Parents, Time Pressure and Earnings. Parents of young children are time poor. They struggle to find the time to provide both income security and care for young children and themselves. This has become a pressing public policy issue, because an ageing society faces a critical labour shortage unless it mobilizes the underutilized capacity of mothers. The project has the potential to improve the well-being of all family members. Promoting the conditions for good parenting ensures that children have ....Parents, Time Pressure and Earnings. Parents of young children are time poor. They struggle to find the time to provide both income security and care for young children and themselves. This has become a pressing public policy issue, because an ageing society faces a critical labour shortage unless it mobilizes the underutilized capacity of mothers. The project has the potential to improve the well-being of all family members. Promoting the conditions for good parenting ensures that children have a healthy start to life in their early years. Facilitating parents' continuing employment promotes self esteem, self-reliance and the ability to save for a comfortable retirement.Read moreRead less
Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, i ....Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, it draws on qualitative data to further examine how these transitions are played out. The research will develop a new policy matrix for older workers that addresses risk, social exclusion and social protection.Read moreRead less
Country practices: an analysis of factors affecting the wellbeing of general practitioners and their families in rural and remote WA. This project will analyse relationships between (1) the shortage of general practitioners in rural and remote Western Australia and (2) the wellbeing of practitioners and their families. The study will use an appropriate sociological framework, together with data drawn primarily from participant observation and intensive interviewing. It will deepen our understand ....Country practices: an analysis of factors affecting the wellbeing of general practitioners and their families in rural and remote WA. This project will analyse relationships between (1) the shortage of general practitioners in rural and remote Western Australia and (2) the wellbeing of practitioners and their families. The study will use an appropriate sociological framework, together with data drawn primarily from participant observation and intensive interviewing. It will deepen our understanding of problems in attracting and retaining general practitioners to work in rural and remote communities, and of ways in which these problems might be addressed. Innovative aspects of the study include the use of ethnographic research methods and the inclusion of family members in the analysis.Read moreRead less
Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifyi ....Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifying directions for reform that can raise living standards and achieve a more egalitarian society. The project will also identify reforms required to avert an ageing crisis, and those that inhibit GDP growth due to their negative effects on female employment, household saving and fertility. Read moreRead less
A Lifecycle Approach to Labour Supply, Human Capital Accumulation and Public Policy. According to available time use data Australia has a relatively low labour supply, when compared with other major OECD countries, due primarily to low female working hours. This project will investigate the lifecycle dynamics of family labour supply decisions and human capital accumulation, to provide a more informed basis for policy debates. We therefore see the major national and community benefit as that of p ....A Lifecycle Approach to Labour Supply, Human Capital Accumulation and Public Policy. According to available time use data Australia has a relatively low labour supply, when compared with other major OECD countries, due primarily to low female working hours. This project will investigate the lifecycle dynamics of family labour supply decisions and human capital accumulation, to provide a more informed basis for policy debates. We therefore see the major national and community benefit as that of promoting Australia's rate of economic growth and ability to sustain funding for education, health and welfare, in an ageing population.Read moreRead less
How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. T ....How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. The project's findings will inform the ongoing and divisive debates between the court, the media and consumers about the justice of such distributions in Australia, providing a basis for design of laws that better meet the needs of the diverse range of Australian families. Read moreRead less
Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research ....Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research will help the construction industry to re-think cultural expectations about work hours and design jobs that reduce WFC and promote work-family interaction. The research will help the industry improve its ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce and contribute to a reduction in the social and economic costs of WFC.Read moreRead less
Trends in Time: Work, Family and Social Policy in Australia 1992-2006. This project will contribute to the national priority goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives', within the National Research Priority of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians'. It will provide sound new evidence for effective strategies fostering the policy goals of reducing stress on families, maintaining ....Trends in Time: Work, Family and Social Policy in Australia 1992-2006. This project will contribute to the national priority goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives', within the National Research Priority of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians'. It will provide sound new evidence for effective strategies fostering the policy goals of reducing stress on families, maintaining fertility and encouraging women into paid work. Identifying measures that most support men and women to balance work-family commitments, to spend adequate time with their children and social networks, and most facilitate female workforce participation, will promote national wellbeing. Read moreRead less
Negotiating the Life Course: Education, Work, Family and Lifestyle Behaviour in Australia. The Negotiating the Life Course Project is a leading Australian social science resource accessible to and widely used by university researchers and students, especially PhD students. Beyond its major academic contributions, its results have been extensively reported in the media and have greatly increased community understanding of Australian society. It has an important and on-going role in several areas ....Negotiating the Life Course: Education, Work, Family and Lifestyle Behaviour in Australia. The Negotiating the Life Course Project is a leading Australian social science resource accessible to and widely used by university researchers and students, especially PhD students. Beyond its major academic contributions, its results have been extensively reported in the media and have greatly increased community understanding of Australian society. It has an important and on-going role in several areas of policy formulation especially in the development of policies related to the balance of work and family. Its principals are leading social commentators in these policy areas because, in large part, they are able to draw upon this significant national resource. Read moreRead less
Negotiating the Lifecourse: Longitudinal research into work and family transitions and trajectories. The Negotiating the Life Course Project is a leading Australian social science resource widely used by university researchers and students, especially PhD students. The research on life course pathways will see Australian researchers contribute to major advances that are being made in this field, particularly in Europe. Beyond its major academic contributions, results have been extensively report ....Negotiating the Lifecourse: Longitudinal research into work and family transitions and trajectories. The Negotiating the Life Course Project is a leading Australian social science resource widely used by university researchers and students, especially PhD students. The research on life course pathways will see Australian researchers contribute to major advances that are being made in this field, particularly in Europe. Beyond its major academic contributions, results have been extensively reported in the media and have increased community understanding of Australian society. It has an important role in several areas of policy formulation especially in work/family, housing and education. Its principals are leading social commentators in these policy areas partly because they are able to draw upon this significant national resource. Read moreRead less