INSPIRE
National Research and Developments
Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian Social Trends 2006
Australian Social Trends 2006 is the 13th edition of an annual series that presents information on contemporary social issues and areas of public policy concern. By drawing on a wide range of ABS statistics, and statistics from other official sources, Australian Social Trends describes aspects of Australian society, and how these are changing over time. It is designed to assist and encourage informed decision-making, and to be of value to a wide audience including those engaged in research, journalism, marketing, teaching and social policy, as well as anyone interested in how we live today and how we've changed over recent decades.
The material presented in Australian Social Trends 2006 is organised into nine chapters. As in previous editions, each of the first seven chapters represents a major area of social concern (i.e. population, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic resources, and housing), with an eighth chapter covering other areas of concern (e.g. crime and justice, culture and leisure, and the environment). The ninth chapter provides international comparisons for a number of these areas. Australian Social Trends also contains an introduction which is designed to further explain the rationale behind the publication and describe its main aims and features.
This report can be found on the http://www.abs.gov.au/ website:
Social and Emotional Wellbeing Framework 2004-2009.
This Framework aims to respond to the high incidence of social and emotional well being problems and mental ill health, by providing a framework for national action. It has been developed under the auspices of the National Mental Health Working Group and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, by the Social Health Reference Group, which was specially appointed to undertake this task.
The Framework recognises the strengths, resilience, and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have different cultures and histories, and in many instances different needs, which must be acknowledged and may need to be addressed by locally developed, specific strategies. The Framework acknowledges the crucial role of the health sector in providing leadership and advocacy and in responding to health care needs. This Framework, therefore, has adopted a population health model to provide needs based care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services provide a unique structure for the delivery of accessible, holistic, and culturally appropriate care to communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services, however, cannot meet all health care needs alone.
Mainstream services acknowledge the need to improve access to services such as mental health services, general practitioners, drug and alcohol services, child and family health services, and others. Partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and mainstream health services need to be coordinated in ways that provide better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This report can be found on the http://www.health.gov.au/ website:
- Social and Emotional Well Being Framework 2004-2009
- Social and Emotional Well Being Framework 2004-2009
Department of Victorian Communities, Indicators of Community Strength: a Framework and Evidence, 2006
Since 2002 the Department for Victorian Communities (DVC) has been examining new ways of measuring community strength. A set of indicators has been developed that provides a different way of looking at communities – highlighting aspects of social organisation including social attitudes and community participation. This report provides an explanatory framework for the DVC Indicators of Community Strength.
The framework focuses on three types of networks that are important in communities:
- close personal networks (families, close friendship groups);
- broader associational and community networks (wider networks made through work, interest groups, school, etc); and
- governance networks (networks of decision-makers).
The report describes each of these network types, the international evidence about their benefits, and the indicators that DVC uses to report on them. It also briefly describes what we currently know about each of the indicators in terms of differences across areas and population groups in Victoria. The final section outlines DVC’s broad policy strategy for building networks. It is hoped this explanatory framework and evidence will add to debates about measuring and improving community strength.
This report can be found on the http://www.dvc.vic.gov.au/ website:
- Indicators of Community Strength: a framework and evidence (2006)
- Indicators of Community Strength: a framework and evidence (2006)
Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: Survey 15, Part A: The Report, 2006
The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index monitors the subjective wellbeing of the Australian population. Our first survey was conducted in April 2001 and this report concerns the 15th survey, undertaken in May 2006. Our previous survey had been conducted seven months earlier in October 2005. This intervening period contained a number of significant events. The first Australian terrorist threat was marked by the arrest of people in Sydney and Melbourne alleged to be plotting an attack. In December rioting took place in Sydney between Muslim and non-Muslim youths, but whether this was due more to religious differences or a ‘turf-war’ is unclear. Then, in March 2006, the new Industrial Relations legislation came into force. This is designed to weaken the power of Unions and encourage employees to negotiate individual contracts with their employer.
Each survey involves a telephone interview with a new sample of 2,000 Australians, selected to represent the national population geographic distribution. These surveys comprise the Personal Wellbeing Index, which measures people’s satisfaction with their own lives, and the National Wellbeing Index, which measures how satisfied people are with life in Australia. Other items include a standard set of demographic questions and other survey-specific questions. The specific topic for Survey 15 is the extent to which people feel that their source of income is secure.
This report can be found on the http://www.deakin.edu.au/ website:
The effects of New Living on Indigenous community wellbeing: a case study on urban regeneration, 2003
Recent studies on urban renewal in Western Australia confirm the need for, and importance of, research into the effects of the New Living program (a joint initiative between the state and local government and private industry sector) upon Indigenous people. Initial research with existing and new tenants in at least two New Living estates in WA has revealed the need for further research to assess the impact of renewal programs on Indigenous people in WA. (See Parry-Strommen 2001; Hillier 2001; Shelter WA 2001).
Drawing on recent experiences in the Karrawarra New Living project, Wilkins (in Randolph & Judd, 2001) outlines the very real grief experienced by communities involved in urban renewal, and the potential impacts upon their mental, spiritual and social wellbeing. Karrawarra has a high percentage of Indigenous people. This study highlights the problems of using ‘top down’, ‘surrogate community development’ approaches in establishing urban renewal projects and the importance of utilising participatory community development approaches to build community capacity and ensure the sustainability of urban renewal developments. Wood’s (2002) research has similar findings.
Given the importance that urban renewal projects place on strengthening community it is both necessary and useful to define the concept and its usage. ‘Community’ is used in the New Living program in a generic sense, conflating both physical social interaction and the psychological sense of community. In order to collect useful information and undertake meaningful analysis in this study it is important to distinguish between these two aspects of community, particularly with regard to its meaning and use in Indigenous contexts. Many studies confirm that establishing boundaries to generate social interaction within a location is not a sufficient requirement for building a psychological sense of community (Dudgeon, Mallard, Oxenham & Fielder 2002; Hughey & Speer 2002). Urban renewal practice, however, continues to promote the former as a vehicle for physically determining the latter. While local interactions may contribute to building social capital (Cox 1995, 1996; Putnam 1994) the importance of family and kinship networks in developing and maintaining a sense of community is also well documented.
This report can be found on the http://www.ahuri.edu.au/ website:
Regional Matters - An Atlas of Regional Victoria 2005
Regional Matters, 2005 builds upon the previous edition released in 2002. Like its predecessor, the 2005 Regional Matters publication aims to highlight issues of the impact of change on Victoria’s regional areas. The publication comprises eight themes: changing populations; community wellbeing; servicing communities; industry and skills; water in a dry land; land and people; coastal development, and energy choices. Recognising the interrelatedness of many of the issues within these themes is a key objective of the publication.
Community Well-being can be defined as people's aspirations for their community. Aspirations include feeling safe as well as high levels of community participation and inclusion. Health issues relating to life expectancy, work-risk activities and education also affect community well-being. The challenges facing regional community well-being include distance, isolation and access to services.
This report can be found on the http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ website:
Indicators of risk to the wellbeing of Australian Indigenous children, 2005
This paper uses a range of indicators established in the literature to examine the risk of exclusion from mainstream Australian society for Indigenous Australian children. Most of the indicators have been taken from the Population Census of 2001, enabling the break down of results according to the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The results show that Indigenous children continue to be among the most socially disadvantaged in Australia, and this is particularly the case for those living in remote and very remote areas. The conclusion raises the possibility that this exclusion may also have a negative effect on the ability of these children to participate in Indigenous culture in the long run.
This report can be found on the http://www.australianreview.net/ website:
- Indicators of risk to the wellbeing of Australian Indigenous children
- Indicators of risk to the wellbeing of Australian Indigenous children
Presentations from the Community Indicators Workshop, 2006
The National Statistic Service held a Community Indicators Workshop in Melbourne on 5 & 6 September 2006. It was aimed at gathering an understanding of the progress measures, indicators and frameworks that have been developed within Australia for the purpose of assessing community wellbeing. While a lot of work has been undertaken in different jurisdictions, to date there had been no forum to enable people working in this area to come together to share ideas, experiences and learnings. The workshop provided this opportunity, together with the chance for participants to learn about developments in other selected countries and the international coordination efforts being undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Participants included representatives from commonwealth, state and territory, and local government agencies, academia, and service providers. Participants were generally involved in developing policies, strategies and tactics associated with measuring progress and wellbeing type information for communities at various levels
All papers and presentations from the workshop have been loaded on to the National Statistic Service’s website.
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