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Theses : Honours

Theses/Dissertations

2007

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Articles 1 - 30 of 31

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration: A Review ; Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration In Western Australia, Sophie Mounsey Jan 2007

Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration: A Review ; Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration In Western Australia, Sophie Mounsey

Theses : Honours

Increasing trends in immigration in the contemporary world have reaffirmed the importance of understanding intercultural relations within multifarious, plural societies. A research-based understanding of these societies is essential for their successful management. This review focuses upon how the construct of ethnocentrism and its composites are related to attitudes to immigration and diversity. Theoretical explanations of ethnocentrism and intergroup processes are provided, and ethnocentrism is discussed in relation to several precipitators and moderators of ethnocentric attitudes to immigration and diversity, including authoritarianism, social dominance, security, ethnic hierarchies, cultural distance, and social conditions. It is recommended that future research focuses on the …

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The Needs Of Western Australian Parents Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, As Influenced By The Age Of The Child, Kerry Stedman Jan 2007

The Needs Of Western Australian Parents Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, As Influenced By The Age Of The Child, Kerry Stedman

Theses : Honours

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) impact upon parental stress levels above and beyond other childhood disorders. Nevertheless, little systematic research has been done on the perceived needs of parents of children with ASD. The literature has, however, reported that having a child with ASD impacts upon parental well being. These parents report increased levels of stress, depression, dysphoria, fear and marital difficulties as well as other problems. Although there is a debate in current research as to whether the age of the child with ASD affects parental well being, much of the body of knowledge suggests that different stressors and needs …

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Effects Of A Photoaging Appeal On Sun Protection Attitudes Of Female Adolescents, Suzanna Papasavvas Jan 2007

Effects Of A Photoaging Appeal On Sun Protection Attitudes Of Female Adolescents, Suzanna Papasavvas

Theses : Honours

Millions of people purposefully and dangerously expose themselves to the sun with the aim of attaining tan, especially female adolescents who perceive a tan as attractive. The primary consequence of such exposure is skin cancer as well as premature ageing of the skin which is known as photoaging. Empirical evidence indicates that photoaging photography, which explicitly illustrates the ageing of skin through the use of a UV -filter, as well as photoaging information, contributes to the efficacy of appearance-based health promotion interventions which aim to increase sun protection intentions and behaviours. The present literature review indicates that the effectiveness of …

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The Perceived Psychosocial Benefits Of Pet Ownership On Child Development: A Parental Perspective, Erin K. Leahy Jan 2007

The Perceived Psychosocial Benefits Of Pet Ownership On Child Development: A Parental Perspective, Erin K. Leahy

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this review is to explore the beneficial role pets play in facilitating the psychosocial development of preadolescent children. It is proposed that the pet is perceived by both the child and parent as a developmental resource during preadolescent development, as it assists the child in accomplishing key developmental tasks such as responsibility and autonomy, socialisation and the development of humanistic qualities. This review also highlights the importance of pets in assisting preadolescents develop self esteem and identity, and examines how pets give children new perspective on important life matters such as birth, illness and death. Attainment of …

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Exploring And Construing Intimate Partner Violence: Gender Differences In Public Perceptions Of Male And Female Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence, Emily Tilbrook Jan 2007

Exploring And Construing Intimate Partner Violence: Gender Differences In Public Perceptions Of Male And Female Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence, Emily Tilbrook

Theses : Honours

Intimate partner violence, a form of domestic violence, is a social problem and as a result governments are focused on implementing policies that reduce the prevalence of intimate partner violence. The common perception, established by feminist theorising and research, is that males are more likely than females to perpetrate intimate partner violence. However, this notion has in recent years been challenged by researchers whose findings suggest that males and females are equally likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence. This contention in the literature creates problems for policy makers who are attempting to reduce, if not eradicate, the occurrence of intimate …

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M/Others : One Lens, Multiple Maternities, Toni Wilkinson Jan 2007

M/Others : One Lens, Multiple Maternities, Toni Wilkinson

Theses : Honours

This body of photographic portraits re/presents the maternal relationship as a significant one in a cultural economy than 'downgrades motherhood', and fails to adequately recognise the contribution of mothers to society, as they struggle to uphold self and family in contemporary life. Throughout this work, which fuses religious visual art principles and photographic documentary, a more complex, powerful maternal figure emerges than the singular, passive and restrictive example of motherhood, commonly portrayed in art history. I undertake a comparative analysis between traditional Madonna and child icons and contemporary female photographers involved with maternal themes, to highlight that certain photographs facilitate …

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Virtual Worlds: A New Paradigm For Advertising?, Nigel Devenport Jan 2007

Virtual Worlds: A New Paradigm For Advertising?, Nigel Devenport

Theses : Honours

This thesis explores the new paradigms that are emerging as advertising encounters the Internet. The area that I explore is the convergence of corporate advertising and the online game, Second Life. The thesis takes as its starting point the economic and social/cultural history of advertising. I examine both Marxist and cultural theories of advertising, in order to properly understand the paradigm shifts of the past. I also investigate the effect that technological change has had on the practice of advertising. Having established an historical framework I· then turn to the current state of the advertising market, as it is defined …

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Attitudes Towards Depression And Anxiety, Tiana Hankins Jan 2007

Attitudes Towards Depression And Anxiety, Tiana Hankins

Theses : Honours

The overall aim of the present paper is to review the literature surrounding attitudes towards mental health, with a specific focus on attitudes towards depression and anxiety. This paper discusses the concept of attitudes, their nature and measurement. This is followed by a review of attitudes towards mental health, with a number of studies being examined and their results discussed. Research has found that the general public has negative attitudes towards people with mental illness; however research has also found that these negative attitudes are improving due to an increase in education and awareness surrounding mental health. The two attitude …

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"Destination Sabah" (Malaysia) : The Public And Private Stakeholders' Perspectives On Branding, Justine L. Nagorski Jan 2007

"Destination Sabah" (Malaysia) : The Public And Private Stakeholders' Perspectives On Branding, Justine L. Nagorski

Theses : Honours

The development of a destination brand for Sabah has been dominated by numerous reports that emphasise the need to develop global awareness of Sabah, but the objectives set to achieve this goal are often idealistic in nature and offer no real solution to problems identified. The challenge, here, is to unify key messages into a consistent, clear and realistic brand and to ensure content in promotional tools accentuates the activities, experiences and key benefits of visiting "Destination Sabah". This study will begin to address these challenges by undertaking the processes that underpin destination branding through comparison to a relational network …

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The Effect Of Massed And Spaced Presentation And Practice On Repetition Priming, Catherine Mcneilly Jan 2007

The Effect Of Massed And Spaced Presentation And Practice On Repetition Priming, Catherine Mcneilly

Theses : Honours

This review examines the current literature with regard to repetition priming and practice. The empirical research and theoretical accounts of repetition priming reviewed indicate that repetition priming increases with practice. The review also indicates that an effect for the type of presentation of the stimuli during an experiment exists and that this effect may moderate the influence of practice on repetition priming. The variations in experimental design between studies are discussed, providing a possible explanation for contrasting findings within repetition priming research. Further research is identified and discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Massed …

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Space Invaders: A Cinematic Examination Of Privacy-Invasion And Defamation In The Australian Media, Vanessa Jean Barnett Jan 2007

Space Invaders: A Cinematic Examination Of Privacy-Invasion And Defamation In The Australian Media, Vanessa Jean Barnett

Theses : Honours

The prime objective of my creative film project and exegesis is to explore the Australian commercial media's unethical treatment of its human subjects, with a particular focus on the issues of privacy-invasion, and defamation. I have endeavoured to produce a short film that prompts the audience to evaluate their own values and attitudes towards an individual's privacy. I believe my research area is significant because acts of privacy-invasion by the media can have serious negative impacts on the life of an individual. Defamation can destroy an individual's livelihood, their standing within the community, and self-esteem. I believe commercial media organisations …

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Blogging The Other: Representations Of The Australian Islamic Diaspora, Judith Elund Jan 2007

Blogging The Other: Representations Of The Australian Islamic Diaspora, Judith Elund

Theses : Honours

Recent events have seen an increased focus on Islam and Muslims throughout the world. In Western nations, this focus has often turned into fear and the demonisation of an 'other' that is regularly misunderstood and misrepresented, further exacerbating tensions between the West and Islam. International terrorist activities, such as the London bombings of July 7, 2005 have seen an increase in fear of Muslims and of potential terrorism on our shores, ensuring Muslim issues have become a major focus in Australian news. Taking 7/7 as an example, this paper supplements recent studies in exploring how Australian news media position Muslims …

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The Influence Of Childhood Factors On The Public Perceptions Of The Appropriate Consequences For Young Offender, Penny Hyde Jan 2007

The Influence Of Childhood Factors On The Public Perceptions Of The Appropriate Consequences For Young Offender, Penny Hyde

Theses : Honours

With changes in policy relating to juvenile offenders being heavily influenced by the perceived public opinion of juvenile crime, the opinion of the public on the appropriate punishment for young offenders is important within contemporary society (Mukherjee, 1997). Public opinion research suggested that while society remains unsatisfied with current methods used to punish juvenile offenders, they believe a juvenile's punishment should be proportionate to the crime and that rehabilitation should be the main goal of juvenile punishment (Barber & Doon, 2004). This research further suggested that ignorance of both the juvenile's circumstances and the perceived prevalence of juvenile crime may …

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An Investigation Of Musical Life And Music Societies In Perth (Western Australia), 1900-1950, Jessica Sardi Jan 2007

An Investigation Of Musical Life And Music Societies In Perth (Western Australia), 1900-1950, Jessica Sardi

Theses : Honours

This study is centred around music and music-making in Perth, Western Australia, from 1900-1950. It examines various parts of Perth's music history using both primary and secondary sources. Chapter one uses secondary sources, both musical and non-musical, to present an exposition on musical life in Perth in this period. The following two chapters move from macro history to micro history and are based on archival documents housed in the Battye Library. The progress of music in Perth, Western Australia-due to its relatively late colonisation in relation to the eastern states-trailed somewhat behind Melbourne and Sydney. However, once established, there were …

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Terrorism, Millenarianism, And Death: A Study Of Hezbollah And Aum Shinrikyo, Steven Nicholls Jan 2007

Terrorism, Millenarianism, And Death: A Study Of Hezbollah And Aum Shinrikyo, Steven Nicholls

Theses : Honours

The relationship ·between death and the millennium is not an area of scholarship that has received adequate attention. Millenarian groups desire the creation of a paradise in the temporal world. The world is seen as corrupt and evil without hope of reform. This viewpoint leads millenarians to conclude that the temporal world must be completely destroyed and created a new, eliminating the corrupt and providing a utopia where the faithful can exist in peace. Hezbollah and Aum Shinrikyo are two terrorist groups which share this worldview, and believe that they can hasten the millennium by eliminating their enemies. This thesis …

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Academic - Practice Bridges: Implications For Lecturers When The Complexities Of Change Meets The Higher Education And Nurse Education Systems, Adrianne Jones Jan 2007

Academic - Practice Bridges: Implications For Lecturers When The Complexities Of Change Meets The Higher Education And Nurse Education Systems, Adrianne Jones

Theses : Honours

Government, industry, enterprises and the community expect the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system to provide up-to-date educational programs that provide pathways from school-based learning to the higher education facilities such as universities and to employment opportunities. Reforms in the VET sector over the past ten years have had a significant impact on the work of staff employed in the area. Educators now operate in more competitive markets and face increased demands for higher quality and more relevant training programs from clients. Understanding and keeping up with the changes and working in new and more flexible ways have been major …

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Perceptions Of Security And Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity And Immigration Amongst Uk Migrants In Western Australia, Nikki Isaacson Jan 2007

Perceptions Of Security And Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity And Immigration Amongst Uk Migrants In Western Australia, Nikki Isaacson

Theses : Honours

Psychological research conducted within the field of ethnic relations has revealed a strong relationship between an individual's perception of threat to their ethnocultural group and their attitudes towards the entrance and presence of other ethnocultural groups within a society. The relationship is such that the greater threat that an individual perceives, the more likely they are to hold negative attitudes. This paper provides a review of research that has investigated this relationship; revealing that although a distinct negative correlation exists between perceived threat and intercultural attitudes, a number of factors influence the relationship. Factors discussed throughout this review include the …

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Divorce Transitions: An Exploration Of The Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Children's Psychological Adjustment ; Divorce Transitions: Identifying Risk And Understanding Resilience In Children's Adjustment To Parental Separation, Esther Kint Jan 2007

Divorce Transitions: An Exploration Of The Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Children's Psychological Adjustment ; Divorce Transitions: Identifying Risk And Understanding Resilience In Children's Adjustment To Parental Separation, Esther Kint

Theses : Honours

This review provides a critical analysis of the risk and protective factors associated with children's adjustment to divorce. By drawing together some of the key findings and assumptions to emerge from the literature, it attempts to show that although divorce presents elevated stressors for children, their adjustment is influenced by multiple operating factors that combine to either protect them or make them more vulnerable to adversity. Since the majority of children are able to cope successfully with the divorce transition, a resiliency approach is adopted to establish how positive aspects of children's lives combine with stressful events or risk to …

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Do Auditory Simulations Of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Change Young Adults' Attitudes Towards Noise Exposure?, Claire Roockley Jan 2007

Do Auditory Simulations Of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Change Young Adults' Attitudes Towards Noise Exposure?, Claire Roockley

Theses : Honours

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), or hearing damage from regular exposure to loud noise, can profoundly affect a person's hearing capabilities and overall well-being. Many individuals continue to expose themselves to hazardous levels of noise, and, in turn, put themselves at risk of developing a NIHL. This review critically examines the existing literature presented on NIHL. Emphasis is placed on the increasing prevalence of NIHL in young adults from exposure to loud recreational noise. The effectiveness of current educational strategies that have been employed to reduce or prevent the occurrence of NIHL in this cohort is also examined. Research indicates that …

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An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Inhibitory Motor Control And Low And High Trait Impulsivity In Non-Clinical Adults, Lindsay Vibert Jan 2007

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Inhibitory Motor Control And Low And High Trait Impulsivity In Non-Clinical Adults, Lindsay Vibert

Theses : Honours

Impulsivity is generally thought to refer to rapid, spontaneous and inappropriate behaviour. One causal view of impulsivity is that of executive inhibitory dyscontrol. Inhibitory control requires the suppression of an implicit or explicit response and may be assessed with laboratory behavioural tasks. Executive inhibition includes cognitive inhibition, interference control and behavioural inhibition. Impulsivity is frequently measured using self-report personality-based inventories. Investigations of the relationship between inhibitory control and impulsivity are uncommon. It is further proposed that there is a significant inverse relationship between a self-report measure of impulsivity (the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale) (Patton, Stanford, & Barratt, 1995) and a behavioural …

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Social Attributions Of Asymptomatic Women Towards Anorexia Nervosa: A Qualitative Study, Natalie Mcdonald Jan 2007

Social Attributions Of Asymptomatic Women Towards Anorexia Nervosa: A Qualitative Study, Natalie Mcdonald

Theses : Honours

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been identified as a complex, potentially lethal medical and psychological disorder, typically associated with a poor prognosis (Nordbo, Espeset, Gulliksen, Skarderud, & Holte, 2006; Signorini, De Filippo, Panico, De Caprio, Pasanisi, & Contaldo, 2007, 2007; Strober, Freeman, Lampert, Diamond, Teplinsky, & DeAntonio, 2006). The current review highlights the social and psychological elements attributed to AN by sufferers (Kelley, 1973; Nordbo et al., 2006; Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006), and through a social-cognitive explanation of attribution theory, identified the conceptual relevance of lay attributions towards AN and the lack of researched connection between the two concepts (Furnham …

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Externalising Behaviour Problems And The Influence Of Classroom Environments In The Early School Years ; Student-Teacher Relationships And Teacher Discipline: Their Relation To The Externalising Behaviours Of Kindergarten To Year 1 Students, Emma Spencer Jan 2007

Externalising Behaviour Problems And The Influence Of Classroom Environments In The Early School Years ; Student-Teacher Relationships And Teacher Discipline: Their Relation To The Externalising Behaviours Of Kindergarten To Year 1 Students, Emma Spencer

Theses : Honours

Some of the most influential people in a child's life are the teachers who aid them in their transition into the education system and the complex social environment that it brings (Blancher & Eisenhower, 2006). Children who display externalising behaviours early in childhood often experience greater difficulties than other children when entering school and throughout their education experience (Hinshaw, Lahey & Hart, 1993; Liu, 2004). The student-teacher relationship established within the classroom and the disciplinary measures utilized by the teachers can have a profound impact on the child's development both academically and socially (Galen & Underwood, 1997; Hamre & Pianta, …

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An Exploration Of Community, Identity, Religion And Spirituality, Sara Thomas Jan 2007

An Exploration Of Community, Identity, Religion And Spirituality, Sara Thomas

Theses : Honours

Research in the field of community psychology supports findings that membership, influence, integration and fulfilment of needs, a shared emotional connection, and a sense of belonging contribute to a sense of community (SOC) (McMillan & Chavis, 1986). Sarason (1993) proposes that individuals have a basic instinctual need for transcendence which leads them to seek religious groups and experiences. Hill (1993; 2000) posits that Sarason's sense of transcendence (SOT) is a construct that is closely related to and can be useful for conceptualizing and exploring spirituality and suggests that SOC may not be fully understood until Sarason's (1993) related concept of …

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Exploring The Relationship Between Selfobject Needs And Parental Bonding, Sherry-Lee Smith Jan 2007

Exploring The Relationship Between Selfobject Needs And Parental Bonding, Sherry-Lee Smith

Theses : Honours

Self psychology proposes that the individual's early experience is central to adult psychological functioning. The purpose of this paper is to outline the key concepts in self psychology, the empirical evidence supporting it and how it relates to early parenting experiences. The enduring psychological nature of early interactions with an individual's parents, are discussed in relation to adult functioning. Self psychology is based on clinical observations of clients undertaking psychoanalysis. Empirical support for the model is limited. The majority of studies consider the concept of narcissism, and other related self psychological concepts, such as selfobject needs, are inadequate Although this …

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Teachers' Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging And The Possible Impact On Adolescent Development, Debra E. York Jan 2007

Teachers' Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging And The Possible Impact On Adolescent Development, Debra E. York

Theses : Honours

The nature of adolescence has been identified as a time of vast biopsychosocial changes that take place within a dynamic environment. The interplay between the individual developmental changes and the surrounding changing environments has been considered in relation to the development of depression during adolescence. Research has indicated that depression elevates during adolescence (Cicchetti & Toth, 1998). Both normative and non-normative changes pertinent to the adolescent have been identified as risk factors. Social support from family, peers and teachers has been found to facilitate positive influences to the adolescent's psychological and emotional well being. Particularly the role teachers' play in …

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The Human Rights And Social Justice Mandate Of Social Work: Environmental Health And Well-Being For The Yarloop Community, Steven Denton Jan 2007

The Human Rights And Social Justice Mandate Of Social Work: Environmental Health And Well-Being For The Yarloop Community, Steven Denton

Theses : Honours

Social work has a dual concern, focusing on individuals and on their environments; however the discourse of the profession tends to be limited to the social, interpersonal or familial environment. Given the prospect of the current 'ecological crisis' having significant impacts upon human well-being, this research sought to expand this conceptualisation of 'environment' to include the physical environment. This study aimed to explore whether citizens experiences of environmental problems could be understood as social justice and human rights issues. Using an unobtrusive form of qualitative research with various written and audio visual accounts from citizens from the community surrounding Yarloop …

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An Other(Ed) Handmaid's Tale : Child Care Workers: Seen But Not Heard, Kathrine Alice Sarah Whitty Jan 2007

An Other(Ed) Handmaid's Tale : Child Care Workers: Seen But Not Heard, Kathrine Alice Sarah Whitty

Theses : Honours

Child care workers seem to have been forever assigned the lowest rung on the career ladder. Their low status has been attributed to several intractable factors: the socially devalued 'caring' nature of the role; the relatively small, disparate and non-hierarchically structured workplace; intimate association with an increasingly more marginalized group - children in their early childhoods; and an assumed complicity with a pseudo-surrogacy role of mother rendering them transgressors within a pro-natalist landscape. The institution of exclusive maternal care, for children prior to school, holds fast against the inexorable call for women to paid work. This dilemma resonates strongly within …

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What Factors Influence Future Gps' Treatment And Referral Decisions When Managing Patients With Mental Health Disorders?, June Fern Tan Jan 2007

What Factors Influence Future Gps' Treatment And Referral Decisions When Managing Patients With Mental Health Disorders?, June Fern Tan

Theses : Honours

c:nrrenttly, mental health reform in Australia is moving towards a broader and more collaborative system of mental health care, with focus on primary mental health care. The purpose of this literature review was to discuss the management of patients with mental health disorders, in terms of treatment and referral decision-making among GPs in primary care. This literature review indicated the importance of clinical psychologists liaising with GPs to build a good working relationship, support GPs, and provide GPs with the opportunity for referral of patients to their services when needed. To date, research in the area of management of patients …

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Why Has Violence Come To Dominate Images Of Png Elections? The 2002 Elections In The Highlands Region, Krisztina Matefy Jan 2007

Why Has Violence Come To Dominate Images Of Png Elections? The 2002 Elections In The Highlands Region, Krisztina Matefy

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines the problem of election-related violence through a number of meta-theories, which have recently emerged in the social sciences to explain intrastate conflicts. By using the case study of the 2002 elections in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), this thesis examines the applicability and usefulness of primordialism, modernization theory and weak state theory in explaining election-related violence in PNG. Critically examining the theories, the thesis analyses a wide range of information about the historical, cultural, social and political factors that played a significant role in the surfacing of election-related violence in the PNG Highlands. By …

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The Role And Meaning Of Spirituality Among Older Adults In Western Australia, Sue Grossman Jan 2007

The Role And Meaning Of Spirituality Among Older Adults In Western Australia, Sue Grossman

Theses : Honours

Given the large projected increase in the proportion of Australian older adults (13% in 2004 to 22% in 2031) and the personal importance placed on spirituality in the lives of older adults, it is timely to investigate the role of spirituality in the everyday lives of older adults. The present paper analyses the literature pertaining to the psychological implications of spirituality in older adulthood. The points of discussion identified in the review include the relationship between spirituality and religion, theories of spiritual development, psychosocial wellbeing, health, end of life issues, culture, and psychological practice. It is concluded that the paucity …

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