Genetic Identity Testing and the Family: the articulation between biotechnology and family relationships, politics and policy. Genetic identity testing cuts to the very nature of the family itself. For the first time in human history, it is possible to identify paternity - and misattributed paternity - with reasonable certainty. Parentage testing has become a vehicle for the fathers? rights movement, and is influencing the management of child support policy. Governments are currently developing ....Genetic Identity Testing and the Family: the articulation between biotechnology and family relationships, politics and policy. Genetic identity testing cuts to the very nature of the family itself. For the first time in human history, it is possible to identify paternity - and misattributed paternity - with reasonable certainty. Parentage testing has become a vehicle for the fathers? rights movement, and is influencing the management of child support policy. Governments are currently developing broad policy frameworks on this issue. Yet there is almost no social research on parentage testing. This study will provide scope for Australian leadership in an area of study that will become progressively more important with the rapid development of DNA chip technology. Read moreRead less
Marital separation and divorce: social correlates, gender differences and initiation. For most couples, although not all, separation and divorce eventually lead to more positive life experiences and outcomes, even so for all couples marriage breakdown has significant social, emotional and financial consequences (at least in the short term). Billions of dollars in direct (i.e. social security, family court system) and indirect costs (i.e. ill health, absenteeism) are incurred by the Australian c ....Marital separation and divorce: social correlates, gender differences and initiation. For most couples, although not all, separation and divorce eventually lead to more positive life experiences and outcomes, even so for all couples marriage breakdown has significant social, emotional and financial consequences (at least in the short term). Billions of dollars in direct (i.e. social security, family court system) and indirect costs (i.e. ill health, absenteeism) are incurred by the Australian community each year due to marriage breakdown. This research will help us to understand why some marriages breakdown while others remain intact, and in doing so, will add to the evidence base that informs policies concerning marriage and divorce.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
Epistemologies of workplace change: transforming gender relations in engineering. The severe shortage of engineers threatens sustainable development in rich and poor countries alike. The situation is exacerbated in Australia by global warming and the mining boom, ultimately constraining the national capacity for future economic development and long-term prosperity. Women are potentially an important source of future engineers, but they are currently neither attracted to nor retained within the p ....Epistemologies of workplace change: transforming gender relations in engineering. The severe shortage of engineers threatens sustainable development in rich and poor countries alike. The situation is exacerbated in Australia by global warming and the mining boom, ultimately constraining the national capacity for future economic development and long-term prosperity. Women are potentially an important source of future engineers, but they are currently neither attracted to nor retained within the profession in significant numbers. This project, involving international collaboration, will generate a new conceptual model designed to re-dress this problem. A key outcome will be more efficient and effective gender equity policies in engineering and related industries.
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Engineering diversity: An investigation of gender, workplace culture and change. Workplaces are changing rapidly in restructuring economies, but equity and diversity remain elusive. The engineering profession continues to experience difficulty attracting and retaining women. Gender equity programs that focus on women's training, socialisation and non-traditional 'choices' overlook the centrality of workplace cultures. This study reframes the issue, problematising the work context, rather than wo ....Engineering diversity: An investigation of gender, workplace culture and change. Workplaces are changing rapidly in restructuring economies, but equity and diversity remain elusive. The engineering profession continues to experience difficulty attracting and retaining women. Gender equity programs that focus on women's training, socialisation and non-traditional 'choices' overlook the centrality of workplace cultures. This study reframes the issue, problematising the work context, rather than women themselves. A qualitative investigation of discourses and practices at a range of engineering sites will be conducted. As the first major study of the work place culture in Australian engineering the findings will provide a basis for change in engineering industry, policy, and education settings.Read moreRead less
Masculinities, change and conflict in global society. The rapid development of research on masculinities has enormously increased our understanding of men and gender. This has opended new perspectives for preventing violence at individual, community and international levels. To realize this potential in today's changing conditions requires field research to explore emerging patterns of masculinity in Australia and internationally, fresh theoretical work linking gender with change and conflict in ....Masculinities, change and conflict in global society. The rapid development of research on masculinities has enormously increased our understanding of men and gender. This has opended new perspectives for preventing violence at individual, community and international levels. To realize this potential in today's changing conditions requires field research to explore emerging patterns of masculinity in Australia and internationally, fresh theoretical work linking gender with change and conflict in world society, and specific case studies of how masculinities are mobilized in conflict situations and lead towards violence. This knowledge will be used to develop new practical models of violence prevention and peace-making.Read moreRead less
The time of our lives: Time equity and the balancing of market and non-market production in the modern Australian population. This project will yield new information relevant to the national social inclusion agenda and the research priority goal of understanding and strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, fulfilling lives. Through a multilayered analysis of gender, class, life course stage, time allocation and the connection ....The time of our lives: Time equity and the balancing of market and non-market production in the modern Australian population. This project will yield new information relevant to the national social inclusion agenda and the research priority goal of understanding and strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, fulfilling lives. Through a multilayered analysis of gender, class, life course stage, time allocation and the connections between them, it will demonstrate links between various forms of social and economic participation and identify how they could be distributed more evenly. This knowledge is important to inform policy to better enable young people to become independent, families to both earn a living and care well for their children, and older people to be productive and socially engaged.Read moreRead less
Cohabitation in Australia: Trends and Implications for Family Outcomes. The project will contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by increasing our understanding of changing pathways into relationships and the implications of these choices for later family outcomes. The national benefit from this will be realised in terms of more effective policies that promote relationship quality and stability. This will help reduce the social and ....Cohabitation in Australia: Trends and Implications for Family Outcomes. The project will contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by increasing our understanding of changing pathways into relationships and the implications of these choices for later family outcomes. The national benefit from this will be realised in terms of more effective policies that promote relationship quality and stability. This will help reduce the social and economic costs to the government and the community from poor relationship quality and relationship breakdown.Read moreRead less
Changing approaches to gender and development in rural China. Harmonious and cooperative relations with China are crucial to Australia's economic and cultural development and to security in the region. By contributing to Australian understanding of Chinese society, this project will enhance such relations. Knowledge gained through this project will also enhance Australian development projects in China, and more generally, contribute to development projects focusing on gender and development in A ....Changing approaches to gender and development in rural China. Harmonious and cooperative relations with China are crucial to Australia's economic and cultural development and to security in the region. By contributing to Australian understanding of Chinese society, this project will enhance such relations. Knowledge gained through this project will also enhance Australian development projects in China, and more generally, contribute to development projects focusing on gender and development in Asia and elsewhere. In addition, the contributions of the project to research and postgraduate training in Chinese studies, gender studies and development studies will benefit Australia by raising the international profile of Australian institutions within these disciplines.Read moreRead less