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