45 research outputs found
Families living in poverty in Broadmeadows: Challenges, survival strategies and support services
The aim of this research was to
provide a detailed description of the issues and experiences of families living in
poverty in the Broadmeadows area of Melbourne. The project evolved from
consultation with Broadmeadows Uniting Care (BUC) in which they expressed interest
in gaining more information about the lives of clients, in particular families who used
the agency’s emergency relief (ER) service regularly. A qualitative approach was
undertaken in order to gain in-depth and contextually rich data from participants. It
was established from the agency’s database that a large number of single parent
families used the service and thus, single parents were interviewed for the study.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight single-parent clients who had
used the ER service three or more times during 2005. Data analysis identified a
number of issues and challenges faced by single parent families living in poverty:
these were categorised into the main themes of: financial support, emotional support,
social support, survival strategies and effects on children
Harmony in the community: Group perspectives on the health benefits of singing
Singing has been linked to a wide variety of individual level health benefits, but less is known about the possible community level benefits. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of both individual and community health benefits of group singing as well as the challenges that community singing groups face. The aim was to expand on previous studies by exploring the perspectives of particular demographic groups such as those with disabilities. Focus groups were conducted with 44 participants of five different Victorian singing groups: a Sing Australia choir, a community singing group, a multicultural choir, a singing group for women with disabilities and a men’s singing group. The findings suggested themes that centred around physical health, wellbeing, social, and community benefits and challenges. Participants also reported high levels of engagement in community activities. The findings have implications for singing groups and community arts policy initiatives
Facing a World of NO: How Accessible is a Career in Psychology for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?
As a discipline and profession, psychology has
far more to gain t
han lose by attracting
and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isla
nder Australians to pursue careers in
psychology. The availability of Indigenous he
alth professionals is an important, if not
critical, component of prov
iding culturally appropriate
services to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. If psychol
ogists are genuine about addressing the wide
gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
health outcomes, an important way
forward is to increase the number of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
psychologists from the current total of fewe
r than 50 Australia-wide, which represents
only 0.3% of the profession. This paper draws
together interviews with 3 Aboriginal
women who have completed 4 years of accred
ited study in psychology. Their comments
provide insight into the barriers confron
ting many Indigenous people embarking on a
career in psychology, whether it is pursued
via a supervised practice pathway or
accredited postgraduate study. Learnings
include the importance of addressing
institutional and interpersonal racism,
challenging culturally-bound approaches within
psychology curricula, and ensuring cultura
l safety and support for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students and graduates
The experience of women and doctors : a Melbourne study
Abstract not available