bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Children's Television Advertising: An Analysis
Authors: Peck Jeff
Published: December 2016

A sample period of fifteen hours of children's television was recorded and each commercial announcement analyzed by two independent raters. Six broad areas were examined: general description; pictorial presentation; product presentation; pictorial characterization; buying rationale; and in‐program advertising. Food product advertising dominated the sample, with commercial announcements for sweets forming the largest group. Advertisements for sweets, snacks and breakfast foods were found to contain higher production values than other categories of advertisements. In most areas, advertisements conformed to current standards; however commercial announcements were found to portray a world characterized by stereotypes and lacking in ethnic diversity.
What Parents Think—A Commentary
Authors: Kavanagh David J.
Published: December 2016

The previous article on child rearing is discussed, with particular reference to sampling limitations and the validity of the Hereford Parent Attitude Survey. Some explanations for the reported attitude differences between socioeconomic groups are advanced.
A Comparison of Spinal Manipulation by Medical Practitioners and Chiropractors
Authors: Durrington L. , Lupton G. , Najman J. , Sheehan M. , Payne S. , Western J.
Published: December 2016

Recent studies have shown that a significant proportion of the Australian population attend chiropractors. In so far as some patients believe that chiropractic manipulation is effective, it is important to determine whether this belief is a consequence of a psychosomatic remission in symptoms or whether manipulative therapy, per se, is actually effective. A comparison of two groups of 50 patients, matched for condition and some demographic characteristics, treated (with manipulation) by doctors or chiropractors, indicates equivalent and widespread improvement in the presenting symptoms. The psychosomatic explanation is unlikely to be adequate and it may be that manipulation of the spine is effective therapy for some conditions.
On Being Unemployed and Being a Victim of Crime
Authors: Braithwaite John , Biles David
Published: December 2016

The results of the first Australian National Crime Victims Survey concerning the socio‐economic status of victims of crime in Australia are discussed. While the findings on occupational status and household income are somewhat equivocal, the data show a strikingly higher rate of criminal victimization among the unemployed for a number of types of crime. The unemployed, spending a large proportion of their lives in public rather than private space, may paradoxically be more likely to be both victimized by criminals and victimized by the police.
Changes in the Religious Practices and Beliefs of Students at an Australian University: 1965–1977
Authors: Watkins David
Published: December 2016

This paper compares the attitudes towards religious practice and belief of internal students at the University of New England in 1977 with those reported in the literature for their 1965 counterparts. A major shift away from religious practice but only a minor decrease in religious belief was found over this period. These results are compared with those of a British study and sex and denominational differences are discussed. A possible interpretation of the findings is also presented.
Accommodating the Aged in the Latter Part of the 20th Century: An Architect's Viewpoint
Authors: van den Broek J.
Published: December 2016

Since the Aged Persons' Homes Act 1954 was passed, significant changes have taken place which have caused a departure from the intention of the act. The development of the three tier system of accommodation, self contained housing, hostels and nursing homes, has resulted in rigid categorization of elderly people and stereotyping in design. The present situation is analyzed and a proposal is put forward for a multipurpose form of sheltered housing which would allow for greater flexibility and carry out the purpose of the act, by enabling aged persons to live in ‘conditions approaching as nearly as possible normal domestic life’.
The South Australian Housing Trust: A Socioeconomic Case Study in Public Housing
Authors: Kemeny Jim
Published: December 2016

The cost structure of Australian public housing authorities and its implications for the social administrative side of public housing operations is examined through a study of the South Australian Housing Trust. The importance of the pooled debt burden for lowering costs to well below private market levels is indicated. The sales policy is examined and it is argued that the sale of public housing into owner occupation is a major exacerbating factor in the high cost of rental rebating and in unbalancing the social mix among public housing tenants. The implications of the 1978 Commonwealth State Housing Agreement for the South Australian Housing Trust are briefly examined.
Rethinking Australian Communications Policy: Issues in Social Planning
Authors: White Peter B.
Published: December 2016

It is argued that the introduction of new communication technologies such as communication satellites and Teletext provide important opportunities for the delivery of educational, health and other social services in Australia. But because there is no co‐ordinated communication policy development the social costs, benefits and social service applications are not systematically considered. Following a discussion of the Galbally Report and overseas experience it is suggested that there be a move away from technology oriented planning to a problem centred approach. This would lead to a better understanding of the social costs, benefits and opportunities inherent in various communication policy options.
Full Employment: An Outmoded Objective in a Technological Age
Authors: Ensley R.
Published: December 2016

The author argues that pursuit of the full employment objective retards economic progress in technologically advanced countries, It has been suggested that the rate of technological adoption should be retarded where it leads to increases in unemployment. The author argues that technological adoption should be encouraged because it frees people from employment, releasing them for work. A clear distinction is drawn between employment and work. The question of income distribution is briefly addressed.
Full Employment: An Outmoded Objective in a Technological Age—Rejoinder
Authors: Smith Philippa
Published: December 2016

This paper challenges the assumption that technological change is beneficial because it results in efficient resource allocation. The introduction of technology in a period of low economic growth will merely distribute income to a decreasing number of people in jobs. As recent history has shown, this situation is worsened if the employed are not prepared to share their gains with the unemployed.
Adoptive Families in Distress
Authors: Rickarby G. A. , Lee M. M. , Said J. , Egan P.
Published: December 2016

In this study, features of 22 adoptive families were examined in the light of some possible explanations of the reported over‐representation of adoptive families among child psychiatry referrals. Themes which emerged included problems with bonding, motivations for adoption and psychiatric illness of parents. Implications for adoption workers are discussed.1
Managing Communication: Appropriate Behaviour in Medical Consultations
Authors: Gibson Diane , Boreham Paul
Published: December 2016

The interaction process between doctors and their patients represents a relatively infrequently explored strand of medical sociology. This paper is primarily concerned with one aspect of the attitudes and expectations which both doctors and patients bring to their interaction—the role which the patient is expected to play in the medical consultation. The data provide a detailed picture of the sorts of things which it was felt that patients should and should not do. Furthermore, the data indicate a high degree of overlap between doctors' and patients' views on what characteristics are representative of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ patients. Finally, some consideration is given to the implications of what is seen to be ‘appropriate’ behaviour in medical consultations for broader health care outcomes.
Promoting Inequity: The Jamison Report Proposals on Health Insurance
Authors: Duckett S. J.
Published: December 2016

The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Efficiency and Administration of Hospitals (the Jamison Report) contained a series of recommendations relating to health insurance. This paper reviews those recommendations and the existing health insurance arrangements, and argues that the Jamison proposals will lead to greater inequity rather than greater equity.
Energy Conservation—A Case Study in Campaign Evaluation
Authors: Maher Mary , Bycroft Peter
Published: December 2016

This study demonstrates the considerations involved in evaluation research into the effectiveness of campaigns designed to influence social change. It is an examination of the results of applying aspects of the attitude change studies to the subject of environmental issues. A case study was made of the Smallternatives energy conservation campaign which originated in 1976 in Brisbane, at a time of little recognition of an energy 'crisis' for Australia or the need for energy conservation.

Results indicated that levels of concern for environmental issues were present throughout the sample; that one group (who requested Smallternatives information) were more concerned about energy and environmental issues than groups who had not requested it; and that the booklet, when issued without request, had little or no effect on desired attitudes towards energy conservation. These results are discussed with respect to the dilemma of attitude‐behaviour consistency, and the impact of information input when it is sent to, rather than requested by, the individual.
Discrimination Against Women Teachers: Does it Persist?
Authors: Partington Geoffrey
Published: December 2016

Promotion rates of men and women who were teaching in primary and secondary schools in 1979 were compared to establish whether or not prima facie evidence existed for charges of ongoing unfair discrimination against women teachers whose experience and qualifications were similar to those of men.

It was found that such prima facie evidence still exists in primary school promotions. Three hypotheses are offered: The large proportion of unqualified persons among women primary teachers adversely affects the professional standing of the qualified women as well; country service is even more unpopular among women than among men in primary than in high schools, because one and two teacher schools are mainly primary schools; junior primary teaching is not valued equally with the teaching of the upper primary years.

On the other hand it was found that women entrants into high school teaching in 1970 had just as much likelihood of promotion as their equally experienced male colleagues. Doubt is thus thrown on the validity of claims made by the South Australian Institute of Teachers and by the Department of Education of South Australia for women teachers in High Schools to be exempt from the terms of the Sex‐Discrimination Act so that more women may be appointed to Deputy Principalships in such schools.
Dwelling Space: Expectations and the Housing System
Authors: Neil C. C. , Brealey T. B.
Published: December 2016

The average person‐per‐room ratio in Australia is low by international standards. But there are marked inequalities in the distribution of dwelling space, and the question is examined of whether the current allocation of dwelling space within the housing system constitutes a social problem on a national scale. The examination is based partly on an analysis of published census data, partly on existing literature, and partly on raw data derived from two recent housing surveys.
Filipino Brides: Slaves or Marriage Partners?—A Comment
Authors: Robinson Kathryn
Published: December 2016

Although Watkins' paper aims to question the stereotype of the servility of Filipino women, the material presented tends to support the stereotype. The argument suffers from the inadequacy of previous studies of the ‘status’ of Filipino women and the lack of information on the motivation and situation of Filipino ‘mail order brides’ in Australia. The paper also indicates profound cultural differences between Filipinos and Australians which could create problems in such marriages.
Delivering Health Care to Aborigines
Authors: Franklin Margaret Ann
Published: December 2016

The people have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care.1
Drinking and Driving: Alcohol Association with Traffic Accidents
Authors: Stacey Barrie G.
Published: December 2016

An analysis of drink‐driving research methods and findings with reference to traffic accidents is presented. This analysis is used to challenge some of the conclusions about drinking and driving that have gained wide currency in Australia and New Zealand. The growing acceptance of Scandinavian‐type laws is critically evaluated. The demand to ‘criminalize’ drink‐driving offences is rejected. The reduction of deat and damage from traffic accidents is presented as the real problem, not the drinking and driving of the population at large.
Reform for Australian Family Law
Authors: Corns Christopher T.
Published: December 2016

This article examines the Commonwealth Family Law Amendment Bill 1981 and considers the extent to which some of the proposed reforms will affect family law in Australia.

The article analyses existing jurisdictional and procedural limitations of the Family Court originating from the High Court decision in Russell v Russell (1976). It is argued that most of the proposed reforms contained in the Bill are welcome and should improve the financial and psychological position of spouses and children who are subject to the trauma of marital breakdown.
The Role of Aboriginal Health Workers as Cultural Brokers: Some Findings and their Implications
Authors: Soong F.S.
Published: December 2016

A cultural broker or middleman is a person who mediates between two cultures. This paper presents some findings on the role of Aboriginal Health Workers as cultural brokers and suggests ways of strengthening their role.
Social Networks of Mining Town Women
Authors: Cotterell John L.
Published: December 2016

This study examined the social ecology of families in new mining towns by means of network analysis. It compared the personal social networks of 44 mothers living in mining towns with a similar group of mothers living in rural service towns, in terms of structural, interactional and support characteristics. Qualitatively different adaptation patterns were found between the two groups, which suggest that mining women are under more psychological stress than women in country towns. Mining women were less socially integrated into their community, had more fragile social networks, and were in greater need of social support than their country‐town counterparts.
Class Inequalities in Education and Health: A Comparative Perspective
Authors: George Vic
Published: December 2016

Class inequalities in education and health in several advanced capitalist countries are examined, distinguishing between three types of inequality: access to service, use of service and outcome. The evidence provided shows that the scope and complexity of class inequality increase as one moves from consideration of access to use and then to outcome. Hence the reduction of inequality of outcome is the most difficult. The evidence shows that inequality in all three areas is marked in all countries and it also suggests that reduction of inequalities over the years has been, at best, only slight. Continuation of present policies is unlikely to change the situation substantially. More egalitarian policies, however, appear unlikely to be pursued within the power constraints of advanced capitalist societies.
Ageing and Family Dependency
Authors: Kinnear David , Graycar Adam
Published: December 2016

The ‘graying’ of Australia's population has generated much debate within government, demographic, health and social service circles in recent times. Current and projected shifts in population structure towards greater numbers of ‘dependent’ populations raise a number of complex issues in regard to resource allocation in both income support and service provision. Service issues revolve around questions of whether public or private provision will resolve the care issues for dependent elderly people. It is argued that contrary to popular opinion, family care is well entrenched within the framework of social care, and that the solution of community care, posited in relation to the rising levels of chronic illness and dependency within the elderly population, is actually an attempt to place more responsibility of care on to the family. It is further suggested that family care is, in fact, care by women who themselves are in a state of dependency. Citing evidence from a study conducted by the authors, the paper argues that family care imposes heavy burdens upon women and families and suggests that social policy should, firstly, actively bolster family care through the provision of supportive and supplementary services; and secondly, broaden its intent by exploring other options of care for elderly people. The latter response is important because without it, family care will only help to reinforce and sustain the dependent status of women.
Is Unemployment a Health Hazard? Health‐related behaviours of a sample of unemployed Sydney youth in 1980
Authors: Turtle Alison M. , Ridley Anne
Published: December 2016

A self‐report questionnaire, tapping a variety of areas of health‐related behaviours, was administered individually to a hundred young men and women aged between 15 and 24 years, solicited outside the Commonwealth Employment Service Office in Liverpool, New South Wales, in August 1980, all of whom described themselves as having been continuously unemployed for at least four weeks up to the time of interview. The group was divided at its approximate median of five months in terms of duration of current period of unemployment, and the short‐term and long‐term unemployed groups thus derived were contrasted on all variables. The resultant analysis showed the total long‐term unemployed group to be characterized by heavier smoking, reduced participation in sport, and, though not statistically significant, increased drug usage, relative to the short‐term group. Within the long‐term group, females were drinking more, and visiting the doctor more, than their short‐term peers; males were changing their drinking, friendship, eating and sleeping habits in directions indicative of loss of social contact.
The Racial Discrimination Act 1975: Provisions and the Receipt and Outcome of Complaints
Authors: Trlin Andrew D.
Published: December 2016

Focussing upon the function of complaint investigation and conciliation, the paper reviews the provisions and operation of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Between 31 October 1975 and 10 December 1981 a total of 5,383 complaints were received by the Commissioner for Community Relations, with Aboriginals markedly over‐represented among the complainants. For reasons associated with a complaint‐based procedure, the number of complaints received cannot be treated as a true indication of the extent of racial discrimination. Despite shortcomings of the Act, some of which stein from amendments to the Bill in 1975, it does provide a check upon the actions of major ‘gatekeepers’ and a viable source of redress for discrimination in certain spheres of life. It is noted that effective implementation of the Act has been hampered by various obstacles, in particular by a shortage of staff and financial resources.
Women Really Care
Authors: Mowbray Martin , Bryson Lois
Published: December 2016

Pressures to contain or reduce public expenditure are giving rise to policies geared to reduce the demand for direct state services. These involve alternative programs featuring the transfer of responsibilities, but not necessarily control, to more local, private, and family bases. Such trends depend upon the availability of the apparently cheap labour of women. Community care generally means care by females, but this fact is usually unacknowledged and the costs of the emerging programs tend to be reckoned only as those accruing to the state. Here we focus on two policy areas in which community and family have been emphasised, family day care and deinstitutionalisation in child welfare.*
Remarriage Among Divorced Persons in New Zealand
Authors: Carmichael Gordon A.
Published: December 2016

Trends in the remarriage of divorced persons in New Zealand since World War Two are examined with special attention to the period since 1968 during which the divorce rate has risen rapidly. While remarrying divorcees have formed increasing proportions of marriage cohorts since the late 1960s the remarriage rate, especially for females, has risen only because the divorced population has become more youthful. Comparison of the remarriage experience of synthetic divorce cohorts for 1961 and 1976 suggests that the likelihood of remarriage has fallen for both sexes where divorce occurs at ages below forty, but in particular for females divorced in their thirties.
Variations in the Over‐Representation of Aboriginal Young Offenders in the Criminal Justice System
Authors: Gale Fay , Wundersitz Joy
Published: December 2016

It is well publicised that Aborigines, both adult and juvenile, are over‐represented in the criminal justice system. However, an examination of youth offending in South Australia during the period 1 July 1979 — 30 June 1983 has indicated that the degree of Aboriginal over‐representation increases rapidly as they move up through the various stages of the system. They are least over‐represented at the lowest stage, namely at the Children's Aid Panel level, and most over‐represented at the sentencing stage of the Children's Court in terms of the numbers sentenced to detention in a youth training centre. This raises questions about the applicability of the juvenile section of the criminal justice system to Aborigines.
Single Parent Families and Social Policies in Australia 1974–1982
Authors: Cass Bettina , O'Loughlin Mary Ann
Published: December 2016

Of the two major sources of income support for single parent families, social security transfers and earned income, there has been an increase in the proportion of families dependent on social security in the period 1974–1982, a period of recession and high unemployment. Over this period the value of income support for supporting parents has declined because of the non‐indexation of the child components of pensions and benefits. This article identifies disincentives to the parents' labour force participation: lack of post‐school qualifications, shortage of jobs, scarcity of affordable child care and the low income retention rates imposed upon the extra earnings of pensioners and beneficiaries.
Alternative Rural Communities: A Solution to Urban Unemployment?
Authors: Sommerlad Elizabeth A. , Altman Jon C.
Published: December 2016

The quest for solutions to urban unemployment prompted the federal government to give serious consideration to providing support and encouragement to alternative rural communities. It hoped that residents in these communities would withdraw from the formal labour market and establish alternatives to conventional employment. A study of 20 rural land sharing communities in New South Wales indicates that at the present time these communities do not provide a supply‐side ameliorator of unemployment and that their future economic viability would depend on substantial government support for local employment initiatives. What the lifestyle in these communities clearly offers, however, is a quality of life denied to those on the dole.
Retirement Decisions and Expectations: A Case Study of Older Workers in the Motor Vehicle Industry
Authors: O'Neill Kiera
Published: December 2016

The main intention of this study was to explore the circumstances of the workers' decision to retire, and to investigate their adjustment to retirement. A small sample (59) of recently retired men from both the payroll and salary sectors of the workforce at the Ford Geelong plant was interviewed in depth. The information collected provides a detailed picture of decisions made in the face of particular retirement packages provided to payroll and salary employees. The data give a picture of the extent to which various expectations about retirement were realised by the respondents. Comparisons have been made in the main between the payroll and salaried staff but some differences within each group have also been investigated.
The Hidden Housing Policy: Management of Public Housing Estates in Australia
Authors: Perlgut Donald
Published: December 2016

Management of public rental housing is out of public view because most of the rules, regulations, and management policy directions arise from within the housing authorities themselves. As such, the policies can be vague, contradictory, and unrelated to the actual social and economic situations of the residents of public housing. The housing estate manager must translate these policies into a workable day‐by‐day relationship with tenants. The quality of housing estates is the result. We must be concerned, for on this quality rests the success or failure of our public housing policy.
Shared Housing: Making Alternative Lifestyles Work
Authors: Baum Frances
Published: December 2016

Changing lifestyles mean that fewer people are living in traditional families and that demands for innovative styles of housing are increasing. Many young people live in shared houses. Such housing offers relatively cheap and flexible accommodation and also has the potential to make a positive contribution to individuals' quality of life. This paper considers the factors that contribute to the success of these households: successful conflict management, the personality and expectations of sharers, the social interaction within the house and its physical design. It concludes with a consideration of ways in which sharing could be encouraged as a housing option.
‘The Bang’ and SNAP: Controversial Issues in Schools
Authors: Poynting Scott
Published: December 2016

Over the last few years there has been a series of ‘moral panics’ over the introduction of Peace Studies into educational institutions. This case study examines the recent public controversy over an educational play call The Bang presented in secondary schools in New South Wales, and the associated attacks on student interest groups called Students for Nuclear Awareness and Peace (SNAP). The case study raises questions about power relations in the social construction of ‘controversy’ and ‘objectivity’ and the strategic dilemmas these imply for progressive teaching about social issues in schools.
Small Claims Tribunals: An Effective Alternative To The Court System?
Authors: de Vaus David
Published: December 2016

The development of tribunals as alternatives to the court system for relatively minor disputes has been accompanied by disagreement about their desirability. This has led to moves to reform the Magistrates Court system so that the need for Tribunals will disappear. These reforms involve adopting many of the forms and procedures of the tribunals and abandoning others. At the same time there have been calls for the establishment of new tribunals. No evaluation has been made of how effectively these tribunals have fulfilled their original aims yet changes to them are proposed and the current tribunals are being used as models for further reforms. This paper reports results from a survey of 1670 people who used the Victorian Small Claims Tribunal and helps highlight some of the Tribunal's strengths and weaknesses. As such it is relevant to proposals for reforms which will affect people's access to the law to solve minor disputes.
Children after Divorce: Whose Rights? Whose Responsibility?
Authors: James Deirdre , Russell Graeme
Published: December 2016

Concern about the increasing welfare bill for supporting parents and the growing number of mothers and children living in poverty after divorce or separation has recently led Governments to seek new strategies to enforce maintenance payments. A major emphasis in these arguments has been that noncustodial parents (usually fathers) have a responsibility to provide economic support for their children, and that children, mothers and the community have a right to expect this support. At the same time, there has been an increased concern by fathers for their rights to custody and access to their children after divorce or separation. These two concerns, however, have tended to be treated as separate issues, and little attempt has been made to examine the possible interaction between the two, or to examine systematically the respective rights and responsibilities of mothers, fathers, children and the community. These issues are examined here in the context of an analysis of interpersonal rights and responsibilities for financial support and child care.
Unemployment, Social Policy and Public Opinion
Authors: Graetz Brian
Published: December 2016

This paper examines causes of unemployment in Australia as perceived by leaders in government, business and trade unions, and by the workforce. A distinction is drawn between structural explanations which emphasise economic conditions and job shortages, and individualistic explanations which ‘blame the victim’. The results show that government and union leaders give most weight to structural explanations, while business leaders and workforce groups place relatively greater weight on individualistic interpretations. This suggests that attempts to improve policy responses to unemployment may benefit not just by appealing to those who actually make policy decisions, but by attempting to improve the general climate of opinion about unemployment.
Alcohol Policy and Health Promotion: Rhetoric and Reality
Authors: Petersen Alan R.
Published: December 2016

This paper examines the economic and political constraints on the development of Australian policy directed at the prevention of alcohol‐related health problems. An analysis is made of recent official statements and enquiries and it is argued that heightened concern about prevention arose in the context of budgetary problems and the need for governments to find ways of containing expenditure in the welfare area. The effectiveness of current efforts is called into question by the real nature of the constraints on health, and of the disparity between prevention rhetoric and policy implementation. It is suggested that government statements of intent to reduce the overall level of alcohol comsumption in the community entail no clear‐cut commitment to a particular strategy or set of strategies, and that recent government actions indicate the limited possibilities for the implementation of such a policy. Any policies governments are likely to pursue are unlikely to disrupt major sources of government revenue. Because of the high profile that governments have created for the problem, there is the possibility that the policies that are adopted will be politically expedient in the short‐term rather than providing real solutions.
Child Sexual Abuse and the Family Court
Authors: Kiel Helen
Published: December 2016

This paper examines judicial decision‐making in the Family Court in custody and access disputes where allegations of child sexual abuse have been made. In seven cases examined judges took a sceptical view of such allegations and most commonly granted access in spite of strong evidence of abuse. The interpretation of the ‘best interests of the child’ often favoured continuing contact with both parents, and judges rarely denied access outright. Supervised access, the most common outcome, represents a compromise between familial ideology and child protection.
Moving The Mentally Ill Into The Community: The Problem Of Acceptance And The Effect Of Contact
Authors: Cousens Penelope , Crawford June
Published: December 2016

Community acceptance of the mentally ill is fundamental to a successful change to community‐based care, now being implemented in New South Wales. This policy was based on an inquiry that viewed acceptance optimistically and postulated that contact with the mentally ill would be a favourable influence. The applicability of this extension of the ‘contact hypothesis’ from its original racial context is tested in one area of Sydney. The results indicate that the type of contact arising from community mental health facilities is not an effective catalyst of relevant attitude change, and suggest particular difficulties among the lower two socioeconomic classes.
When Justice Fails: A Preliminary Examination of Serious Criminal Cases in Australia
Authors: Wilson Paul R.
Published: December 2016

A preliminary survey suggests that the number of wrongful convictions in Australia for murder and other serious offences may be considerable. Reference is made to key elements in the criminal justice system that are significant in these cases. The elements called in question include police behaviour, expert evidence, witness evidence, media response and the trial process. Policy implications of these elements are discussed and some suggestions to reduce the alleged problems are proposed.
Two Approaches to Seeing People with Disabilities
Authors: Leonard Rosemary , Crawford June
Published: December 2016

This study tests the possibility that attitudes to people with disabilities can be divided into two types: attitudes at the societal level and attitudes at the personal level. This distinction was made with the aim of clarifying ambiguities from previous research. One test of the proposed distinction rests on the assumption that personal contact with people with disabilities will influence attitudes at the personal level but not at the societal level. Sixty subjects were assigned to either a control group or intervention groups which experienced interventions involving a person with a disability. The attitudes of all subjects were measured one month before and at the time of the intervention. Data on prior contact were also collected. The results, which supported the two level approach, are discussed in terms of their implications for improving attitudes to people with disabilities.
Socio‐Economic Status and Changing Work Attitudes in High School Students
Authors: Winefield Anthony H. , Tiggemann Marika , Winefield Helen R.
Published: December 2016

Two samples of South Australian high school students were surveyed, one in 1980 and one in 1986. The 1986 students displayed greater optimism about their prospects of obtaining satisfactory employment despite the fact that official statistics show that the rate of youth unemployment did not decline between 1980 and 1986. The increased optimism, along with a greater willingness to stay longer at secondary school, to undertake tertiary study and to upgrade qualifications was apparent mainly in the students of low socio‐economic status and represented a shift in their work attitudes towards those displayed by the students of higher socio‐economic status. It is suggested that the students of low socio‐economic status had become aware of the importance of qualifications in securing satisfactory employment and their increased optimism was realistically based on a determination to acquire those qualifications.
The Adjustment of Long Term Homeless Youth
Authors: Miner Maureen
Published: December 2016

This study investigated self image, depression, hopelessness and locus of control in 30 adolescents who had lived away from home for at least six months, together with relationships between maladjustment and poor experiences at home and at school prior to leaving home. Comparisons were made with 120 adolescents living at home who were employed, unemployed, at school or at tertiary institutions. It was found that the homeless youth were more depressed and hopeless, with poorer self image than all groups excepting unemployed adolescents. Maladjustment was correlated with negative home and school experiences. These results are discussed in terms of the debate between psychological and sociological approaches to runaway behaviour, as well as the need for assessment and treatment services to be provided for long term homeless youth.
Gender and Political Participation in Australia
Authors: Bean Clive
Published: December 2016

A sizeable gender gap in political participation, such that men are more likely to be active than women, is a well‐established cross‐national finding. But evidence for Australia is scarce, particularly in recent times, and so is international evidence since the mid‐1970s. The 1984–85 Australian National Social Science Survey shows only a small gender gap to exist in a variety of political activities, in contrast to past findings. Furthermore, controlling for political interest largely explains the gap in rates of orthodox political participation. A significant gender gap remains in political protest activities, however, despite the introduction of a wide range of controls.
Feminism and Male Scholarship: The Treatment of Women and Gender in Social Policy Texts
Authors: Edwards Anne
Published: December 2016

This paper reports the results of a study of sixty selected British and Australian academic texts on social policy and the welfare state. The purpose of the study was to investigate changes over the last fifteen years in the ways in which the position of women and gender‐related issues are dealt with by feminist and non‐feminist writers in the social policy field. Differences in the levels of feminist awareness in the various texts are found to be associated with the sex of the author, the type of book, the date of publication, the country of publication, and the socio‐political and intellectual context in which the various texts were produced.
The Royal Commission, ATSIC and Self‐Determination: A Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Authors: Rowse Tim
Published: December 2016

The National Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, in recommending fundamental reforms of government policy, proposed a primarily political and administrative notion of Aboriginal empowerment or ‘self‐determination’. That is, the Commissioner argued the fundamental importance of publicly‐funded Aboriginal organisations and urged governments to relax financial accountability requirements imposed on them. The paper quotes extensively from the National Report to argue that this, rather than ‘land rights’ or ‘economic independence’ is what the Commissioner meant by ‘self‐determination’. But what is the place of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) in such a view of Aboriginal and Islander political development? The paper demonstrates the Commissioner's ambivalence about ATSIC, and his failure consistently to project ATSIC's role when making his recommendations about health, alcohol and housing policies. It concludes by citing Commonwealth responses which indicate that ATSIC is likely to emerge as an obstacle in the Commissioner's scenario of Aboriginal and Islander political development.
Re‐examining Children's Consent to Medical Treatment
Authors: Gamble Helen
Published: December 2016

The question of consent to the medical treatment of children is looked at across the four disciplines of law, medicine, psychology and philosophy. The conclusion is reached that while there is a remarkable consensus on the issues considered to be important, none of the disciplines provides a complete answer to the problems involved. As an experiment, reference is made throughout the article to various literary conceptions of childhood. It is hoped that some of these may give cause for thought about how children are treated by the professions. The article was prepared for publication before release of the judgements of the High Court in Re Marion in May 1992 (renamed Secretary, Department of Health and Community Services v JWB and SMB on appeal). In the appeal a majority of the High Court followed the Full Court of the Family Court in Re Marion and confirmed that judicial consent is required for the medical treatment of children in some cases. The notion of treatment being therapeutic or non‐therapeutic was not accepted, the majority preferring to rest judgement on assessments of the risks and gravity of consequences of a wrong decision (JWB and SMB 79,180 and 79,206–7). There are many other points of interest discussed by the High Court, for example, Brennan J's comments on the absurdities of the concept of substituted consent (79,196–7), Deane J's acceptance that the issues involved were moral and social and therefore beyond legal competence (79,208) and McHugh J's understanding of the sources of the parental power to consent (79,214). Although adding authority to some of the views expressed in the Full Court of the Family Court, the judgements of the High Court do not dispose of debate on the issues raised in the article.
The Privatisation of Punishment: A Review of the Key Issues
Authors: Chan Janet B.L.
Published: December 2016

Both the New South Wales and the Queensland Governments have opened the door to the privatisation of prisons in Australia. The term ‘privatisation’ refers to a range of processes in the financing and provision of corrective ‘services’ to criminal offenders. This paper canvasses the theoretical and policy issues related to the privatisation of prisons. Through a review of the international literature, the author suggests key areas of concern for future policy development and evaluation. The paper concludes with a comparison between the privatisation and the deinstitutionalisation of punishment and outlines the theoretical implications of such a comparison.
Poverty in 1986: Aboriginal Families with Children
Authors: Ross Russell , Whiteford Peter
Published: December 2016

This paper brings together information from the 1986 Census of Population and Dwellings and the 1986 Income Distribution Survey to estimate poverty rates for Aboriginal families and other families. It also describes the factors associated with income poverty among Aboriginal families.

The analysis in this paper is primarily descriptive and is limited to measuring income poverty using the Henderson poverty line. The main objective is to provide the first estimates of poverty among Aboriginal families with children since the early 1970s. The results confirm for 1986 the common perception that income poverty rates are much higher among the Aboriginal population than among the non‐Aboriginal population, although the gap is less dramatic for sole parent families than it is for two parent families. The major factor associated with this poverty is joblessness, with over half of all Aboriginal families with children having no employed adults. However, poverty is still higher among those Aboriginal families with children in which there is at least one employed adult than it is among comparable non‐Aboriginal families with children.
The Establishment Of Mass Mammographic Screening Programs: In Whose Interests?
Authors: Lupton Deborah
Published: December 2016

The provision of mass mammographic screening programs for all women over the age of 50 years in Australia has received widespread support from the popular press, politicians and society in general. However health professionals have expressed doubts about the desirability of implementing such programs before their broader efficacy has been properly assessed. This paper asserts that consideration of the opinions, experiences and attitudes of women has been largely neglected in both the popular media and medical circles. The symbolic meanings surrounding high technology, cancer and the body are discussed with reference to the mammography issue. It is argued that the psychological costs to women who are induced to enter a mammogram program require greater attention. Of particular importance is the case of those women who are forced to undergo further medical investigation when a suspicious lesion is discovered. It is concluded that the interests of women are not necessarily served by the Australian government's decision to use scare resources to fund mass mammographic screening programs.
WHO BUYS HEALTH INSURANCE? A SURVEY OF TWO LARGE ORGANISATIONS
Authors: Burrows Colin , Brown Kaye , Gruskin Andrew
Published: December 2016

Despite the importance of private insurance in the financing of Australia's health care system, there have been few studies of health insurance choice. A survey was carried out of employees of two large organisations to serve as a reference group for middle‐income people in secure employment. Insurance was associated with income, age, marital status and history of medical costs; but not dependents or hospital expenses. Main determinants of level of cover were income and medical costs. In making decisions, information search was low and decisions seem to be made on the basis of simple risk aversion, influenced by insurers' advertising.
A POST‐MODERN PANOPTICON: THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY
Authors: Sackett Lee
Published: December 2016

In this paper I examine the Deaths in Custody Royal Commission from a Foucauldian perspective. I argue that the inquiry was an(other) act of state surveillance, and that many of the recommendations, if implemented, would further extend the scrutiny of Aboriginal lives. Additionally, I consider the way the ‘individualizing knowledge’ (Foucault 1979, p. 126) of the deceased was used to control the interpretation of their deaths.
TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
Authors: Chamberlain Chris , MacKenzie David
Published: December 2016

This article identifies three temporal images of the homeless youth population. The dominant media typification is of an ‘underclass’ with chronic problems. A dissident image contends that most young people experience only short periods of homelessness, and that there is a ‘high turnover’ population. A third account suggests that there are both ‘short‐term’ and ‘chronically’ homeless youth, but few individuals in‐between. It is a ‘polarised’ image of the population. This article draws on information from a sample of 1,410 homeless young people to assess these accounts. The article theorises temporal concepts and it explains a methodological issue called the ‘point in time dilemma’. The main finding of the study is that the homeless population is characterised by temporal diversity. The basis for the dominant underclass typification is explained, and various policy issues are discussed.
THE WAGE EARNERS' WELFARE STATE REVISITED: REFURBISHING THE ESTABLISHED MODEL OF AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL PROTECTION, 1983–93
Authors: Castles Francis G
Published: December 2016

This article sets out to give an overview of the most significant policy changes and developments influencing the development of social protection in Australia in the past decade. Rather than focussing on an assessment of gains and losses within the narrow confines of the state welfare system, it looks at what has happened to the broad configuration of policies which have come to constitute Australia's highly distinctive wage earners' welfare state. Overall, the conclusion is that the institutional forms and normative goals of the wage earner's welfare state have proved far more resilient and adaptable than critics have assumed likely, with targeting, award‐based superannuation and women's welfare singled out as the most interesting areas in which Labor has contributed to the refurbishing of the established model.
‘MONEY POURING OUT OF ITS EARS’: ON THE TAXATION OF REALLY PROFITABLE NON‐PROFIT ORGANISATIONS IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Gjems‐Onstad Ole
Published: December 2016

Under current law Australia appears to be a tax haven for certain non‐governmental institutions. Millions of ordinary business income may go untaxed and the deductibility for donations is unlimited – both are very generous tax measures in an international context. The basic problems of most Australian non‐profit organisations are not taxation; it is their non‐profit status and lack of funds. Anybody interested in the non‐governmental sector should be willing to face the question: What is an equitable tax treatment? The short‐term tactic of ducking the question may not be the best or most beneficial long‐term strategy.