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Featherstone, Lisa. "Breeding and feeding: a social history of mothers and medicine in Australia, 1880-1925." Australia : Macquarie University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/38533.
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Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Humanities, Department of Modern History, 2003.Bibliography: p. 417-478.
Introduction: breeding and feeding -- The medical man: sex, science and society -- Confined: women and obstetrics 1880-1899 -- The kindest cut? The caesarean section as turning point -- Reproduction in decline -- Resisting reproduction: women, doctors and abortion -- From obstetrics to paediatrics: the rise of the child -- The breast was best: medicine and maternal breastfeeding -- The deadly bottle and the dangers of the wet nurse: the "artificial" feeding of infants -- Surveillance and the mother -- Mothers and medicine: paradigms of continuity and change.
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw profound changes in Australian attitudes towards maternity. Imbibed with discourses of pronatalism and eugenics, the production of infants became increasingly important to society and the state. Discourses proliferated on "breeding", and while it appeared maternity was exulted, the child, not the mother, was of ultimate interest. -- This thesis will examine the ways wider discourses of population impacted on childbearing, and very specifically the ways discussions of the nation impacted on medicine. Despite its apparent objectivity, medical science both absorbed and created pronatalism. Within medical ideology, where once the mother had been the point of interest, the primary focus of medical care, increasingly medical science focussed on the life of the infant, who was now all the more precious in the role of new life for the nation. -- While all childbirth and child-rearing advice was formed and mediated by such rhetoric, this thesis will examine certain key issues, including the rise of the caesarean section, the development of paediatrics and the turn to antenatal care. These turning points can be read as signifiers of attitudes towards women and the maternal body, and provide critical material for a reading of the complexities of representations of mothers in medical discourse.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
478 p
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Reinke, Leanne 1964. "Community, communication and contradiction : the political implications of changing modes of communication in indigenous communities of Australia and Mexico." Monash University, School of Political and Social Inquiry, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8812.
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Wolska, Barbara. "History, culture and alcohol: Drinking patterns in Poland and Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1040.
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It is a widely held view in Poland that for centuries those in power have promoted heavy drinking among their subjects in order to achieve their various goals and that this contributed to the development of Polish drinking patterns. There is some empirical evidence that the political economy of alcohol in Poland promoted heavy drinking among the Polish population. Drinking alcohol in Poland was an important aspect of social situations. The most popular beverage was vodka(s). Social pressure to drink in the extreme was attributed to the tradition of hospitality. Cultural norms encouraged very heavy drinking among men and imposed heavy social sanctions on women who were supposed to display virtues of abstinence. The typical model of drinking was intermittent very heavy drinking, leading to intoxication on most occasions. These norms reinforced the notion that "we can drink more because we are Poles" and the view that safe drinking messages are designed for other nations because "Poles are accustomed to drinking strong alcohol, unlike others". Adult male informants reported drinking much less in Australia than in Poland. The biggest change was a lack of social pressure to drink. Although men claimed that they drink less, some still drink in an unsafe manner. These were largely those whose English skills restricted their employment and friendship networks. Women, on the other hand, admitted that in Australia they drink more often and more alcohol at a sitting than in Poland. Although informants did not mention any alcohol-related family problems in Australia, others reported alcohol related violence within some families. Some safety messages about alcohol do not reach this sample of people. Many view drink driving rules as purely revenue raisers for the government. However, advice from their medical practitioners to reduce their alcohol intake for serious health reasons is given more credibility. Young Polish Australians formed two groups in their attitude to drinking. The first group consisted of people who attended tertiary educational institutions and consumed alcohol in a similar fashion to other Australian students. It is likely that the university environment influenced their drinking patterns. Those who witnessed drinking at home and perceived it as a good thing, modelled their drinking on their parents' and other adults at home. Others, who perceived their parents as non-drinkers, learned to drink from their friends and displayed similar drinking patterns to their peers. The second group was older; some were in the workforce and manifested drinking patterns akin to those in the general Australian population in the same age bracket. Both groups of these young Polish Australians were much more aware of alcohol health messages and more likely to modify their behaviours such as not to drink and drive, than was the older population. However, other drinking related health warnings were largely disregarded. This research demonstrates the negative impact of reduced government funding for English programs and ethno-specific services for migrant groups. More research is needed on migrant drinking in Australia, specifically among those groups whose drinking continues to be problematic.
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Speldewinde, Peter Christiaan. "Ecosystem health : the relationship between dryland salinity and human health." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0127.
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Australia is experiencing widespread ecosystem degradation, including dryland salinity, erosion and vegetation loss. Approximately 1 million hectares (5.5%) of the south-west agricultural zone of Western Australia is affected by dryland salinity and is predicted to rise to 5.4 million hectares by 2050. Such degradation is associated with many environmental outcomes that may impact on human health, including a decrease in primary productivity, an increase in the number of invasive species, a decrease in the number of large trees, overall decrease in biodiversity, and an increase in dust production. The resulting degradation affects not only farm production but also farm values. This study examines the effects of such severe and widespread environmental degradation on the physical and mental health of residents. Western Australia has an extensive medical record database which links individual health records for all hospital admissions, cancer cases, births and deaths. For the 15 diseases examined in this project, the study area of the south west of Western Australia (excluding the capital city of Perth) contained 1,570,985 morbidity records and 27,627 mortality records for the 15 diseases examined in a population of approximately 460,000. Environmental data were obtained from the Western Australian Department of Agriculture?s soil and landscape mapping database. A spatial Bayesian framework was used to examine associations between these disease and environmental variables. The Bayesian model detected the confounding variables of socio-economic status and proportion of the population identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. With the inclusion of these confounders in the model, associations were found between environmental degradation (including dryland salinity) and several diseases with known environmentally-mediated triggers, including asthma, ischaemic heart disease, suicide and depression. However, once records of individuals who had been diagnosed with coexistent depression were removed from the analysis, the effect of dryland salinity was no longer statistically detectable for asthma, ischaemic heart disease or suicide, although the effects of socio-economic status and size of the Aboriginal population remained. The spatial component of this study showed an association between land degradation and human health. These results indicated that such processes are driving the degree of psychological ill-health in these populations, although it remains uncertain whether this 4 is secondary to overall coexisting rural poverty or some other environmental mechanism. To further investigate this complex issue an instrument designed to measure mental health problems in rural communities was developed. Components of the survey included possible triggers for mental health, including environmental factors. The interview was administered in a pilot study through a telephone survey of a small number of farmers in South-Western Australia. Using logistic regression a significant association between the mental health of male farmers and dryland salinity was detected. However, the sample size of the survey was too small to detect any statistically significant associations between dryland salinity and the mental health of women. The results of this study indicate that dryland salinity, as with other examples of ecosystem degradation, is associated with an increased burden of human disease.
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Nelson, Mark 1957. "Aspects of pharmacological management of hypertension in general practice." Monash University, Dept. of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/7923.
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Norrie, Philip Anthony, University of Western Sydney, College of Health and Science, and School of Medicine. "Wine and health through the ages with special reference to Australia." THESIS_CHS_MED_Norrie_P.xml, 2005. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/709.
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The use of wine as a medicine is not a new idea, but one that has been rediscovered and given credibility due to current research findings. This research examines the use of wine as a medicine in the past and currently. The whole question of wine and health is put into a more balanced and proper perspective, instead of the ill-informed, negative anti-alcohol view. The aim of the thesis is to document the history of the uses of wine as a medicine, particularly in Australia. The author uses a social ecology framework,which is concerned with the interrelationships between the domains of the personal, social and environmental, with a critical, holistic transdisciplinary understanding approach. One aim of the research is to change the perception of wine from one of a drink for special occasions to one of a daily health drink taken in moderation with a mealDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Wollin, Judy A. "A comparative study of aspects of health care valued by residents with multiple sclerosis and staff at a residential setting." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1993. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36811/1/36811_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.
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This research was undertaken in response to the implementation of a program of de-institutionalisation under the auspices of the Disability Services Act 1986, involving people with Multiple Sclerosis {MS) . The impact of de-institutionalisation on people with MS has not been researched before in Australia.
The aim of the research was to identify and compare aspects of health care valued by people with Multiple Sclerosis and staff at an assisted accommodation unit in suburban Australia.
The research participants included the residents and staff of a residential centre for people with MS. Elements of quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. Data were collected using unstructured interviews and sequential questionnaires. These data were analysed using recurrent theme identification technique.
The research shows that the current program of deinstitutionalisation has resulted in changes affecting both residents and staff. The findings of the research were similar for both groups, who wish to see the Centre remain as much as possible as it is, with in-house services continued. Changes resulting in the abolition or reduction of services are not supported by either group.
While the overall objectives of the Disability Services Act 1986 are supported by residents and staff, the major conclusion of the study is that its implementation should more closely reflect the needs of people with MS already living in an assisted accommodation unit.
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Carter, May Elizabeth. "Health and the nature of urban green spaces." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1838.
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Recognition that city-dwelling people can benefit from contact with nature is not new. The urban open air movement of the 19th century advised retention of greenways and development of urban parks and gardens to stop disease spread through lack of fresh air, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Now, in the early 21st century, urban green spaces are under threat from inner city infill projects and clearing of remnant vegetation to accommodate suburban sprawl.
While much literature discusses positive health benefits of contact with nature, few studies explore explicit pathways between urban green space and health, despite mounting concern that disassociation between people and nature in urban communities may be detrimental to physical and mental health. This study explored how people’s attitudes toward nature might influence perceptions of nearby green spaces and feelings of attachment to living in their neighbourhood, and in turn, whether people with positive attitudes towards nature and positive perceptions of nearby green space would report better health.
A mixed method research design was adopted in this study. Exploration of research questions required objective measurement of relationships between different aspects of health and nature, and interpretation of the subjective meanings people attach to those relationships. Study design involved distribution of a cross-sectional survey to residents in four neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia with respondents invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Neighbourhoods were selected based on location (either an inner or outer suburban area), age of neighbourhood (established or new), diversity of nearby green space, and socio-demographic characteristics. Data from 440 surveys and 25 interviews were analysed.
Attitudes towards urban nature were diverse and it was clear that feelings about natural environments strongly influenced preference and perceptions of useable green spaces, and for some people, their choice of neighbourhood. In essence, people who enjoyed spending time in nature were more inclined to seek green spaces within their neighbourhood environment that provided complexity and opportunities for exploration or escape. Those who professed little connection to nature and saw bushland areas as untidy, uninviting or unsafe, tended to be more concerned about aesthetic and functional aspects of green space design and preferred to visit ‘civilised’ parks and gardens with manicured lawns, formal paths and playgrounds.
Green spaces were important sites for physical activity, relaxation and social interaction and proximity to useable green space was a significant factor in predicting better selfreported health. In addition, neighbourhoods with trees and greenways were described as healthier places to live. People who lived in close proximity to parks and green spaces where social interaction regularly occurred, who reported that diverse green spaces and bushland areas were being retained in their neighbourhood, who cared about environmental issues and were interested in being involved in conservation activities, were more likely to report better physical function, general health, mental health and feelings of vitality. People who regularly visited nearby green spaces described feeling happier and more satisfied with living in their neighbourhood.
Encouraging people to regularly visit and become actively involved in caring for local nature reserves and parklands can play an important role in health promotion and preventive health strategies. Conservation, useability and management of diverse green spaces must be considered as a critical element of urban planning. This will only occur with continuing recognition of the health benefits that can be achieved by retaining diverse, quality green spaces within suburban neighbourhoods.
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Koo, Fung Kuen. "Disharmony between Chinese and Western views about preventative health : a qualitative investigation of the health beliefs and behaviour of older Hong Kong Chinese people in Australia." University of Sydney, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1610.
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Doctor of PhilosophyThis study explores the health beliefs and preventive health behaviours of older Hong Kong Chinese people resident in Australia. Participation in physical activity was used as the case study. There were two frameworks used to shape the research. Because of their perceived influence on the health beliefs and practices of Hong Kong Chinese people, the traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism provided the philosophical framework. The Theory of Planned Behaviour provided a theoretical framework for understanding the target group's preventive health behaviour. Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews, participant observation and case study. Twenty-two informants were interviewed, their transcripts analysed, summarised and typologised, identifying six states of physical activity participation. Findings demonstrated that this target group possessed a holistic view of health, with food taking a special role in preventive care and self-treatment at times of illness. The Cantonese terms used to denote “physical activity” caused confusion among the target group. Most interpreted it as meaning deliberate planned body movement, strength-enhancing activities or exercise, although some did see it as including mundane daily activities and chores. Lack of time, no interest and laziness were reported as the main reasons for low participation in deliberate planned physical activity. Cultural, social and environmental determinants were the intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing attitudes toward physical activity, as well as perceived social supports and perceived control over physical activity participation barriers. To a large extent, these interactive determinants of health were rooted in the three traditional Chinese philosophies mentioned above. The thesis concludes by arguing that rather than simply advocating activities designed for other populations, health promotion strategies and education need to create links to the traditions of this target group and also clarify their conception of physical activity.
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Risely, Melissa. "The politics of precaution : an eco-political investigation of agricultural gene technology policy in Australia, 1992-2000." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phr5953.pdf.
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Lazenby, Victoria S. "Personal exposure of children to formaldehyde in Perth, Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1742.
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Formaldehyde is a common air pollutant that tends to be found in elevated concentrations in indoor air. Exposure to formaldehyde has the potential to impact on respiratory health, particularly amongst sensitive individuals and populations, including children. Children spend most of their time indoors at home, however, there are very little data on the contribution of formaldehyde concentrations in homes to personal exposure in children. The principal aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate whether the domestic environment is the most significant source of personal exposure of formaldehyde in children. Forty-one primary school children (aged between 8 and 12) were recruited from two areas of Perth, Western Australia. Each child wore a personal passive formaldehyde sampler over a 24 hour period on two separate occasions, winter and summer. Samplers were also located indoors at home, outdoors at centralised locations and indoors at school for the corresponding period. A questionnaire about lifestyle and behaviour and a daily activity diary were completed for each participant. Passive samplers used filter papers impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhadrazine (DNPH), with formaldehyde detected using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In winter there was a wide range of personal exposure concentrations, with geometric mean concentrations of 9.7ppb at Duncraig and 11.5ppb at Calista. Indoor geometric mean concentrations at Duncraig were l0.lppb, with outdoor and classroom concentrations below the analytical limit of detection (4ppb). At Calista, mean indoor concentrations were 14.2ppb. The outdoor concentrations were below the limit of detection and school concentrations were 8.0ppb. Summer monitoring occurred during mild meteorological conditions and were very similar to winter results. Geometric mean personal exposure concentrations were 9.2ppb at Duncraig and 8.0ppb at Calista. Indoor geometric mean concentrations at Duncraig were 9.0ppb, with outdoor and classroom concentrations below the limit of detection (4ppb). At Calista, mean indoor concentrations were 9.9ppb, outdoor was below detection limit and school concentrations were l5.2ppb. There were strong correlations between personal exposure and domestic concentrations at both Duncraig and Calista in winter (r2 = 0.73 and 0.88, respectively) and in summer (r2 = 0.67 and 0.84, respectively). The correlation for both seasons combined was significant, with a coefficient of r2 = 0. 78. A time weighted model estimated personal exposure concentrations for each participant using stationary measures in combination with time activity data. These estimates of exposure correlated significantly with measured personal exposure concentrations, with a coefficient of r2 = 0.80 for all data combined. The indoor domestic environment was found to be the most important source of formaldehyde exposure for children. Time weighting was found to provide a stronger estimate of personal exposure than indoor air monitoring alone, although the time weighted model was not a significant improvement over the indoor measure alone.
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Fleming, Brian James. "The social gradient in health : trends in C20th ideas, Australian Health Policy 1970-1998, and a health equity policy evaluation of Australian aged care planning /." Title page, abstract and table of contents only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf5971.pdf.
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De, Vos Johanna B. M. "Respiratory health effects of occupational exposure to bushfire smoke in Western Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0001.
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Bushfires are an integral part of the Australian environment, and consequently Australian fire fighters are regularly confronted with the challenge of bushfire fighting activities. Bushfires can be extensive and long-lasting, and as a result fire fighters can be exposed to bushfire smoke for long periods without respite. Anecdotal evidence suggests that bushfire smoke exposure can lead to respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. In an optimal environment, fire fighters are equipped with respirators and protective filters to prevent the inhalation of the air toxics in bushfire smoke. Yet, reports from the fire ground indicate that the protective filters are not effective in preventing the inhalation of bushfire smoke. As a result, fire fighters have increasingly expressed concern about the ineffective equipment and the resultant respiratory symptoms during and after bushfire fighting. This research aims to establish a scientific data base to support the anecdotal evidence. The objectives of the research were: (1) to identify and quantify the air toxics in Western Australian bushfire smoke; (2) to profile the acute respiratory health effects associated with bushfire smoke exposure; (3) to assess the effectiveness of three different types of filters under controlled conditions in a smoke chamber, and in the field during fuel reduction burn-off; (4) to formulate recommendations for reducing fire fighters' exposure to bushfire smoke; and (5) to inform policy decision makers about the most effective form of respiratory protective equipment for bushfire fighting. Exposure trials were conducted in an experimental setting utilising bushfire smoke conditions in a smoke chamber and during prescribed burn-offs. Repeated measurements of respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function and oximetry were undertaken before and after bushfire smoke exposure. In addition, personal air sampling inside the respirators was undertaken to quantify and compare the levels of filtered air toxics. The analysis of the collected data demonstrated that, of those compared, the particulate/organic vapour formaldehyde filter was most effective in protecting fire fighters' respiratory health during the smoke exposure period of maximally 120 minutes. Further research would be useful to determine the v effectiveness of the filters under more realistic conditions during bushfire fighting activities. The findings of this research have resulted in a policy review in Western Australia. In 2006, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) reviewed its Bush Fire Smoke Exposure Standard Operational Procedures 51, and now issues the recommended particulate/organic vapour/formaldehyde filters to the 1,000 FESA career fire fighters. The use of protective equipment for bushfire fighters is inadequately regulated worldwide and the recommendation implemented by FESA can be seen as proactive and in advance of national and international best practice. In conclusion, this project was instrumental in the translation of public health research into best practice that protects occupational health, without the need for the lengthy process of legislative reform. Fire fighter organisations in other countries with high frequencies of bushfires could learn from this example, and move to review their policies and introduce adequate personal protection for fire fighters.
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Wood, Lisa Jane. "Social capital, neighbourhood environments and health : development of measurement tools and exploration of links through qualitative and quantitative research." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0111.
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[Truncated abstract] BACKGROUND This thesis explored the relationship between social capital, sense of community and mental health and wellbeing; and factors that may influence these within the environments in which people live. Area variations in health are well documented and are mirrored in emerging evidence of geographic and neighbourhood variations in social capital. Little is known, however, about the specific facets of the impact of local physical environment on social capital; or about the mechanisms by which these are linked with each other, and with health determinants and outcomes. Despite the recent proliferation of social capital literature and growing research interest within the public health realm, its relationship to mental health and protective factors for mental health have also been relatively unexplored. AIMS The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the potential associations between social capital, health and mental health, and neighbourhood environments. In particular, the thesis considered whether the physical attributes and street network design of neighbourhoods are associated with social capital or particular dimensions of the social capital construct. It also examined the relationship between social capital and demographic and residency factors and pet ownership ... CONCLUSION The combined use of qualitative and quantitative research is a distinguishing feature of this study, and the triangulation of these data has a unique contribution to make to the social capital literature. Studies concerned with the measurement of social capital to date have tended to focus on dimensions pertaining to people’s involvement, perceptions and relationship with others and their community. While these constructs provide insight into what comprises social capital, it is clear that each is in turn influenced by a range of other factors. Elucidating what fosters trust and neighbourly interactions in one community and not in another, and by what mechanisms, is one of many research questions unanswered in the published literature to date. The consideration of measures of social capital that relate to the physical environment is therefore of relevance to the growing research and public policy interest in identifying what might build or restore social capital in communities.
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Apperley, Alan Robert. "Personal autonomy and health policy : some considerations in political theory." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1991. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/37880/.
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This thesis examines some of the implications for social policy of an account of human nature frequently associated with liberal political theory. Taking as its starting point the claim that the objectives of social policy are contested, it seeks to develop an account of autonomy that will serve as a neutral 'organizational principle' around which to construct social policy. A particular version of personal autonomy is developed and defended against both abstract Kantian moral autonomy, and the individualism often associated with liberal theories. This project is pursued first through a discussion of the relationship of autonomous persons to 'social forms', and then through a critique of libertarian and 'intellectualist' accounts of autonomy. It is argued that, since autonomy is not only employed in the making of choices, but also in the implementing of those choices, it follows that the autonomous person must, of necessity, be viewed 'holistically' for the body is the primary means of implementing the choices autonomous persons make. The health of the body, as well as that of the mind, therefore assumes importance for any social policy that takes autonomy to be a fundamental objective. The implications for such an account of social policy are then explored in two ways. First, through a discussion of the phenomenon of 'medicalization'. Second, through a discussion of the Prevention and Health campaign. In the first instance, it is argued that the assumption that medicalization systematically undermines autonomy is ill-founded because theories of medicalization misunderstand what it is to be autonomous. In the second instance, the discussion of preventive health-care policy serves to illustrate the fundamentally erroneous assumptions of individually-focussed health-care programmes. In conclusion, it is argued that a unified account of autonomous persons must inevitably lead to a more integrated social policy.
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au, Zsuzsanna Millei@newcastle edu, and Zsuzsa Millei. "A genealogical study of the child as the subject of pre-compulsory education in Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2007. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20081002.80627.
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The study produces a genealogy of the child as the shifting subject constituted by the confluence of discourses that are utilized by, and surround, Western Australian precompulsory education. The analysis is approached as a genealogy of governmentality building on the work of Foucault and Rose, which enables the consideration of the research question that guides this study: How has the child come to be constituted as a subject of regimes of practices of pre-compulsory education in Western Australia?
This study does not explore how the historical discourses changed in relation to the child as a universal subject of early education, but it examines the multiple ways the child was constituted by these discourses as the subject at which government is to be aimed, and whose characteristics government must harness and instrumentalize. Besides addressing the research question, the study also develops a set of intertwining arguments. In these the author contends that the child is invented through historically contingent ideas about the individual and that the way in which the child is constituted in pre-compulsory education shifts in concert with the changing problematizations about the government of the population and individuals. Further, the study demonstrates the necessity to understand the provision of pre-compulsory education as a political practice.
Looking at pre-compulsory education as a political practice de-stabilizes the takenfor-granted constitutions of the child embedded in present theories, practices and research with children in the field of early childhood education. It also enables the de- and reconstruction of the notions of childrens participation, empowerment and citizenship. The continuous de- and reconstruction of these notions and the destabilization of the constitutions of the child creates a framework in which improvement is possible, rather than a utopian, wholesale and, thus revolutionary, transformation in early education (Branson & Miller, 1991, p. 187). This study also contributes to the critiques of classroom discipline approaches by reconceptualizing them as technologies of government in order to reveal the power relations they silently wield.
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Lovric, Ivo Mark. "Ghost Wars : the Politics of War Commemoration." Phd thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150317.
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Ghost Wars: the politics of war commemoration: research into dissenting views to war and other aspects of the Australian experience of war that are marginalised by the Australian War Memorial. A study taking the form of an exhibition of a filmic (video) essay, which comprises the outcome of the Studio Practice component, together with the Exegesis which documents the nature of the course of study undertaken, and the Dissertation, which comprises 33% of the Thesis.
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Reid, Alison. "The health outcomes of women exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0031.
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[Truncated abstract] This thesis examines the health outcomes of women exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Blue asbestos was mined and milled from 1943 to 1966 by the Australian Blue Asbestos Company (ABA) at Wittenoom, 1,600km from Perth in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. The original work for this thesis is presented in six manuscripts, some of which have been published in peer-reviewed Journals. The following aims have been investigated. 1. (a) To compare the all-cause mortality rates of women who lived at Wittenoom compared with all-cause mortality rates of the Western Australian female population (b) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and mortality in women. 2. (a) To compare the incidence rates of common cancers in women who lived at Wittenoom, compared with the incidence rates of these cancers in the Western Australian female population. (b) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and cancer incidence at various sites in women. 3. (a) To determine if reproductive cancers (ovarian, uterine cervical and corpus and breast) and gestational trophoblastic diseases are associated with asbestos exposure. v (b) To determine if ovarian cancer has been misclassified as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma or vice versa. (c) To determine if colon cancer has been misclassified as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma or vice versa. (d) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and reproductive cancer incidence. 4. To assess the susceptibility of women to asbestos exposure in comparison with men with similar exposure histories. 5. To predict the future mortality from malignant mesothelioma among women who lived at Wittenoom. '...' The Wittenoom crocidolite industry has had a damaging impact upon the health of the women workers and residents who lived there. Wittenoom women are more likely to die from malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, all cancers and all causes than women in the Western Australian population. This brief period of crocidolite mining in Western Australia's history will continue to exert a detrimental impact upon the future of the women who lived there, with another 66 to 87 mesotheliomas predicted to occur to the end of 2030.
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Degenhardt, Louisa Psychology Faculty of Science UNSW. "Comorbidity between substance use and mental health in Australia: Relationships of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use with other substance use and mental disorders." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Psychology, 2001. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/18247.
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Research into the comorbidity (or co-occurrence) of mental disorders is a relatively recent phenomenon. Much of this research has been conducted in clinical samples, which are prone to a range of biases that mean that the patterns observed are not representative of the general population. Although population-level research has previously been carried out, this thesis provides the first examination of comorbidity in the Australian population. This thesis examined the comorbidity of substance use and mental disorders among Australian adults. The major empirical work involved an examination of the patterns of homotypic comorbidity (other substance use disorders) and heterotypic comorbidity (mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychosis) of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis in the 1997 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB). These drugs were chosen as they are the most commonly used psychoactive substances in the Australian population. The NSMHWB involved a structured diagnostic interview of mental disorders with a representative sample of Australian adults. Three questions were addressed using this data: (1) What patterns of comorbidity exist between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use, and other substance use and mental disorders?; (2) Are these patterns of comorbidity explained by common factors?; and (3) Does comorbidity affect the likelihood that mental health treatment has been sought? Similar patterns of homotypic comorbidity were observed for all three substances, and they were not explained by the other factors examined (gender, age, education, relationship status, employment and neuroticism). Cannabis dependence was the most strongly associated with other substance use disorders. Heterotypic comorbidity differed between alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use. Tobacco use predicted increased rates of all three groups of mental disorders (mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders). In the case of alcohol, only alcohol dependence was related to increased rates of all groups of mental disorders; alcohol use and abuse were not associated with heterotypic comorbidity. Any level of cannabis involvement was related to a similarly increased risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Cannabis use was linearly related to the risk of screening positively for psychosis. Common factors did not change the patterns of heterotypic comorbidity of tobacco and alcohol use. However, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use appeared to explain the higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders among cannabis users. Treatment seeking was much more likely among alcohol, tobacco and cannabis users when they had comorbid mental disorders. It was moderately increased when they had comorbid substance use disorders. The second piece of empirical work provided a more detailed examination of comorbid substance use problems among persons with psychosis. This topic was selected due to the limited epidemiological research on this issue, and the relatively large burden of disability that psychosis places upon the individual and the community. NSMHWB data were used to examine the prevalence of comorbid substance use disorders among persons who were likely to have met criteria for psychosis (as assessed by a screener used in the NSMHWB). Multiple regression analyses were used to test possible explanations for the higher rates of substance use disorders observed among persons reporting higher numbers of psychotic symptoms. The odds of alcohol dependence and regular tobacco use increased 1.5 times, and the odds of cannabis dependence increased twice, with each additional psychotic symptom reported, after adjusting for other substance use disorders, other mental disorders and demographic characteristics. Given the debate about the reasons for the association between cannabis use and psychosis, the final study used mathematical modelling to test four hypotheses about relationships between cannabis use and psychosis. Specifically, it examined trends in psychosis that would be predicted given the marked increases in the prevalence of cannabis use that have occurred in Australia over the past thirty years. The results suggested that a causal relationship - in which cannabis use caused psychosis among persons who would not otherwise have developed the disorder - is unlikely to explain the association. There was a better fit to the data provided by the other hypotheses examined, namely, that (a) cannabis use precipitates psychosis among vulnerable individuals; (b) cannabis use increases the risk of relapse among persons with psychosis; and (c) persons with psychosis are more likely to become regular cannabis users (without any effect upon the disorder). This thesis has demonstrated that in Australian adults there is significant comorbidity between alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use and other substance use and mental disorders. These patterns differ across the three substances. Some types of heterotypic comorbidity (e.g. between cannabis use and mood/anxiety disorders) are explained by common factors. The limited range of common factors tested here did not explain homotypic comorbidity. This thesis also suggested that mathematical modelling is a useful approach to consider when examining the plausibility of different relationships between risk factors and mental disorders. A number of hypotheses regarding comorbidity could not be tested using NSMHWB data, such as common genetic and other environmental factors. These can best be tested in research with samples of twins, and using longitudinal designs that assess a wide range of social and environmental factors. The findings of this thesis also have implications for treatment, because persons with comorbid disorders are more likely to seek treatment. There is an absence of validated treatments for persons with comorbid substance use and mental disorders, and more research is needed on this issue.
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Harvey, Clare Lynette Eden, and clare harvey@flinders edu au. "Through the Looking Glass: The Politics of Advancing Nursing and the Discourses on Nurse Practitioners in Australia." Flinders University. School of Nursing and Midwifery, 2010. http://catalogue.flinders.edu.au./local/adt/public/adt-SFU20100708.110421.
Full textAbstract:
Nursing has a tradition of subservience and obedience. History provides an account of secular and religious orders of nursing shaping a view of virtuous and tireless dedication in carrying out the doctors orders. Nurse Practitioners were first introduced to the health care system in the 1960s as a solution to the medical shortage being experienced in United States of America at that time. They assumed clinical tasks, traditionally regarded as doctors work. Since then the Nurse Practitioner movement has expanded globally.
Australia introduced the Nurse Practitioner role in 1998, heralding a new era in the health system of that country. Its introduction has created diverging views which are influence role implementation. This study examines social and political discourses that are affecting the development of Nurse Practitioners in Australia, using text and language to identify discursive practices. It has set out to determine whether Nurse Practitioners have the autonomy that professional nursing leaders have described in policy, or whether the introduction of the role has merely shifted nursings sphere of influence within a traditional health care system.
Using Faircloughs notion of power behind discourse, the language and discourses of Nurse Practitioners were explored in relation to what was happening around role development and how Nurse Practitioners positioned themselves within the environment where they worked. The use of a Critical Discourse Analysis has allowed for the various social, historical and political perspectives of nursing to be examined. Faircloughs three levels of social organisation have been used to identify the divergent discourses between the truths of implementation of the role at individual and organisational level and comparing it to that of the rhetoric of health policy.
The discourses surrounding the creation of this advanced nursing role have been the focus of analysis. This analysis has revealed how role development is controlled by powerful groups external to the nursing profession. The dominant discourses use the traditional health care divisions of labour to maintain control through a financially driven focus on health care which does not necessarily revolve around clinical need. Further complicating the position of Nurse Practitioners is the internalisation of those dominant discourses by the nurses themselves. It reinforces Faircloughs view that the dominant power lies behind the discourse, using the system itself to maintain a status quo, rather than overtly opposing it.
Nurse Practitioners, despite being held out by the nursing profession as clinical leaders, are not able to influence change in health care or in their own roles. The results have further shown that nursing managers do not have an influence over the direction that health care and nursing takes. Further research is necessary to examine the broader leadership role of nursing within health care nationally and internationally, in order to establish the real position of nursing within the decision making framework of health care service development.
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Huntley, Rebecca. ""Sex on the Hustings" : labor and the construction of 'the woman voter' in two federal elections (1983, 1993)." Connect to full text, 2003. http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/adt/public_html/adt-NU/public/adt-NU20040209.113517/index.html.
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Lynn, Tristan. "An investigation into dust, gases and vapours expulsed during the oxidation of pyritic black shale, and their potential for impacting on employee health." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1197.
Full textAbstract:
Pyritic black shale (PBS) is occasionally extracted as a waste product of iron ore mining in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Mineralogical studies such as Brocks, Summons, Buick, and Logan (2003) of the PBS located at Mount Tom Price Operations have established that PBS can contain elevated concentrations of pyrite, carbon, bitumens, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The natural oxidative weathering of PBS can cause exothermic reactions leading to the shale reaching temperatures that cause the expulsion of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide.
Current management of the potential hazards of PBS is based on limiting employees’ working time in PBS areas, using gas detection equipment and wearing respiratory protection for particulates and acid gases. This research investigates the potential risk of adverse health effects for employees working within PBS areas.
Three similar exposure groups (SEGs) have work activities located within pits that contain PBS. These groups are classified as: drill and blast; geologists/samplers; and heavy-mobile equipment operators. Historical exposure data for inhalable dust, respirable dust, respirable crystalline silica and toxic gases were obtained for each of the SEGs and analysed using the IHSTAT program. In order to identify what VOCs could potentially be released during the oxidation of PBS, thermal desorption tubes were used to collect positional air samples from burning PBS, and a laboratory trial was conducted where several PBS samples were taken from two waste dumps, crushed, milled and inserted into quartz tubes for thermal desorption. All thermal desorption tubes were heated to 340 °C and 500 °C and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) was conducted on the resultant gas samples (WIENV 31).
Particulate results show that the only non-conformance with the Safe Work Australia occupational exposure limits (OELs) occurred among heavy mobile equipment operators and their exposure to respirable crystalline silica. The estimated arithmetic mean exposure for the SEG was 0.043 mg/m³ and the estimated 95th percentile was 0.164 mg/m³ compared to the OEL of 0.1 mg/m³. The toxic gas data demonstrate that of the 64 days sampled, hydrogen sulphide exceeded the OEL on 1 day and the short-term exposure limit (STEL) was not exceeded. Sulphur dioxide levels exceeded the OEL on 8 days and on 4 of those days the STEL was also exceeded. All carbon dioxide results were within acceptable ranges. Thermal desorption data showed that benzene, toluene, heptane, cyclohexene, phenol, acetic acid, carbon disulfide and hexane could potentially be produced.
The identification of organic vapours indicates the possibility for adverse health impacts not previously considered. Sustained exposure to large quantities of these substances has the potential to produce chronic health effects in the form of cancers and nervous system damage. As a result, recommendations for mining operations in PBS pits are: to provide respiratory protection cartridges that protect against VOCs as well as toxic gases; to carry out sampling for these organic vapours to assess worker exposure; and to maintain existing control measures that limit employees’ exposure to PBS.
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Clifford, Susan Amanda. "The effects of fly-in/fly-out commute arrangements and extended working hours on the stress, lifestyle, relationships and health characteristics of Western Australian mining employees and their partners." University of Western Australia. School of Anatomy and Human Biology, 2010. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2010.0018.
Full textAbstract:
The Western Australian (WA) mining industry directly employs approximately 56,000 people. Almost half work Fly-in/Fly-out commute arrangements (FIFO, e.g. employees living in a city are flown to a remote worksite where they live and work during their work roster) and approximately half work more than 50 hours per week, on average. There are many anecdotal claims that FIFO has negative impacts on WA mining employees, leading to an elevated risk of high stress levels, depression, binge drinking, recreational drug use and relationship break-ups. Previous studies found FIFO can be stressful, and have negative impacts on WA employees 'and partners' lifestyles and relationships. This project investigated the long-term (Study One) and short-term (Study Two) impacts of FIFO and extended working hours on a representative sample of WA FIFO mining employees and partners. In Study One, a total of 222 FIFO and Daily Commute (DC) mining employees and partners completed an anonymous questionnaire investigating long-term impacts on work satisfaction, lifestyle, relationships and health. A subgroup of 32 Study One FIFO employees and partners also participated in Study Two; a detailed study of the short-term impacts of FIFO and extended working hours and how these impacts fluctuate in intensity during the mining roster. Study Two participants completed a diary and provided saliva samples each day throughout a complete mining roster. The main findings of the study were that FIFO and extended working hours had negative impacts on employees work satisfaction and FIFO was frequently reported to be disruptive to employees 'and partners' lifestyle, in the long-term. However, FIFO and extended working hours did not lead to poor quality relationships, high stress levels or poor health, on average in the long-term; there were generally no significant differences in these characteristics between FIFO and DC employees, or between the FIFO sample and the wider community. There were minor differences between FIFO and DC employees in long-term health characteristics, and Study One employees had similar, or in some cases poorer health outcomes than other community samples.
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Kirkpatrick, Raelene. "A mathematical analysis of the financial and medical impact of hepatitis C among drug users in Perth, Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1332.
Full textAbstract:
The ability of public health planners continues to be hampered by uncertainties encountered with transmissible diseases. Key epidemiological factors such as, how many Western Australian injecting drug users are hepatitis C seropositive or will become infected, duration of intravenous drug use, the intensity of infection, the fraction of those infected that will develop end-stage disease and after how long a period, all combine to limit the ability of a mathematical model to predict future trends. These models can, however, provide information about certain epidemiological parameters and identify data required to predict future trends. They can be applied to make predictions about the course of infection in the individual and provide a guide to the interpretation of the observed data. This research aims to develop a model of the transmission and spread of hepatitis C, adapting existing models used to predict the spread of HIV and AIDS in one and two sex communities. This model will be used to demonstrate the dynamics and incidence of hepatitis C infection among injecting drug users in Perth, Western Australia. Predictions derived from the model will then be used to undertake an analysis of the cost of treating those with hepatitis C and cirrhosis related complications, resulting in a prediction of the financial impact of hepatitis C on the Western Australian community.
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Forsyth, Rowena Public Health & Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "Tricky technology, troubled tribes: a video ethnographic study of the impact of information technology on health care professionals??? practices and relationships." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/30175.
Full textAbstract:
Whilst technology use has always been a part of the practice of health care delivery, more recently, information technology has been applied to aspects of clinical work concerned with documentation. This thesis presents an analysis of the ways that two professional groups, one clinical and one ancillary, at a single hospital cooperatively engage in a work practice that has recently been computerised. It investigates the way that a clinical group???s approach to and actual use of the system creates problems for the ancillary group. It understands these problems to arise from the contrasting ways that the groups position their use of documentation technology in their local definitions of professional status. The data on which analysis of these practices is based includes 16 hours of video recordings of the work practices of the two groups as they engage with the technology in their local work settings as well as video recordings of a reflexive viewing session conducted with participants from the ancillary group. Also included in the analysis are observational field notes, interviews and documentary analysis. The analysis aimed to produce a set of themes grounded in the specifics of the data, and drew on TLSTranscription?? software for the management and classification of video data. This thesis seeks to contribute to three research fields: health informatics, sociology of professions and social science research methodology. In terms of health informatics, this thesis argues for the necessity for health care information technology design to understand and incorporate the work practices of all professional groups who will be involved in using the technology system or whose work will be affected by its introduction. In terms of the sociology of professions, this thesis finds doctors and scientists to belong to two distinct occupational communities that each utilise documentation technology to different extents in their displays of professional competence. Thirdly, in terms of social science research methodology, this thesis speculates about the possibility for viewing the engagement of the groups with the research process as indicative of their reactions to future sources of outside perturbance to their work.
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Angers, Daniel. "La promotion de l'hygiène privée, les autorités sanitaires de la province de Québec et la propagande hygiéniste en territoire québécois, 1908-1936." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0026/MQ35656.pdf.
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Tickle, Sharon. "Assessing the "real story" behind political events in Indonesia : email discussion list Indonesia-L's coverage of the 27 July 1996 Jakarta riots." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1997. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/35887/1/35887_Tickle_1997.pdf.
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The government-backed invasion of the Indonesian Democratic Party's Jakarta headquarters on the morning of27 July 1996, and the resulting violent riots in which
at least five people died marked a pivotal point in Indonesian politics generally, and the pro-democracy movement specifically. This was a newsworthy event which was covered extensively by the broadcast and print media globally, however the time taken to relay the story and the credibility of the reports was highly variable for
domestic as well as foreign media. Coverage by a national and regional Indonesian newspaper, as well as a national and regional Australian newspaper was compared
with the email discussion list Indonesia-L's coverage for the news values of timeliness and accuracy. The October 1996 reports into the incident by the Indonesian National Commission for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch/ Asia
were used as reference materials to evaluate the accuracy of the media reporting. The degree of government involvement in the attack on the PDI HQ was not reported by the Indonesian daily newspapers which also under-reported the number of victims while focussing on the law and order aspect of the story. Reportage by both the
national and regional Australian papers focussed on the violence of the riots which
posed a threat to President Soeharto 's rule, the role of the armed forces in
maintaining law and order, and also underestimated the number of victims. Indonesia-L disseminated the fastest and most accurate reports of the event with eyewitness
accounts providing considerable detail. Only two of the 18 postings were found to be sensationalistic and inaccurate. Implications for the future use of
computer-mediated communication, such as email discussion lists, as an alternative source of news which circumvents government control, as well as the time and commercial constraints of print media are discussed.
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Millar, Anthony. "An economic/financial, environmental/health and political analysis of the impact of replacing coal-fuelled power stations with renewable technology in Australia." Thesis, Millar, Anthony (2016) An economic/financial, environmental/health and political analysis of the impact of replacing coal-fuelled power stations with renewable technology in Australia. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University, 2016. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/33985/.
Full textAbstract:
The question to be examined in this dissertation involves the analysis of the economic/financial, environmental/health and political impact of replacing Australia’s coal fuelled power stations with renewable technology mix. The quantitative analysis was conducted using RETScreen software package and raised some fascinating results.
The RETScreen extensive quantitative analysis of the financial and economic impact of renewable energy for Australia has been conducted in this report. It shows the Net Present Value (NPV) for solar thermal was $26,061,592,811; a positive amount indicating a good investment proposition; and a reasonable Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of $3,683.37p.a. Solar thermal also offered a relatively high Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 12.1%, as well as a short Simple Payback Period (SPP) of 7.4 years. The NPV for solar photovoltaic was $43,686,592,811 making it an economically viable proposition; and a LCOE of $6,174.37 p.a. Solar PV also offered a high IRR of 20.7%, as well as a short SPP of 4.7 years. The NPV for wind was $122,850,329,916, making it a highly economically viable proposition, and a LCOE of $8,681.42. Wind also offered a high IRR of 50.1% and an extremely short SPP of 2.0 years [19]. The macroeconomic impact of the replacement of coal-fuelled power stations with renewable technology has also been calculated in this report. The switch from coal fuelled power stations to renewables would result in; 318,563 additional jobs for Australia, and increase of $24,591,152,220 annually to GDP or an increase of 1.206%.
The environmental/health aspects of the switch to renewables have been ascertained in this report. In the extraction of the coal, there is the inherent land degradation for open cut mines and the land subsidence issues for underground mines. The spontaneous combustion of coal occurs with alarming regularity in Australia with the interaction of oxygen in the air and the pulverised coal powder. The contamination of the water supply is also an issue of major concern in the extraction process. Then the issues of carbon dioxide (and other GHG’s) released into the atmosphere when the coal is combusted in the power plant solar thermal and solar PV will each save 12,252,065 tCO2 per annum, and wind will save 24,504,129 tCO2 annually; a total of 49,008,259 tCO2 annually. Other gases released from burning coal include sulphur dioxide, mercury and other particulates. These are known to cause respiratory health problems as well as acid rain and could be the direct result of human death and increase this mortality by up to 4% [46].
The current political standing and Renewable Energy Target (RET) have been assessed in this report. As at 23/02/2016, the most current renewable energy target (RET) for Australia is from the Department of the Environment (DET) media release from 23 June 2015. It states that the new target for large scale generation of “33,000GWh in 2020 will double the amount of large scale renewable energy being delivered...compared to current levels” [48]. This means the current level of large scale renewable energy in the mix of 13.47% [49] will almost double to 23.5% of the total energy supply. However, some exemptions in the RET legislation have resulted in a redistribution of wealth from retail consumers of electricity to the manufacturing export sector.
The findings of this report is that an energy mix of 50% wind, 25% solar thermal and 25% solar photovoltaic would suit Australia’s climate and economic standing. The replacement of coal fuelled power stations with 100% renewable is in the best interests for the Australian people in an economic/financial, environmental/health, and political aspects. While the rest of the planet is embracing the renewable energy renaissance, Australia has the resources and opportunity to move forward but seems to lack only motivation; the onus is on the people to demand change via their elected politicians.
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Aly, Anne M. "Audience responses to the Australian media discourse on terrorism and the 'other' : the fear of terrorism between and among Australian Muslims and the broader community." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/176.
Full textAbstract:
The terrorist attcks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001 heralded an era of unprecedented media and public attention on the global phenomenon of terrorism. Implicit in the Australian media's discourse on terrorism that evolved out of the events of 11 September is a construction of the Western world (and specifically Australia) as perpetually at threat of terrorism.
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Calvey, Jo. "Women's experiences of the workers' compensation system in Queensland, Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2002. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/731.
Full textAbstract:
This was a phenomenological study 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. Five core themes were found: negative versus positive/neutral experiences, the workplaces response and role in the process, women's experiences of payouts and tribunals, reasons why women may not claim workers' compensation, and the impact of the process on each women and their family(s). Acker's theory of 'gendered institutions' was used to understand why "many apparently gender-neutral processes are sites of gender production" (Acker, 1992b, p. 249). The experiences of the eleven women suggested that the workers' compensation system in Queensland is gendered; '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 included: establish legal obligations and enforcement of occupational health and safety responsibilities to injured or ill workers; adoption of occupational health and safety values by employers; change the attitudes of employers (recognising women as breadwinners and 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 which involves consistency, ethics, clarity, (regarding the WorkCover process for injured workers and employers), accountability and involvement of all parties. The knowledge embedded in the interviews, expressed through core stories and themes, was essential to making women's voices visible and providing an insight into service delivery based on women's experiences and needs.
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Davies, Evan. "Mandatory detention for asylum seekers in Australia : an evaluation of liberal criticism." University of Western Australia. Political Science and International Relations Discipline Group, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0202.
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This thesis evaluates the policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers maintained by successive Australian governments against several core liberal principles. These principles are derived from various accounts of liberal political thought and the major themes and criticisms inherent in the public debate over the policy. The justifications of the policy given by the Australian government and the criticisms enunciated by scholars, refugee advocates and non-government organisations with respect to the policy strongly correspond with the core liberal principles of fairness, protecting the rights of the individual, accountability and proportionality. The claims of the critics converge on a central point of contention: that the mandatory detention of asylum seekers violates core liberal principles. To ascertain the extent to which the claims of the critics can be supported, the thesis selectively draws on liberal political theory to provide a framework for the analysis of the policy against these liberal principles, a basis for inquiry largely neglected by contributors to the literature. This thesis argues that, on balance, the mandatory detention policy employed by successive Australian governments violates core liberal principles. The claims of the critics are weakened, but by no means discredited, by the importance of the government's maintenance of strong border control. In the main, however, criticisms made by opponents of the policy can be supported. This thesis contributes to the substantial body of literature on the mandatory detention policy by shedding light on how liberal principles may be applicable to the mandatory detention policy. Further, it aims to contribute to an enriched understanding of the Australian government's competence to detain asylum seekers.
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Sheppard, Jillian Eve. "The internet, society and politics : political participation in Australia." Phd thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/156018.
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This thesis examines the effects of internet use on Australian citizens' propensity to participate in political activity. The study applies the 'civic voluntarism' model of political participation to the Australian case, theorising that internet use comprises a resource. It hypothesises that participation in Australia is a factor of an individual's free time, time spent using the internet, money, civic skills, internet-related skills, recruitment and engagement. Australia is an appropriate case study due to its institutional and cultural similarities with other advanced democracies, as well as its notable differences. Voting is compulsory for Australian citizens, and they are compelled to vote frequently and in complex systems. Previous research has found that compulsory voting has positive effects on participation between elections, as well as on the stability of the country's political parties. Australians have ample opportunity to participate in politics. The thesis analyses 2010 (and earlier) Australian Election Study data, supplemented by data from previous Australian Election Studies, the World Values Survey and Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Descriptive, logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression analyses find that internet use leads to participation earlier in life than would occur otherwise, but that participants possess the high socioeconomic status of participants in other advanced democracies. Skills are particularly important: across a range of behaviours including electoral, campaign, communal and protest participation, the positive influence of internet proficiency over time spent online is evident. However, the determinants vary greatly between types of participatory act, revealing lowered costs of entry, and opportunities for low-resourced citizens to equip themselves to participate. The findings have implications for understanding how the internet impacts the changing face of participation in Australia, how citizens can be mobilised in the future and the prognosis for the health of Australia's participatory democracy.
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McClure, Roderick. "The public health impact of minor injury." Phd thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/144086.
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Khemka, Gaurav. "The impact of economic changes on disability income insurance and health in australia." Phd thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/156103.
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This thesis empirically examines the impact of economic changes on: i. the health of the general Australian population, and ii. the claim incidence experience of the Australian Disability Income Insurance (DII) business. Changes in economic conditions have been captured via movements in the unemployment rate. Changes in health by the following two indicators: a. mortality rate, and b. per capita general physician (GP) visits. In many countries it has been established that short-run cyclical patterns in mortality are associated with economic fluctuations. In Chapter 2, an aggregate state level panel data analysis is used to investigate the general pattern of cyclical mortality in Australia for the period 1985-2008. Employing a fixed effects regression methodology, we show that there is a significant counter-cyclical pattern of mortality (mortality increases during economic contractions) in the general Australian population. Evidence in the literature suggests that the pattern of cyclical mortality experienced in other countries is varied. Drawing from this literature, it is argued that one reason for the observed counter-cyclical mortality in Australia is the relatively high level of social security expenditure. In Chapter 3, a poisson fixed effects analysis shows that, in Australia, over the period 1994-2010, per capita GP visits increase with economic expansions. This may indicate that self-perceived morbidity in Australia is pro-cyclical in nature. At first glance, while this result appears to be in contradiction with counter-cyclical mortality (established in Chapter 2), it is argued that the various financial and psychological factors that cause a reduction in GP visits during economic downturns may be a factor in explaining the increase in mortality observed in Chapter 2. Practitioners of DII commonly believe that DII claims experience is highly correlated with economic movements. In Chapter 4, using claims incidence data from Australian DII business for the period 1986-2001, and a conditional model, it is found that the incidence of claims significantly increases with increasing unemployment, illustrating a counter-cyclical pattern of claims incidence. Moreover, a multinomial logit analysis on cause of claim shows that the probability of a new claim arising from accidents significantly increases with increasing unemployment. The results suggest that the counter-cyclical pattern of claim incidence may stem from increasing claims for minor causes amongst the insured population. Our results are important from the perspective of policy makers and insurance companies. For example, to a policy maker, evidence of counter-cyclical mortality and pro-cyclical GP visits provides insights on the impact of economic changes on health. This may lead to further research in order to isolate the causes of these relationships and quantify the social costs associated with tackling the issues. From the perspective of an insurer, the counter-cyclical patterns of mortality and DII claims may help them to incorporate appropriate premium loadings and capital reserves in anticipation of economic downturns.
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Klugman, K. "Democracy and the new communication technologies." Phd thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/145937.
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Clark, Julie. "Parliamentary debates about fear-of-crime : knowledge, identity, and responsibility." Phd thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147348.
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Kennedy, Steven. "The production of health : an examination of the economic determinants of health." Phd thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/146064.
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Briscoe, Gordon. "Disease, health and healing: aspects of indigenous health in Western Australia and Queensland 1900-1940." Phd thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/9815.
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In this thesis I examine aspects of disease, health and healing among the indigenous people in Western Australia and Queensland from 1900 to 1940. I argue that diseases have helped to shape and influence the interaction between the indigenous people and the various members of the settler community most concerned with them- government protectors, missionaries, pastoralists and health workers. In developing this argument I draw on the distinction made by Stephen J. Kunitz between the universalistic and particularistic approaches to historical epidemiology. Kunitz argues that the development of physiology and bacteriology transformed the practice of medicine by revealing universalistic 'natural histories' of diseases and their causative agents, but that this approach should be tempered by attention to the particular individual, cultural and institutional circumstances of disease occurrence. Diseases have a past, a present and a future of their own, and when considered within the context of human social history, are seen to be a powerful motivate force in human affairs. My approach involves examining the history of diseases, health and healing among the indigenous peoples using models of causation, some of which are biomedical, some are anthropological and others are demographic and epidemiological. There are differences between such models. The biomedical model is 'universalistic' and 'scientific', based on general principles subject to proof or denial through empirical research. In the same way, the demographic and epidemiological models are also universalistic. The anthropological model, however,is 'particularistic' in that each situation is unique and is explained by its history and internal dynamics, not by reference to general principles. The combination of the biomedical, demographic and epidemiological methods with those of social history allows an otherwise silent indigenous population to be brought into the historical narrative from which they would otherwise have been excluded.
In Western Australia, contrary to previous thinking, the total number of Aborigines increased during the study period. In particular, the number of females and older males increased under the influence of protection laws. The increases contradict the popular belief that the indigenous populations were still in decline. However, the spread of disease and the growing population worsened the already poor personal and public hygiene practices, creating the mistaken impression that the indigenous populations were declining. Indeed, diseases such as leprosy, respiratory and sexually transmitted diseases had by the 1930s reached epidemic proportions, which suggested that the indigenous people were a dying race.
The indigenous populations already contained some pathogenic infections prior to contact with Europeans. The Aborigines had developed a means, however rudimentary, of predicting how sick people reacted to an illness and of determining what the disease might be that healers treated. But following European contact, other diseases came from contact not only with Europeans but also with Asians, who introduced leprosy into mining camps and Kanakas, who introduced leprosy into the cane plantations and tuberculosis into the Cape York regions. Protection policies intensified the effects of the diseases. In Queensland, the government applied its protection policies with increasing vigour over the period, resulting in most Aborigines living on government relief depots, missions and reserves by the 1930s. Demographic analysis reveals that Queensland consistently overestimated its indigenous populations. Death, disease, health and heating among indigenous groups, therefore, came to have social and political dimensions which few, if any, people recognised at the time. In hindsight, however, we can appreciate that the assumption behind health programs was that the indigenous populations should be the passive, but grateful, recipients of welfare rather than historic actors in their own right. The consequences in terms of disease dynamics were profound. The associated practice of gathering together sick, infirm and infected people in 'disease compounds' created reservoirs of exotic diseases to infect newcomers with low immunity. The social consequences of weakened populations meant, in turn, higher numbers of inmates who succumbed to virulent infections.
Even in the absence of 'disease compounds', overcrowding of depots and inadequate health services based mostly on religious compassion (on both mission and government compounds) were instruments in promoting increased infection. After 1920 professional services supervised by government protectors and health officials became the norm, but in general, Aborigines were not allowed access to normal hospital facilities. During epidemics, overcrowding of depots and settlements meant a greater susceptibility to respiratory and sexually transmitted diseases, which became endemic, as well as to other infections such as hookworm and leprosy.
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Briscoe, Gordon. "Disease, health and healing : aspects of indigenous health in Western Australia and Queensland, 1900-1940." Phd thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/13158.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis I examine aspects of disease, health and healing among the indigenous people in Western Australia and Queensland from 1900 to 1940. I argue that diseases have helped to shape and influence the
interaction between the indigenous people and the various members of the settler community most concerned with them - government protectors, missionaries, pastoralists and health workers.
In developing this argument I draw on the distinction made by Stephen J. Kunitz between the universalistic and particularistic approaches to historical epidemiology. Kunitz argues that the development of physiology and bacteriology transformed the practice of medicine by revealing universalistic 'natural histories' of diseases and their causative agents, but that this approach should be tempered by attention to the particular individual, cultural and institutional
circumstances of disease occurrence. Diseases have a past, a present and a future of their own, and when considered within the context of human social history, are seen to be a powerful motivate force in human affairs. My approach involves examining the history of diseases, health and healing among the indigenous peoples using models of causation, some of which are biomedical, some are anthropological and others are
demographic and epidemiological. There are differences between such models. The biomedical model is 'universalistic' and 'scientific', based on general principles subject to proof or denial through empirical research. In the same way, the demographic and epidemiological models are also universalistic. The anthropological model, however, is articularistic' in that each situation is unique and is explained by its history and internal dynamics, not by reference to general principles. The combination of the biomedical, demographic and epidemiological methods with those of
social history allows an otherwise silent indigenous population to be brought into the historical narrative from which they would otherwise have been excluded.
In Western Australia, contrary to previous thinking, the total number of Aborigines increased during the study period. In particular, the number of females and older males increased under the influence of protection laws. The increases contradict the popular belief that the indigenous populations were still in decline. However, the spread of disease and the growing population worsened the already poor personal and public hygiene practices, creating the mistaken impression that the indigenous populations were declining. Indeed, diseases such as leprosy, respiratory and sexually transmitted diseases had by the 1930s reached epidemic proportions, which suggested that the indigenous people were a dying race. The indigenous populations already contained some pathogenic infections prior to contact with Europeans. The Aborigines had developed a means, however rudimentary, of predicting how sick people reacted to an illness and of determining what the disease might be that healers treated. But following European contact, other diseases came from contact
not only with Europeans but also with Asians, who introduced leprosy into mining camps and Kanakas, who introduced leprosy into the cane plantations and tuberculosis into the Cape York regions. Protection policies intensified the effects of the diseases. In
Queensland, the government applied its protection policies with increasing vigour over the period, resulting in most Aborigines living on government
·relief depots, missions and reserves by the 1930s. Demographic analysis reveals that Queensland consistently overestimated its indigenous populations. Death, disease, health and heating among indigenous groups, therefore, came to have social and political dimensions which few, if any, people recognised at the time. In hindsight, however, we can appreciate
that the assumption behind health programs was that the indigenous populations should be the passive, but grateful, recipients of welfare rather than historic actors in their own right. The consequences in terms of disease dynamics were profound. The associated practice of gathering together sick, infirm and infected people in 'disease compounds' created reservoirs of exotic diseases to infect newcomers with low immunity. The social consequences of weakened populations meant, in turn, higher numbers of inmates who succumbed to virulent infections. Even in the absence of 'disease compounds', overcrowding of depots
and inadequate health services based mostly on religious compassion (on both mission and government compounds) were instruments in promoting increased infection. After 1920 professional services supervised by government protectors and health officials became the norm, but in general, Aborigines were not allowed access to normal hospital facilities. During epidemics, overcrowding of depots and settlements meant a greater susceptibility to respiratory and sexually transmitted diseases, which became endemic, as well as to other infections such as hookworm and leprosy.
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Moon, Lynelle Jennifer. "The impact of the health care system on socioeconomic inequalities in coronary heart disease in Australia : a population-level study of 45-74 year olds." Phd thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150285.
Full textAbstract:
Socioeconomic inequalities are a substantial problem in relation to Australia's biggest killer and area of health expenditure, coronary heart disease (CHD). They have been well documented for mortality, but little is known about whether they are due to differing chances of having a major coronary event (the event rate) or of dying when one occurs (the case-fatality rate). Nor does very much detail exist on whether these inequalities have changed over time. This study aims to fill these gaps, and also to examine the role the health care system plays in generating inequalities by analysing inequalities in the use of relevant services, and whether levels of use match levels of need for these services.
A large, national dataset was constructed. It contains information on all major coronary events (essentially heart attacks) in Australia over a period of 10 years, 1996-2005, both fatal and non-fatal. Similarly, all 'services' provided for up to 10 years in the form of cholesterol-lowering medications (statins), a diagnostic procedure (angiography) and two types of revascularisation (coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCls)) are included. In addition, a measure of need for services was developed. The dataset was then linked to census information on the socioeconomic characteristics of small areas to enable analysis of differences in outcomes and services across socioeconomic groups. The majority of the analysis was carried out using negative binomial regression to derive relative and absolute measures of inequality, including in particular the relative index of inequality and the slope index of inequality.
The study clearly shows that nearly all of the socioeconomic inequality in CHD mortality in Australia comes from event rates rather than case-fatality rates. This indicates that the health care system's efforts to reduce these inequalities need to focus on preventing major coronary events, including by encouraging improvements in behavioural risk factors for them and treating risk factors when present (such as with medications), diagnosing problems early, and using surgery and other procedures (such as CABGs and PCls). Differential access to emergency care appears not to contribute to these inequalities. Time series analysis shows that inequalities in event rates have been increasing in relative terms, and even in absolute terms for males.
Analysis of the use of statins, angiography and revascularisations shows substantial inequity -that is, use relative to need is much higher among the most well-off compared with the least well-off. The former are over twice as likely as the latter to receive these services for a given level of need. The largest inequities were found for the newer service (PCl rather than CABG) and for care provided earlier in the disease process (through medications and angiography). The study also shows that differential use of private health care plays a significant role in this inequity, and rural or remote locations play a smaller role.
This study clearly demonstrates that socioeconomic inequalities in CHD are a major problem in Australia, and the gap is widening-improvements over time are benefiting the most well-off more than the least well-off. Inequalities largely derive from differential chances of having a major coronary event, rather than of dying when one occurs. The health care system appears to also contribute to the inequalities, and therefore has the potential to help reduce them by becoming more equitable.
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Leon, Lucien. "On the use of the digital moving image in retooling the australian political cartooning tradition to a new media context." Phd thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/125136.
Full textAbstract:
This research clarifies the position of the contemporary Australian political cartoonist in the context of a changing media landscape, and examines the implications of the shift of dissemination of news and current events away from news print media to the Internet. The observation that the political cartoon has, throughout its history, adapted and evolved in response to various socio-political and technological changes invites the question of how the art form might continue to endure as a vehicle for subversive political comment in the digital media age. In exploring the creative possibilities afforded by new media technologies and analysing where these outcomes intersect with the conventions and functions of political cartoons, the study specifically locates the digitally constructed, political moving image within the Australian political cartooning tradition. This position is investigated and supported through three key activities: critical engagement with the extant literature; insights gained through interviews with professional, practising political cartoonists deemed to be pioneers of the political moving image; and my development of a creative practice centred on production and dissemination of political animations. The provision of a new, revised taxonomy for the critical analysis and classification of political images compels practitioners, scholars and prize-givers to eschew hitherto inviolable determinants in the characterisation of political cartoon images so that the tradition can endure in the foreseeable future.
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Edwards, Daniel Martin. "The use of Internet communications technologies by global social movements in Australia." Phd thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/149939.
Full text
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Mein, Smith Philippa. "Reformers, mothers and babies : aspects of infant survival : Australia 1890-1945." Phd thesis, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/117391.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the relationships between infant mortality,
organised campaigns to reform mothers by education in mothercraft (the
infant welfare movement) and mothers' behaviour. It proposes that the
movement in Australia did not contribute as powerfully to the decline in
infant mortality as its protagonists professed and believed. This conclusion
rests on the demonstration of inappropriate relationships in time and space
between the putative cause and effect, as recorded in the historiography of
infant welfare.
In Australia both fertility and infant mortality fell from the 1880s. The
major declines in infant mortality began before the rise of mothercraft
institutions; infant mortality went down evenly between the states when
the baby health centres spread unevenly; and the prescriptions of infant care
responded to, more than they affected, the mortality pattern.
Both the u n derlying trend and ideas about infant mortality are
considered: a 'missionary model' is applied, and the movement is
interpreted to have been a missionary movement of intense belief systems.
Mothers' practices followed a different chronology from the rules of infant
nurture, while how mothers behaved depended on their circumstances.
The in fan t welfare movement capitalised on the o p p o rtu n ities
represented by rapid demographic change. Building on the fertility decline
and reduced infant mortality, it helped induce a more intensive attention to
babies. The raised standards expected of mothers by 1945 were made possible
by improved chances of life and health.
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Korda, Rosemary. "Socioeconomic inequalities in health care in Australia : differential impacts on mortality and inequalities in the use of services." Phd thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150898.
Full text
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Sanders, Anne Elizabeth. "Social determinants of oral health / Anne E. Sanders." 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/22014.
Full textAbstract:
September 2003"Includes bibliographical references.
xxi, 387 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
This study showed that a set of social characteristics systematically differed by socioeconomic position. Socioeconomic gradients in personal control, social support, stress and life satisfaction underlie patterns of dental behaviour that are in turn associated with oral health.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dental School, 2003
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Sanders, Anne Elizabeth. "Social determinants of oral health / Anne E. Sanders." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/22014.
Full textAbstract:
September 2003"Includes bibliographical references.
xxi, 387 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
This study showed that a set of social characteristics systematically differed by socioeconomic position. Socioeconomic gradients in personal control, social support, stress and life satisfaction underlie patterns of dental behaviour that are in turn associated with oral health.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dental School, 2003
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Risely, Melissa. "The politics of precaution : an eco-political investigation of agricultural gene technology policy in Australia, 1992-2000 / Melissa Risely." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21968.
Full text
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Fleming, Brian James. "The social gradient in health : trends in C20th ideas, Australian Health Policy 1970-1998, and a health equity policy evaluation of Australian aged care planning / Brian James Fleming." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/22062.
Full text
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Ferroni, Paola Adrian. "The effects of gynaecological conditions and hysterectomy fro reasons other than cancer on women's psycho-social and sexual health." Phd thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/258172.
Full textAbstract:
The effects of gynaecological conditions and hysterectomy on psycho-social and sexual health are analysed in relation to the experience of 930 Western Australian women. The participants in the main survey were recruited from a simple random sample of 50 general medical practices in metropolitan Perth. According to their responses they were assigned to one of three groups: healthy, gynaecological conditions, hysterectomy. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of sexual activity across the groups, depression and self esteem scores were significantly worse for women with gynaecological conditions. Of these women, those with endometriosis were more likely to be depressed and reported on average the lowest scores on self-esteem. Women's ability to orgasm was equally distributed across the three groups and did not appear to be directly associated with gynaecological dysfunction or hysterectomy.
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Davis, Robert Brent. ""Economics, politics and the uncommitted voter : econometric analyses for Australia"." Phd thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/148791.
Full text