Edited by the Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology

New Research

Stronger, simpler, smarter ESOS: supporting international students

Stronger, simpler, smarter ESOS: supporting international students

09 March 2010This final report of the Baird review of the legislation that governs international education in Australia makes a series of recommendations for reform.
Reforming the global order

Reforming the global order

05 March 2010Despite the many reasons to be pessimistic about the current world situation there are some distinguished optimists out there, with concrete plans for change for the better.
Here to help: Strengthening the Defence role in Australian disaster management

Here to help: Strengthening the Defence role in Australian disaster management

02 March 2010This report argues that it's time for Defence to more fully incorporate domestic disaster assistance tasks as part of its core business.
A stronger, fairer Australia

A stronger, fairer Australia

19 February 2010Launched on 28 January 2010, A Stronger, Fairer Australia sets out the Australian Government’s vision and strategy for social inclusion, now and into the future.

Review of the General Skilled Migration Points Test: discussion paper

16 February 2010This paper examines the effectiveness of the current Points Test in identifying potential migrants who will make the optimal contribution to Australia’s future economic challenges. 
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Community

The Brotherhood's social barometer: living the second fifty years

09 March 2010The fourth Social Barometer examines the extent of disadvantage among older Australians through indicators of people’s capabilities covering eight key dimensions of life, including employment, income, health, housing, safety and social participation.

Demography as destiny: Schooling, work and Aboriginal population change at Wadeye

05 March 2010Recent Commonwealth Treasury intergenerational reports have failed to consider the very different challenges that arise for the Indigenous population as a consequence of demographic ageing.

Power, culture, economy: Indigenous Australians and mining

02 March 2010While mining developments in regional and remote Australia may be the major­ contributors to local economic development, Indigenous communities have gained only limited long-term economic benefits from mining activity.

Welfare

A national quality framework to support quality services for people experiencing homelessness

A national quality framework to support quality services for people experiencing homelessness

01 March 2010This discussion paper is part of consultations to develop a national quality framework (NQF) that will maximise the outcomes and life opportunities for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Commentary

Silence

27 February 2010In this essay, first published in The Age, Maria Turmarkin explores what being silent or saying something actually means.

Charter of rights as urgent as ever

23 February 2010A human rights act should remain a priority for the federal government, argues Susan Ryan

Australia-India: reimagining the relationship

15 February 2010First, let’s fix the education problems. Then let’s recognise the missing link in Australia–India relations, writes Robin Jeffrey in Inside Story
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Audio

The protection of human rights in Australia - a way forward

Listen to audio
27 November 2009In this lecture Ms Kostakidis discusses the themes that emerged from the 40,000 responses that were received during the consultation into the adequacy of the protection of human rights in Australia.

Housing for millions

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27 November 2009Planning for happy cities, when you're also jamming in millions more people, is politically tricky.

Immigration & refugees

Video

Flight of the Kiwi: Perspectives on migration from Aotearoa/New Zealand

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15 January 2010Why are so many New Zealanders flocking to Australian shores, and what can be done to stop the so-called Kiwi ‘brain drain’?

John Pilger attacks the Australian Government

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26 November 2009As conflicts rage around the globe, Pilger argues that in Australia we have largely remained silent on injustices in the Middle East, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Aboriginal communities and refugees.

Families & households

From the margins to the mainstream: the challenges for microfinance in Australia

09 March 2010This report on research undertaken by the Brotherhood and Community Foresters Finance draws on the literature and stakeholder consultation to explore microfinance in Australia, highlighting the need to achieve sustainability, scale up successful pilot programs and measure impact on financial exclusion.

Turning 18: pathways and plans

09 March 2010The longitudinal Life Chances Study has followed some 140 young people from diverse backgrounds since they were infants. This report documents the altest stage of the project.

Websites

Human Rights Act myth busters

02 March 2010Monash University's Castan Centre 'myth-busters' address claims made during the spirited debate following the 2009 National Human Rights Consultation Committee report recommending the adoption of an Australian Human Rights Act.

SettlerColonialStudies.org

06 February 2010This Melbourne-based blog is concerned with promoting a global appraisal of Indigenous issues, and an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenon of settler colonialism and its consequences.

Taking the Initiative

13 January 2010Taking the Initiative has been designed for police around Australia, to help them get to know what other jurisdictions are doing to improve their relationships with Australia's new arrivals.

Most viewed: This week

1
Framework for measuring wellbeing: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 2010
2
Turning 18: pathways and plans
3
Do employers discriminate by gender? A field experiment in female-dominated occupations
4
Stronger, simpler, smarter ESOS: supporting international students
5
The Brotherhood's social barometer: living the second fifty years

Jobs

Events

Delivering Policy Masterclass: Led by Prof Scott Prasser
18 Mar 2010 - 9:00am - 30 Mar 2010 - 5:30pm
Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne
Seminar
Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change - Australian book launch, talk, Q&A
24 Mar 2010
Sydney
Conference
Arts-Activated Conference
25 Mar 2010 - 26 Mar 2010
Sydney

Books

Outrageous! Moral panics in Australia

Outrageous! Moral panics in Australia

  • Edited by Scott Poynting and George Morgan
  • ACYS Publishing
In this detailed examination of case studies, a distinguished group of experts demystifies the social processes of moral panic in Australia.
Racial Folly: A twentieth-century Aboriginal family

Racial Folly: A twentieth-century Aboriginal family

  • Gordon Briscoe
  • ANU E Press
A memoir and history of an Aboriginal family living under the race laws, practices and policies of Australia in the twentieth century.

Noticeboard

African Australians research project launched
26 March 2009

It is expected the project will yield the first-ever national picture of important human rights issues for African Australians.

Policy Guides

Arts for all: opening doors to people with a disability

This guide provides practical and long-term ways for artists and arts organisations to enhance their access, market their events to the disabled community and build new audiences.

15-02-10

Topics

APO