New Research

Access and Equity Inquiry into the responsiveness of Australian Government services to Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse population

18 December 2011The focus of the Inquiry is on the Australian Government departments and agencies and responses are now being sought to this discussion paper.

Adoptions Australia 2010-11

15 December 2011During 2010-11 there were 384 finalised adoptions across Australia-the lowest annual number on record. Of these adoptions: 56% were intercountry, 12% were local and 32% were 'known' child adoptions.

Australia's welfare 2011

25 November 2011As the most comprehensive and authoritative source of national information on welfare services in Australia this tenth biennial report includes information about youth services; disability services; aged and informal care; homelessness; housing assistance; community services workforce; welfare expenditure and more.

An overview of global food losses and waste

An overview of global food losses and waste

25 November 2011According to this report, almost one-third of food produced for human consumption -approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year, which could feed the total global population of 7 billion - is either lost or wasted.

Getting the housing we want.

14 November 2011This report argues that to achieve a transformation in what we build and where we build it, there need to be new incentives for both communities and developers.

Economic indicators NSW (October 2011)

14 November 2011NSW updates statistical information on key economic indicators, presenting a snapshot of the NSW economy and providing comparison with other Australian States and Territories.

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Families & households

Past and present adoptions in Australia

09 February 2012This Facts Sheet provides a summary of the ways in which adoption currently operates, past adoption practices, and the potential impacts adoption has on those involved.

State Trustees Limited: management of represented persons

08 February 2012This audit found that State Trustees is not able to clearly demonstrate that it is fulfilling its obligations to represented persons.

Family violence and Commonwealth laws - improving legal frameworks: final report

08 February 2012This report contains 102 recommendations for law reform to address family violence.

Social inclusion

Teaching with social media in classroom settings: Top ten practices from teachers around Europe

05 February 2012The “Teachers’ competition for social media use in formal language learning contexts” was created within the framework of the EU-funded network “Language learning and social media: 6 key dialogues”.

Service costs in modern residential aged care facilities

31 January 2012This paper presents the results of a national study of the cost of delivering residential aged care services in modern and efficient facilities.

Commentary

Heritage, memory and identity - global issues?

20 October 2011Can heritage be globalised like information or commerce? Martine Hawkes reviews a collection of essays from around the world on heritage, memory and identity.

Why we need social science

16 September 2011The social sciences produce a kind of knowledge that has become vital, writes Raewyn Connell in this edited extract from her new book, Confronting Equality.

Big Australia: Governments need to decide if they want 'Green' Australia or 'White' Australia

10 June 2011writes Jo Coghlan.

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Topic Guides

NBN: Guide for Consumers

  • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network & Internet Society Australia

09 June 2011The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), have developed NBN: A Guide for Consumers, designed to offer all Australians information about the National Broadband Network.

Homelessness

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011Despite numerous reports, reviews and initiatives over many years, homelessness remains a policy issue in search of a solution.

Equity and education

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011In the international testing stakes, Australian school students are mostly high achievers. However, there is a significant equity problem in education.

Audio

Multiculturalism, migration and a sustainable Australia

Listen to audio
10 November 2011 Australia's brand of multiculturalism is admired by other nations, but it still has its sticking points, and future challenges as discussed in this Social Policy Research Centre forum.

Understanding the rise of solo living in Australia

Listen to audio
29 August 2011One in four Australian households are single occupancy homes, and it's predicted that in the coming decades millions more of us will choose to live alone.

Immigration & refugees

Inclusive education for students with refugee experience: whole school reform in a South Australian primary school

25 January 2012In recent years, there has been an increase in students with refugee experience in the UK, the US, Europe and Australia.

Immigration detention in Australia

23 January 2012The policy of mandatory detention in Australia (that is the legal requirement to detain all non-citizens without a valid visa) was introduced by the Keating (Labor) Government in 1992 in response to a wave of Indochinese boat arrivals.

Australian Government spending on irregular maritime arrivals and counter-people smuggling activity

23 January 2012There has been much discussion in both the media and political debate in recent times about the substantial and rising costs to the Australian Government of intercepting, detaining and processing asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Video

Population growth: What is desirable and sustainable? What is inevitable?

Listen to audio
21 May 2010In this Melbourne Conversations event, prominent commentators discuss the numerous pros and cons of predicted population growth.

Racism in Australia. Reynolds, Hirst, Brett and Hage

Listen to audio
02 November 2009This stellar line-up addresses, amongst many other things, the recent re-emergence of the 'boat people' issue; the Cronulla riots; the history of racism in Australia; and its legacy in the form of contemporary indigenous disadvantage.

Youth

Juvenile detention population in Australia 2011

09 February 2012This report presents information on the number of young people in detention in 2011 and describes recent trends in the detention population.

Early childhood, education and training; justice; emergency management

08 February 2012Volume one of the report focuses on early childhood, education and training as well as justice and emergency management sectors.

Websites

Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia

30 August 2011Commissioner for Children and Young People WA Michelle Scott has released a new online resource that provides a socio-demographic profile of Western Australia’s 500,000 children and young people.

Census of Population and Housing

04 August 2011This is the official website for matters concerning the 9 August 2011 Census of Population and Housing in Australia.

Australian Social Policy Association (ASPA)

18 July 2011Established to promote debate and to increase understanding of social policy in Australia, the ASPA enables productive collaborations between those working and researching in social policy locally, across the Asia-Pacific region and internationally.

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Books

Speechwriting for government in Australia

Speechwriting for government in Australia

  • James Groves
  • James Groves & Associates
"...an indispensible book...excellent practical guide to the art of effective oral communication" from the Foreword by Malcolm Hazell CVO AM, former Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Digital futures for cultural and media studies

Digital futures for cultural and media studies

  • John Hartley
  • Wiley-Blackwell
As they play with their digital devices and online games, children may unknowingly be making up the kind of democracy we will have tomorrow.

Noticeboard

Topic Guides

NBN: Guide for Consumers

  • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network & Internet Society Australia

09 June 2011The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), have developed NBN: A Guide for Consumers, designed to offer all Australians information about the National Broadband Network.

Topics

APO