A community college's performance of 'organisation' : it's a drag!

Noting the ever-increasing encroachment of discourses and practices from the private sector on public education providers, this paper argues that such organizations exist within competing sets of differences that seek to define and fix the meaning of 'education' and 'business'. We report on fieldwork conducted in an adult education college in Sydney. In the Australian context these colleges are referred to as community colleges and their history is one based in a strong liberal tradition. Utilising Judith Butler's idea of 'drag' we consider the effects of changing modes of governance in the college with specific reference to the stories told to us about it. Our discussion suggests that the organisation was caught between identifying itself with a masculinised discourse of business and a discourse of community cast as its feminised other. In navigating between these, the college was seen to perform as a 'drag king' — an organisation performing the masculine but in so doing, undoing its gendered status. This leads us to suggest that the incorporation of business and market-based discourse into the management of community education is something that is actively resisted and undermined through such forms of gendered transgression. We conclude by proposing that this organization's capacity to perform drag is a contributing factor to its overall success, and particularly in an economic climate where many not-for-profit organisations are floundering

Cervical cancer services for Indigenous Women: Advocacy, Community-Based Research and Policy Change in Australia

Collaborative research undertaken in the state of Queensland, Australia, resulted in major changes in cervical cancer screening and treatment for Indigenous women. Guided by an Indigenous statewide reference group and with an Indigenous researcher playing a lead role, qualitative data were collected using interviews, focus groups, and larger community meetings; and case studies were conducted with health workers and community members from diverse rural, remote and urban communities, to explore the different cultural and structural factors affecting understanding and awareness of cervical cancer and Indigenous women's use of and access to health services for screening, diagnosis and treatment. These data were supplemented by an analysis of clinical data and health service checklists. We discuss the methodology and summarize the key social and structural factors that discourage women from presenting for screening or returning for follow-up. These include women's misunderstanding of cervical cancer screening, fear of cancer, distrust of health services, poor recall and follow-up systems, and the economic and social burden to women presenting for treatment. We describe how the research process and subsequent activities provided Indigenous women with a vehicle for their own advocacy, resulting in important policy and program changes.

Neighbourhood renewal community survey Corio and Norlane : volume 2 : comparisons: 2005 & 2007

This second volume presents the data from the 2005 and 2007 rounds of the Corio and Norlane Neighbourhood Renewal Community Surveys. The focus of this report is on change in the responses of participants between the two time periods. All of the data presented has been previously provided – in the 2005 report, and the 2007 data in the first volume of the current report. The comparison tables are presented separately for the NRA participants and for the control group participants.

Examining the living with possums policy in Victoria, Australia : community knowledge, support and compliance

Studying the human dimensions of wildlife management issues is now considered to be an essential component
of wildlife research. This study examined the Living with Possums policy in Victoria, Australia, in terms of the policy’s
success in educating the community and ensuring community compliance. Postal surveys and telephone interviews
were conducted across three samples from Greater Melbourne. These samples included people who had experiences
with possums on their property (n = 340), veterinary clinics (n = 45) and the general public (n = 103). Significant
levels of non-compliance were uncovered, highlighting the need for a renewed public education campaign to take place
along with a continued interest in this issue from government agencies and councils. The study also revealed
discrepancies between the policy and public preferences for possum management, suggesting that a shift in the
recommended management technique may be warranted.

Lost in translation? William Wardell's St John's College, Sydney and Convent and School, Kew

This paper considers two Colleges designed by the nineteenth century architect William Wardell (1823-99): St John’s College, within the University of Sydney (1858-59) and Convent and School, Kew, now known as Genazzano FCJ College Kew, Melbourne (1889). The approach of significant anniversaries for each of the Colleges has been the major impetus behind the current research. Both commissions demonstrate laudable aspirations; difficulty in comprehending and realising the design; partial completions and accretions over time which testify to changes in economic fortune and taste; inappropriate additions; and decades of neglect fuelled by a general misunderstanding of the 19th century for much of the 20th century. At the beginning of the 21st century conservation management plans were commissioned independently for both projects. Using the two Colleges as case studies, this paper examines tradition and its transformation, design and its translation, heritage and its significance.

Geelong community's priorities and expectations of public health care

Abstract This thesis set out to achieve the following objectives: (1) To identify the priorities and expectations that the Geelong community has of its public health care system. (2) To determine if there is a common view on the attributes of a just health system. (3) To consider a method of utilising the data in the determination of health care priority setting in Barwon Health. (4) To determine a model of community participation which enables ongoing input into the decision making processes of Barwon Health. The methodology involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative work involved the use of focus groups that were conducted with 64 members of the Geelong community. The issues raised informed the development of the interview schedule that was the basis of the quantitative study, which surveyed a representative sample of 400 members of the Geelong community. Prior to reporting on this work, the areas of distributive justice, scarcity and community participation in health care were considered. The research found that timely access to public hospitals, emergency care and aged care services were the major priorities; for many people, the cost was less relevant than a quality service. Shorter waiting times and increased staffing levels were strongly supported. Increased taxes were nominated as the best means of financing the health system they sought. Community based services were less relevant than hospital services but health education was supported. An egalitarian approach to resource distribution was favoured although the community was prepared to discriminate in favour of younger people and against older people. There was strong support for the community to be involved in decision making in the public health care system through surveys or focus groups but very little support was given to priorities being determined by politicians, administrators and to a lesser extent, medical professionals.

Community of practice and the wider organisation : a multi-faceted KM framework

A conceptual knowledge management (KM) framework was developed and tested. The social bond combined with the expertise of a Community of Practice (CoP) constitutes a bottom-up aproach to KM, at the same time influencing top-down KM efforts by managers. A successful feedback loop between CoP and Management assists in establishing a collaborative and integrated top-down/bottom-up KM strategy.

The Supervision of Known Sex Offenders in the Community: Monitoring Progress and Providing Feedback

Case management is the process by which most known sex offenders who live in the community are currently supervised. However, by itself, case management has been shown to have only a modest impact on rates of re-offending, and it is only when case work and/or treatment sessions are introduced, that the benefits become apparent. This paper considers how routinely collecting and feeding back standardized data about client progress towards supervisory goals can be integrated into the offender supervision and case management process. Based on methods that have been shown to be associated with enhanced outcomes in mental health, it is suggested that the implementation of feedback approaches have the potential to both enhance the case management process and improve the effectiveness of those policies which require it.

Community social capital and entrepreneurship : analyzing the links

This study examines the effects of community social capital on entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) in rural communities in a developing country. Entrepreneurship, in the form of business start-ups, is widely recognized as an integral component of local economic development programs designed to address poverty and limited livelihood opportunities, especially among poor and marginalized communities in rural areas in developing countries. Using a survey of 496 individuals residing in five rural communities in the Philippines, and drawing from the theory of planned behavior and social capital theory, we examine the direct and indirect effects of community social capital (CSC) on an individual’s EIs. The findings show that CSC largely influences EI by shaping an individual’s perceived self-efficacy (PSE) to engage in entrepreneurship, perceived desirability of entrepreneurship (PDE), and perceived social norms toward entrepreneurship (PSNE). High levels of PSE, PDE, and PSNE have a positive influence on an individual’s EI. These findings offer more nuanced explanations of how social capital within a community can facilitate entrepreneurship as a means of community economic development. Implications of the findings and areas for future research are discussed.