bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
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.
IMMIGRATION POLICY UNDER THE HOWARD GOVERNMENT
Authors: Betts Katharine 
Published: December 2016

Up until 1989 Australian immigration policy was based on Ministerial discretion. This gave the executive the power to decide policy without review either by parliament or the courts. But during the 1980s the context changed. Many more would‐be immigrants were already on Australian soil on a temporary basis and, if they were rejected, they could appeal to the courts. Ministerial discretion was hard to defend in court and selection criteria were progressively widened by court judgments. The Hawke Government compounded these difficulties by a number of unwise policy decisions. By 1996 the immigration program that the Howard Government inherited lacked a clear economic rationale, was dominated by family reunion, brought in many migrants who needed welfare support and was open to fraud. It was also unpopular.The Howard/Ruddock reforms sharpened the program's economic focus, reduced the size of the family‐reunion component, restricted new migrants' access to welfare and increased the program's integrity. The new Government also took a firm stance on border control and tried to limit the role of the courts. Many of these reforms have been controversial but, by 2002, immigration was much less unpopular than it had been in 1996.
Do Mutual Obligation Breach Penalties Coerce Compliance with Government Expectations?
Authors: Schooneveldt Simon 
Published: December 2016

A Brisbane survey was conducted to examine some of the consequences of Centrelink breach penalties when applied to unemployment welfare recipients under the Howard Coalition Government's ideology of Mutual Obligation. Fifty‐six such recipients responded to the author's survey by completing a questionnaire about their experiences after receiving one or more breach penalties. The consequences of being breached for those respondents are contrasted with the Coalition Government's stated expectations for its Mutual Obligation driven breach penalty system.The background to the rise of Mutual Obligation as an ideology and the elevated incidence of breach penalties are briefly discussed, along with the report of the survey findings. Interestingly, two surprise findings are given specific focus as they offer new insight.
Beyond Symptoms: Crime Prevention And Community Development
Authors: Lane Mary , Henry Kaylene 
Published: December 2016

Crime and crime prevention are currently ‘hot’ political and social issues. Fuelled by public calls for ‘solutions’, the responses by politicians and planners are typically ‘quick‐fix’ with emphasis on management of particular problems as, and where, they arise.We argue for longer term strategies aimed at dealing with the political, social, economic and cultural factors associated with crime. In doing so, we explore the potential of community development to contribute to crime prevention, particularly ‘community’ or ‘street’ crime and violence. Theoretical and practice intersections between community development and certain crime prevention approaches are identified – notably those which link crime and violence with dis‐empowerment, poverty, inequality, exclusion, the learning of violence within families and communities, and lack of opportunity for children and young people to develop their potential. We conclude that there is plenty of evidence to support the view that community development processes should be used more frequently in crime prevention programmes.
The Promotion and Disruption of Community Service Delivery Systems
Authors: McDonald Catherine , Zetlin Di 
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we report data drawn from a larger project on the functioning of the Queensland community service delivery system, particularly that providing services to people with disabilities. Our reasoning for focusing at this level is that, from the service user's perspective, support is derived from the service delivery system, not just individual service providers. Defining the service delivery system as formal services and informal support networks, we undertook interviews and focus groups with service providers in six areas in Queensland: inner urban, outer urban, rural and remote. The period on which we report is one in which considerable reform activity had been undertaken by funding bodies of the Commonwealth and State governments. We report on those factors we identified which promote the integrated functioning of the service delivery system, as well as those factors that disrupt it.We conclude with a brief evaluative analysis of the current status of the system.
‘You don't want to be a check‐out chick all your life’: The out‐migration of young people from Australia's small rural towns
Authors: Alston Margaret 
Published: December 2016

Globalisation and changes in agriculture have resulted in major social changes in inland Australia. Depopulation of the inland has led many to speculate on the future of rural towns and rural people. This paper will examine population drifts from country towns to cities and from the inland to the coastal regions and, in particular, the out‐migration of young people. In doing this, the paper focuses on several small towns in central New South Wales that have been the subject of intensive study during 2000 and 2001. Drawing on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, in‐depth interviews and focus groups with key informants and surveys with young people and their parents in small rural communities the paper will report on the loss of young people and the greater loss of young women from these areas. It is argued that this outmigration of young people is linked to the need to seek higher education and also to the loss of full‐time jobs for young people. The loss of these jobs is the result of changes in agricultural production, labour market restructuring and a withdrawal of public and private sector services.It is further argued that current reliance by governments on market based and community self‐help solutions is not enough to provide a future for rural communities. Even if economic growth occurs this will not solve the problem of loss of young people, and the greater loss of young women, nor will it address the issue of access to education and training. Rather far greater attention to human capital (access to education, training and employment), institutional capital (government and non‐government services and infrastructure) and social capital (strong networks) is needed if Australia's small rural towns are to survive and flourish.
Women's Experience of the Workers Compensation System
Authors: Calvey Jo , Jansz Janis 
Published: December 2016

A phenomenological study was undertaken to understand women's experience of the workers compensation system. Eleven women were interviewed. They ranged in age from twenty‐five to sixty‐five years and represented diverse socio‐economic and educational backgrounds. All women were from a non‐indigenous background. The initial question to women was “Can you tell me what it is like to be involved in the workers' compensation system?” The narratives were analysed and interpreted using Hycner's (1985) phenomenological guidelines.The knowledge embedded in the interviews, expressed through core stories and themes, was essential to making women's voices visible and provide insight into service delivery based on women's experiences and needs. Four core themes were found: negative versus positive experiences, the workplace response and role in the process, women's experiences of payouts, and reasons why women may not claim workers' compensation. The women indicated that the workers compensation process was a disincentive to making a claim. WorkCover was viewed as siding with the employer, bureaucratic in nature and lacking values associated with empathy, sympathy and caring.Recommendations for improvements to the workers compensation system included to establish legal obligations and enforcement of occupational health and safety responsibilities to injured and to ill workers; adoption of occupational health and safety values by employers; change the attitudes of employers (recognising women as breadwinners and that workers are not disposable); a single case manager to advocate for injured or ill workers; recognition of mental and emotional consequences of an injury or illness; provision of rehabilitation that recognises mental and emotional factors as well as the importance of family participation; greater involvement of employers and employees in the rehabilitation process; and finally, improved service delivery that involves consistency, ethics, clarity (regarding the WorkCover process for injured workers and employers), accountability and involvement of all parties.
The Right of Young People to be Heard
Authors: Gasson Ruth 
Published: December 2016

In 1993 the New Zealand Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It placed a reservation against Article 32 maintaining that legislation of a minimum age for entry into employment would not be in the best interests of children. The Government is reconsidering this reservation.Article 12 of the Convention provides for states to involve children in legislation that affects them. In a survey funded by the Department of Labour to find out more about young workers (Gasson, Linsell, Gasson, & Mundy‐McPherson, 2003) we asked school students whether they thought the Government should legislate a minimum age for employment. Most did not.I argue that the Government should seriously consider children's views even when they conflict with the views of agencies whose intent is to promote the best interests of children.
Gender Implication of Perceptions of Trustworthiness of School Administration and Teacher Burnout/Job Stress
Authors: Timms Carolyn , Graham Deborah , Caltabiano Marie 
Published: December 2016

BackgroundThe current study is part of a broader study which explored relationships between teacher perceptions of School Administration Trustworthiness and teacher burnout and trust. Gender issues were of apparent importance due to increasing feminisation of the teaching workforce in Australia.AimThis study sought to explore possible differences in teachers regarding perceptions of school administration trustworthiness, which may well pertain to gender.SampleParticipants were 90 currently serving teachers in Queensland Independent Schools.MethodSurvey instruments included measures for perceptions of administration trustworthiness (ability, benevolence and integrity), morale, participative decision making, trust, burnout and job stress.ResultsThere were significant effects for gender and school, with female primary teachers experiencing more burnout job stress than male primary teachers, and secondary teachers (male and female). Female primary and secondary teachers reported less confidence in school administration trustworthiness when compared to male primary and secondary teachers, although this differentiation was more pronounced in the primary school.ConclusionIt is proposed that further study using empirical measures of work overload, a more useful measure of burnout and a qualitative survey instrument be undertaken to further differentiate dissatisfactions of female primary teachers. Current practices which contribute to emotional exhaustion and inefficacy among female teachers require scrutiny. Possible inequity in primary schools is worthy of more sustained investigation.
Mothering Mothers: An Exploration of the Perceptions of Adult Children of Divorce
Authors: Hughes Kate 
Published: December 2016

It is clear that divorce shapes children's and adolescents lives in a variety of ways and that these are largely negative – they have worse physical and psychological health, they are less well‐off financially and have an increased likelihood of themselves divorcing. Aside from outcomes which are easily measurable, less is known about the ways in which divorce impacts on long‐term relationships ‐ particularly those between children and their parents.This exploratory paper looks at the relationships between divorced mothers and their adult children and finds that, like other studies, their relationships are marked by intimacy, but unlike other studies, this intimacy is neither enjoyed nor embraced. The participants report that their mothers were damaged by the separation, that their anger is ongoing many years afterwards. It is argued that these factors, amongst others, contribute to the ambivalent relationships some of the participants perceive they have with their mothers today and their uncertainty about caring for them in the future.
The Australian Social Inclusion Agenda: A New Approach to Social Policy?
Authors: Long Emily 
Published: December 2016

The Social Inclusion Agenda (‘SIA’) was introduced by the Australian Labor Party (‘ALP’) in the lead up to the 2007 federal election. The rhetoric was hopeful, proposing to reframe the government's approach to disadvantage. Rhetoric aside, what the then opposition meant when it talked of building social inclusion (‘SI’) was less clear than may have immediately met the eye.This paper offers an introductory analysis and review of the SIA. It first considers why Australia might benefit from a readjustment in its social policy direction, reflecting on the concepts of poverty and Amartya Sen's ‘capabilities approach‘. Second, it offers a critical overview of the main conceptions of SI/Social Exclusion. Third, it applies these first two parts of analysis to developments to date with the SIA. This part, whilst limited in scope and preliminary at best, offers some general comments as to the possibilities and pitfalls of the SIA and proposes the way forward from an analytical perspective in terms of guiding the SIA in a desirable direction.
Activation and social inclusion: challenges and possibilities
Authors: Perkins Daniel 
Published: December 2016

The last two decades have seen an increasing focus on the activation of individuals receiving welfare benefits. This has entailed an attempt to transform employment assistance and social security systems to make them more employment‐friendly through the development of explicit linkages between social protection policies, labour market participation and labour market programs.At the same time there has been a growing interest in the concept of social inclusion, and social inclusion has been a commonly stated goal of activation programs. However, despite some synergies between these two approaches, in other respects it is not clear that they are always compatible.This paper explores the extent to which activation programs are central to the social inclusion approach and the similarities and differences between these approaches. It then briefly examines the evidence regarding the ability of activation programs to enhance social inclusion.
“It's not all tied up with bureaucrats and funding”: Autonomous volunteer participation in the rural resettlement of refugees
Authors: Sawtell John , Dickson‐Swift Virginia , Verrinder Glenda 
Published: December 2016

This paper reports on a study that explored the experiences, perceptions and motivations of a new type of autonomous volunteer emerging in modern society, in particular, those working to assist in the rural resettlement of refugees in Australia.The volunteers filled a gap left by under resourced government and community services. In‐depth semi structured interviews revealed that their motivation was due in part, to the lack of bureaucratic' red tape'. Their drive to address social issues was based also in part on values to see social justice expressed in their community. Some challenges and tensions due to cultural differences were identified. Questions for community development and social capital are raised.Implications are raised for volunteer groups' and resettlement organisations' policy and practice to enhance the resettlement process for both the host community and those with a refugee background.
Continuity and change in the Community Development Employment Projects Scheme (CDEP)
Authors: Hunter Boyd , Gray Matthew 
Published: December 2016

The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme is an example of an Indigenous‐specific program that combines community development and labour market program elements. This paper describes the nature of CDEP employment in 2008 and the extent to which it changed between 1994 and 2008. The paper also compares a selection of economic and social outcomes of CDEP participants with those of persons who were employed outside of CDEP, unemployed and not‐in‐the‐labour‐force (NILF) in 2008 and the extent to which these associations changed between 1994 and 2008. This paper also aims to assess the extent to which CDEP participation is consistent with the community development objectives of the scheme.The analysis shows that the nature of the jobs in which CDEP participants work and the experiences it provides to workers have changed little despite substantial changes in underlying policy settings. CDEP participation is associated with the maintenance of language and culture as well as facilitating an ongoing connection to traditional lands. Participation in the scheme is associated with better social and economic outcomes compared to those of the unemployed or those NILF, but much worse outcomes than those for people working in non‐CDEP employment.
Social Housing Policy Challenges in Tasmania
Authors: Francis‐Brophy Ellie , Donoghue Jed 
Published: December 2016

This paper considers the social policy discourses that senior public housing and Non‐Government Organisation (NGO) housing managers employ to articulate and explain changes in social housing provision in Tasmania. We suggest that the Tasmanian social housing reform agenda is reflective of reforms in other Australian states. The period 2003–10 marked a time of policy change affecting social housing supply and policy discourse, which were influenced by neo‐liberal practices favouring multi‐actor governance models and financing.Interviews reveal that contradictory values and discourses were commonplace. Divergent views centred on the social goals and the efficiency elements of the new social policy focus, the Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS) and its eventual key delivery organisation, Tasmanian Affordable Housing Limited (TAHL). Despite constrained application, neo‐liberal processes remained strong within accounts of new social housing governance practices. We suggest that neo‐liberal practices have extended economic considerations into areas of social housing provision that were previously sheltered from market concerns.
The experience of sole mothers balancing paid work with care for a child with a disability
Authors: Cole Lindsay , Crettenden Angela , Roberts Rachel , Wright Annemarie 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThere are increasing numbers of families in Australia headed by sole parents, but little is known about the experiences of those who also care for a child with a disability. Additional caring responsibilities have previously been shown to impact on the work participation of parents. This study involved qualitative analyses of interview data conducted with sole mothers with school‐aged children with disability (N= 11). Thematic analysis revealed four themes that enabled and supported participation in the workforce: social support; managing appointments; characteristics of the workplace; and the role of the school. Results suggest the importance of practical help from family and friends in facilitating participation in paid employment. Additionally, the importance of flexible appointment scheduling on the part of service providers was highlighted, as well as the importance of workplace flexibility and supportive workplace cultures. Such factors were important in supporting sole mothers to balance work with care, with important implications for personal and family wellbeing.
A land of the ‘fair go’? Intergenerational earnings elasticity in Australia
Authors: Huang Yangtao , Perales Francisco , Western Mark 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis paper contributes to the existing literature on income mobility by developing and applying a two‐stage panel regression model and assessing the effects of using different levels of occupational (dis)aggregation and different earnings measures on the magnitude of father–son earnings elasticities in Australia. We find that the overall intergenerational earnings elasticity in Australia between 2001 and 2013 ranges from 0.11 to 0.30. Our preferred estimates lie between 0.24 and 0.28. Elasticity estimates vary depending on the level of occupational (dis)aggregation and earnings measure used: they are highest when two‐digit level occupations and hourly earnings are used, and lowest when four‐digit level occupations and annual earnings are used. We read these findings as indicating that elasticity estimates are sensitive to the use of different data and methods, and researchers should be careful when undertaking cross‐study, cross‐temporal or cross‐national comparisons.