Intervention efficacy among 'At Risk' adolescents: a test of subjective wellbeing homeostasis theory

 This study tests a number of theoretical predictions based on subjective wellbeing (SWB) Homeostasis Theory. This theory proposes that SWB is actively maintained and defended within a narrow, positive range of values around a 'set-point' for each person. Due to homeostatic control, it is predicted to be very difficult to substantially increase SWB in samples operating normally within their set-point-range. However, under conditions of homeostatic defeat, where SWB is lower than normal, successful interventions should be accompanied by a substantial increase as each person's SWB returns to lie within its normal range of values. This study tests these propositions using a sample of 4,243 participants in an Australian Federal Government Program for 'at-risk' adolescents. SWB was measured using the Personal Wellbeing Index and results are converted to a metric ranging from 0 to 100 points. The sample was divided into three sub-groups as 0-50, 51-69, and 70+ points. The theoretical prediction was confirmed. The largest post-intervention increase in SWB was in the 0-50 group and lowest in the 70+ group. However, a small increase in SWB was observed in the normal group, which was significant due to the large sample size. The implications of these findings for governments, schools and policy makers are discussed.

Voice, post-structural representation and the subjectivity of ‘included’ students

Aligned with the broader movement from structuralism to the post-structuralisms [Lather, P. 2013. “Methodology-21: What Do We Do in the Afterward?” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 26 (6): 634–645; St. Pierre, E. A. 2009. “Afterword: Decentering Voice in Qualitative Inquiry.” In Voice in Qualitative Inquiry: Challenging Conventional, Interpretive, and Critical Conceptions in Qualitative Research, edited by A. Y. Jackson and L. A. Mazzei, 221–236. London: Routledge; St. Pierre, E. A. 2013. “The Posts Continue: Becoming.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 26 (6): 646–657], research in disability studies for the past two decades has found ‘the potholes’ [Miller, L., J. B. Whalley, and I. Stronach. 2012. “From Structuralism to Poststructuralism.” In Research Methods in the Social Sciences, edited by B. Somekh and C. Lewin. London: SAGE] of disability rights scholarship. In this paper, I offer a critical research framework in the field of disability studies in education that is theoretical, political and personal. Concentrating on the positioning of disability, I draw on the methodological tools of post-structural representation, subjectivity and constructivist grounded theory to study how discursive practices within (and around) secondary schools shape ‘included’ disabled subjects. In the paper I develop this framework and then demonstrate its application in ongoing research that critically counters the conventions that marginalize particular students in schools.

Revisionist historicism theory and practice: challenging national metanarratives

 This thesis demonstrates the interdependence of theory and practice in re-envisioning Australia’s past: the postmodern methodologies explored in the exegesis inform my fictional reassessment of history. The thesis argues for revisionist historical fiction’s legitimacy in resurrecting lost voices. It looks beyond the colonial archives to reconfigure Australia’s history in more inclusive ways.

Generating repudiable, memorizable and privacy preserving security questions using the Propp Theory of Narrative

 Security questions are often based on personal information that is limited in variety, available in the public record and very difficult to change if compromised. A personalized folktale shared only by the communicating parties provides memorizable basis for individualized security questions that can be readily replaced in the event of a security breach. We utilize the Propp theory of narrative to provide a basis of abstraction for story generation systems. We develop a proof-of-concept system based on placeholder replacement to demonstrate the generation of repudiate and memorizable questions and answers suitable for online security questions. A 3-component protocol is presented that demonstrates the use of this process to derive a shared secret key through privacy amplification. This combination of story generation and communication security provides the basis for improvements in current security question practice.

The current status of greenhouse gas reporting by Chinese companies: a test of legitimacy theory

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors driving greenhouse gas reporting by Chinese companies.
Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis of annual reports and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports for the year 2010 of the top 100 A-share companies listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange was conducted to investigate the extent of greenhouse gas reporting. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors driving these companies’ greenhouse gas reporting.
Findings – It was found that most Chinese companies reported neutral and good news. The results also indicate larger companies operating in an industry which has higher level of carbon dioxide emissions tend to have higher levels of greenhouse gas disclosures, consistent with the expectation of legitimacy theory. However, profitability and overseas listing were not significantly related to greenhouse gas reporting. This is consistent with the findings of previous literature. Finally, contrary to expectations, state-owned companies report less greenhouse gas information than private companies.
Originality/value – The paper contributes towards theory development by testing legitimacy theory in the context of greenhouse gas reporting by Chinese companies and contributes to existing literature on greenhouse gas reporting by focussing on the large emerging economy of China. The practical contribution of the paper rests in the area of accounting practice. The results outline the dearth in greenhouse gas reporting by Chinese companies, suggesting there needs to be future development of accounting standards in this area.

Freud and critical theory

Freudian psychoanalysis is at once an integral part of modern culture and a regular source of controversy. This chapter outlines Freud’s theory and then looks at the contribution of Freudian psychoanalysis to cultural commentary, social theory and feminist critique.

Perceptions of public security in post-reform urban China: a routine activity analysis

This paper investigates the personal and environmental determinants of public security perceptions across 32 Chinese cities within the risk/opportunity framework of Cohen and Felson's (American Sociological Review 44:588-608, 1979) routine activity theory. Structural path analysis reveals that public security perceptions in China are informed by similar personal and environment characteristics to those reported as important in extant research within Western contexts. However, the frequently reported influence of gender on public security perceptions in the West does not appear to extend to post-reform urban China. The results provide support for the routine activity theory in terms of extending our understanding of the factors that influence perceptions of public security to a non-Western context. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

A Jamesonian theory of theological practice: a critical response to the work of Roland Boer

In a conjuncture marked by the “resurgence of religion,” the problem of historical materialism’s relation to religious ideologies has acquired a new urgency. The work of Roland Boer, recently awarded the Deutscher Prize for his magnum opus on Marxism and Theology poses this question from a surprising perspective. While his main claim is that religious influences in Marxist theory represent a sort of theological unconscious in historical materialism, at the same time Boer also advances an original Marxist interpretation of the Abrahamic religions, especially Christianity. This line of research, which extends from his dissertation on Jameson and Jeroboam through to his most recent work on The Sacred Economy, proposes that theology is a reflective representation of the social totality. In this article, I criticise Boer’s valorisation of theology as a practical discourse that is post-ideological but non-theoretical, and conclude by indicating an alternative.

A demandeur-centric theory of regime design in transnational commercial law

Recent scholarship on international agreement design has almost exclusively focused on the public international law area. The literature on regime design in the area of international private law lacks a solid theoretical foundation. Academic writing on public international law's state-centric approach is only amenable to crude transplantation and poses several puzzles in the international private law context. Resolving these puzzles is important because of the proliferation of transnational commercial agreements in areas that were traditionally the province of domestic law. This paper attempts to provide a starting point to address the theoretical vacuum. Part I argues that functionalist, liberal, and realist theories cannot fully explain transnational commercial law agreement design. Part II puts forth a demandeur-centric approach with the aid of examples that span the spectrum from hard law to soft law. Part III concludes that agreement design in transnational commercial law is premised on demandeur preferences and relative power.

Txeemsim and a journey of transformation— decolonizing post-secondary education

Colleges are the product of colonial government policies that established and support mainstream educational models. Eurocentric perspective dominates all aspects of these institutions and is frequently un-yielding to Indigenous perspectives, values and educational approaches. This thesis outlines the transformation change of one College to incorporate and honour the Indigenous paradigm.

Aiding journalism: Australian journalism educators and their work in post conflict states

 Dr Wake presents a comprehensive thesis of Australian journalism education and training in the context of foreign aid and policy, particularly as applied in the Solomon Islands. Although it is essentially about journalism, the thesis also adds to the field of development studies. Dr Wake has used Bourdieu’s field theory to underpin her critical analysis.

Transforming narratives of colonial danger: imagining the environments of New Zealand and Australia in children's literature, 1862–1899

Nineteenth-century British children’s literature set in Australia and New Zealand fixates on the dangers of colonial environments. This chapter examines four British novels of the period, observing the ways in which they manifest elements of ecological imperialism and environmental racism in order to depict successful settlement. It compares these novels with fantasy fictions by Australian and New Zealand children’s authors that constitute more complicated attempts both to understand and co-exist with the natural environment. The chapter proposes that by the 1890s earlier British anxieties had dissipated in popular Australian and New Zealand fiction, in which child protagonists were newly charged with the ability to interpret and control nature.