Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Teaching English Communicatively In China - Educating Teachers Is Not Enough., Bernard Hird

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The extent to which the communicative language teaching approach is a relevant and viable methodology for English language teachers to use in China is an issue that has generated considerable interest in recent years. The conclusions drawn in this article are based on experiences of teaching in an in-service course for senior middle-school teachers of English in Hangzhou, China. The paper suggests that the communicative approach does have a role in English language teaching in China but that aspects of the approach need to be applied selectively and with caution. Some of the reasons for this stem from the nature …

The Vietnam Press: The Unrealised Ambition, Frank Palmos

Research outputs pre 2011

This series of Occasional Papers is designed to bring to the attention of the reader work that focuses on Asian communication and culture. Compared to most areas of Asian Studies, communication and media have been largely ignored, a fact the recent Australian 'push into Asia' reveals. These Occasional Papers redress this absence and deal with a comprehensive range of issues that inform our understanding of the importance of communication in forging links between Australia and Asia. Consequently their scope is far-reaching, covering cultural, political, economic, and increasingly, technological topics and their relationship to the communication process that lies at the …

Human Resource Management Manual For Children's Services, Vicki Banham, Les Evans, Lynda Pragnell

Research outputs pre 2011

A Children's Services Human. Resource Management is based on the policies and procedures that define the staffing requirements for the effective operation of the children's service. The total process of staffing, from advertisement to employment, is based upon the specific criteria that is determined for the particular position required. Thus, the entire process is designed to provide the children's service with the best information necessary to select the most appropriate person for each staff position in the team.

Consequently, well defined inclusive personnel policies and procedures enable each member of staff to understand the duties, skills, knowledge and responsibilities of …

Reporting Asia Series: Satellite Television And State Power In Southeast Asia: New Issues In Discourse And Control, William Atkins

Research outputs pre 2011

In May 1992 soldiers from the Thai army turned their guns on middle class and student demonstrators who were on the streets of Bangkok pressing for the resignation of the military-backed prime minister - General Suchinda Kraprayoon. A BBC camera crew was there. Among the burning cars and barricades, the crew filmed an anonymous young Thai man. The close-up image of his face filled the camera operator's viewfinder. He shouted in clear English: "We want the rest of the world to see and hear what the military dictators do to our people, the Thai people, the innocent people. We want …

What Is Development Communication?, Anura Goonasekera

Research outputs pre 2011

Development communication is often looked upon, by writers on the subject, as a tool to bring about development in less developed countries. In this sense, what is emphasised is the use of communication media for development. In a recently published Orientation and Resource Kit on Development Communication by UNESCO, Mayo and Servaes (1994) begin with the observation, that communication media are often called upon to support development programmes. They go on to state that, whereas development strategies could vary within and across countries, the communication activities associated with them are often quite similar. These activities are informing people about specific …

Reporting Cambodia In The Australian Media : Heroic 'Journalism Or Neo-Colonial' Distortions?, Jefferson Lee

Research outputs pre 2011

This series of Occasional Papers is designed to bring to the attention of the reader work that focuses on Asian communication and culture. Compared to most areas of Asian Studies, communication and media have been largely ignored, a fact the recent Australian 'push into Asia' reveals. These Occasional Papers redress this absence and deal with a comprehensive range of issues that inform our understanding of the importance of communication in forging links between Australia and Asia. Consequently their scope is far-reaching, covering cultural, political, economic, and increasingly, technological topics and their relationship to the communication process that lies at the …

Image Matching Of Firearm Fingerprints, A. J. Mehnert, J. M. Cross, C. L. Smith, G. A. Comber

Research outputs pre 2011

A spent cartridge case exhibits characteristic markings (firearm fingerprint) that can be used to identify the type and possibly make of weapon in which the cartridge was fired. This report details research into the use of discriminant analysis for the purpose of matching spent rim-fire cartridge cases to specific make and model firearms. The discrimination and classification are based on several scalar shape parameters for the two-dimensional silhouette of the firing pin (FP) impression-- shape factor calculated from the second order moment of inertia, G factor calculated from the distance transform, and the P2A factor- as well as the distance …

Perceptions Of Control And Satisfaction With Hospital Birth Experiences For First-Time Mothers, Clelia Tedeschi

Theses : Honours

Satisfaction with childbirth is associated with women's future emotional wellbeing. This study examined whether first- time mother's antenatal expectations, postnatal evaluations of control during labour and delivery, and the discrepancy between expectations and evaluations were significant predictors of women's satisfaction with their childbirth experiences. The effect of medical interventions (e.g., obstetrical interventions and pain relief medication) on women's perceptions of control and satisfaction was also examined. The purposive sample of eighty first-time mothers, mean age 26 years (excluding women who had caesareans) delivered at the public hospital where they attended antenatal classes. During their fourth antenatal class women completed a …

Domestic Violence: Service Providers' Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Women's Decision To Leave Abusive Relationships, Anne I. Walters

Theses : Honours

Review of research conducted into woman abuse indicates there was an emphasis on questions looking at why women stayed in abusive relationships. Little or no research was specifically designed to answer questions about how women leave abusive relationships or determine the salient factors involved. The literature review also highlighted the importance of services and service providers because women who had experienced abuse would seek help and Knight and Hatty (1992) found that the quality of help received determined their future responses. Kurz and Stark (1988) found that workers' perceptions about woman abuse influenced how workers responded to the women seeking …

Differences In Attitudes About Amphetamine Held By Adolescents Who Do And Do Not Intend To Use The Drug, K. Davies

Theses : Honours

An SEU measure was constructed to test the relationships between adolescents' combined expectations and values of possible outcomes of amphetamine use and intention to use the drug. The structure of the measure was then examined using Principal Components Analysis. Two orthogonal subscales were identified representing desires for the positive outcomes and fears of negative outcomes. Tukey's HSD analysis of pairwise means indicated that the two subscales were differentially effective in distinguishing participants with high, moderate and low levels of intention to use amphetamine. Participants with high levels of intention differed significantly from participants with low or moderate intention in their …

Cultural Materialism And The Teaching Of Media : The Lesson Of Raymond Williams, D. I. Mcritchie

Theses : Honours

This study seeks to examine Raymond Williams' concern with media education and its relevance to contemporary curriculum in Western Australia. By means of a critical study of specific texts of Williams, it was intended to explore the possibility of refining the Western Australian Media Studies syllabuses from a cultural materialist perspective. Williams' writings lead to the conclusion that media education should be more specifically related to popular culture. The cultural materialist approach enables and encourages a close link between the Western Australian Media Studies syllabuses and students' own cultural experiences. Cultural materialism recognises that culture and society are in a …

A Comparison Of Participation Motives Of Competitive And Non-Competitive Youth Age Swimmers, Shane T. Harris

Theses : Honours

Understanding the participation motives of youth athletes is vital if their needs are to be met and their sport involvement enhanced. The purpose of this study was to examine the participation motives of a squad of competitive and non-competitive, youth-age, male and female swimmers. A qualitative interview technique was employed to identify the participation motives of 12 youth-age swimmers. The interview schedule was based on theories describing participation motivation, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Data was deductively analysed, with statements classified into the motivation categories described by Passer (1981). Consistent with previous studies on participation motives in youth sport, the …

Constructed Wetland Design Criteria : A Study Of Their Role In Contaminant Removal From Urban Stormwater Runoff, A. J. Braid

Theses : Honours

This study was conducted to review effective design criteria for constructed wetlaads treating urban stormwater and to assess the design features of local constructed wetlands in relation to the theoretically ideal design features. The study was generated out of Water Authority of Western Australia (WAWA) concern that existing inconsistent design criteria may result in constructed wetlands not meeting contaminant removal objectives. Three components to the study involved: design criteria compiled from a critical review of relevant literature, field assessment of selected sites with significant differences in design, and a design critique of those sites based on the compiled design criteria. …

Occupational Stress, Coping Styles, And Social Resources, Wayne L. Hill

Theses : Honours

Researchers in the stress and coping field have developed a variety of "stress and coping" models to explain the interaction between stressors, social resources, coping styles, and distress symptoms (Edwards & Baglioni, 1990). The present study examined three models to explain the relationship between the variables: direct effect, buffering effect and mediating effect. This study examined effective and non-effective coping styles at work: accommodation, change, avoidance, devaluation, and symptom management. Data were collected on 120 white collar workers' state of mental exhaustion, somatic symptoms, role stressors, coping styles, and perceived social support. The utility of the three models was examined …

The Presenters Of Anger Management Programmes : Their Experiences Of Working In The Context Of Prisons, Monica O'Keefe

Theses : Honours

The study was an exploration of the experiences of eight presenters of anger management programmes in relation to their work in prisons. It was conducted within an interpretive paradigm using a phenomenological framework. From the data analysis, four principal themes emerged. One centred on the impact of the prison environment; another on the work culture of prisons; a third on experiential group processes; and a fourth on personal concerns of the participants. The results suggest the environment and culture of the prison had a strong impact on the presenters personally and had a dominant influence on the way they could …

You Put Your Life On The Line: Young People's Experiences Of Disclosing Sexual Abuse And/Or Sexual Assault, Robin Walshe

Theses : Honours

This research comes as a response to young people's concern about the availability of appropriate services for young people seeking assistance in reclaiming their lives after experiencing sexual abuse and/or sexual assault. In order to understand what young people felt were appropriate services, it was first necessary to understand what happened when they disclosed to someone that they had been sexually abused or sexually assaulted. Qualitative feminist interview research techniques were used to ask seven young women "What happened when you disclosed to someone you had been sexually abused/assaulted?" The information given by the young women revealed that: the pre-disclosure …

Short Term Effects Of Repeated Masked Priming In Stem Completion Tasks, Anthony Van Andel

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines the effect of time delay and intervening items on masked repetition studies with word stem completion tasks. In the first experiment a masked priming effect was obtained. The effect was strongest 500ms after the presentation of the prime, and decreasing in a linear trend seven seconds after the presentation of the prime. The second experiment found that interpolating a naming task between the masked prime and the stem completion task eliminated the effects of the repeated masked prime. This result is a failure to replicate previous research which found a masked repetition effect over a short delay …

Exploring Young Children's Knowledge Of Their Social Network, Their Social Competence, And Links To Their Social Behaviour, Natalie C. Leitao

Theses : Honours

The primary focus of this study is to explore young children's knowledge of their social network and their social competence and the links with their social behaviour. The secondary focus is to investigate ways in which young children may be helped to articulate such knowledge. The six participants were pairs of five-year old children selected from three pre-primary classes located in a common school. Each pair comprised a socially able and a less socially able child as selected by their class teacher. Self-reports, dialogue-interviews, video-taped vignettes and dolls were used to help the participants talk about their knowledge of their …

A Comparison Of Disabled And Able-Bodied Athletes In Wheelchair Basketball, Kym Hoonhout

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for participation and the benefits that the able-bodied and disabled subjects obtain from participation in the integrated sport of wheelchair basketball. A qualitative interview technique was employed to explore the athletes decision to participate and their reactions to the sport. Data was inductively analysed into categories which focused on the research questions. Consistent with other studies the subjects cited several reasons for participation with fun and enjoyment the most common response and challenge and the socialisation ranking next The disabled were more competitive with winning being an important reason for …

Developmental Tasks And Learning Processes Which Influence Life-Satisfaction In Retirement, Robin F. Clarke

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study identified the developmental tasks undertaken by eight retired males during the retirement transition, described the processes of! earning and adjustment and discussed their influence on life-satisfaction. The study was an exploratory, descriptive case study, designed as an initial investigation into the phenomena of retirement in the 1990s. A qualitative design was appropriate to the study for it permitted the investigation of a wide range of inter related variables. The major instrument was a semi-structured but open-ended interview designed to gather comprehensive data relevant to understanding the retirement experience. An iterative process was used, which involved interviewing each participant …

The Social Construction Of Masculinity As It Relates To Sport: An Investigation Into The Lives Of Elite Level Athletes Competing In Individually-Oriented Masculinised Sports, Murray Drummond

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sport has long been regarded as a masculine domain. In the past the literature has tended to focus on male athletes with respect to sensational or noteworthy performances, however little attention has been placed on the reasons why men participate in sport and the subsequent underpinning sociological implications of masculinity. This research investigated the lives of 12 elite level athletes competing in the three individually-oriented sports of triathlon, surf lifesaving and bodybuilding to attain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between male identity and sport, and the process of masculinisation experienced by men throughout the lifecourse. Further, it explored …

The Influence Of Western Models Of Service Delivery On The Development Of Services For Young Children In Malaysia, Teresa Hutchins

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the last fifty years, many developing and newly industrialising countries have experienced a rapid expansion of care and education programme for young children. The rapid expansion of these programmes which are often modelled on those from the west, together with new understandings about the nature of children's development, has led to concern that these programmes do not meet the needs of children living in very different social and cultural environments. The 1989 UNESCO review of early childhood care and education programmes in the Asia-Pacific region highlights the need for integrated early childhood care and education programmes and reports that …

The Effects On Memory And Self-Reported Behaviour Of Four Types Of Information About Water Conservation, Brigit A. Cosgrove

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Education campaigns conducted by water management agencies are intended to motivate people to conserve water. However, there has been little research to determine what kind of information best achieves this goal. Four types of information partly based on Stem, Dietz and Kalof's (1993) social-psychological model of environmental value orientations were examined in this study: action information about ways to conserve water; abstract factual information about water and its use; anthropocentric information about how people are affected by water use; and ecocentric information about how the environment is affected by water use. Using cluster sampling techniques 160 participants were selected from …

One People, One Nation, One Singapore: The Construction Of Multiculturalism In Singapore, Suvie Khong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis investigates the way in which an official multicultural identity has been constructed in Singapore at the expense of the cultural specificity that exists within the multiculturalism framework. The construction of the multicultural identity in Singapore has been engineered socially through heritage policies, heritage preservation projects and the media. However, the official multicultural policy in itself is problematic because of the existence of the four independent parent cultures, so that a Singaporean is constantly reminded of a cultural identity which is determined by race, history, language and class. This is further complicated by a dominant Chinese population so that …

Self And (M)Other In Patrick White's Fiction : An Object Relations Approach, Mary C. Lloyd Da Silva

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis offers a new interpretation of Patrick White's novels, using Object Relations psychology. Object Relations psychology differs from Freudian psychology in that it shifts the focus of attention from notions of the Oedipal conflict and repression to issues of nurturing and relationships. This study charts the development of the Whitean protagonist across a selection of novels. The focus of my thesis is White's developing protagonist, and no attempt is made to offer a psychological profile of Patrick White himself. The thesis first surveys a representative sampling of existing critical material. It then defines the theoretical framework of the study …