bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of Ambient Volatile Organic Compounds at Two Urban Sites in Hong Kong from 1997 to 1998
Authors: Sina Della W.M. , Wonga Y.C. , Louie Peter K.K.
Published: March 2007

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air were measured at two urban sites (Central & Western and Tsuen Wan) in Hong Kong. Twenty-four-hour whole air samples were collected into Summa passivated stainless steel canisters approximately every 7 days at the two sites from July 1997 to June 1998. A gas chromatogra phy mass spectrometry (GC/MS) technique was em ployed for the analysis of 42 targeted VOCs as listed in the USEPA Method TO-14. At the method sensitivity of 0.10-0.20 ppbv, 16 and 18 listed compounds were de tected at Central & Western and Tsuen Wan, respective ly. BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) and some halohydrocarbons including trichlorofluoro methane (Freon 11), dichlorodifluoromethane (Freon 12), methylene chloride and trichloroethene were the predominant VOCs found in over 75% of the ambient samples collected at the two sites. Styrene and 1,3,5- trimethylbenzene were intermittently found in a few samples at the Tsuen Wan site only. Four other com pounds (chloromethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetra chloroethene, and 4-ethyltoluene) were quantified in less than half of the total samples. The annual average con centration of the measurable VOCs was well within the range of 0.20-5.0 ppbv and was comparable to other major American and European cities. However, individu al measurements of toluene concentration occasionally exceeded 20 ppbv. Good correlations (r = 0.65-0.98) were found to exist between individual members of BTEX; correlation between BTEX and the halohydrocar bons could not be established. This indicates that am bient BTEX in the two sites should come from the same origin. In addition, the ambient concentrations of BTEX found at the two Hong Kong sites were comparable to other urban cities and showed significant seasonal varia tion, while the halohydrocarbons did not. The ambient concentrations of BTEX tended to peak in the relatively dry winter months in Hong Kong. The ratio of toluene/ benzene was relatively higher than the range of values reported in the literature for some American and Euro pean cities, but was in line with the findings reported for two South East Asian cities. The present work is the first of its kind describing the systematic setting up of a moni toring network for measuring ambient VOCs distribution and will act as a foundation for the establishment of a database of ambient VOCs in the region for future envi ronmental management and planning activities.
Measurement and Modelling of Short-Term Variations in Particle Concentrations in UK Homes
Authors: Hill M.T.R. , Dimitroulopoulou C. , Ashmore M.R. , Batty K.
Published: March 2007

The causes of short-term variations in particle number concentrations were examined in 7 homes in northern England. Cooking, smoking and physical activity led to high short-term peak concentrations, while the loss rate of particles after emissions ceased was clearly depen dent on the particle size range. Simultaneous measure ments of particle number concentration and air ex change rate were used to quantify the relative impor tance of deposition and air exchange in particle loss rates; while air exchange was the dominant process in the size range 1-2 μm, deposition was the dominant pro cess in the size range 7.5-10 μm. The loss rate is critically important in determining the impacts of short-term em issions on longer-term particle exposures indoors.
Radon in Buildings: A Report on the Situation in France
Authors: Robé M.C. , Brenot J. , Gambard J.P. , lelsch G. , Haristoy D. , Labed V. , Beneito A. , Thoreux A.
Published: March 2007

Radon is a radioactive gas of natural origin that tends to accumulate in buildings. Although the levels recorded can be reduced, this requires the co-operation of resi dents, and the French population has a very poor under standing of radon-induced risk. The justification for keep ing a close watch on indoor radon concentrations is the underlying risk of lung cancer as a consequence of expo sure to high levels. Two official statements dealing with radon risk management were issued in 1999 in France to define the thresholds that should not be exceeded. The results of measurement campaigns, the number of build ings where concentrations above these thresholds are likely to occur, the identification of high-radon potential areas and the actions taken locally together with the way that the risk from radon and remedial actions are per ceived are reviewed herein.
Testing Antimicrobial Efficacy on Porous Materials
Authors: Menetrez M.Y. , Foarde K.K. , De Jesus V.R.
Published: March 2007

The efficacy of antimicrobial treatments to eliminate or control biological growth in the indoor environment can easily be tested on non-porous surfaces. However, the testing of antimicrobial efficacy on porous surfaces, such as those found in the indoor environment (i.e., gypsum board, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning duct-lin er insulation, and wood products) can be more compli cated and prone to incorrect conclusions regarding re sidual organisms and non-viable allergens. Research to control biological growth using three separate antimicro bial encapsulants on contaminated duct-liner insulation has been performed in both field and laboratory testing. The results indicate differences in antimicrobial efficacy for the period of testing.
Indoor Airborne Fungi as Important Occupational Sensitisers in Poultry Workers
Authors: Singh A.B. , Singh Alka
Published: March 2007

The type and quantity of airborne fungi in the environment of poultry farms were studied for 2 consecutive years from April 1989 to March 1991. Sam pling was done using volumetric Andersen six-stage and Burkard personal slide samplers. The specific IgE and IgG levels in the sera of workers were measured by ELISA techniques. Where poultry were kept indoors, the air had high concentrations of certain fungi. Candida albicans, smut, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Penicillium nigricans were found to be characteristic fungi of poultry sheds, while Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium and Alternaria spp. were those of a hatchery. ELISA measurements of the sera of poultry workers revealed that Aspergillus sydowi, Neurospora sitophila, Asper gillus japonicus and S. brevicaulis were eliciting raised IgE in a greater number of workers compared to a control group. Poultry workers had slightly raised IgG antibodies to A. sydowi, Aspergillus ochraceous and Aspergillus fumiga tus.
Prediction of Seasonal Radon Concentration from Weekly Screening Measurements
Authors: Azimi Dariush
Published: March 2007

The reliability of short-term radon measurements for as little as 1 week for predicting seasonal and annual radon concentrations is described. The study is based on continuous weekly radon measurements in an indoor environment made over a period of 1 year. Statistical analysis of the results shows that the probability that a weekly measurement represents the yearly radon concentra tion is >0.47 only during winter and spring, a figure little changed for a month ly measurement. Probabilities >0.55 are obtained when the averaging period is 6 weeks but only in the winter and spring. Overall the results indicate that short-term radon measurements appear to represent the year-long average only if the measurements are made during winter and spring.
Development of a Computer Programme for the Prediction and Control of Mould Growth in Buildings Using the ESP-r Modelling System
Authors: Rowan N.J. , Anderson J.G. , Smith J.E. , Clarke J.A. , McLean R.C. , Kelly N.J. , Johnstone C.M.
Published: March 2007

Based on an analysis of the best published data, critical limits for the growth of six commonly occurring indoor moulds (defined in terms of relative humidity and temperature) have been formulated into a mould prediction computer programme. The fungi were selected as representative of moulds which differ in their relative humidity and temperature requirements to sustain surface growth, and because several were known mycotoxin producing species and of potential health significance. Each growth limit curve was generated from a series of data points on a temperature-relative humidity (RH) plot and fitted using the third-order polynomial equation RH = a3T3 + a2T2 + a1T + ao. The model was incorporated within the Environmental Systems Performance research programme for transient simulation of the energy and environmental performance of buildings, thereby enabling the system to predict the likely occurrence of mould development for fungi which exhibit similar tempera ture/RH requirements to the reference moulds. The model predicts the inter active parameters which give rise to local environmental conditions that encourage mould growth. The system's predictive capability was tested via laboratory experiments and by comparison with monitored data from a moul dy building.
The Effectiveness of Designated Smoking Areas in Controlling Non-Smokers Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Authors: Sterling Elia , Collett Chris , Ross James
Published: March 2007

Field monitoring was conducted in office buildings in Seattle and Dallas to assess the effectiveness of various workplace smoking configurations in con trolling non-smokers exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Simul taneous measurements of vapour-phase and particle-phase tracers of ETS were conducted in adjacent smoking and non-smoking areas. Pressure rela tionships between smoking and non-smoking areas were determined. The Seattle portion of the study focused on the direct infiltration of ETS from smoking to non-smoking areas, as minimal recirculation of return air was occurring. Negative pressurisation of smoking areas eliminated the direct migration of ETS. Tracers of ETS exposure were not detected in non-smoking areas adjacent to negatively pressurised smoking lounges. In the Dallas study buildings, the impact of recirculation of ETS through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems was assessed. Vapour-phase ETS constituents were recirculated into non-smoking areas at diluted concentrations. However, elevated particle-phase constituents were not found in non-smoking areas. The overall results indicate that non-smokers exposure to ETS can be effec tively reduced in the office workplace without regulations or policies that require either direct exhaust of air from smoking areas to the outdoors by dedicated ventilation systems or total prohibition of smoking within build ings.
Coalinga Fibre - A Short, Amphibole-Free Chrysotile Part 1: Evidence for a Lack of Fibrogenic Activity
Authors: Ilgren E. , Chatfield E.
Published: March 2007

Controversy continues to surround the biological activity of short fibre chryso tile. This is largely due to a lack of studies in which there has been 'pure expo sure' to this material. Most of the exposures studied, whether in humans or animals, have been confounded by the additional presence of long fibre chry sotile and/or amphibole. This report presents the morphological and morpho metric findings of a lifetime inhalation study of F344 rats exposed to three types of chrysotile. The first, from Coalinga, Calif., is comprised of fibres that are almost all less than 5 μm in length and is not contaminated with amphi bole. The other two, the Jeffrey fibre and the UICC/B standard, are both Canadian long fibre preparations with a minor degree of amphibole contami nation. Exposed animals displayed no fibrosis following exposure to Coalinga chrysotile but showed fibrogenic responses with both Canadian fibres.
Characterisation of Indoor Air Quality in Large Urban Centres in Central America
Authors: del Rosario Alfaro M.
Published: March 2007

Levels of gas and particle-phase substances present in the indoor air at non- industrial sites in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; including offices, hospitals and restaurants, were measured dur ing 1993 and 1994. Samples collected at 40 sites were analysed for respirable suspended particles (RSP, d50<3.5 μm), ultraviolet RSP (UV-RSP) as a mark er for environmental tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nicotine. Levels of RSP were very high at several sites, varying within the ranges of 34-421 μg/m3in restaurants, 21-242 μg/m3in hospitals and 13- 196 μg/m3in offices. Carbon monoxide levels were also high at several sites with peak concentrations reaching 29, 20, and 19 ppm, respectively, in an office, a hospital and a restaurant. Infiltration and penetration of outdoor pol lutants into the indoor environment occurred at all sites studied.
The Impact of Funding, Purchase and Lease Agreements on the Use of Construction Materials
Authors: Holwell Christopher A.
Published: March 2007

This paper identifies what steps should be taken, and whether by scientists or businessmen, to ensure that changes to industry practice identified as desirable by scientific research are properly implemented. It identifies the parties normally interested in and influential in rela tion to a construction project and the nature of their inter ests. The paper identifies how the legal documents relat ing to construction projects deal with the question of 'problem' materials. It also warns of the dangers of creat ing 'scares' about particular materials and the ease with which that can be done. Finally, the paper suggests the steps which should be taken if it is concluded that the way in which silica is being used in buildings should be changed.
Sources of Indoor Air Contamination on the Ground Floor of a High-Rise Commercial Building
Authors: Nayebzadeh Ataollah , Cragg-Elkouh Sheila , Rancy Ruth , Dufresne André
Published: March 2007

Indoor air quality is a subject of growing concern in the developed world. Many sources of indoor air contamina tion in commercial and office buildings are recognised and have been investigated. In addition to the usual internal sources of air contaminants, other external sources from attached facilities can find their way into the building. This report presents the results of an indoor air quality survey in a high-rise office building which demonstrated an obvious seasonal change in regard to the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Furthermore, a comple mentary survey in the same building was carried out to identify the relevant sources of air contamination in the building and the results indicated that an attached train station and the nearby street traffic had a significant impact on indoor air quality.
Compulsory voting, political shyness and welfare outcomes
Authors: Hill Lisa
Published: March 2007

This paper attempts to go beyond the usual liberal/democratic debates about the justifiability of compulsion or arguments about partisan benefit, towards a discussion of the social and economic functions of compulsory voting. The main theme is that given a number of trends both here and in comparable contexts, it would not be a good idea for Australians to consider abandoning the present system. These trends include: policy driven socio-economic insecurity; greater time pressures upon those in work; increasing alienation and apathy among the young and a global trend towards political demobilisation. Abstention is understood as both a political and emotional response to economic marginalisation and social isolation. Subjective feelings of alienation, neglect, cynicism and low political efficacy are treated as socio-psychic norms which govern the behaviour of non-voters, culminating in what is termed here 'political shyness'. The politically shy are shown to be among the most vulnerable members of our community and it is suggested that under a system of voluntary voting, political shyness would negatively affect the welfare of these groups. The importance of compulsion is also linked to notions of reciprocal obligation and the centrality of inclusive citizenship to Australia's anticipated republic.
The Australian Scientific Leadership Study: a Preliminary Report
Authors: Bennett D.J. , Glasner P.E.
Published: March 2007

The present paper reports the results of a study of leaders in Australian science by use of both positional and reputational methods. Preliminary analyses suggested that the two methods yield very similar results. A leadership group within Australian science was identified and a typical profile of the elite scientist based on this data was presented. It remains for future research however to determine the extent of power and influence of this group and whether in fact it constitutes an elite.
Fertility Trends and Prospects in Australia and other Industrialised Countries
Authors: Caldwell J.C.
Published: March 2007

Marital fertility in Australia has been falling, with occasional halts and reversals, for a century. The trend in overall fertility has been rendered more complex by changes in marriage patterns. The original fertility decline may not have been triggered by a mortality decline but instead may have initiated one. The paper analyses the unprecedentedly steep fall in fertility after 1971 and the reversal from the mid-1970s of marriage trends which was so sudden as to wipe out in three years the entire movement towards younger marriage over the preceding thirty years. Fertility and fertility control trends are compared with other industrialised countries, and prospects for future natural increase and immigration are assessed.
A Classification of Alternative Lifestyle Groups
Authors: Metcalf William J.
Published: March 2007

The study of alternative lifestyle groups has been based largely on anecdotal material. Recently, more systematic empirical research has led to the development of a number of classification systems. Four such systems from British, American and Australian social scientists are critically evaluated in the light of suggested criteria, and none of these are found to be adequate in a field research situation. A new classification is developed, which meets all the criteria, and which enhances rather than hinders research. Finally, from extensive Australian and New Zealand participant observation research data, some general characteristics are described for groups fitting into each category.
Rosy Goals, Reactive Practice: Interpreting Programme Failure
Authors: Gibson D.M.
Published: March 2007

Much evaluation research has focussed on the impact of innovative health programmes, yet there have been few attempts to identify the reasons underlying reported programme successes or failures. This shortcoming has reduced the generalisability of research findings, and hence their policy relevance. This paper explores the reported failure of two Queensland community health centres to improve the health status of the communities served. The data indicate a lack of fit between pro gramme goals and practice. Strong support for the specified goals at all levels of implementation, however, negates the hypothesis that the evaluation was based on "unreal" goals. Four alternative explanations are developed — "grandiose goals", "bureaucratic red tape", "staff fallibility" and the "exigencies of the job". The paper concludes with an assessment of the relevance of this analysis to other innovative health programmes.
Reducing Racial Imbalance In New Zealand Universities and Professions
Authors: Older Jules
Published: March 2007

Maoris, indigenous New Zealanders of Polynesian origin, are greatly under-represented in universities and professions in New Zealand and are over-represented in morbidity, mortality, and crime. This paper examines the current level of Maori participation in higher education in an historical context. The process of correcting ethnic imbalance is explored, examples are presented of individual, institutional, and self- help efforts, and responses to them. Problems faced by researchers in this area are also discussed.
Regional Development and Economic Restructuring in South Australia
Authors: Wanna John
Published: March 2007

This paper is concerned with economic developments in South Australia in the context of capital restructuring in the manufacturing sector, inter- State capital penetration and severe labour displacement. The paper discusses the advent of selective 'de-industrialisation' in this state as a feature of national and international capital restructuring. The analysis suggests that, although state policy was integrally involved in the development of the regional economy, state policy is currently faced with major structural problems to which it has few effective solutions. Indeed, the previous inability of the state apparatus to establish long-term economic policies of regional development has led to greater instability in the present crisis.
Understanding Education: A Defence of a Class Analysis
Authors: Ryan Brendan
Published: March 2007

This paper outlines the basic features of a class analysis of contem porary schooling. I argue that recent materialist theories of human agency complement radical research about school resistance and provide support for a modified reproduction theory, one which avoids the theoreticist assumptions and determinist implications of conventional versions. In particular, this conjunction of critical theory and social history enables us to explain the class-determined selective and socialising functions of schooling in non-functionalist terms, and without any elitist imputation of 'cultural deficiency'. I defend the force and relevance of this holistic understanding in my treatment of contemporary educational trends and controversies, notably to do with the curriculum and with class and gender relations. Furthermore, I explicate this defence and its policy implications through a critical analysis of the 'progressive' critique Making the Difference by Connell, Ashenden, Kessler and Dowsett (1981). I argue that the likely reproductive consequences of their major recommendations are based upon their abandonment of a class analysis, and that, moreover, this 'silent acceptance' of domi nant politico-economic and ideological determinations and trends serves to provide a 'progressive' gloss to current official consolida tion of a two-class educational system.
Immigrants' Work: Equality and Discrimination in the Australian Labour Market
Authors: Evans M.D.R. , Kelley Jonathan
Published: March 2007

One Australian in five is an immigrant, and almost as many again are the children of immigrants. Most have done well in Australia, but some, particularly Mediterranean immigrants, have not. This paper examines whether this disadvantage reflects differences in education, labour force experience, and English proficiency or whether it is due to discrimination against immigrants. To answer this question we use the best data ever available: the public-use sam ple of the 1981 Census. We estimate a regression model separately for natives, for each of five immigrant groups, and for each of six groups of the second generation. Our model adjusts for education, labour force experience, and language skills. It allows for possible differences between education obtained in Australia and abroad, for differences in labour force experience in Australia and abroad, and for various curvilinear effects. Once differences in endowments are taken into account, we find no evidence of discrimination against immigrants. Further, both immigrants who came to Australia as children and the second generation do as well as longer established Australians, and perhaps better.
Educational Expansion, Curriculum Reform and Psychological Theory: Australia in the 1930s
Authors: McCallum David
Published: March 2007

The educational policy emerging from the 1930s Depression in Aus tralia is reviewed, in order to show how its emphasis on curriculum reform and diversity of courses, concentrated in State secondary schools, was premised on contemporary understandings about 'natural' individual ability. The psychological theory of individual differences, which developed during the first three decades of this century, constructed State school users as a social group having dif ferent educational needs from the traditional users of secondary education. However, the evidence for these differences was drawn from the actual operation of the State system, its stage of develop ment and the level of resources it attracted, and the way it functioned relative to the sphere of educational activity already car ved out by the private system.
Research Note: The Demography of Occupational Prestige in the Australian Workforce
Authors: Daniel Ann
Published: March 2007

Occupational prestige is an indicator of social class amenable to measurement. Dividing the workforce of Australia on the basis of occupational prestige gives a profile of the numbers in each of six occupational prestige categories. This exercise provides a norm for the Australian population and gives a basic prestige distribution for comparative purposes. Of particular interest for sociologists and social scientists generally is the shape of this profile. The top two categories are very small indeed; the third holds 15 per cent of the workforce; and 80 per cent of the workforce are in the lower half of this prestige hierarchy.
Keeping Their Distance: The Cultural Production and Reproduction of 'Racist Non-Racism'
Authors: Brown Kevin M.
Published: March 2007

This is the second of a two-part analysis of the conceptualisation of culture, 'race' and ethnicity. Part one, 'Establishing Difference: Culture, 'Race', Ethnicity and the Production of Ideology' appeared in the July issue of this journaL Following on from that discussion which focused on the ideological aspects of racism, this article considers the mechanics of discrimination - the areas of articulation between ideas and actions. Crucial sites of access to the social systems of advanced capitalist societies are identified ('points of entry'), where bureaucratised settings have the potential to rigidify cultural differences. By these means, forms of oppression based upon cultural criteria can come to resemble those based upon 'racial' criteria. Modes of social relations which utilise these criteria are discussed and related within a non-functionalist model of social reproduction.
Occupational Injury: Accidental or a Reflection of Conflict Between Capital and Labour?
Authors: James Claire
Published: March 2007

The term 'accident' suggests an unexpected or unforeseen happening which afflicts a worker. Historically there has been a tendency to categorise such injuries as aberrant or unusual with a focus upon the individual injured. High injury rates tend to occur in lower socio- economic groups whose perception of causation and work experience place them at odds with management. At the same time injuries are treated, investigated and compensated at an individual leveL This medical and legal individualisation process has served to obscure group susceptibility and group responses to health threat. Further, patterns of behaviour, injuries and overt conflict may be related to the levels of control experienced at work A case study of a large Brisbane factory demonstrated that a conflict of interest was recognised by both workers and management and resulted in tacit acceptance of 'restrictive labour practices', as survival mechanisms. This recognition of inherent danger, injury-avoidance withdrawal and the contradictory nature of control for safety and production, by both sides, is de facto legitimation of occupational injuries being embedded in the social relations of production - rather than being 'accidental'.
Value Differences among Leaders and the Workforce in Australia
Authors: Graetz Brian , McAllister Ian
Published: March 2007

Broad agreement on societal values is an important determinant of political legitimacy and stability in liberal democracies. This article examines the extent of such agreement in Australia by comparing the opinions of leaders in government, business and trade unions with the views of the workforce on a series of key topics related to institutions, social issues, and policy measures. The results show that on matters of institutional performance, economic management and the causes of unemployment, leaders hold views quite distinct from those of the workforce. On other issues, leaders themselves are in disagreement, and trade union leaders in particular are more likely to side with the workforce than with other leaders. At other times - for example, in evaluating mass media - the views of trade union leaders are at odds with those of the workforce they represent. These results reveal no clear or consistent pattern of value cleavages, either between leaders and the workforce, or between business and labour. For the most part, values are pragmatic and ad hoc, and reflect self-interest on particular issues rather than a consistent cleavage of sentiment or belief.
Gender and Class Analysis: The Position of Women in the Class Structure
Authors: Baxter Janeen
Published: March 2007

Stratification theory has traditionally focused exclusively on the position of men in the occupational system, either ignoring women completely, or locating them through male heads of families. Recent feminist research has criticised the assumptions underlying this approach, arguing that sex-based inequalities are an inherent feature of the class system, and must therefore be incorporated into class analysis. At a theoretical level feminists have argued that to treat the family as a single unit in which all members belong to the same class position, ignores the existence of sexual inequalities within the fam ily. At an empirical level the increasing numbers of married women entering the workforce undermines the notion of the male head of household. This paper examines some of these issues focusing on the 'Goldthorpe debate' ( Sociology, 1983). It also draws on data col lected in Brisbane in 1984 to examine the existence of 'cross-class' families in which husband and wife occupy different class positions. The implications of the existence of cross-class families are dis cussed in relation to class theory.
Sociology and Literature: The Voice of Fact and the Writing of Fiction
Authors: McHoul A.
Published: March 2007

It is argued that relations between the discourses of sociology and literature need to be rethought outside the appropriative, yet in appropriate, terms of 'the sociology of ...'. The work of Foucault, and particularly his location of the joint emergence of literature and the human sciences at a single 'moment', are enlisted towards this end. While the human sciences are seen to rely, broadly, on a number of fictional postulates and categories, literature can also be seen as a source of serious and advanced social theory. To illustrate this second point, the article concludes with a preliminary analysis of the baptism passage from Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan.
Class and Gender in Australian Income Security
Authors: Shaver Sheila
Published: March 2007

Women's interests are central to current reconstruction of the Australian welfare state, yet feminist theorising has less and less to say about state, class and gender. In part this is because its most promising paradigm, feminist extension of Marxist theory, has not responded to criticism for reducing gender to class and conflating function, effect and intention. This article is an attempt to rework the theoretical nexus of class and gender in the context of a specific institutional structure. It sees income secu rity provisions as historically constructed in the day-to-day politics of the welfare state, through which its structures are simultaneously 'classed' and 'gendered'. Australian income se curity is defined through intersecting frameworks of categorical eligibility and selective, needs-based allocation. Its tax/transfer framework situates the income security system within a larger political economy of redistribution. Class and gender structures lie in the conditions under which income security measures pro vide subsistence outside the labour market and the family unit within which the calculus of trade-off is determined. Allocative frameworks have class and gender effects to the extent that the income security system enforces family solidarities, gender ideologies and labour market incentives. Class and gender inter ests are embodied in terms of trade among income, gender and life-cycle groups in redistribution within and against histori cally constructed political and functional limits.
The Australian Class Structure: Some Preliminary Results from the Australian Class Project
Authors: Baxter J.H. , Boreham P.R. , Clegg S.R. , Emmison J.M. , Gibson D.M. , Marks G.N. , Western J.S. , Western M.C.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes the class structure of the Australian workforce in terms of the theoretical approaches developed by Erik Olin Wright. The two class profiles presented and discussed are Wright's contradictory class location schema and his second schema based on the exploitation of assets. The distributions of class according to occupational group, gender and age are also discussed.
Class and Income in Australia
Authors: Marks Gary N. , Western John S. , Western Mark C.
Published: March 2007

This article presents the findings from an analysis of the rela tionship between class location and income. The class schemas employed in these analyses derive from the work of Wright, Poulantzas, Carchedi, Barbara and John Ehrenreich and Gold thorpe. In the context of the Australian workforce, individual class location is found to be significantly related to income level. A properly specified causal model incorporating class and other relevant factors can explain between approximately 33 and 37 per cent of the variation of income among Australians in the workforce.
From Class Analysis to Class Politics: A Critique of Sociological Interpretations of Class
Authors: Dow Geoff , Lafferty George
Published: March 2007

This paper distinguishes the notion of "class politics" from that of "class analysis". In an attempt to respond to some of the contemporary critiques of the salience of class in social analysis and political life, it argues that the former term has closer resonances with the classical conception and purposes of "class" than the latter. Recent comparative political economy, as well as re-examinations of Marx's political economy, offer support for and are in turn themselves enriched by, a systematic clarification of the meaning and significance of "class pol- itics". The suggestion is therefore that the sociological approach to class (and classes) misses what was once distinctive in and crucial to the concept of "class conflict".
Aboriginality and Socioeconomic Attainment in Australia's Northern Territory
Authors: Tyler William
Published: March 2007

Aboriginality occupies an ambiguous position within the dominant discourse of Australian stratification systems. Al though most sociology texts document the condition of Abor iginals with numerous social indicators of disadvantage, there has been little serious attempt to explore the complex causal processes which position them within the European social structure. The population of the Northern Territory, of which just under a quarter are Aboriginal, presents therefore an in teresting field for investigating the effects of Aboriginality as a causal component of an individual's life chances. Results from regression models tested on 1986 Census data indicate that while Aboriginality exerts a significant influence on socio economic attainment, there are important differences in the patterns of causal explanation of life chances between rural and urban Aboriginals. In some respects these are as prominent as the general effect of race itself. Implications of these findings for the contemporary definitions of Aboriginality as a dimen sion of the wider Australian stratification system are dis cussed.
The Changing Military Profession: Integrating Women in the Australian Defence Force
Authors: Smith Hugh , McAllister Ian
Published: March 2007

Along with the church, the military is the last major profession in which women face significant and entrenched obstacles to career advancement. In this paper, we examine the progress of women in the Australian Defence Force in the past two decades, and analyse attitudes towards female integration in the officer corps. The data are provided by a survey of 1518 officer cadets in Australia's four officer-producing institutions conducted in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The results show that family and educational background is of little significance in determining attitudes towards integration, but that gender and military values exert a strong influence. Possible reasons for these results are discussed and the prospects for the continued integration of women in the officer corps are evaluated.
The Sociology of Information
Authors: Balnaves Mark
Published: March 2007

The expression 'information society' is commonplace in modern sociological literature. There exists, however, no sociology of information. It is not at all clear how social theorists and policy makers are to ascertain and to assess the value of information or what it means to talk about the ownership of 'information'. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that there is confusion over what information is in the sociological literature That confusion has ramifications for social and political theory and how the right to information is to be conceived.
A Bastard of a Life: Homosexual Desire and Practice among Men in Working-class Milieux
Authors: Connell R.W. , Davis M.D. , Dowsett G.W.
Published: March 2007

HIV/AIDS prevention work has been mainly designed by professionals and has reached mainly educationally and economically advantaged groups. This study involved men who have sex with men in working-class milieux, using life- history and action-research methods in two cities. Material drawn from twenty-one case studies is presented. The economic, domestic and educational relationships of working-class life shape sexual identity and practice. A muted and undifferentiated erotic milieu in childhood is the common starting point for very different trajectories into adult homosexual relationships, though 'beats' are generally important in making connections. A stronger network and sense of community appears in the provincial city than in the metropolis. Economic vulnerability and cultural constraint shape homosexual experience. Sex in long-term relationships is the most valued (though not the most common) and is more likely to involve anal intercourse; significant risks arise here. A complex political and cultural process shapes sexual practice as reciprocal or one-way and as more or less skilled. 'Gay identity' is not sought by most of these men, whose personal style more often draws on conventional working-class masculinities. But contradictions about desire and femininity are simultaneously present and sometimes destabilise masculinity. Responses to the HIV epidemic first involved withdrawal from sexual activity, then growth of activism. A 'barefoot educator' community activism has already emerged and should be a focus of HIV/AIDS prevention strategy
Sex-Change Surgery: An 'Unacceptable Innovation?'
Authors: Collyer Fran
Published: March 2007

Sex-reassignment surgery is a technique used to alter the genital structure of an individual so that their genitals more closely resemble the genitals of persons of the opposite sex. It is a surgical operation used for individuals who are born with an ambiguous genital structure, and it is used for adult persons who wish to change their genital sex (transsexuals). This paper will focus on the latter situation1. 'Operations on transsexuals have been performed in Australia since the late 1950s though, according to Giles, the earliest recorded case of surgery in the world may have been 1930 in Weimar Germany at Dresden (1989, 292).
Women as Primary Breadwinners in Families Where Men Are Primary Caregivers
Authors: Grbich Carol
Published: March 2007

Over the past twenty years, researchers and other surveyors of the general population have noted changes in the stated ideals and, to some extent, in the behaviours of couples with regard to parenting and home management. The movement of women into the work force, notions of equal opportunity, ideals of egalitarianism and greater emphases on the role and responsibilities of fathers have the potential to shift traditional levels of responsibility on both the home and work fronts.

In a five-year study of twenty-five families where the men had taken the position of primary caregiver, the experiences of the women who had become breadwinnners were explored. Previous studies of these families had neglected the women, focusing instead on the men.

From the group under study, it appeared that despite the stress of separation from very young children, regret at missing the early developmental years, and negative social pressure to return to a more traditional role, none of these women took up this option. Many have significantly improved their career options and now perceive themselves as more forthright and assertive. These experiences are examined through the theories of socialisation and gender.
Sexuality as discourse- beyond Foucault's constructionism
Authors: Morrow Ross
Published: March 2007

In the study of human sexuality outside of established biomedical perspectives, social constructionist frameworks are being increasingly utilised by historians and sociologists. One of the most famous and influential social constructionist texts is Foucault's History of Sexuality Volume One, which has become something of a standard reference on this topic in the literature. This paper warns against treating Volume One as an unproblematic text. The paper begins by systematically explicating a number of key concepts in Foucault's constructionist framework and then argues that this framework contains a series of intrinsic defects which Foucault is unable to satisfactorily manage or resolve. The paper concludes with some suggestions for rethinking Foucault's approach.
Police-community consultative committees: a response to paramilitary policing?
Authors: Bull David , Stratta Erica
Published: March 2007

Several writers have argued that police forces in places like Australia and the United Kingdom progressively adopted more militaristic styles of policing during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This paramilitary style of policing reduced the legitimacy of police forces and initially led to even more militaristic styles of policing. By the middle 1980s police forces in Australia and the United Kingdom had initiated policies of community policing in an attempt to increase their legitimacy by increasing their contacts with the community. Many of these policies claimed that such community contact would increase com munity input into policing decisions and priorities. This paper considers these issues and examines one form of community policing: police-community consultative committees. The stated purpose of these committees is to involve community members in the setting of priorities for their local police division or patrol. Observation of consultative committees in England and New South Wales indicates that the committees tend to focus on police priorities and objectives, to involve only respectable members of the community, and to co- opt them to the police point of view rather than acting as a conduit for community input.
Negotiated turf: the feminisation of the New Zealand jockey profession
Authors: Tolich Martin
Published: March 2007

Since 1977 New Zealand female jockeys have negotiated their turf, overcoming great resistance from trainers, male jockeys and the racing clubs to attain success in major races and premierships. Fifty percent of New Zealand's apprentice jockeys are now female. This success may be explained by the fact that female jockeys' bodies and gender socialisation make them better able to 'make the weight'. Why, then, have Australian female jockeys not attained a like success? Labour market theory provides the answer. Compared with Australian horse racing, the economy of New Zealand horse racing is weak and now stands on the periphery, unable to retain or attract male jockeys. The 'turf' New Zealand female jockeys have managed to negotiate in the last two decades compares with other feminised occupations and professions. On paper, Australian female jockeys may seem less successful than their New Zealand counterparts, but in reality they inhabit the same secondary labour market. Moreover, all New Zealand-based jockeys—male and female—work within the same secondary labour market.
Superwealth in Australia: entrepreneurs, accumulation and the capitalist class
Authors: Gilding Michael
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the annual rich lists compiled by the magazine Business Review Weekly. Methodological considerations mean that the lists are tilted against old wealth spread around kinship networks, and towards new wealth assembled by individuals on the cusp of a speculative wave. Even so, the lists provide the best available profile of large private fortunes ('superwealth') in Australia. More than this, the lists highlight the private wealth of entrepreneurs, a group largely overlooked by sociological research on the capitalist class. Further, they highlight private accumulation as a pathway to business leadership among ethnic groups otherwise excluded through social closure. In this context, ethnic and religious diversity among entrepreneurs have necessarily problematised the institutions, networks and collective self-identity that once informed the cohesiveness of the capitalist class in Australia.
Aggregating and presenting multimedia medical data
Authors: Jensen S.A.M. , Skretting J.
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses the aggregation and presentation of medical data in multimedia documents, based on the implementation of an application for generating and presenting ultrasound examination reports. The requirements for such an application and how a document architecture supporting document templates and hyperlinks helps meet these requirements are presented.

Full exploitation of the features offered by multimedia documents also depends on the surrounding technical infrastructure and work organization. To allow a controlled and synchronized development of these with the multimedia document application itself, the introduction of multimedia document support for isolated tasks is suggested as a first step.

Object-oriented techniques were used in all phases of the application development, and experience gained from this is presented. To increase readability to non-IT specialists the paper includes some introductory material on object-oriented methods and on document architectures.
Co-Ordination of the Work of the Sanitary Inspector and the Borough Surveyor
Authors: Crowther H.
Published: March 2007

The paper reviews the principal administrative duties in which the sanitary inspector and the borough surveyor are jointly concerned. After stressing the need for proper co-ordination of these duties, both to ensure efficiency in their departments and to avoid inconvenience to the public they serve, the procedure in force in Wallasey' for this purpose is dealt with in detail in relation to (I) investigation of sanitary and structural defects in drains, sewers and buildings ; (2) examination of plans deposited for approval under the building byelaws ; (3) supervision of work in progress which arises out of (1) and (2) ; and (4) the assistance which the sanitary inspector's records can afford to the town planner in respect of areas requiring redevelopment.

Other matters touched upon are the disinfestation of sewers and the bacteriological testing of swimming pool water.