Social Sciences Research Projects
Regions of Refuge: research into the settlement of refugees in the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast
Research Project
This is new research working under the auspices of the Centre for Children and Young People. We are investigating various aspects of refugee settlement. In 2012, we are working in partnership with Sanctuary Northern Rivers and establishing a community reference group. This is community engaged research in which community groups and researchers collaborate on groups' areas of research need. Key informant interviews have been conducted and 2 projects are being mounted in 2012. An Honours candidate from the Media program is working on one of these projects. A spin-off from this activity is that the inter-disciplinary research team haveengaged in action research with IT services at SCU to secure and implement the NVivo 9 server which is now available for researchers SCU wide to facilitate use of NVivo in managing their projects and research data.
Contact
Dr Angela Coco
e: angela.coco@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Gambling Research
Research Projects
Sass scholar indicated in bold text
Substantive Grant. A comparative study of men and women gamblers in Victoria: Product preferences, styles of play and risk and protective factors - Prof. Nerilee Hing (CI), Dr Barry Tolchard (UNE), Dr Elaine Nuske (CGER), Dr Louise Holdsworth (CGER). $100,000.
ECR Grant. How significant life events, psychological co-morbidity and related social factors contribute to increased levels of gambling and gambling problems. CIs are Dr Louise Holdsworth and Dr Elaine Nuske with Dr. Nerilee Hing as official "Mentor". $25,000.
The effectiveness of self-exclusion programs in Queensland (Investigators: Hing,Holdsworth, Nuske, Tolchard; Research Assistance: Tiyce; QLD Department ofJustice and Attorney General ) $263,625
Contact
Dr Elaine Nuske
e: elaine.nuske@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Older lesbians and work in the Australian health and aged care sector (with Sujay Kentlyn)
Research Project
This project involves an analysis of older lesbians' relationships to work, primarily within the context of health and aged care settings. It is based on narrative research with older lesbians talking about their experiences of work and expectations for care in later life. Completion date is 2012.
Contact
A/Prof. Mark Hughes
e: mark.hughes@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Diversity and older lesbian and gay people's care networks (with Sujay Kentlyn)
Research Project
This project involves the identification of networks of care provided to older lesbian and gay people and the ways in which sexual identity is acknolwedged and negotiated within these networks. Interviews have been conducted with older lesbian and gay people, as well as formal and informal carers. Completion date is 2011.
Contact
A/Prof. Mark Hughes
e: mark.hughes@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Analysis of the Productivity Commission Report on Aged Care
Research Project
This study involves a critical policy analysis of the Productivity Commission's Report on Aged Care, identifying the ideological and other drivers for reform, the likely impact on the quality of care provided, and the implications for professions such as social work. Completion date is 2011.
Contact
A/Prof. Mark Hughes
e: mark.hughes@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
The role of religions in supporting refugees and the ways this contributes to community development
Research Project
This is new research in the area of 'The role of religions in contributing to community development' under the auspices of the Regional Futures Institute research cluster. The aim is to develop community engaged research in which community groups and researchers collaborate on groups' areas of research need. Key informant interviews have been conducted and 2 projects will be mounted in 2012. We aim to secure an Honours candidate to work on at least one of these projects. A spin-off from this activity is that the inter-disciplinary research team are engaging in action research with IT services at SCU to secure and implement the NVivo 9 server which will facilitate group's use of NVivo in managing their projects and research data.
Contact
Dr Angela Coco
e: angela.coco@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Single, older women and housing in the Northern Rivers
Research Project
This project aims to undertake longitudinal, qualitative research to investigate the housing situation for single older women in the Northern Rivers region. This is an under-researched area but indicators suggest a looming housing crisis for this group. Completion date is projected to be 2014.
Contact
Dr Sandy Darab
e: sandy.darab@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Dr Yvonne Hartman
e: yvonne.hartman@scu.edu
Personal Researcher Page
Governing the estates: the deployment of 'community' on public housing estates
Research Project
This research uses governmentality to explore the advanced liberal manner in which 'community' is deployed as a solution to the 'problem' of public housing estates in New South Wales.
Contact
Angela Nunn
e: angela.nunn@scu.edu.au
The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Shaping the Pagan Community
Southern Cross University, New Recruitment Grant : Ongoing longitudinal ethnography
Research Project
The aim of the whole project is to investigate the ways information and communication technologies (ICTs) enable people in the Pagan community to interact and belong to groups in different ways. It investigates online and offline communications and gatherings and how these processes help people develop a pagan identity and a sense of belonging to the pagan community. In Stage 1, 2003-2005 participant observation in online and offline environments was conducted, and Pagans who work as 'solitaries' (pagan individuals who practice spirituality alone) were interviewed. Stage 2, 2007-2008 built on this work. Stage 3 explores the movement of Pagan communicating activity from email discussion lists to social networking sites, gendered behaviour both online and offline, and the situation of Pagans who do not use information and communication technologies (ICTs), but nevertheless benefit from others use of it.
Contact
Dr Angela Coco
e: angela.coco@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Assisting Problem Gamblers in the Gaming Venue
Research Project
An Assessment of Responses Provided by Frontline Staff, Customer Liaison Officers and Gambling Support Services for Problem Gamblers in the Venue
The project will examine how appropriately frontline staff and CLOs respond to and assist patrons with gambling problems in Queensland gaming venues, and how venues interact with local gambling help services to provide this assistance.
This is a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with frontline staff, CLOs and counsellors assisting problem gamblers in urban, regional and rural Queensland together with surveys and possibly interviews with self excludees and problem gamblers in counselling. In addition, counsellors supporting problem gamblers will be interviewed. Researchers: Associate Professor Nerilee Hing (Centre for Gambling Education and Research CGER), Dr Lewis Bizo (School of Psychology) and Dr Elaine Nuske (SASS) Funding Body: Policy and Research Branch, QLD Office of Gaming Regulation, QLD Treasury.
Contact
Dr Elaine Nuske
e: elaine.nuske@scu.edu.au
Labour biography on screen: the case of Freda Brown
Research Project
The written biographies and memoirs of activists and leaders have long been core components of labour history. But biography is not only a literary genre – it is also a type of audio-visual production. Whilst scholars have analysed the representation of workers in Australian films, the interpretation and the implications of screen productions as biography, for Australian labour history, have been to date relatively unexplored. This research analyses the 1995 episode of the documentary series Australian Biography (SBS 1992-2007) which focused on communist and women's activist Freda Brown (1919-2009). It explores how this particular production deals with biography, notably with the collaborative, networking aspects of Brown's career highlights. This research is associated with the commissioning of Dr Milner to write Brown's biography.
Contact
Dr Lisa Milner
e: lisa.milner@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Dr Rosemary Webb
e: rosemary.webb@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Laying your cards on the table: representations of gambling in the media
Research Project
This research project investigates how gambling is portrayed in the Australian media. Taking a survey approach, it describes the ways in which one day's exposure to multiple forms of Australian media present gambling from a polarised and often contradictory number of perspectives. Learning from the media studies field, researchers in the gambling field can benefit from new insights into media's potential to realistically, or otherwise, represent a wide spectrum of gambling behaviours. Recognising the value of media for their strength of effects and relevance for the treatment and policy allows for a sustained and critical engagement with their functions.
Contact
Dr Lisa Milner
e: lisa.milner@scu.edu.au
Personal Researcher Page
Dr Elaine Nuske
e: elaine.nuske@scu.edu.au
Updated: 07 September 2012