Bloodlust: a postcolonial sociology of childbirth
In: Social identities: journal for the study of race, nation and culture, Band 18, Heft 5, S. 521-535
ISSN: 1363-0296
16 Ergebnisse
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In: Social identities: journal for the study of race, nation and culture, Band 18, Heft 5, S. 521-535
ISSN: 1363-0296
In: Social identities: journal for the study of race, nation and culture, Band 16, Heft 5, S. 583-585
ISSN: 1363-0296
In: Social identities: journal for the study of race, nation and culture, Band 16, Heft 5, S. 587-596
ISSN: 1363-0296
In: Journal of Social Inclusion: JoSI, Band 6, Heft 2, S. 51
ISSN: 1836-8808
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI, Band 50, Heft 3, S. 277-296
ISSN: 1839-4655
Training and education are acknowledged routes into employment, but they also entail risks of contemporaneous financial loss, and economic and social insecurity. This paper explores the specific risk of homelessness among apprentices and trainees, drawing on a survey conducted in South Australia in 2013. Housing has been largely overlooked by studies of the wellbeing of apprentices and trainees, and by explorations of the drivers of attrition rates that continue to plague Australia's training schemes. The data examined here reveal the high proportion of income that trainees spent on their housing; home moves motivated by the desire to reduce rental or mortgage payments; and a small proportion of learners who experienced periods of homelessness. Closer statistical analysis reveals that apprentices and trainees with past experiences of homelessness were disproportionately likely to be pursuing courses in retail and personal services, or in transport. They were also likely to be receiving Youth Allowance or AUSTUDY payments. We recommend better recording of apprentices' and trainees' housing situations and greater use of administrative data to improve our understanding and reduce the incidence of homelessness among this population.
In: Journal of Social Inclusion: JoSI, Band 6, Heft 1, S. 163-185
ISSN: 1836-8808
Workforce exclusion is a complex and enduring problem in Australia, with some groups of job seekers more likely to be disadvantaged in the labour market than others. We identify a dominant 'work first' unemployment intervention narrative that ignores the nature of disadvantage and its relationship to workforce exclusion. This narrative reduces unemployment to a simple matter of labour market supply and demand, and privileges immediate economic productivity and exit from welfare payments over sustainable attachment to quality jobs. We examine fourteen programs for disadvantaged job seekers under one national provider network. Data was gathered from eleven semi-structured telephone interviews and eight evaluation reports and analysed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo. Our findings challenge the dominant narrative and stress the importance of a partnership-orientated and capacity building focus on the unemployed person, and the significance of quality employment with long term support. We identify the importance of acknowledging job seekers' strengths, aspirations and preferences, and of job seekers having agency to determine their own pathways with support from service providers.
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI, Band 56, Heft 4, S. 559-578
ISSN: 1839-4655
AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic is a public health, economic and social crisis that is likely to have lasting consequences, including increased rates of financial hardship, housing insecurity, mental health problems, substance abuse and domestic violence. Workers in the community service sector have continued to support some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians during the pandemic, while also delivering services to new groups experiencing the economic impacts of virus suppression strategies. We surveyed community service sector workers from across Australia in three snapshots during April–May 2020 and found that perceptions of acute needs and organisational pressure points shifted even through this short period. While the sector faced significant challenges, it responded to the initial phase of the pandemic with flexibility, a strongly client‐centred approach and a re‐emphasis on collaboration between services. The community service sector's demonstrated capacity for agility and rapid adaptation suggests it is well placed to provide critical supports to those affected by crisis situations and everyday disadvantage. However, the sector's capacity to perform this role effectively depends on strong, stable government supports for all Australians in need.
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI, Band 55, Heft 4, S. 474-491
ISSN: 1839-4655
AbstractThere is growing recognition of the experience of non‐death‐related loss and grief. One unexplored area of non‐death‐related loss and grief is associated with older people's transition from home to residential aged care (RAC). This paper reports findings from a qualitative study that explored the experiences of people living in RAC, carer‐relatives of people living in RAC and RAC staff. Using theories of loss and grief, the paper identifies features of the transition to RAC that are associated with unresolved loss and maladaptation to changed circumstances, and the types of support that would mitigate these. Using a series of focus groups with both residents and carer‐relatives, as well as staff, the study found that residents and their families need more support to negotiate the multiple, often necessarily hasty decisions and bureaucratic requirements associated with transitioning to RAC, while simultaneously experiencing loss and grief. The types of support that families would welcome from service providers include facilitating shared decision making, valuing family and community carer expertise and providing practical information and assistance to fulfil administrative obligations.
In: Social Inclusion, Band 8, Heft 3, S. 88-101
ISSN: 2183-2803
Australia's social housing sector is under great pressure. Actions to improve social housing sector capacity and responsiveness have occupied the minds and endeavours of many policy makers, practitioners and scholars for some time now. This article focusses on one approach to challenges within the sector recently adopted in a socio-economically disadvantaged area within Adelaide, South Australia: transfer of housing stock from the public to the community housing sector for capacity and community building purposes (the Better Places, Stronger Communities Public Housing Transfer Program). The discussion draws on evaluative research about this northern Adelaide program, which has a deliberate theoretical and practical foundation in community development and place-making as a means for promoting and strengthening social inclusion, complementing its tenancy management and asset growth focuses. Tenants and other stakeholders report valued outcomes from the program's community development activities—the focus of this article—which have included the coproduction of new and necessary social and physical infrastructures to support community participation and engagement among (vulnerable) tenants and residents, confidence in the social landlord and greater feelings of safety and inclusion among tenants, underpinning an improving sense of home, community and place. Consideration of program outcomes and lessons reminds us of the importance of the 'social' in social housing and social landlords. The program provides a model for how social landlords can work with tenants and others to (re)build home and community in places impacted by structural disadvantage, dysfunction, or change. The article adds to the literature on the role of housing, in this case community housing, as a vehicle for place-making and promoting community development and social inclusion.
In: Social enterprise journal, Band 20, Heft 5, S. 951-968
ISSN: 1750-8533
Purpose
Though qualitative evidence of social impact exists for disability-inclusive social enterprise, there is a dearth of quantitative economic impact on their social impact. This study aims to address this gap and investigate the appropriateness and usefulness of social return on investment (SROI) methodology in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data was collected from people with disabilities, their families, staff at the parent company (an Australian Disability Enterprise [ADE]), social investors and other key stakeholders (n = 17). The study was also informed by the literature and a steering group to provide expert opinion when no other data existed to inform estimates. Sensitivity analysis was performed to check the robustness of the analysis.
Findings
Social return was estimated at $1.47–$2.65 for every $1 invested (over 3 years) and $8.48–$12.63 (20 years). Some forecast assumptions significantly impacted upon final ratios and need to be tested. How SROI ratios are received by social investors, the ADE sector and government remains untested. However, the political climate suggests ADEs adopting social enterprise models will be well received if they can deliver, and demonstrate through robust measurement, sustainable open employment opportunities.
Originality/value
Few studies exist that estimate the social impact of social enterprises supporting open employment of people with disabilities. At a time when ADEs (sheltered workshops) have been heavily criticised for providing repetitive, menial work for top up wages on welfare payments, the outputs from this research may provide valuable data to an ADE sector in transition as well as social investors and policy makers who increasingly require robust measurement of impact.
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI
ISSN: 1839-4655
AbstractFinancing human service delivery through social impact bonds (SIBs) is the subject of some critical commentary in the academic literature, but this tends to be largely theoretical rather than empirically based. This paper presents empirical evidence of how SIB financing can promote positive social and economic outcomes for governments, not‐for‐profit providers, individual service beneficiaries and society more broadly. The paper presents some of the results of an evaluation of the Aspire SIB, which financed an innovative intensive case management program providing housing and wraparound supports over a 3‐year period for people experiencing chronic homelessness. Aspire participants experienced significantly improved outcomes and decreased service needs, delivering downstream cost savings across several areas of government service delivery. This paper describes how the SIB financing mechanism underpinned the success of Aspire by promoting flexible, collaborative, outcome‐focussed and data‐informed responses to a challenging, multi‐faceted social problem.
In: Children and youth services review: an international multidisciplinary review of the welfare of young people, Band 63, S. 110-119
ISSN: 0190-7409
This project examines whether current social housing allocation and matching policies and practices meet the needs of applicants or tenants and maximise social housing sector performance and efficiency outcomes. It looks at how to optimise housing stock allocations based on individual needs (including the role of support) and neighbourhood and community needs (avoiding concentrations of disadvantage and potential antisocial behaviour).
'Allocation' is the rationing of access to social housing, and 'Matching' is the process of trying to best fit the requirement of allocated households with the attributes of the available stock—including size, location and service access, as well as in terms of community harmony and individual wellbeing.
The research reviewed international and Australian policy, interviewed stakeholders across four jurisdictions (QLD, VIC, TAS and SA), developed an evaluation framework (Social Return on Investment - SROI) for housing allocation strategies.
The international policy review suggests the Choice-based lettings model could enhance tenants' choice and reduce stigma; local allocation plans could improve tenant composition and social mix in specific neighbourhoods; policies to address underutilisation of social housing should be carefully considered; and programs integrating support services onsite to address tenants with complex needs should be more widespread.
The research findings suggest Governments should view the social housing sector as part of the larger housing market rather than as a separate, standalone system. The sector would benefit from expanding its limited target from tenants with highest need for housing integrated with other support, through to people with high need for housing but no need for other support, to people in need of affordable housing only in various forms.
This research explores the different crisis accommodation models operating in Australia, as well as the different approaches to case management and key principles for ensuring a supportive built environment. It documents what works and what doesn't work, together with the needs and outcomes for those in crisis accommodation.
Formal crisis accommodation supports a range of people experiencing acute housing need, and in particular: women and children experiencing domestic and family violence; children and young people; Aboriginal Australians; people experiencing repeat or chronic homelessness; people with mental health issues or problematic substance use; and an increasing number of older Australians.
Crisis accommodation is concentrated in capital cities and major towns, with limited options available in regional and remote areas. On-site support is a significant element of many models, including congregate crisis supported accommodation services and youth and family violence refuges.
To meet high demand, many SHSs across Australia also rely on purchasing short-term crisis accommodation from private operators of boarding houses, hotels, motels, hostels and caravan parks. This accommodation is often inappropriate and provides inadequate support for those who receive it.
The research provides a number of guidelines for policy makers including that quality and safety standards are needed for all crisis accommodation; enhanced integration of primary and allied health services with crisis accommodation can better deliver the supports people need; purchased crisis accommodation that falls below standards should not be used; and evaluating models of different services facilitate sharing of good practice and learnings to support continuous improvement.
In: Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly: journal of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Band 53, Heft 5, S. 1306-1328
ISSN: 1552-7395
The community sector performs an important function in providing emergency food relief, yet food insecurity is often a chronic issue due to poverty and social exclusion. Progressive food provision models present opportunities to improve voluntary food relief services that are dominant in many countries. Informed by research with clients indicating a preference for blended service models that go beyond food provision, two government agencies partnered with a social enterprise and academics to pilot a social supermarket model. This research article (a) briefly summarizes international evidence on social supermarkets' characteristics and offerings, (b) describes a process used to collaboratively develop a social supermarket incorporating universal access and social supports, and (c) presents a rubric defining elements of a social supermarket. Applicable to other community sector settings, the rubric emphasizes dignified access and service, plus opportunities for social support and connection, which are important elements in pathways out of food insecurity.