Does police culture impede the anti-corruption ideal : an unresolved dilemma

In 1989, a Commission of Inquiry known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry recommended massive reforms in the Queensland Police Service in the wake of high level corruption. Many of the 121 recommendations were made as a result of the perception that the police culture in Queensland contributed to a “culture” of corruption.This paper will consider whether “typical” police culture impedes the anti-corruption ideal in the context of specific recommendations about crime prevention.There are valid arguments to be made that the culture of the Fitzgerald era is not the culture of the contemporary Queensland Police Service. Dramatic changes have been made in policy development, professional standards, accountability and recruiting which have impacted on all sectors of the police, including the proactive field of crime prevention.The question remains whether structural and recruiting changes have had the impact on police culture that Fitzgerald envisaged for Queensland.Focusing on crime prevention within the Queensland Police Service, this paper uses policy analysis and interviews with police officers to present evidence which suggest a paradigm shift in Queensland, that although “typical” police culture still exists, it exists in a growing harmony with non-reactive police sections. Whether this is a culture that is corruption-resistant remains unresolved

Patching, Roger and Hirst, Martin, Journalism ethics : arguments and cases for the twenty-first century, Routledge, New York, 2014, isbn: 9780415656764, 300 pp. : [book review]

Review of: Journalism ethics: Arguments and cases for the twenty-first century, by Patching, Roger and Hirst, Martin, Routledge, New York, 2014, ISBN 9 7804 1565 6764, 300 pp., US$64.9

Situating policing in a late modern society : the ontology of police identity

As individuals we interact and make decisions that shape both us and those around us. This view holds true of policing, a field dominated by functionalist approaches to research. This paper questions functionalism and presents a sociological perspective of policing research, incorporating a social construction of identity. Whilst functionalists argue that crime is deviance against the dominant group, it provides no opportunity to question norms or identity. In an era of globalisations and connectivity, an interprevitist ontology in policing research is more appropriate, allowing the representation of identity through an analysis of culture and discourse. Culture and identity are sociological influences on police action, negotiated through hegemonistic power struggles

Police culture: changing the unacceptable

When Sir Robert Peel proclaimed in 1829 that the police are the public and the public are the police he could not have foreseen that his ideals would promote the evolution of modern police services all around the world. Although the ideal of policing “with” the community was the intent, the dramatic development of technology in the 20th century resulted in a policing “of” the community. The police organisation became separate from the community it was trying to police. From this separation evolved a police culture that strongly held to beliefs about the role of police. Police culture promoted arrest and prosecution as the dominant role of police, and police who reinforced those beliefs conducted training and recruitment of officers. This police culture promoted a stereotype of what it was to be a “policeman”. The result was a police “force” which bore little resemblance to the ideal so carefully articulated by Robert Peel. The Queensland Police Service is one of many police services that experienced such a culture. Eventually confronted with a Commission of Inquiry in 1989, the Queensland Police Service had its sordid culture exposed to a community who had lost faith in the ability of the police to undertake its role. The police (and its culture) had become “unacceptable”. This paper considers the nature of police culture in Queensland 20 years after this Inquiry. Focussing on “community policing” within the Queensland Police Service, this paper considers the effects of a reactive driven culture in a proactive policing model. Using policy analysis and interviews with police officers, the paper presents evidence to suggest a paradigm shift has taken place in Queensland, that although “typical” police culture still exists, it exists in a growing harmony with non-reactive police sections

The evolution of community policing in Queensland to 2007

The purpose of the study was to identify the gap between policy and the implementation of community policing in the Queensland Police Service in the decades since the Fitzgerald Report (1989), which recommended community policing as the primary policing strategy. Reviews of the Fitzgerald Inquiry recommendations in the first decade after the inquiry (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2001) revealed that community policing was resisted by police culture because the approach was inconsistent with traditional policing methods, yet the community policing philosophy continued to be the stated primary policing strategy in Queensland and was reflected in organisational policy and organisational structure. Using a mixed methods approach, the research analysed the status of community policing in Queensland in 2007 to reveal the gap between policy and implementation, and how crime prevention officers oriented to their role

McCombs, Maxwell, Setting the agenda, 2nd edn, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2014, isbn: 9780745661100

Review of 'Setting the agenda', by McCombs, Maxwell, 2nd edn, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2014, ISBN 9 7807 4566 1100, 208 pp., A$37.95, Distributor, Wiley

The problem of student attrition in higher education: An alternative perspective

Student attrition continues to be a significant and costly challenge for higher education institutions across the globe. In Australia, universities cite the importance of addressing student attrition through strategic statements and policy documents, and expend time and resources on the problem. Despite vast expenditures, they have made little impact on student attrition, which continues to negatively impact reputation and revenue. Using a regional Australian university as a case study, this paper analyses a student exit survey to identify the complex and inter-related array of factors that contribute to student attrition. It was found that attrition would be better conceptualised as a wicked problem, which is one that cannot be strategically addressed using traditional approaches to problem-solving. The practical implications of these findings reinforce that current approaches to attrition are likely to fail. Therefore, the wicked nature of the attrition problem needs to be taken into account when developing strategies or policies within higher education

Assessing the impact of country culture on the socio-cultural practice of radiography

Introduction: Diagnostic radiography is a deceptively similar occupation regardless of country and yet there are wide varieties of scopes of practice, levels of autonomy, respect and understanding of what a radiographer does. Methods: A socio-cultural comparative ethnographic study was carried out in seven culturally diverse countries observing and interviewing radiographers in one regional hospital in each country. The thick descriptions collected were thematically analysed. This article describes the comparison between work culture and country culture between the seven countries using the analytic device of Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Results: The results demonstrate a wide disparity between countries, in importance of hierarchy, acceptance of individuality, ability to work autonomously and strength of country specific cultural norms. The impact of the country culture on the practice of radiography is manifested through variations in education, scope of practice, and level of recognition within the healthcare spectrum. Conclusion: These findings offer insight into the socio-cultural practice of radiography through an ethnographic cultural-specific lens and provide some explanations for the barriers evidenced currently to global recognition of standards and scopes of practice. Implications for practice: The study introduced empirical evidence into a subject matter hitherto unexplored in a global comparative manner, and creates an opportunity to improve the recognition of radiographers by creating a foundation of research upon which to build further more targeted studies

Hashtag flying fox: 'It's always Halloween in Australia'

This paper examines the nexus between flying foxes and new media in order to show how new media can might be used to enhance a better understanding of the plight of flying foxes and therefore help with their conservation. Flying foxes have been much maligned throughout the European history of Australia, particularly in Queensland. Perceived as a threat to farmers, these native mammals were actively killed with the sanction of the colonial then State authorities. Even today, flying foxes face criticism from elements of the media and public about their rights to be protected in their habitats where human settlement has encroached. The journalistic media still paint flying foxes as a danger to the public. Firstly the paper contextualizes the discourse around flying foxes and humans by briefly exploring the history of the battle between horticulturists and flying foxes, and later of the resistance by some humans in accepting flying fox colonies camping in urban centres mainly because of perceived health risks. The paper then explores a case study using 496 Twitter conversations to gauge current public feeling attitudes towards flying foxes, revealing the potential of this form of new media to build community and educate and inform the public, giving the animal a more positive perception in our human-animal relations. This study concludes that through our Twitter analysis there is significant positive sentiment for the conservation of flying foxes in the community, and there are opportunities for further positive attitudes towards flying foxes to be built upon via this new media platform

Social media : the next frontier for professional development in radiography

Background: Radiographers are required to undertake professional development in order to maintain registration. Professional development activities can be passive and isolate the practitioner. Social media is an interactive, collaborative, instant form of communication, which potentially addresses these concerns.Objectives: To establish whether the inherent challenges of social media use reduce its feasibility as a platform for professional development in radiography. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken using the PRISMA Guidelines. Academic databases were searched using pre-defined search terms, limits and inclusion criteria. Results: Zero reviewable papers were identified in the field of radiography globally. The search was expanded to “healthcare” and 810 papers were identified. After inclusion criteria and limits were applied, 12 papers were reviewed. Conclusions: Professional development using social media includes higher education, collaboration and networking. Managed with consideration to the inherent risks, social media provides a new means of inclusive professional development