforcing labour standards in supply chains through voluntary frameworks. This project aims to investigate the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives to ensure the enforcement of labour standards in supply chains by examining the cleaning accountability framework - an initiative comprised of diverse representatives in the commercial cleaning supply chain in Australia. It is expected that this will result in the development of new regulatory methods/technology to improve compliance. This is expected to improve the quality of life of vulnerable workers in supply chains and the mitigation of reputational risk for business.
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From margins to mainstream: gender equality and employment regulation. Progress towards gender equality in employment has stalled, despite anti-discrimination laws. This investigation of alternative regulatory strategies will build Australian expertise and contribute to knowledge about the relationships between gender equality and employment regulation, generating policy options for employment and human rights bodies.
Unions and Regional Regeneration. Unions face many challenges in older industrial regions, where they previously have had a strong presence. Successful regeneration of such regions depends on the active involvement of unions and their members as well as business. In some places, however, unions have remained marginal to these processes. Not only does this project extend theory on union purpose, capacities and organisation in support of economic, political and environmental change towards sustain ....Unions and Regional Regeneration. Unions face many challenges in older industrial regions, where they previously have had a strong presence. Successful regeneration of such regions depends on the active involvement of unions and their members as well as business. In some places, however, unions have remained marginal to these processes. Not only does this project extend theory on union purpose, capacities and organisation in support of economic, political and environmental change towards sustainable futures, it applies a novel combination of methods. This application examines the consequences of involvement and non-involvement in these processes. The project seeks to extend theories of social change and social mobilisation.Read moreRead less
Understanding gender inequality in the post-pandemic future of work. This project examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis on the working futures of young women and men in three advanced market economies where the pandemic hit with varying degrees of severity. Young people have experienced the greatest upheaval of all workers, and the impact has been gendered. Recovery strategies will have lasting consequences for women’s and men’s working futures. The project will produc ....Understanding gender inequality in the post-pandemic future of work. This project examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis on the working futures of young women and men in three advanced market economies where the pandemic hit with varying degrees of severity. Young people have experienced the greatest upheaval of all workers, and the impact has been gendered. Recovery strategies will have lasting consequences for women’s and men’s working futures. The project will produce macro-level mapping of post-pandemic national work/care regimes, and micro-level survey data on young people’s experience of and attitudes to the future of work in Australia, the UK and Japan, to deliver insights on the gendered economic and social impact of the pandemic and inform a more inclusive global recovery.Read moreRead less
Precariousness in law and labour markets: the case of temporary migrant workers. This project examines the situation of temporary migrant workers in Australia, focusing on the nature and extent of their precariousness both in law and in labour market practice. It offers a major contribution to current research and policy debates on the implications of temporary migrant labour.
Smashing Glass Walls: Building gender equality in male-dominated jobs. This project investigates gender segregation, which is a remarkably resilient problem in the Australian labour market, despite women's increasing labour force participation and strong educational attainment. It examines this problem with a focus on women’s careers in very male-dominated occupations. In these contexts, women enter in low numbers, find it difficult to progress, and face extremely hostile working environments. ....Smashing Glass Walls: Building gender equality in male-dominated jobs. This project investigates gender segregation, which is a remarkably resilient problem in the Australian labour market, despite women's increasing labour force participation and strong educational attainment. It examines this problem with a focus on women’s careers in very male-dominated occupations. In these contexts, women enter in low numbers, find it difficult to progress, and face extremely hostile working environments. Adopting a career stage, a worker- and industry-engaged, and a comparative design, the project will generate new insight into where and how sustainable careers for women are challenged in these contexts. This knowledge will inform strategies to build gender equality in jobs at the heart of the economy.
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Trade union futures: purposes, capacities and organisation towards a green transition. What is the future of trade unions? They face uncertain futures especially in the traditional industrial communities. While unions are aware of these challenges it is unclear how they will renew themselves to meet the new conditions. The research will show how unions can contribute to an environmentally sustainable world.