Biotechnology Across the Borders of Life: Stem Cell Technology and Global Medical Exchange. This project interrogates the debates and policy surrounding embryonic stem cell technology and two intimately connected medical technologies - reproductive technologies, in which it is founded, and organ transplantation, which it seeks to overcome. Each of these technologies repeatedly confronts and tests social, cultural, ethical and legal precedents, fuelling world-wide political and media debate. The ....Biotechnology Across the Borders of Life: Stem Cell Technology and Global Medical Exchange. This project interrogates the debates and policy surrounding embryonic stem cell technology and two intimately connected medical technologies - reproductive technologies, in which it is founded, and organ transplantation, which it seeks to overcome. Each of these technologies repeatedly confronts and tests social, cultural, ethical and legal precedents, fuelling world-wide political and media debate. The project addresses the social effects - locally and globally - of these technologies. Analyses of altruism, giving and commodification underpin the study, and are used to elucidate the social ramifications of the practices and expert discourses of these biotechnologies in four nation-states: Australia, Singapore, UK and USA.Read moreRead less
Communicating power: Political consultants, symbolic production and media democracy. The project will investigate the professionalization of political communication with a specific focus on the role of political consultants and communication specialists in contemporary Australian politics. The principal research aim is to identify and analyse the frames of reference and evaluative modes structuring the work of political consultants. Political consultants will be analysed as a subset of new 'symb ....Communicating power: Political consultants, symbolic production and media democracy. The project will investigate the professionalization of political communication with a specific focus on the role of political consultants and communication specialists in contemporary Australian politics. The principal research aim is to identify and analyse the frames of reference and evaluative modes structuring the work of political consultants. Political consultants will be analysed as a subset of new 'symbolic' managers and mediators in a society in which information is the key productive resource. The project will generate a detailed analysis of how the professionalization of political communication is transforming representative democracy in network society.Read moreRead less
Performance and image enhancing drug injecting in Australia. This project aims to research the use of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIED), to understand the associated social practices and to assess what health information PIED injectors need. PIEDs use is increasing in Australia and is associated with serious health issues, including the transmission of blood-borne viruses, especially hepatitis C (HCV). Little is known about PIED injecting and the nation's harm reduction framework is u ....Performance and image enhancing drug injecting in Australia. This project aims to research the use of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIED), to understand the associated social practices and to assess what health information PIED injectors need. PIEDs use is increasing in Australia and is associated with serious health issues, including the transmission of blood-borne viruses, especially hepatitis C (HCV). Little is known about PIED injecting and the nation's harm reduction framework is unprepared to meet the problems it poses. This project expects to directly inform policy and practice, potentially averting an epidemic of HCV in this population, and aims to minimise HCV transmission among people who inject PIEDs.Read moreRead less
Youth civic participation and social connection in post-industrial society: a comparative analysis. The project generates important new knowledge about youth civic participation and will develop more effective indicators for contemporary meanings of citizenship and connection that are relevant to young people today. It will make a direct contribution to youth, education and welfare policies on issues of youth participation and connection, helping to shape a timely and responsive approach on the ....Youth civic participation and social connection in post-industrial society: a comparative analysis. The project generates important new knowledge about youth civic participation and will develop more effective indicators for contemporary meanings of citizenship and connection that are relevant to young people today. It will make a direct contribution to youth, education and welfare policies on issues of youth participation and connection, helping to shape a timely and responsive approach on the part of policy makers, service providers and programme designers. The project will also contribute significantly to the development of ongoing international collaborations between researchers in Australia and Europe, and to the research training of the next generation.Read moreRead less
Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for t ....Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for the first time. It will produce an effective, innovative online resource for affected Australians, their family and friends, and the wider Australian community including health professionals and policymakers.Read moreRead less
Impediments to uptake and diffusion of take-home naloxone. This project aims to investigate impediments to uptake of ‘take-home’ naloxone (THN), which reverses opioid overdose. Opioid overdose is a major health and social problem in Australia. Programmes to provide opioid consumers with THN to reverse overdose exist in some Australian cities, but uptake in Australia remains minimal. The reasons for this are not well understood. This project will interview opioid consumers, prescribers and pharma ....Impediments to uptake and diffusion of take-home naloxone. This project aims to investigate impediments to uptake of ‘take-home’ naloxone (THN), which reverses opioid overdose. Opioid overdose is a major health and social problem in Australia. Programmes to provide opioid consumers with THN to reverse overdose exist in some Australian cities, but uptake in Australia remains minimal. The reasons for this are not well understood. This project will interview opioid consumers, prescribers and pharmacists to better understand THN, and produce an online resource on experiences of overdose and THN. The aim is to inform those affected by overdose, professionals and the wider Australian community about THN, to support THN distribution, save lives and protect communities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100134
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,088.00
Summary
Addiction in the Australian legal system: A sociological analysis. This project is designed to analyse and compare legal approaches to addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AOD), identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Harms associated with AOD cost Australia over $25 billion per year. The law plays a central role in managing these harms. Yet legal responses to AOD and the key concept of ‘addiction’ are often inconsistent. These variations have unintended and often adve ....Addiction in the Australian legal system: A sociological analysis. This project is designed to analyse and compare legal approaches to addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AOD), identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Harms associated with AOD cost Australia over $25 billion per year. The law plays a central role in managing these harms. Yet legal responses to AOD and the key concept of ‘addiction’ are often inconsistent. These variations have unintended and often adverse economic, social and health implications. The expected project outcomes will inform new, more productive approaches to AOD-related harms in Australian law, contributing to improved economic, social and health outcomes.Read moreRead less
Generating insights for the future: A retrospective, comparative study of attempts to implement large-scale electronic health record systems. This is a retrospective, comparative study of five attempts to set up regional and national systems for sharing electronic health records in Australia and Britain. The purpose is to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past, so that complex technology projects such as these can be better managed in the future.
Race, science and indigeneity in Australia. This project aims to re-evaluate the role of biology in Aboriginal studies. Indigenous Australians have attracted intense scientific interest since European colonisation. Their bones, blood and hair have been collected to shed light on human evolution and migration, serology and, more recently, health disparities. This project will develop an account of how the history of race science matters in the present through investigating 20th century scientific ....Race, science and indigeneity in Australia. This project aims to re-evaluate the role of biology in Aboriginal studies. Indigenous Australians have attracted intense scientific interest since European colonisation. Their bones, blood and hair have been collected to shed light on human evolution and migration, serology and, more recently, health disparities. This project will develop an account of how the history of race science matters in the present through investigating 20th century scientific efforts to understand Indigenous Australians biologically. It will also study contemporary knowledge-making about Indigenous biological difference in the genomic era. This research aims to ensure that Indigenous genomics offer the most benefit to Indigenous people.Read moreRead less
Involving children in social research: balancing the risks and benefits. There is a growing consensus that children's involvement in social research is important, but considerable uncertainty remains around children's inclusion in research on 'sensitive' issues, reflecting concerns about how to balance children's protection with their participation. Key to this are deeply embedded assumptions and beliefs about children and childhood, especially concerning notions of capacity, agency, vulnerabili ....Involving children in social research: balancing the risks and benefits. There is a growing consensus that children's involvement in social research is important, but considerable uncertainty remains around children's inclusion in research on 'sensitive' issues, reflecting concerns about how to balance children's protection with their participation. Key to this are deeply embedded assumptions and beliefs about children and childhood, especially concerning notions of capacity, agency, vulnerability, dependency and the like. This project aims to better understand and address the tensions between the protection of children and their participation in research, and to explore how ethics committees, parents, other gatekeepers and children themselves manage and navigate these tensions.Read moreRead less