The influence of faith-based organisations on Australian social policy

This historical overview explores the crucial and changing relationships between faith-based organisations and governments, not only in the implementation of social services but also in the formation of social policy. Historically Australian governments have left large areas of social provision to the non-government sector. For example, income support for the unemployed was not taken up by governments until World War II and income support for sole parents remained largely a responsibility for non-government organisations (NGOs) until the 1970s. Prior to governments taking responsibility for income support, most of these NGOs were religious organisations surviving on donations, philanthropic support and limited government funding. It is argued that the dominant, semi-public role of religious organisations in service delivery and social policy formation is an important but largely overlooked aspect of the Australian historical experience

Citizenship Education for Child Citizens

One important reason for the inadequacy of current citizenship education is that children – defined here as all young persons under age 18 - are rarely seen and treated as citizens in their own right. To the extent that children are educated about citizenship, they typically learn about their rights and responsibilities as future adult citizens. They rarely learn that they are citizens of the present and they are rarely treated as such. This article reviews the modern meaning of citizenship and shows, in reference to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, that children indeed are citizens of the present. It shows that when the ingredients of the modern understanding of citizenship are applied to children – rights, responsibilities, participation, and differentiated citizenship – children need to be recognized as citizens. Such an understanding, it is contended, is a necessary foundation for successful citizenship education. Une cause importante du caractère inadéquat de l’éducation à la citoyenneté actuelle est que les enfants – définis ici comme toutes les personnes de moins de 18 ans – sont rarement vus et traités comme des citoyens à part entière. Dans la mesure où les enfants sont éduqués à propos de la citoyenneté, ils apprennent habituellement des notions sur leurs droits et responsabilités qu’ils auront une fois adultes. Ils apprennent rarement qu’ils sont déjà eux-mêmes des citoyens et qu’ils devraient être traités comme tels. Cet article analyse la signification moderne de la citoyenneté et montre, en se basant sur la Convention des Droits de l’enfant des Nations-Unies, que les enfants sont effectivement des citoyens dans le présent. Ainsi, lorsque les ingrédients de la compréhension moderne de la citoyenneté sont appliqués aux enfants – droits, responsabilités, participation et citoyenneté différenciée –, les enfants doivent être reconnus comme citoyens. L’auteur soutient qu’une telle compréhension est un fondement nécessaire pour la réussite de l’éducation à la citoyenneté

Computational modelling of structural integrity following mass loss in polymeric charred cellular solids

A novel computational technique is presented for embedding mass-loss due to burning into the ANSYS finite element modelling code. The approaches employ a range of computational modelling methods in order to provide more complete theoretical treatment of thermoelasticity absent from the literature for over six decades. Techniques are employed to evaluate structural integrity (namely, elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratios, and compressive brittle strength) of honeycomb systems known to approximate three-dimensional cellular chars. That is, reducing the mass of diagonal ribs and both diagonal-plus-vertical ribs simultaneously show rapid decreases in the structural integrity of both conventional and re-entrant (auxetic, i.e., possessing a negative Poisson’s ratio) honeycombs. On the other hand, reducing only the vertical ribs shows initially modest reductions in such properties, followed by catastrophic failure of the material system. Calculations of thermal stress distributions indicate that in all cases the total stress is reduced in re-entrant (auxetic) cellular solids. This indicates that conventional cellular solids are expected to fail before their auxetic counterparts. Furthermore, both analytical and FE modelling predictions of the brittle crush strength of both auxetic and conventional cellular solids show a relationship with structural stiffness

Conflicting Requirements of Notice: The Incorporation of Rule 9(b) into the False Claims Act\u27s First-to-File Bar

Intended to prevent fraud against the government, the False Claims Act (“FCA”) contains a qui tam provision allowing private individuals, known as relators, to bring suits on behalf of the government and receive a portion of the damages. At the heart of the qui tam provision lies the first-to-file bar, which provides that, once a first relator has filed a complaint, subsequent relators are prohibited from coming forward with complaints based on the facts underlying the first relator’s pending action. A circuit split has recently emerged regarding the incorporation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b)’s heightened pleading standard into the FCA’s first-to-file rule. Neither the circuit court decisions nor the relevant scholarship on this issue, however, has provided a comprehensive explanation as to why the government’s notice requirements should differ—if indeed they should differ at all—from defendants’ notice requirements for purposes of the first-to-file bar. This Note aims to fill that void and argues that, unlike garden-variety civil defendants in an adversarial context, the government maintains a partnership with the relator and has sufficient investigatory tools beyond the four corners of the complaint to assess adequately the merits of the relator’s allegations. Thus, the government does not require the heightened notice of Rule 9(b) at the first-to-file stage, and courts should ultimately adopt the approach employed by the First and D.C. Circuits in affording preclusive effect to first-filed FCA complaints, even if they are deficient under Rule 9(b)

Transitional labour markets : a social investment and risk mitigation strategy for social policy

Drawing on transitional labor market (TLM) theory, this introductory chapter highlights major themes, overviews the contributions to this volume and suggests a future agenda for policy makers. The focus of applied research projects has been the impact of post-modem social transformations on systems of social protection, looking through the lens of the labor market and shifts in household and family structure. The Transitional Labor Market project uses the TLM model as a means of developing new thinking on how flexibility and innovation might be paired with social investment and new forms of social protection. TLM theory emphasizes the importance of institutions and of the links between different institutions which frequently operate as policy silos, rather than integrated systems to buffer risks and support capability and enhance employability. The great advantage of the TLM model is that it draws attention to the right places for strategic reform. It does not offer a standard set of institutions to facilitate transitions however.<br /

Sensory kaleidoscope – Taking skin feel to the next level taking sensory from nature

The skin feel of a cosmetic formulation is one of the drives for consumers’ purchase decision and loyalty to care products. Traditionally, skin sensory evaluations on various attributes are often conducted in comparison among prototypes to predict/screen winning formulations with high probability of consumers’ acceptance. However, due to the large number of sensory attributes, it is a challenge to compare several products/formulations of interests with all attributes in one chart. A new interactive tool, developed by Evonik, using a scientific approach to describe and understand the skin sensory profiles, allows simple comparison of formulations in one chart. It also visualizes how changing certain formulation components affect the skin feel in various ways and can therefore help formulators with future product development to achieve a desired skin feel. An example will be shown using a natural cellulose fiber comparing against well-known natural particles and synthetic particles in oil-in-water and water-in-oil systems, and how that supports an optimized design of overall sensory performance of cosmetic formulations

Stargazers' Anonymous: an Examination of Amateur Astronomy in New Zealand

In this examination of amateur astronomy in New Zealand, I suggest that astronomical science can be a medium through which adherents attempt to enact social transformation. Contemporary studies of leisure often emphasise the individualistic nature of leisure activity, with social interaction framed as a means to support the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of participants. However, while amateur astronomers do engage in 'serious leisure' (Stebbins, 1979, 1992), I suggest their extended roles as educators and liaisons for professional counterparts push their endeavour beyond mere participation and into wider territories of public engagement and scientific discourse. Following analysis by Ruonavaara (1997), Rojek (1985, 2000), MacCannell (1976), Urry (1990) and Turner (1969), I argue that the New Zealand astronomical community's' proclivity for education operates as a forum for constructing recursive and normative action, in which ideologies congruent with scientific rationalism are disseminated through a form of moral regulation. Commencing with a discussion of the structure of New Zealand's astronomical community, I examine how informants' narratives and attitudes to contributive participation manifest in demonstrative actions that provide idealised templates for behaviour. Secondly, I discuss astronomy and public education, and how astronomical society volunteers utilise visitors' expectations of authenticity and perceptions of nature to formulate strategies for social change. Finally, I investigate the role and purpose of other astronomyrelated ventures, including Carterton's Stonehenge Aotearoa, culminating in a discussion concerning issues of knowledge, science and postmodernist deconstructionism

Introducing a New Grade 8 Curriculum in Children's Rights

Existing research indicates that the effective implementation of new curricula depends on several variables including teachers' agreement with the goals of a new program, its impact on workload, and opportunities for professional development. The purpose of this research was to assess how far 31 grade 8 teachers implemented a new children s rights curriculum, whether the implementation of the curriculum changed their and their students' attitudes about children's rights, and to identify factors that encouraged implementation. Major findings were as follows: Workload, defined in terms of years of experience and class size, was predictive of curriculum use. The more teachers used the curriculum, the higher they rated it and the more they expressed attitudes supportive of children's rights. Students' support for the rights of adults, including ethnocultural minorities and those with disabilities, was positively related to their teachers' support for children's rights.La recherche indique que la mise en œuvre réussie d'un nouveau curriculum dépend de plusieurs variables dont l'accord de renseignant quant aux buts du nouveau programme, son impact sur la charge de travail et les occasions de développement professionnel que l'on présente. Cette recherche avait trois buts : évaluer dans quelle mesure 31 enseignants de la 8e année ont mis en application un nouveau curriculum sur les droits des enfants, déterminer si la mise en vigueur a changé l'attitude des enseignants et des élèves face aux droits des enfants, et identifier les facteurs qui facilitent la mise en application. Les résultats indiquent que la charge de travail, définie en fonction des années d'expérience et de la taille de la classe, constituait une valeur prédictive quant à l'emploi que ferait un enseignant du nouveau curriculum. Plus les enseignants utilisaient le curriculum, plus ils l'appréciaient et plus leur attitude face aux droits des enfants était positive. Une corrélation positive a également été établie entre l'appui que manifestaient les élèves face aux droits des adultes, y compris ceux des minorités ethnoculturelles et des personnes ayant une déficience, et l'appui des enseignants pour les droits des enfants