Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rhetorics Or Business As Usual? A Systematic Review Of The Realities Of Australian Aid Localisation Efforts In The Pacific Region, Mark Opoku Amankwa, Clement Amponsah, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Vicki Frances Banham, Portia Nana Ama Brempong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While Australia increasingly references aid localisation in its programming, implementation remains donor-driven and structurally resistant to local agency. Comprehensive reviews capturing these realities remain scarce. This study synthesises insights from 150 articles obtained from the Web of Science Database to address this gap. Findings reveal persistent donor-driven, hierarchical approaches that marginalise local voices and hinder locally led development. Skill deficits, inadequate information sharing, and underutilisation of local knowledge further undermine effectiveness. Political agendas, market-led narratives, and funding systems prioritising external contractors exacerbate dependency and power imbalances. Antithetically, meaningful local leadership and culturally tailored programs have aligned aid initiatives with community …

Women’S Pathways Into Prison: Cycles Of Harm, Hilde Tubex, Natalie Gately

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Women are a minority of the prison population, however their number is increasing at a faster rate than is the case for men. Interviews with 80 incarcerated women in Western Australian prisons revealed similar pathways commencing with adverse childhood experiences and subsequent areas of deprivation, which reverberated throughout their lives, leading to criminal behavior and imprisonment. Describing these cycles of harm, we argue that, in addressing the increase of women in prison, there is a need to move away from the individual “offender-focused” approach and look at the broader systemic context that lets women down and contributes to their criminalization.

Do Students’ Attitudes Toward Required Readings And Service-Learning For A Medical Humanities Course Predict Their Perception Of Whether The Course Fosters Their Personal And Professional Development?, Shane L. Rogers, Lon J. Van Winkle

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: To determine whether prospective medical students’ attitudes toward readings and service-learning for a Medical Humanities course predict their perceived impact of the course on their critical reflection and empathy for their peers. Methods: Following a Medical Humanities course, students completed surveys concerning their attitudes toward team-based service-learning and readings required for the course. And they completed surveys designed to measure their empathy for one another and thoughts and feelings about the course (e.g., “owing to this course, I have changed the way I look at myself” = critical reflection). Results: Students’ positive attitudes toward service-learning and readings for the …

Framing Theory Insights: The Co-Existence Of Frame Coupling And Frame Mirroring In Social Media And Online News About A Disaster-Affected Destination, Violetta Wilk, Ashlee Morgan, Greg Willson, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Through the lens of framing theory, this paper explores social media and news media online narratives about a destination affected by a natural disaster. It presents original insights into the co-existence of frame coupling and frame mirroring in online content. Online news media, and local and overseas social media user-generated content (UGC) was examined. The aim of such triangulation of data, was to understand how different online sources framed the destination in the context of the disaster. 24,985 Twitter (now X) posts were sourced using Salesforce Social Studio and 1,248 online news media articles from Factiva. Leximancer-driven thematic analysis via …

Still Hungry, Not Enough: The Past, Present, And Future Of Food Tourism Scholarship, Eerang Park, Sangkyun Kim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper provides a state-of-the-art critical review of past and current food tourism scholarship and offers key insights and directions to establish a more comprehensive perspective on the field. The food tourism scholarship evolved, transformed, and progressed from earlier intellectual discussions and scholarly discourses on ‘food in tourism’. Through a rapid transition from ‘food in tourism’ to ‘food for tourism’ and ‘tourism for food’ as the current status quo, this paper proposes four directions for future food tourism research. These are: the application of contextualism philosophy with particular attention to the localities and peculiarities of emerging and/or new food tourism …

An Uphill Battle: School Library Professionals Fostering Student Reading Engagement, Margaret Kristin Merga, Saiyidi Mat Roni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading engagement influences students’ literacy attainment. School library professionals provide resources, environments and guidance to promote reading for pleasure, but little is known about how this role is currently supported or challenged. Drawing on mixed methods survey responses from 971 school library professionals from 63 countries, integrated findings suggest that younger students had greater access to the library, and that limiting access may negatively influence student engagement. The educative value of reading aloud and reading for pleasure may be poorly understood in some schools. Most parents had no access to the school library; in some contexts, this was due to …

Social Relational Notions Of Successful Aging: Contesting Dominant Individualized Conceptions Of Successful Aging By Examining Migrant Intergenerational Lived Experiences, Hien Thi Nguyen, Loretta Baldassar, Raelene Wilding, Bronte Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Objectives: Critiques of the concept of successful aging (SA) include attention to its foundation on an individualized western medical approach that emphasizes personal choice, agency, and lifestyle. This paper aims to examine how individual notions of SA can be linked to, and co-constituted by, relational and intergenerational notions of personhood within the broader socioeconomic, familial, and cultural contexts of migration. Research Design and Methods: Qualitative research was conducted in Australia (2020–2021) with 42 Vietnamese migrants using ethnographic interviews and participant observation. Data analysis applied inductive reasoning and intersectional analysis to investigate the notion of SA from the perspectives …

Split Nationality Households: A Strategic Response To Optimise The Citizenship Constellations Of Transnational Families, Catriona Stevens

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper explores the citizenship choices of Chinese migrants in Australia who must evaluate the relative benefits of Australian versus Chinese legal citizenship. Given the insecurities inherent in non-citizen status in either country, many families decide some members will take Australian citizenship while others retain Chinese citizenship in combination with Australian permanent residency. Forming these split nationality households aims to optimise the benefits and limit risk across all jurisdictions, attempting to exert control over personal circumstances and manage feelings of fear and anxiety in the face of unpredictable national policies and broader geopolitical instability. The paper extends Bauböck's concept of …

Willingness To Pay For Blue-Green Space And Koala Habitat Protection Following A Covid-19 Versus Bushfire Experimental Prime, Zoe Leviston, Rubijayne Cohen, Stephanie Gorman, Zoe Becvarik, Aparna Lal

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Community-supported investment in blue-green space and fauna habitat protection is important, yet the drivers of willingness to pay (WTP) are poorly understood. Moreover, research on WTP for environmental services rarely considers the role of context in determining which services donors prefer. We address these gaps with a novel experimental approach (N = 360), randomly assigning participants to a condition priming either Covid19, the Australian 2019-2020 bushfires, or to one of two control conditions. We measured subsequent WTP for blue-green space and koala habitat, finding mostly non-significant effects for experimental condition on WTP, preparedness to donate, or the importance placed on …

Assessing The State Of Gender Equality For Skilled Migrant Women: Intersectionality Challenges, Uma Jogulu, Melissa A. Parris, Juliana Mutum

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the present state of gender equality experienced by skilled migrant women in Australian workplaces by using an intersectionality perspective that takes into account the multiple challenges women face as managers. Design/methodology/approach: Using a mixed methods design, the authors surveyed and interviewed female and male skilled migrants who migrated to Australia as adults “first generation” immigrants and were employed in full-time managerial roles. Findings: The findings show that intersectionality features of gender and cultural background influence skilled migrant managers’ experiences in the workplace, including their opportunities for further career advancement. Their data …

Balancing Digital Presents And Futures: Understanding First-Time Parents’ Practices, Plans And Perceptions Of ‘Quality’ And Risk In Young Children's Digital Engagements, Katrin Langton, Emma Jayakumar, Harrison W. See, Catherine Archer, Giselle Woodley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Parents in Australia today have to make decisions about what counts as appropriate digital media use for their young children in a cultural context characterised by conflicting advice, impractical screen use recommendations and risk-focussed media messaging. These conditions make it challenging for parents to purposefully approach and plan not only their children's current digital engagements but also their futures as digital citizens. How parents negotiate these tensions in managing their young children's digital presents, and how they approach planning for their digital futures, remains underexplored. This paper presents the findings of two rounds of qualitative interviews and three focus groups …

Impact Of Perceived Discrimination And Social Exclusion On Wellbeing Of Black African Immigrants In Australia, Obed Adonteng-Kissi, Matthew Mabefam, Elizabeth Archibong, Nnaemeka Meribe, Frank Darkwa Baffour

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Across the globe, a significant number of immigrants frequently encounter discrimination and social exclusion in their host nations, prompting discussions regarding policies and societal attitudes toward these groups. This study is guided by the structural social work framework which provides a very important structure to understand the experiences of Black African immigrants in Australia. Drawing on the case of Black African immigrants in Australia, this study investigates the effects of discrimination and social exclusion on their wellbeing. This research builds upon existing literature concerning the discrimination and social exclusion of immigrants, incorporating the perspectives of 27 social workers and immigrants …

Investigating The Environmental Awareness And Attitudes Among Fisher Folks In Ghana: A Sustainability Threat, Nana Akua Okyerewa Djandoh, Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Environmental concerns, such as human alteration, pollution, and the effects of climate change, have had a significant impact on the survival of beaches worldwide. In Ghana, beaches face numerous threats stemming from human activities, such as deforestation, construction, sand mining, open defecation, and disposal of waste into the sea. Moreover, other factors such as strong winds, high waves, and the effects of climate change contribute to beach vulnerability. This paper is part of a broader study that investigated the environmental attitude and behavior of the Fisher Folks along coastal beaches in the Winneba Municipality in Ghana. Although the broader study …

Speculative Documentary As World-Building: Contaminated Knowledge And Future-Making, Cassandra Tytler

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In the context of climate emergency and growing mistrust in knowledge institutions, both science and documentary practice have often been positioned as neutral authorities. Yet the knowledge they produce is shaped by political, social, and material conditions. This paper presents a creative practice research project that uses speculative documentary to trouble dominant narratives of truth and objectivity. Rather than rejecting science, it critiques the authority of singular truth claims in both scientific and documentary domains, asking how knowledge is constructed and maintained. The analysis centres on It Will Not Be Pure, a multi-channel video installation created as a form of …

Work Hard, Play Hard, Drink Hard: Frontier Masculinities And Female Teachers’ Experiences In A Regional Australian Mining Town, Kirsten Lambert, Christina Gray, Mary Anne Macdonald, Takei Beard, Kelly Jackson, Sarah Booth

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teacher attrition is a significant issue that has been the subject of much recent critical research and public debate. What is less often explored in the literature is the gendered nature of teaching and the unique struggles female teachers face in the workforce, particularly in remote, regional and rural (RRR) schools. As a historically female-dominated profession, women, particularly teacher-mothers face a distinctive set of barriers to career progression in these schools. We apply a critical feminist lens to qualitative data generated from interviews with 21 teachers from 6 different schools in RRR locations in Western Australia. Data reveals a toxic …

Everyday Sexisms Take Away Tote Bags: Tools For Communicating Research Findings, Mindy Blaise, Emily M. Gray, Jacqueline Ullman, Emma Fishwick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In 2023 Takeaway Tote Bags bags were created and handed out to delegates attending an Australian national educational research conference. Usually conference bags are filled with corporate sponsored freebies like branded pens, notepads, and water bottles. The Everyday Sexisms Takeaway Tote Bags were different because they were conceptualised as a tool for creatively communicating research findings from a national mixed-methods research project about everyday sexisms in Australian Universities to a broad audience. Several resources were developed to open- up opportunities for dialogue, reflection, and pathways to action.

Fostering An Inclusive And Sustainable Career Ecosystem: Empowering Neurodivergent Individuals And Employees To Thrive, William E. Donald, Elizabeth J. Cook, Nimmi P. Mohandas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This article synthesises contributions from the special issue “Fostering an inclusive and sustainable career ecosystem: empowering neurodivergent individuals and employees to thrive”. It reframes neurodivergence as a source of strength, while acknowledging the complex interplay between strengths and systemic challenges. The article advocates for evidence-informed strategies that promote inclusive and sustainable career pathways, emphasising the interaction between individual agency and structural change rather than commodifying neurodivergent talent as “superpowers”.

Design/methodology/approach: Guided by the sustainable career ecosystem theory, this article identifies five key principles derived from the nine contributions spanning four continents and seven countries. These principles are examined in …

Implementing Gross National Happiness In Bhutan As A Development Model And Governance Tool – Perspectives Of Policy Influencers, Tashi Dorji, Angus Morrison-Saunders, David Blake

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) prioritises the collective wellbeing of its people over economic growth through a multidimensional index that informs policy. While GNH has received global recognition, persistent challenges in conceptual clarity and practical implementation are argued and debated. This qualitative study examines the role and utility of GNH as a development model and its implementation as a multifaceted governance tool in Bhutan. The findings reveal that GNH is conceptualised in diverse ways, ranging from personal happiness to a more generic communal philosophy. While its strengths lie in its culturally grounded framework, key limitations include a …

Abusing The International Solidarity Principle: Human Rights, International Solidarity, And The Eu's Bilateral Migration Deals, Jamal Barnes, Samuel M. Makinda

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The international solidarity principle is a crucial legal norm of international society. It helps guide state conduct and facilitate cooperation among international actors to respond to global challenges and uphold human rights. The European Union (EU) and its Member States have argued that their bilateral agreements with non-EU countries to prevent irregular migration to Europe is a demonstration of international solidarity that fulfils their obligations to asylum seekers and refugees. However, the EU's interpretation of international solidarity in these arrangements has been contested. This article argues that the EU has strategically interpreted the international solidarity principle to fit in with, …

Animating Soil: Cultivating Young Children's Soil Relations, Jane Merewether, Mindy Blaise, Stefania Giamminuti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article explores young children's relations with soil, drawing on research that positioned soil as animate, lively and interconnected. The paper investigates how animist approaches offered a mode of encounter for children and their teachers, encouraging them to see themselves as part of a larger ecological community. The research began with a "soil biome immersion"experience where teachers engaged with soil through sensory and arts-based experiences. These initial encounters led to further exploration of child-soil relations through experiential learning and storytelling. Children, as active meaning-makers, co-constructed the inquiry through imaginative and sensory engagements. Findings suggest animism cultivates soil relations, challenging traditional …

Barriers To Family And Domestic Violence Support For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Women In Australia: A Systematic Review, Annastasya J. Watts, Suzanne Rock, Natalie Gately, Antionette L. Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This systematic review investigated barriers culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australian women encountered when seeking support for family and domestic violence (FDV). Despite CALD women’s heightened vulnerability to FDV due to factors like immigration status, language barriers, and limited social networks, research suggests persistent, multifaceted obstacles to help-seeking. Methods: A systematic review of both qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted for articles published in peer-reviewed literature and grey literature. Databases searched included MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, ProQuest, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science, applying inclusion criteria centered on Australia, FDV, CALD women, and access to support services for studies in …

Empowering Social Competence: A Scoping Review Of Digital Social Skills Training Interventions, Nasim Salehi, Mansoureh Nickbakht, Cindy Branch-Smith, Nazli Bashi, Elham Salehi, Sally Sargeant, Diarmuid Hurley, Farhad Fatehi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Effective social skills are essential for functional social support, help-seeking, and resource access. Digital social skills training (DSST) plays a key role in empowering individuals to develop social competence, improve access to various support and resources, and enhance locus of control through dynamic media. This scoping review aims to identify and explore existing DSST programs and their mechanisms for access to support and resources, as well as health outcomes among people with and without health conditions. A search across four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase) from 2000 to 2023 resulted in the inclusion of 59 papers. Thematic analysis categorized …

Family And Community Role In The Provision Of Informal Care For Older People Living With Chronic Life-Limiting Illnesses In Rural Ghana, Barbara Adonteng-Kissi, Obed Adonteng-Kissi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Informal care for older people living with chronic life-limiting illnesses is associated with difficulties. The informal care system built around generational values and cultural norms is steadily weakening in rural Ghana because of economic challenges, migration, urbanisation, and changing family structure. In responding to this knowledge gap, we aimed to ascertain how the immediate family, extended family and community support impact on mechanisms underlying provision of informal care for older people living with chronic life-limiting illnesses. Ethnographic interviews were conducted amongst fifteen older people; fifteen informal caregivers; ten health care professionals, after participatory observations during six months of fieldwork utilised …

Guiding Principles For Stakeholder Engagement In Supporting Children’S Digital Citizenship: The 4a Model, Kylie J. Stevenson, Harrison W. See, Emma Jayakumar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article outlines an evidence-based model of children’s digital citizenship stakeholder engagement, reporting the final outcome of a project conducted in the Asia Pacific region, titled Digital Safety and Citizenship Roundtables: Using Consultation and Creativity to Engage Stakeholders (Children, Policy Influencers, Industry) in Best Practice in India, South Korea, and Australia. This qualitative research positioned young children aged 3 to 13 years as key stakeholders in their digital citizenship development. Their views were communicated to adult stakeholders with an interest in digital citizenship policy and practice. The authors outline the 4A model, based on evidence collected from child and adult …

Maboo Liyan Boorroo–Good Spirit Country: Using Participatory Research Frameworks To Manage Indigenous Cultural Landscapes In A Time Of Environmental And Political Uncertainty, Martuwarra Riveroflife, Anne Poelina, Martuwarra River Keepers, Sven Ouzman, Tod Jones, Naomi Joy Godden, Martin Brueckner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Management of cultural landscapes has struggled to understand and adapt to Indigenous ways of managing heritage through a reciprocal duty of care. We argue that barriers to Indigenous cultural landscapes are threefold. First, conceptual barriers exist due to the prevalence of inappropriate heritage concepts and frameworks from the Global North. Second are relational barriers in the form of asymmetrical relationships of power between non-Indigenous heritage ‘experts’ and Indigenous individuals and communities. Third, political barriers present in neo-colonial politics are at odds with the goals of Indigenous movements. After introducing Martuwarra RiverOfLife and her co-authors, we review these barriers within a …

Truth Telling And The “Lead Splinter”: Aboriginal Elders’ Perspectives On Community Service Provision And Intergenerational Trauma, Janelle Caddy, Eyal Gringart, Darren Garvey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article is based on PhD research aimed at improving community services for remote Aboriginal people with intergenerational trauma. It focuses on the role that Yamatji Aboriginal Elders played in cocreating a framework to enhance service provision for Aboriginal clients and the importance of local truth telling in this endeavour. Elders specified that local truth telling was essential in building shared understandings of healing from intergenerational trauma between Aboriginal people and community service providers. The characterisation of intergenerational trauma as a “lead splinter”, continually poisoning the wellbeing of Aboriginal people provided an illustration of trauma and the complexities of facilitating …

Beyond Gatekeeping: Web Series As Entrepreneurial Emancipation In The Contemporary Streaming Era, Sarah De Possesse, Brian Yecies, Steinar Ellingsen, Sue Turnbull

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores fictional web series as a disruptive alternative to traditional television industry gatekeeping systems, offering actor/producers unprecedented pathways to creative agency and entrepreneurial career development. This research documents how practitioners, industry bodies, broadcasters, and audiences define “successful” web series, examining how “value” is generated beyond traditional economic metrics. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with a cross-section of Australian screen industry representatives, it applies an “entrepreneuring as emancipation” framework to reconceptualize the industrial significance of web series as vehicles for challenging established hierarchies. Finally, it analyzes how the low-budget format enables actor/producers to develop entrepreneurial identities through digital platforms while …

Sources Of Sexual Knowledge And Information, And Sexual Attitudes Of Men: A Narrative Synthesis Of The Literature, Darlene Mwende Ndasi, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Madalena Grobbelaar, Anh Vo Van Ha

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study sought to synthesise evidence on the sources of sexual knowledge and information and relationship with sexual attitudes of cis men. From a review of existing literature, five categories were obtained from 11 studies and grouped into three syntheses: (1) sources of sexual knowledge and information, (2) sexual attitudes and (3) the relationship between sources of sexual knowledge and information and sexual attitudes. Sex research relation to sexual knowledge and attitudes of cis men is scant across the globe. Men desire reliable sexual information despite peers and online media being more readily available with consequences for sexual attitudes that …

Evaluation Of The Sources Of Sexual Knowledge And Information Among Men In Kenya, Darlene Mwende Ndasi, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Anh Vo Van Ha, Madalena Grobbelaar, Victor Fannam Nunfam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sources of sexual knowledge and information among men have impact on quality of their sexual literacy and decision making. Sexual knowledge impacts on sexual attitudes, which underpin sexual behaviours and in turn impacts the sexual health outcomes of men. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was used to assess the sources of sexual knowledge and information among 484 Kenyan adult men aged 18–54. Data analysis was performed with STATA-16. Results showed that 79% of men learned about sex from school-based sex education, 75% and 72% from peers and mass media respectively while healthcare professionals (35%) and parents (28%) had the lowest influence …

Managing The Impact Of Workplace Trauma For Australian First Responders: Harmonizing Policy And Practice, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Ben Farr-Wharton, Yvonne Brunetto, Matthew Richman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Police, fire, ambulance, and emergency services workers face an increased exposure to traumatic events while at work, negatively affecting their mental health, and with broader financial, legal, and moral implications for the public sector organizations that employ them. To better support these workers, and to mitigate the potential financial burden resulting from workers’ compensation claims, many first responder organizations are implementing wellbeing initiatives. This article examines the efficacy of an initiative for a sample of 530 frontline and administrative first responders, working in one state jurisdiction in Australia. The results indicate that wellbeing programmes moderate the impact of trauma on …