bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Relations Training in Schools and Elsewhere
Authors: Williams Antony
Published: December 2016

Human relations training in many forms, the best known of which are encounter groups, enjoys wide popularity in industry, government and education. Some ‘professional’ objections to the running of such groups are raised, and it is proposed that these objections may be partially answered if there is a non‐profit‐making national association of group leaders whose function would be to provide a code of ethics to members and information to the public. As well as these professional objections involving the areas of leadership, screening and casualties, there are also objections to the 'process' of groups itself; to these latter objections arising out of an individual's sensibility and subjective interpretations of events, no compelling reply can be given. Affirmation of the interactions in encounter groups is likewise a subjective matter.
The Ovulation Method—A Wider View
Authors: Hume Kevin
Published: December 2016

This is an express rejoinder to the article preceding this by Katharine Betts, The Ovulation Method of Contraception, pp. 1–14. It endeavours to present natural family planning and the ovulation method in particular in proper perspective. The ovulation method is given accurate definition and its scientific basis outlined. Criticisms of the method are answered and its advantages over other natural methods detailed. The philosophy of natural family planning is positively presented. Some conclusions are drawn about the policy of the previous Labor government and predictions are made for the future of the method.
AN APPROACH TO SOCIAL POLICY
Authors: Donnison David
Published: December 2016

This paper is part of a report on general strategies of social policy for central governments. It was commissioned by the Irish government when Dr Donnison was Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies, London. Before that he was Professor of Social Administration at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In October 1975 he became Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission, London.
The Elderly Person and Family Life
Authors: Lefroy R. B.
Published: December 2016

The relationship between an elderly person and other members of his family is worthy of study from the point of view of both young and old. The extended family, rather than the nuclear or immediate family, is the relevant unit for the majority of people including the elderly. The evidence available from industrialized societies shows that the elderly can gain considerable support during the process of ageing by being included in the modified extended family. While institutions for the elderly are undoubtedly necessary, more elderly people could remain integrated in the normal community providing family life survives and is supplemented by an active policy of home help.
Some Caveats on Community in Schools
Authors: Macklin Michael
Published: December 2016

Community involvement in schools is currently being fostered in Australian education systems both by education departments and by interested groups within the wider society. It is a social issue which needs careful consideration both to avoid the errors of other countries and to ascertain whether such involvement has any real benefits for those who work in schools, namely, the teachers and students.
The Mentally Retarded: Towards a National Programme
Authors: Knight John
Published: December 2016

It is only recently that there has been national consideration of the problems and needs of the mentally retarded. Voluntary, state and federal programmes are gradually being more effectively coordinated but a good deal remains to be done. The measures that could be taken to further this process include: the establishment of a national institute on mental retardation; a select committee of the parliament to examine problems of the mentally retarded; a standing interdepartmental committee with more precise terms of reference concerning mental retardation; and action to assist in employment for the mentally retarded with the commonwealth.
The Coordination of Welfare and Health Services in Australia
Authors: Duckett S. J.
Published: December 2016

The report of the Task Force on Coordination in Welfare and Health (Bailey Report) is the most important single report on the organization of health and welfare services since the first Medibank Green Paper. It provides for the collapsing of a plethora of categorical grants into four broad ‘programme grants’. The effects of this report will be felt by most health and welfare organizations. It is the purpose of the article to review the main recommendations of the Task Force and of the related Report from the Committee on the Aged and the Infirm.
Social Contacts Amongst Suburban Housewives
Authors: Herbert Ralph , Emmison Michael
Published: December 2016

Popular or media portrayals have suggested that many suburban housewives are dissatisfied with a number of aspects of their lives. This claim was investigated by surveying two groups of Brisbane women. Data obtained firstly from a sample at a shopping town and secondly from the members of a women's social club suggests that the dissatisfaction with the role of housewife expressed in the media may be overstated. Women find a lack of social contacts with others to be acute but report satisfaction with other aspects of their lives. Tentative solutions to facilitate social contacts between women are suggested.
Credit Unions: A Partial Solution to the Consumer Credit Problems of Low Income Families
Authors: Lupi Anthony C.
Published: December 2016

An anomaly of Australia's economic system is that those who can least afford to pay dearly for consumer credit (low income families), are the ones who must pay more. It is suggested that a partial solution to the consumer credit problems of low income families lies in the use of credit unions. This paper examines the consumer credit problems of such families, illustrates how credit unions function and indicates where they may be useful in providing cheap credit to low income families.
Client Perceptions of Professional Helpers: A Commentary
Authors: Gault Una
Published: December 2016

Comments on factual and methodological matters raised by Murphy, Remenyi and Hudson2 precede some more general observations on possible reasons for the replicated findings reported.
An Evaluation of Packaged Parent Education Programs
Authors: Davies Eversley
Published: December 2016

Acceptance of parents as educators of their children has assisted in the recent rise of enthusiasm for teaching parenting skills. Six contemporary parenting models are described, compared and evaluated in the light of current research. Although parents are often advised to equalize power between parent and child, it is shown that parental power is always exercised. It is recommended that an eclectic approach would apply techniques contingently, and coordinate socioemotional and cognitive development.
Maintenance Orders and Causes for Non‐Payment
Authors: Wade John H.
Published: December 2016

From the very inadequate statistics kept by courts in the past in England, Canada and especially Australia, it appears that there is a high rate of default in the payment of maintenance for broken families. This article discusses the causes for this situation.
The Myth of the ‘Chivalry Factor’ in Female Crime
Authors: Scutt Jocelynne A.
Published: December 2016

In the area of crime and detection, women have been said to profit from their ‘femaleness’ by way of the ‘chivalry factor’, operating to render authorities reluctant to arrest, prosecute and convict women, despite their guilt Such a theory appeals to traditional attitudes toward women. A systematic study of dispositions of male and female offenders supports the view that women may not so easily be said to escape the criminal process. ‘Evidence’ that women are treated more leniently than men is often based in anecdote. For some offences women are in fact more likely to be punished. Because women are expected to be ‘pure’, the female offender conflicts not only with the law but with social and cultural views of womanhood. Thus she may be more harshly treated than her male counterpart.
Towards a Legal Definition of Social Welfare
Authors: Tedeschi Mark
Published: December 2016

The author formulates a definition of the term ‘social welfare’. This definition, he claims, is necessary if there are to be controls imposed both on the activities of private social welfare agencies, and on the benefits given to such agencies by the community in the form of exemptions, concessions and rebates. The author advocates a definition which reflects current community views about social welfare and proposes ways in which the definition can be interpreted to avoid the rigidities of the legal system. Finally he argues that the exemptions and concessions should be given to a more restricted range of private agencies than at present.
Witch Crazes and Drug Crazes: A Contribution to the Social Pathology of Credulity and Scapegoating
Authors: Whitlock F. A.
Published: December 2016

A comparison is made between the great European witch‐hunt in the 16th and 17th centuries and the current preoccupation with drugs and drug taking, together with the alleged characteristics of users of prohibited drugs and the effects upon their behaviour. The similarities between the two phenomena are sufficiently close to suggest that our concerns with and beliefs about certain drugs are as unsoundly based as were similar preoccupations with witchcraft some four hundred years ago.
Jobs for the Girls? How Careers Education Can Help
Authors: d'Alpuget Blanche
Published: December 2016

High unemployment continuing into the 1980s challenges society and the schools. Careers education, a fairly new subject in Australia, is likely to become increasingly important, but in future methods and directions are still matters for debate. In the area of female employment—young females are least likely to find jobs—schools have made some significant contributions to developing ideas for career education and to assisting their students to cope with life after school. For girls and boys attitudinal change to sex roles is a central factor in future job finding and sharing.
Single Parent Adoptions: A Review
Authors: Schlesinger Benjamin
Published: December 2016

Single parent adoption is a new phenomenon in North America. Social workers will have to deal with this adoption issue at an increasing rate. This paper reviews the findings of existing studies relating to one‐parent adoptions.
What Parents Think About Child Rearing!
Authors: Armour Peter , Rob Marilyn , Lawson Jim
Published: December 2016

In a survey of current attitudes of parents towards child rearing, 386 parents of 4th grade children completed questionnaires containing Hereford's Parent Attitude Scale. Results indicated that parents with the highest education and occupational status were: more confident in themselves as parents; more inclined to believe that they could influence their child's behaviour; more accepting of the child as an individual; shared ideas and feelings more often with their child; and were more likely to enjoy a mutually trusting relationship with their child. This suggests that programmes aimed at improving parent‐child relationships should be primarily directed towards the less well educated and those of lower occupational standing. Yet the Health Commission, in pilot Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) programmes found that parents who joined the programmes were even better educated than those in the survey, and already had very favourable attitudes towards child rearing.
Psychological Malpractice and the Anti‐Cult Battle: The Brain Awash
Authors: Ross Michael W.
Published: December 2016

This paper looks at the appearance in Australia of ‘deprogramming’ (brainwashing) methods and the misuse of psychological techniques against cults. It is suggested that the misuse of such techniques is more dangerous and constitutes a greater threat to civil liberties than the cults themselves, and possibilities for action by psychologists are discussed.
Investigation of Children's Custodial Wishes
Authors: Lutzyk Alex
Published: December 2016

One of the criteria used by judges of the Family Court in reaching custody decisions is the wishes of the child. A total of 104 children who were subjects of custody disputes were interviewed for the purpose of trying to ascertain their custodial wishes. Most children expressed a wish, and this preference was usually to remain with the parent the child was already living with. Children's wishes as to whether to remain where they were living or to move to live with the other parent, and their preferences as to whether to live with the mother or the father, did not differ according to age or sex.
Psychological Malpractice and the Anti‐Cult Battle—A Response
Authors: Conway Ronald
Published: December 2016

The operation of some cults and the ‘deprogramming’ of cult members are both held to be suspect. An examination of the broad characteristics, motivations and backgrounds of cult members reveals links with the authoritarian justifications of their ‘rescuers‘.—Ed.
Pre‐War and Post‐War Lebanese Immigrants in Melbourne
Authors: Ata Abe W.
Published: December 2016

The following paper forms part of a thesis on the Lebanese community in Melbourne. The Lebanese community in Australia has not been the subject of any systematic study and thus the author attempted to investigate as many facets as possible of the life style of Melbourne's Lebanese immigrants. The purpose of this paper is to examine the causes and characteristics of immigration from Lebanon to Melbourne before and after the Second World War.
Geographical Distribution of Some Young Offenders
Authors: Challinger Dennis
Published: December 2016

Youthful offending rates for municipalities in metropolitan Melbourne have earlier been calculated, and those rates have been interpreted by some as indicating the seriousness of the problem from one municipality to another. However, that approach wrongfully presumes some social uniformity across the municipality. In this paper, three municipalities with quite different offending rates are broken into more socially homogeneous areas, and offending rates are calculated for those smaller areas. Each municipality is shown to have areas of both very high and very low offending rates, plainly indicating that a rate for the municipality alone masks the specific areas where problems may or may not occur. It is suggested that the benefits in providing such specific information based on other than historically determined boundaries, are obvious for social planning and funding purposes.
Survey of Voluntary Recreation Workers in New South Wales
Authors: Avery G. C. , Bergsteiner H.
Published: December 2016

Two surveys were conducted of volunteers working for recreation organizations in four New South Wales regions. The results highlight the dependence of these organizations on volunteers. Volunteers were found to be heavily engaged in instructing and organizing recreation activities. Few have any specific training for the role although further training is frequently considered desirable by respondents. Many respondents indicated that the government could assist voluntary work by providing—

• training at the local level,

• general financial assistance, and

• subsidies for equipment and facilities.

Generally, responses indicate that the government should play a supportive rather than controlling role in recreation.
Wanted and Unwanted Fertility: Victoria 1971 to 1975
Authors: Betts Katharine
Published: December 2016

In both practical and subjective terms, birth control became more available in Victoria after 1971. During 1971 to 1975, this change seems to be more considerable than changes in social and economic factors affecting wanted births. Therefore it is hypothesized that, during this period, unwanted fertility declined more steeply than wanted fertility. Evidence of a growing use of more effective methods of birth control, and of the differential rates of change in various categories of births, appear to support this hypothesis. Births designated ‘unwanted’ declined more than those designated ‘wanted’, and within the ‘unwanted’ categories, declined most for those women who had best access to birth control.
Social Ecology of Premature Mortality in Three Australian Cities
Authors: Burnley I. H.
Published: December 2016

Variations in mortality from ischaemic heart disease and cancer in the age group 50–64 for the period 1969–1973 inclusive were found to be statistically highly significant, with the highest incidences in certain inner local government areas (LGA) and some exurban LGAs. Correlation and regression analysis were undertaken between a small number of social indicator independent variables and the dependent mortality variables. These variables represented three constructs, social isolation‐housing class, crowding‐density and socioeconomic status which together accounted for more than 40% of the variance in Sydney and Adelaide, but not in Melbourne, although the relationship there was still highly significant. Schematic models of factors in higher or lower disease incidence in particular areas are presented in the concluding section.
Citizen Participation—What Motivates It?
Authors: McKenzie W. M.
Published: December 2016

Why, in community decision making, do so few of those affected exercise opportunities to influence decisions? This question was investigated by comparing the behaviour and attitudes of men on state primary school committees with those of other fathers of children at the same 25 schools.

Predispositional variables accounted for about 30% of participation variance, and this indicates a substantial influence. School committee members were comparatively more predisposed toward decision making, having acquired greater confidence and skills through education, occupation, and club activities. They were more concerned with educational outcomes, and had stronger social links with the school through their wives and other parents. It is suggested that more parents might be encouraged by opportunities to participate in familiar (eg. neighbourhood) groups under informal conditions, dealing with problems of immediate interest to them. Awareness of the work done by the school committee, and its effectiveness, are also important factors in participation.
Abuses and Uses of Evaluation
Authors: Bryson Lois
Published: December 2016

In its recent report entitled Through a Glass Darkly, the Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare claims that there is insufficient evidence available to evaluate welfare services, yet even within a brief paper this can be demonstrated to be not so. The Senate Committee however chose to ignore information about services as such, in order to discuss the process of evaluation. The apparent shortcomings of current services and the way the committee largely ignored these must be viewed in the light of the role welfare fulfils within the state—a role in which serving the interests of claimants is clearly not the major component.
A Broader Perspective for Social Indicators
Authors: Devin Marianne
Published: December 2016

Following in the wake of R. W. Taylor's The Problems with Social Indicators in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, this article defends the use of indicators as practical policy tools. It argues that, in assessing the use of indicators, researchers should differentiate more clearly between ‘ideal’ indicators and ‘existing’ indicators, and between inadequacies within the indicator and subjective interpretations by the user.
Professional Associations: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?
Authors: Black Alan W.
Published: December 2016

This paper begins with an analysis of two streams of opinion concerning professional associations. On the one hand there are those who criticize these associations for monopolistic practices, elitism and self interest. On the other hand there are those who see professional associations as contributing positively to the welfare of society. Reasons for these differences of opinion are examined. Then the activities of professional associations are compared and contrasted with those of trade unions. This leads on to an examination of the power of professional associations, and their place within the system of social stratification. Possible countervailing forces are considered.
The Spinster Stereotype: A Demographic Refutation?
Authors: Stolk Yvonne
Published: December 2016

Data on Australia's older single women are assembled into a demographic profile to question the legitimacy of the prevailing negative spinster stereotype and to make comparisons with US trends in the status of single women'. The socioeconomic status (SES) of single and married women in Melbourne is analysed and it is subsequently argued that high SES single women have satisfying careers which may provide them with a stable source of identity, but some lower SES single women lack this source and may assume the spinster identity as the only clearly defined role available to them.
On the Consistency of Court Dispositions in the Juvenile Criminal Justice System: A Research Note
Authors: Kraus J.
Published: December 2016

An analysis of 13,919 cases dealt with by the Children's Court during a two year period showed significant differences between the regional patterns of dispositions made by the courts in respect of comparable male juvenile offenders (Crimes Act). Urban courts presided over by special children's magistrates were more lenient than countrty courts with regular stipendiary magistrates, except for committing greater numbers of offenders for trial in a higher court. Country courts in general tended to be more lenient in respect of selected offences than country courts located in areas of Aboriginal concentration. However, differences were also found between the dispositions of individual urban courts which could not be accounted for by the social and circumstantial factors associated with regional differences.
Clive's Kids: An Employment Scheme for Unemployable Youth
Authors: Peel Marie
Published: December 2016

In eighteen months, one man with a second‐hand utility, two worn lawn mowers, community and employer support, resulted in over sixty‐eight ‘unemployable’ youth entering the workforce on a permanent basis. Clive's program is unique to Australia.

(It was considered that anonymity should be maintained because adverse publicity resulted in youth programs in the area being closely scrutinized regarding participants ‘working’ and earning money.—Ed.)
Reverse Discrimination as Justice in the Senior Promotion of Female Teachers
Authors: Doran Gregory A.
Published: December 2016

This essay examines a report by the Anti‐Discrimination Board regarding discriminatory preference for female principals at girls' high schools and male principals at boys' high schools in New South Wales. It analyses some of the ethical issues raised by the criteria of the report and argues that an acceptable educational philosophy demands a form of positive discrimination in order to redress the balance regarding promotion procedures for female teachers in New South Wales. Such discrimination must of necessity be a combination of both compensation and reparation.
Spatial Equity in the Allocation of Funds to State Secondary Schools
Authors: Low Nicholas
Published: December 2016

Disproportionate attention is often focused on government programs which are adopted as part of a political platform. Yet these are often marginal in terms of the expenditures involved. Such is the case with education. The disadvantaged schools program introduced by the Whitlam Labor government involved only a very small outlay compared with the annual expenditure on education in Victoria. This paper argues that it is important to find ways of evaluating the spatial and social impact of the main bulk of government programs. Evidence is adduced which casts some doubt on the equity with which state government funds for state secondary schools have been allocated spatially in metropolitan Melbourne.
Inter‐country Adoption: Australia's Position
Authors: Fopp Peter
Published: December 2016

Although each Australian state and territory has its own adoption legislation and its own social welfare department, they have combined to send inter‐country adoption delegations to Asian countries to negotiate working arrangements on a uniform basis. When a child is adopted by people in another country, care needs to be taken in both countries by authorities, professional workers and parents to ensure that the best interests of the child are paramount. Over 1,000 children from Asian countries have been adopted by Australians. There is a dearth of published research material, but there are indications that most of these adoptions are proving very satisfactory for the children. To protect the child's status in terms of name, nationality and guardianship, it is important that policies and procedures in relation to adoption practice, immigration, and statutory recognition of overseas adoptions adequately complement each other.
Social Welfare: Availability and Delivery of Services and Benefits for Children
Authors: Carney Terry
Published: December 2016

It is contended that social welfare legislation is principally concerned with the allocation of resources of income, wealth, position and power. Australian legislation providing welfare services and benefits for children is assessed from this perspective. It is argued that the present legislation providing income support payments for young people accords excessive weight to the promotion of economic interests of the community such as the work ethic and fails to address the social and human needs of that population. It is also contended that the structure of the child welfare services legislation is overly concerned to cater to conservative forces in society who favour social control measures designed to protect their values and interests and who resist efforts to provide a network of non‐coercive preventive services. Both areas of the law are criticized on the basis that they place excessive reliance on the notion that the family unit is capable of carrying the major responsibility for income support and service provision.
On the Consistency of Court Dispositions in the Child Welfare System: A Research Note
Authors: Kraus J.
Published: December 2016

An analysis of 4,706 cases of ‘complaints’ under the Child Welfare Act, dealt with by the Children's Court during a two year period, indicated significant differences between the dispositions made in respect of the same complaints by special children's courts in urban areas, by ‘declared’ children's courts in country areas, and by such ‘declared’ courts in areas of Aboriginal concentration. Some of the differences were thought to be attributable to pragmatic and circumstantial considerations associated with the courts' locations. However, significant dispositional differences not attributable to circumstantial factors, that were found between special urban courts, suggested that the observed disparity in dispositions has also a substantive relationship to the courts' differing conceptions of what constitutes the best interest of the child. The findings are discussed in the light of the literature, and some measures that could reduce the existing disparity are suggested.
Variability in Crime Rates: A Study of the New South Wales North Coast
Authors: Walmsley D. J. , Boskovic R. M. , Pigram J. J.
Published: December 2016

Although crime statistics are relatively less developed in Australia than in many other advanced western nations, the information that is available suggests that crime is on the increase. To talk of overall crime rates is, however, to overlook important differences between crimes, between geographical areas, and between different time periods. Examination of crime statistics for the New South Wales north coast reveals just how difficult it is to identify general trends.
Aborigines and the Police: Unlawful Assembly, Affray and the Incidents at Taree
Authors: McCorquodale John
Published: December 2016

A near‐riot situation between Aborigines and the police in Taree, a mid‐north coast town in NSW, resulted in criminal charges of an unusual nature being laid against numerous Aboriginal defendants. The convictions and conditions attaching to them were even more unusual. The antipathy of police towards Aborigines seems to derive from a persistent negative stereotyping. These attitudes plus the appalling factors of unemployment, overcrowding, and alcoholism, tend to inflame anti‐Aboriginal feeling. The law is, in turn, viewed with cynicism by under‐educated people for whom legal processes, and the administration of justice, are tools of repression.
Drink‐Drivers and the Judicial Process: An Analysis that Relates to The Defendant's Perspective
Authors: Petersen Alan R.
Published: December 2016

By making ‘meaning’ the focus of study this paper offers a novel way of understanding the legal prosecution of drink‐drivers: the analysis relates to the defendant's perspective. Data were derived from observations of hearings in a lower criminal court in Western Australia, and interviews with 66 individuals who appeared on drink‐driving charges. The findings emphasise the significance for the accused driver of the pre‐court procedures. It is demonstrated that whilst most drink‐driver defendants plead guilty because they accept their guilt, their decision on the plea is constrained by their desire to minimize the various costs associated with judicial procedure. The question of whether or not the present system of processing drink‐drivers protects the interests of the accused merits further investigation.
Transition of Handicapped Students from School to Work: An Evaluation of the NEAT Paid Work Experience Program for Handicapped Secondary Students
Authors: Funnell S.C.
Published: December 2016

The NEAT Work Experience Program for Handicapped Secondary Students is one in which Students are paid award wages for their work and employers receive a subsidy for training them. An evaluation of the program suggested that the program had improved the employment prospects of its participants, had assisted their adjustment to work and had made them more independent with respect to financial management, use of transport and selection of appropriate clothing. Employers became more favourable to the employment of handicapped people as a result of participation in the scheme. Moreover the scheme has enabled schools to make their programs more relevant to the working world.
Property Rights In Marriage and Property Distribution on Divorce: Room for Manoeuvre
Authors: O'Keeffe Elizabeth
Published: December 2016

The introduction in Australia of a system based on community of property in marriage would probably disadvantage women rather than be of benefit to them. Clearly, however, the present discretionary system of property distribution on divorce is in need of reform. This paper argues that reform can best be achieved by incorporating into the Family Law Act the guidelines and presumptions about equal sharing of family assets which have been established by the courts.
Vandalism: The Environmental Crime
Authors: Perlgut Donald
Published: December 2016

Vandalism is the ultimate ‘environmental’ crime because acts of vandalism are always committed against physical objects and because the physical design and setting play an important role. Vandalism is not a ‘senseless’ crime, but has important reasons tied to the design and management of environments. Vandalism is often misunderstood by designers, planners, facility managers and administrators. Understanding the patterns and environmental context of vandalism enables us to promote better strategies for its pervention and control.
Concern and Fear of Crime in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Authors: O'Connor Michael E.
Published: December 2016

Female respondents indicated the most concern about crime, while female, compared with male, students expressed the least concern; indicating the possibility of significant changes in response once adulthood is reached. Females and students expressed the most fear of crime, though females had a higher proportion than males who never think about being victimised. A partial explanation for the apparently inconsistent results reported, in this and other studies, may be that our method of testing fear may also be assessing acceptance of female‐youth behavioural norms.
The Attitude of Husbands to Working Wives
Authors: Eyland Ann , Lapsley Helen , Mason alCatherine
Published: December 2016

This study examines the attitude of 256 men whose wives had been surveyed in relation to their workforce experience. Husbands with working wives and non‐working wives were surveyed, and their different responses analysed. Variables which could affect responses, such as ages of children, full‐time or part‐time work, and impact on husbands' own jobs were all considered. In this survey, it was found that neither the level of education of the husband, nor his age were statistically significant indicators of his attitude towards working women.
Maternal Employment: Does it Affect the Children When They Grow Up?
Authors: Khoo S. E. , Krishnamoorthy S. , Trlin A. D.
Published: December 2016

Using data on a random sample of young adults in Melbourne, this paper examines the effects of maternal employment during their childhood and adolescence on their educational attainment, relationship with their parents, premarital sexual behaviour, and attitude towards working mothers. Maternal employment has little effect on the characteristics of the son, although men whose mothers work during their adolescence were more likely to have had premarital sex than those whose mothers did not work. Maternal employment has more effect on daughters but the effects were mainly positive rather than negative.
Attitudinal Militancy Amongst Australian Nurses
Authors: Gray David E.
Published: December 2016

During the last decade there has been a significant increase in industrial conflict among health‐care workers in many Western health‐care systems. This study examined the effects of personal characteristics, work routinisation and job satisfaction on attitudinal militancy among a sample of Australian nurses. The results of the study indicated that job satisfaction was the most important factor influencing attitudinal militancy. Job satisfaction was also found to be an important intervening variable in mediating the effects of personal characteristics and routinisation on attitudinal militancy.
The Ethical Review of Medical Research: A Social Movement to Protect the Interests of Research Subjects
Authors: Osborne L.W.
Published: December 2016

This paper is based upon observations made in the United States regarding the operation of the Institutional Review Boards. Institutional Review Boards are an essential part of the American system for the ethical review of human subjects research and it is argued that their importance is due in part to the American approach to the protection of minority groups. It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the Institutional Review Boards since a similar model is being proposed by the National Health & Medical Research Council as part of the ethical review of medical research projects conducted in Australia.
Alcohol and Contingent Drunkenness in Central Australia
Authors: O'Connor Rory
Published: December 2016

Problems arising from alcohol consumption in the Aboriginal fringe camps and settlements of Central Australia have commanded medical and other professional attention for several decades. To date a real breakthrough in combating this problem has not been forthcoming. This paper suggests that the point of view of Western professionals in this field, absorbed as they seemingly are in the concept of alcoholism as individual pathology, obscures the real issues and precludes the possibility of finding lasting solutions. A move form the disease concept of alcoholism to a view of social dependence is suggested, and some implications of this for those involved in the delivery of treatment services are discussed.
Permanency Planning: New Name for an Old Concept
Authors: Swain Phillip A.
Published: December 2016

In this article the author examines the concept of permanency planning, and the development of that concept in child welfare practice in Australia and overseas. The Paper examines the philosophical and ethical dilemmas associated with the concept, given the often‐competing rights of parent and child.
Unemployment and the Future of Social Policy
Authors: Coleman Marie
Published: December 2016

In the context of a seminar seeking to canvass public administration responses to the topic ‘A Generation Unemployed’ the paper canvasses the extent of hidden unemployment and where the burdens of unemployment are falling.

Some of the future implications for social policy, including potential effects on social cohesion and the possible policy responses to that, and potential effects on economic dependency and likely policy implications are examined.
Unemployment and the Downward Trail
Authors: Travers Peter
Published: December 2016

This study reviews the evidence that unemployment sets its victims on a downward trail, or cycle, that will permanently blight their lives. The evidence suggests that such a downard trail may occur, but it is by no means inevitable. The variations in national and historical experience suggest that the crucial factor lies in the kinds of opportunity offered the former unemployed in their later lives.
Homeless Youth: Patterns of Belief
Authors: Low Nicholas , Crawshaw Bruce
Published: December 2016

Public policies, as Edelman (1977) has pointed out ‘rest on the beliefs and perceptions of those who help to make them’. Policy on youth homelessness is no exception. A full understanding of youth homelessness. it is argued, requires an understanding of the belief systems of those who define the problem and who shape policy. This paper reports the results of a study of the perceptions of policy makers and the providers of services to youth.
Youth Allowances: Incentive & Reform
Authors: Edwards Meredith
Published: December 2016

Australia's income support arrangements have come under increasing scrutiny lately reflecting a growing concern about high levels of youth unemployment and about low levels of full‐time education participation.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between education participation and financial incentives and to assess as a possible direction for future reform, the concept of a single and universal youth allowance.

The paper begins by outlining the major forms of income support available to young people and illustrates some of the complexities in the youth income support structure.

The evidence on the importance of financial factors conflicts, particularly between economists and non‐economists. This is in part explained by the different conceptual frameworks used. Other possible reasons are canvassed as to why studies have so far not thrown much light on the role of financial factors in the education participation decision. The paper also outlines specific directions of distortion contained in current payment relativities.

Several difficulties with the proposal for a single youth allowance as a means of increasing education participation are discussed and alternatives briefly outlined. The concluding section of the paper summarises the issues relevant to the future debate on youth income support and identifies areas for further research.
Child Maltreatment Reporting Laws: Impact on Professionals' Reporting Behaviour
Authors: Webberley Helen R.
Published: December 2016

While claims are continually made about the various child maltreatment reporting laws, few systematic evaluations could be found. Overseas evidence suggests that the number of notifications from professionals does increase after the introduction of mandatory reporting, providing all professions and all types of maltreatment are included. This paper tested the potential effect on involved Victorian professionals of introducing a mandatory reporting law, all other things remaining unchanged. It was found to be marginal. The value of reporting laws as a philosophical statement about the community's concern for children's welfare was not investigated, nor their effect on the maltreating parents' behaviour.
Human Service Organizations: Useful Category or Useless Jargon?
Authors: Martin Elaine
Published: December 2016

In recent years a growing body of literature has examined the peculiar features of human service organizations and the difficulties which these pose for their administrators. This paper begins by reviewing recent writings on this subject, noting the differing emphases emerging from social welfare and public administration backgrounds respectively.

The definition of human service organizations is then reconsidered, suggesting that it is useful to examine their characteristics in terms of two clusters of features: one related to their public source of mandate and resources, and the other related to the nature of the services they provide. A proposed definition based on these two clusters of features makes explicit two characteristics generally assumed in previous definitions of human service organizations; their purpose of meeting socially recognized needs, and the relatively powerless position of their clients. The definition proposed, rather than setting categorical boundaries, provides a model against which the features of a variety of organizations which wholly or partly fit it may be examined.

The implications of the identified features of human service organizations for their administration are considered briefly, with particular reference to such problematic issues as the clarification of goals, the rights of consumers and the evaluation of services. It is suggested that the training and development of administrators for human service organizations must be based on an understanding of the particular difficulties and challenges arising from the nature of these organizations.
Social impact Analysis in Australia: Policy Issues for the 1980s
Authors: Wildman Paul Henry
Published: December 2016

Over the last ten years in Australia the social component of Australian Environmental Impact statements has gradually increased in size as the importance of Social Impact Analysis has been recognised. This commendable trend has not been without mishap, however, and there remain many areas largely ignored in Social Impact Assessment. This paper seeks to identify these areas, identifying value questions that need to be addressed in the preparation of the social impact component.
Community Attitudes Towards Random Breath Testing in New South Wales
Authors: Cashmore Judy , Vignes Genevieve
Published: December 2016

This report represents the results of two surveys, conducted in New South Wales by McNair Anderson in March 1983 and March 1984, to evaluate the impact of random breath testing on the community's attitude towards its operation. The results of these surveys (conducted by McNair Anderson) and indicate: (1) increasing acceptance of random breath testing, especially among women; (2) increased approval of the .05 level, especially among women; (3) quite a high exposure rate, both direct and indirect, to random breath testing, and (4) reported changes in drink‐drive behaviour among drinking licensed drivers, including limiting drinking when driving, drinking at home more often and getting someone else to drive. Reasons for the differences between men and women in their attitudes to random breath testing are explored.
The Use of Imprisonment on Groote Eylandt
Authors: Biles David
Published: December 2016

The island of Groote Eylandt, in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the coast of East Arnhem Land, has a rate of imprisonment far higher than that prevailing in other local government areas of the Northern Territory and more than 25 times the national rate. Groote Eylandt prisoners are predominantly young, unmarried, Aboriginal males who are likely to be unemployed, have low levels of educational achievement, are highly likely to have been in prison previously, are dealt with by the Magistrates Court for offences involving property or alcohol and are likely to serve actual prison terms of under one year. This paper suggests that the use of correctional facilities in Darwin and elsewhere has little deterrent effect for these offenders and recommends the establishment of a small correctional facility on Groote Eylandt.
Constraints on the Role of Aboriginal Health and Education Workers as Community Developers
Authors: Folds Ralph
Published: December 2016

The employment of Aborigines in health and education has long held promise not just for the improved delivery of these services but for greater community self‐management. However, the operation of these workers in European and traditionally oriented Aboriginal social fields is subject to many pitfalls. This paper draws on recent studies of education and health services at the community level to discuss some of these.
Religious Correlates of Death Anxiety Among High School Students in Rural Southern America
Authors: Gay J.E.
Published: December 2016

Students from two rural high schools in South Louisiana participated in a study of the relationship between death anxiety and religiosity. Six variables, four of which are concerned with religiosity, were identified as correlates of death anxiety by stepwise multiple regression.
Towards Integrated Community Care for the Frail Aged
Authors: Kendig Hal L.
Published: December 2016

The growing awareness of family support among the frail aged has yet to be incorporated into a clear strategy for developing comprehensive community care. A starting point is to identify the characteristics of target populations, the range of tasks associated with aged care, and the capabilities of various informal and formal providers. Fully appropriate services would take into account the availability of family support as well as the needs of older people themselves. It is suggested that services be designed to (1) supplement support from spouses; (2) periodically substitute for other co‐resident carers; (3) complement assistance from nonresident family; and (4) substitute for the unavailability of family support. Community services currently provide modest supplements, principally to nonresident support, but do little to address the other contexts of care. Suggestions are made for program developments that would provide genuine alternatives to institutionalisation without devolving the social costs entirely onto families.
A Spate of Suicide by Jumping
Authors: Goldney R.D.
Published: December 2016

Since 1980 eleven patients of a psychiatric hospital have committed suicide by jumping from high buildings. Possible contributing factors to this spate of suicides include the effect of suggestion, the continued attempt to de‐institutionalise patients with chronic illness, and administrative difficulties with a shortage of trained psychiatrists. Comment is also made on the wisdom of making potential sites for such suicides less accessible, and the medico‐legal responsibilities of psychiatric hospitals.