The contribution of Max Weber's Protestant Ethic to debate on the cultural forces that precipitated the shift from feudal to capitalist modes of production is without precedent. While this debate is presumed to have run its course, contemporary preoccupations with extensive and intensive working hours suggest a revisit may be timely. This article proposes an affinity between the shift to abstract modes of time in capitalism and the ideas underpinning the medieval invention of purgatory. This `invention' was seen to overcome the problem of time scarcity, but similar to the Protestant Ethic, illustrates the conundrum that the cure can become the disease. In the case of purgatory, the disease is a purgatorial complex, a profound anxiety-driven relationship to time.
The provision of services such as power, water, and housing for Indigenous people is seen as essential in the Australian Government's "Closing the Gap" policy. While the cost of providing these services, in particular adequate water supplies, is significantly higher in remote areas, they are key contributors to improving the health of Indigenous peoples. In many remote areas, poor quality groundwater is the only supply available. Hard water results in the deterioration of health hardware, which refers to the facilities considered essential for maintaining health. This study examined the costs associated with water hardness in eight communities in the Northern Territory. Results show a correlation between water hardness and the cost of maintaining health hardware, and illustrates one aspect of additional resourcing required to maintain Indigenous health in remote locations.
The provision of services such as power, water, and housing for Indigenous people is seen as essential in the Australian Government's "Closing the Gap" policy. While the cost of providing these services, in particular adequate water supplies, is significantly higher in remote areas, they are key contributors to improving the health of Indigenous peoples. In many remote areas, poor quality groundwater is the only supply available. Hard water results in the deterioration of health hardware, which refers to the facilities considered essential for maintaining health. This study examined the costs associated with water hardness in eight communities in the Northern Territory. Results show a correlation between water hardness and the cost of maintaining health hardware, and illustrates one aspect of additional resourcing required to maintain Indigenous health in remote locations.
Few studies investigating the psychological determinants of water consumption and conservation use metered household water data. Studies that have used metered consumption have found that individual-level motivations are often weak predictors. This may be due to the psychological determinants being measured at the individual level and metered consumption at the household level. This article contributes to the water consumption literature by (a) identifying the determinants of change in water consumption over time and (b) testing effects in single-person households where levels of analysis are equivalent. We applied models to data from South Australia ( N = 410) and Victoria ( N = 205) and found that variables at the individual, household, dwelling, and regional levels predict the initial level of consumption and/or its rate of change. Some individual-level variables were not significant predictors of household consumption but did predict individual consumption. We discuss these results in light of previous research and offer avenues for future research.
