Risking a New Underclass: young Australians, broken transitions and the pandemic

From a sociological perspective the period of adolescence has traditionally focused on young people as risk takers as well as being more vulnerable to risks, particularly as they negotiate the transition to adult status. In Australia, many youth are now confronted with a different world from their parents with regards to less certainty about entering the labour market, greater dependence on their families and less opportunity to purchase a home. The challenges associated with transitioning to adulthood are now more problematic and individualized for some young people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is argued that the current situation has disrupted the transition to adult status and now threatens to produce a new underclass of youth due to high levels of unemployment, underemployment and negative impacts on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the challenges for government and community in producing a response to this problem to reduce the risk of a cohort of youth becoming a new underclass in Australian society

A framework for developing justice reinvestment plans for crime prevention and offender rehabilitation in Australia’s remote indigenous communities

Initiatives targeting Indigenous overrepresentation in Australia’s criminal justice systems have been largely ineffectual. Justice reinvestment has been touted as a potential panacea. This article provides a framework for developing justice reinvestment plans with communities, based on a qualitative research project focusing on levels of crime and recidivism in two remote Indigenous communities. The framework is a hybrid design, informed by a crime analysis, action research, narrative data analysis and a culturally informed Indigenous research paradigm. It is argued that justice reinvestment can be successfully implemented which empowers Indigenous peoples to identify the causes of crime based on place-based solutions

Necropolitics and the violence of Indigenous incarceration

Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, over thirty years ago, there have been over 400 Indigenous deaths in custody, with 28% of the Australian prison population identifying as Indigenous. Indigenous over-representation in the criminal justice system continues to be an unresolved issue despite varying attempts to reduce the high incidence of incarceration experienced by Indigenous Australians. This paper proposes a fresh approach to analysing the violence of Indigenous incarceration using the theory of necropolitics. The paper represents a critical discussion of an ongoing research project that demonstrates how an analytical framework based on necropolitics has the potential to elevate the often-silenced voices of vulnerable populations, such as Indigenous Australians, within the criminal justice system. This is because the study will present a multi-level analysis of the overt and covert forms of violence perpetrated against Indigenous Australians within the criminal justice system and unlock the potential of exposing the extent to which unequal relations of power contribute to these forms of violence. The significance of this research therefore lies in its capacity to provide policymakers with deeper insights into how such forms of violence impact upon and further disempower Indigenous Australians in the Australian criminal justice system

Protestantische Arbeitsethik und Hedonismus unter kirgisischen, türkischen und australischen Studierenden

This paper is based on a cross-cultural research study comparing the Protestant work ethic (PWE) values of three groups of university students from post- -industrialized Australia, newly industrialized Turkey and relatively under-developed pre-industrial Kyrgyzstan. The outcomes of this research indicate that PWE endorsement is higher in less developed countries such as Kyrgyzstan followed by relatively developed countries like Turkey and then post-industrial Australia. Additionally, this research shows that the influence of leisure oriented-hedonist culture increases in highly developed societies like Australia. At the same time the PWE is increasingly evident in developing countries like Turkey and especially Kyrgyzstan through an extension of modern/industrial civilization as a form of moral justification for their current social-economic conditions.Ovaj rad temelji se na međukulturnom istraživanju koje uspoređuje vrijednosti protestantske radne etike (PWE) među trima skupinama sveučilišnih studenata iz postindustrijalizirane Australije, novoindustrijalizirane Turske i razmjerno slabo razvijenoga predindustrijskog Kirgistana. Nalazi istraživanja pokazuju da je protestantska radna etika (PWE) bolje prihvaćena u manje razvijenim zemljama, poput Kirgistana, a za njom slijede razvijenije zemlje, primjerice Turska, i na kraju postindustrijska Australija. Ovo istraživanje pokazuje i da je utjecaj na dokolicu usmjerene hedonističke kulture veći u visokorazvijenim društvima kao što je Australija. Istodobno, protestantska radna etika (PWE) sve je prisutnija u zemljama u razvoju, kojima pripada i Turska, a posebno Kirgistan, i to proširenjem moderne/industrijske civilizacije kao oblika moralnog opravdanja za društveno-gospodarske uvjete u kojima se te zemlje danas nalaze.Die vorliegende Arbeit basiert auf einer interkulturalen Untersuchung zum Vergleich von Werten protestantischer Arbeitsethik innerhalb dreier Grupen von Studierenden: einer Studentengruppe aus dem postindustrialisierten Australien, einer zweiten Gruppe aus der neuindustrialisierten Türkei und einer dritten Gruppe aus dem relativ schwach entwickelten, vorindustriellen Kirgisistan. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen, dass die protestantische Arbeitsethik in weniger entwickelten Ländern wie Kirgisistan besser aufgenommen wird; an zweiter Stelle stehen entwickeltere Länder wie die Türkei, und erst an dritter kommt das postindustrielle Australien. Des Weiteren zeigt sich, dass der Einfluss auf die hedonistische Vergnügungskultur in hochentwickelten Industriestaaten wie Australien größer ist. Zugleich jedoch greifen die Werte protestantischer Arbeitsethik immer mehr auch in Entwicklungsstaaten, zu denen auch die Türkei, besonders aber Kirgisistan gehören. Der Grund dafür liegt in der Ausbreitung der modernen Industriezivilisation, und die protestantische Arbeitsethik dient als eine Form der Rechtfertigung für die gesellschaftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Verhältnisse, in denen sich diese Länder heute befinden

The Societal Impacts of Covid-19: a transnational perspective

[Extract] The COVID-19 Pandemic, started in China and has since spread all over the world in a short time, deeply affecting all countries.. Most countries have declared a partial or complete lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. A significant portion of employees have been unable to work in traditional ways and have had to adapt to what has become known as the “new normal”. In essence we have gone beyond the norms we used to know and have had to construct new ways of living in the times of COVID-19. The way we know how to work and live has changed. Middle and upper classes, whose jobs are suitable for digitalization, started working online. Every extraordinary period has its winners and losers. The winners of the coronavirus pandemic period were mainly hygiene materials manufacturers, gaming companies, electronic commerce, high technology, and pharmaceutical companies etc. On the other hand, economies all over the world have shrunk. The hardest hit in the pandemic have been the areas of tourism, hospitality and entertainment etc. resulting in high rates of unemployment or underemployment within these sectors. Unemployment and existential anxiety have peaked during 2020 with increased fears posed by the new risks associated with becoming infected. With the loss of loved ones and separation from friends and family. Psycho-social problems have also increased due to the effects of prolonged uncertainty imposed by the pandemic across all facets of everyday life In all life satisfaction has declined across in all social groups with the vulnerable most at risk due to the long lasting effects on the pandemi

Protestantische Arbeitsethik und Hedonismus unter kirgisischen, türkischen und australischen Studierenden

This paper is based on a cross-cultural research study comparing the Protestant work ethic (PWE) values of three groups of university students from post- -industrialized Australia, newly industrialized Turkey and relatively under-developed pre-industrial Kyrgyzstan. The outcomes of this research indicate that PWE endorsement is higher in less developed countries such as Kyrgyzstan followed by relatively developed countries like Turkey and then post-industrial Australia. Additionally, this research shows that the influence of leisure oriented-hedonist culture increases in highly developed societies like Australia. At the same time the PWE is increasingly evident in developing countries like Turkey and especially Kyrgyzstan through an extension of modern/industrial civilization as a form of moral justification for their current social-economic conditions.Ovaj rad temelji se na međukulturnom istraživanju koje uspoređuje vrijednosti protestantske radne etike (PWE) među trima skupinama sveučilišnih studenata iz postindustrijalizirane Australije, novoindustrijalizirane Turske i razmjerno slabo razvijenoga predindustrijskog Kirgistana. Nalazi istraživanja pokazuju da je protestantska radna etika (PWE) bolje prihvaćena u manje razvijenim zemljama, poput Kirgistana, a za njom slijede razvijenije zemlje, primjerice Turska, i na kraju postindustrijska Australija. Ovo istraživanje pokazuje i da je utjecaj na dokolicu usmjerene hedonističke kulture veći u visokorazvijenim društvima kao što je Australija. Istodobno, protestantska radna etika (PWE) sve je prisutnija u zemljama u razvoju, kojima pripada i Turska, a posebno Kirgistan, i to proširenjem moderne/industrijske civilizacije kao oblika moralnog opravdanja za društveno-gospodarske uvjete u kojima se te zemlje danas nalaze.Die vorliegende Arbeit basiert auf einer interkulturalen Untersuchung zum Vergleich von Werten protestantischer Arbeitsethik innerhalb dreier Grupen von Studierenden: einer Studentengruppe aus dem postindustrialisierten Australien, einer zweiten Gruppe aus der neuindustrialisierten Türkei und einer dritten Gruppe aus dem relativ schwach entwickelten, vorindustriellen Kirgisistan. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen, dass die protestantische Arbeitsethik in weniger entwickelten Ländern wie Kirgisistan besser aufgenommen wird; an zweiter Stelle stehen entwickeltere Länder wie die Türkei, und erst an dritter kommt das postindustrielle Australien. Des Weiteren zeigt sich, dass der Einfluss auf die hedonistische Vergnügungskultur in hochentwickelten Industriestaaten wie Australien größer ist. Zugleich jedoch greifen die Werte protestantischer Arbeitsethik immer mehr auch in Entwicklungsstaaten, zu denen auch die Türkei, besonders aber Kirgisistan gehören. Der Grund dafür liegt in der Ausbreitung der modernen Industriezivilisation, und die protestantische Arbeitsethik dient als eine Form der Rechtfertigung für die gesellschaftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Verhältnisse, in denen sich diese Länder heute befinden

Responding to violent assaults against police

This research was the result of a partnership between a multidisciplinary team from James Cook University and staff from Queensland Police Service (QPS). The two year project stemmed from conversations about concerns relating to the high incidence of assaults against front line QPS officers from members of the general public. This led to the generation of the research question of "What are the main reasons why police officers in Queensland are assaulted in the course of executing their official duties?" Specifically the project focused on the five aims: 1. To gain the perceptions of Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers regarding the emotional social and physical impacts as a result of being assaulted by members of the community. 2. Identify the precipitating factors which resulted in assaults against QPS officers from as well as how police respond to potential conflict situations with members of the public. 3. To compare the nature and frequency of the types of assaults against police from urban regional and remote locations. 4. Identify gaps in the training and professional development of police officers in terms of responding to potential conflict situations. 5. To gain the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of offenders who have been convicted of assaulting police concerning their self-esteem, attitudes to aggression, impulsivity, behavioural and self-control, as well as attitudes to authority, in order to identify the precipitating factors which led to these conflicts with police. To address the research question and aims, a mixed methodology was adopted consisting of qualitative data including semi-structured interviews with police who had been the victims of assaults as well as prisoners who had been charged with assaulting police. In addition, quantitative date was obtained from police and prisoners through the use of a series of psychological scales which measured behavioural and attitudinal characteristics of individuals. Finally, interpretive data relating to the analysis of five cases recorded from police body worn cameras was obtained to identify factors which increase the likelihood of police being assaulted. The triangulation of the data from each source allowed for the formulation of a number of informed observations which contributed to the key recommendations outlined in the this report including mandatory sentences for offenders, better police communication training, a public education programme and support for officers who were the victims of assaults

Resistant pathogens in biliary obstruction: Importance of cultures to guide antibiotic therapy

Background . Cholangitis, infection of the bile ducts, is a serious condition that necessitates prompt and efficacious treatment for a good clinical outcome. A single center retrospective study of cholangitis was conducted to better define the spectrum of responsible pathogens and their antibiotic sensitivities. Methods . We studied all patients at our hospital who had cholangitis from January 1998 to June 2004. Patients were identified by ICD-9 codes and the cause of the cholangitis, the treatment and culture data were noted by review of the medical record. Results . Thirty patients presented with cholangitis as noted by the clinical symptoms of jaundice, fever and abdominal pain. The cause of the biliary obstruction was gallstones in 18 patients, benign biliary strictures in 5 and malignant obstruction in 7. All the patients with malignant obstruction with cholangitis had stents; there were no cases of cholangitis in malignant obstruction unless prior instrumentation had been performed. The most common isolates were Enterococcus>E. coli>Enterobacter>Klebsiella. Sixty-four percent of blood cultures and all but one of the bile cultures grew organisms. Seventy-two percent of patients had positive blood cultures with at least one resistant organism present and 36% had organisms resistant to multiple antibiotics. Fifty percent of patients with benign biliary disease and positive blood cultures had multiple organisms growing in their blood. Three-quarters of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics and one-quarter of isolates were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Resistant organisms were found regardless of the cause of the biliary obstruction. Discussion . For all causes of cholangitis, there is a high incidence of positive blood cultures and a high rate of antibiotic resistance. For optimal treatment, blood and/or bile cultures should be routinely performed to optimize antibiotic therapy.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73375/1/13651820510028792.pd

The culture of joyriding in Queensland: The offender's perspective

There has been increased public concern about the increase in car theft in Australia. A high proportion of cars are stolen by young people in order to joyride (stealing cars for short-term transport or for non-utilitarian purposes). This paper is based on the outcomes of a two-year qualitative research study that examined the motivations of youth as to why they became involved in the culture of joyriding behaviour. The outcomes of this project highlight a number of diverse factors across race, class and gender lines. The paper concludes with a series of intervention strategies for reducing joyriding behaviour based on an integrated education programme and the introduction of motor projects