The place and meaning of physical activity, physical education, and physical culture in the lives of young people living in rural Queensland

Young people living in rural and regional areas are often reported as being less physically active than are young people living elsewhere. An understanding of this phenomenon will inform policies and strategies to address this finding. One source of valuable information is a qualitative understanding of how social relations and cultural meanings influence young people's opportunities and choices in relation to physical activity as told by young people themselves. The study reported here forms a component of a national project to gain insights into young people's engagement with physical activity and physical culture. Data has been collected for over two years with 15 young people residing in rural areas throughout Queensland, using semi- structured interviews. This paper reports the findings of the research. [Author abstract, ed]

Public internet access revisited

In recent years the Australian government has dedicated considerable project funds to establish public Internet access points in rural and regional communities. Drawing on data from a major Australian study of the social and economic impact of new technologies on rural areas, this paper explores some of the difficulties rural communities have faced in setting up public access points and sustaining them beyond their project funding. Of particular concern is the way that economic sustainability has been positioned as a measure of the success of such ventures. Government funding has been allocated on the basis of these rural public access points becoming economically self-sustaining. This is problematic on a number of counts. It is therefore argued that these public access points should be reconceptualised as essential community infrastructure like schools and libraries, rather than potential economic enterprises. Author Keywords: Author Keywords: Internet; Public access; Sustainability; Digital divide; Rural Australia

Farmscape online : participatory design of internet meetings with farmers

This paper presents aspects of a longitudinal study in the design and practice of Internet meetings between farmer their advisors and researchers in rural Australia. It reports on the use of Microsoft NetMeeting (NM) by a group of agricultural researchers from Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) for regular meetings, over nine years, with farmers and the commercial advisers. It describes lessons drawn from this experience about the conditions under which telecollaborative tools, such as NM and video conferencing, are likely to be both useful and used.

Building mentoring capacities in experienced teachers

While teacher education equips beginning teachers with critical knowledge and skills about teaching and fosters an understanding of learning in and from teaching some of the most critical elements of teaching are only learned in the workplace when beginning teachers commence their professional teaching careers. This transition to professional practice may be facilitated by mentoring from a more experienced teacher. Expert mentoring assists beginning teachers to build their teaching capacities more quickly and also lays the foundation for innovative professional practice. However, the presence of a mentor alone is not sufficient with the success of mentoring reliant on the skills and knowledge of mentors. Mentoring relationships are most effective when mentors are trained for their roles. While mentor preparation is the single most important factor in contributing to mentoring success, few teachers receive formal training to prepare them adequately for mentoring roles. The purpose of this paper is to report on the implementation of a mentoring development program designed to build mentoring capacities in experienced teachers. The program was trialled in a school in rural Australia. A range of qualitative data was collected from participants over the duration of the mentoring program and follow up data collected six months subsequent to the conclusion of the program.

Researching crime and violence: Untold stories from the field

Undertaking empirical research on crime and violence can be a tricky enterprise fraught with ethical, methodological, intellectual and legal implications. This chapter takes readers on a reflective journey through the qualitative methodologies I used to research sex work in Kings Cross, miscarriages of justice, female delinquency, sexual violence, and violence in rural and regional settings over a period of nearly 30 years. Reflecting on these experiences, the chapter explores and analyses the reality of doing qualitative field research, the role of the researcher, the politics of subjectivity, the exercise of power, and the ‘muddiness’ of the research process, which is often overlooked in sanitised accounts of the research process (Byrne-Armstrong, Higgs and Horsfall, 2001; Davies, 2000).

Life in the internet economy and the changing face of property use

Increased participation in the internet economy is actively encouraged and supported by all levels of government. Research to date clearly shows the positive impacts that increased internet access can bring, particularly for rural Australia. Meanwhile, for the most part, identification of any negative impacts of increased broadband access on existing and potential property uses is avoided. The aim of this article is to identify issues for property use arising as a consequence of increased engagement in the internet economy. The article commences by clarifying what is meant by the term ‘internet economy’ before highlighting current impacts of the internet. It concludes by suggesting potential impacts for property and property uses in the future.

Framing local stories for community consumption facilitation and evaluation in narrative driven arts-based projects

Cyclone Yasi struck the Cassowary Coast of Queensland in the early hours of Feb 3, 2011, destroying many homes sand property, including the destruction of the Cardwell and district historical society’s premises. With their own homes flattened, many were forced to live in mobile accommodation, with extended family, or leave altogether. The historical society members however were more devastated by their flattened foreshore museum and loss of their collection material. A call for assistance was made through the OHAA Qld branch, who along with QUT sponsored a trip to somehow plan how they could start to pick up the pieces to start again. This presentation highlights the need for communities to gather, preserve and present their own stories, in a way that is sustainable and meaningful to them, but that good advice and support along the way is important. Two 2 day workshops were held in March and then September, augmented by plenty of email correspondence and phone calls in between. Participants learnt that if they could conduct quality oral history interviews, they could later use these in many exhibitable ways including: documentary pieces; digital stories; photographic collections; creative short stories; audio segments –while also drawing closely together a suffering community. This story is not only about the people who were interviewed about the night Yasi struck, but the amazing women (all over 50) of the historical society who were willing to try and leap the digital divide that faces older Australians, especially those in rural Australia, so that their older local stories would not be lost and so that new stories could also be remembered.

Expanded scope roles in primary health – what makes them work?

Introduction The demand for better integration between primary and secondary healthcare frequently leads to discussion about expanded scope of practice for nursing, paramedic and allied health professionals and the role these clinicians could play in facilitating improved access to timely and appropriate healthcare. From workforce perspective, expanded scope of practice has also been advocated as a mean of fostering workforce retention. Models of expanded scope roles in nursing and paramedicine have been trialled nationally and internationally in both acute and community care settings. Where they have been successful, trials have resulted in reduction in hospital presentation and admission; improved patient access and timeliness; and patient satisfaction. This paper will examine the characteristics of successful expanded scope programs. Method Exploratory case-study analysis of successful integration of expanded health care roles across primary healthcare settings in rural Australia. Results & Conclusions One size does not fill all. Successful models of integrated expanded health care roles in primary health care settings are built on stakeholder’s capacity and preference; community need; and political will. Collaborative, congruent, multi-disciplinary care teams that prioritise patient-centred care within a dynamic primary care setting have merit and are more likely to foster flexibility and sustainability.

Working together-apart : exploring the relationships between formal and informal care networks for people dying at home

Introduction Informal caring networks contribute significantly to end-of-life (EOL) care in the community. However, to ensure that these networks are sustainable, and unpaid carers are not exploited, primary carers need permission and practical assistance to gather networks together and negotiate the help they need. Our aim in this study was to develop an understanding of how formal and informal carers work together when care is being provided in a dying person's home. We were particularly interested in formal providers’ perceptions and knowledge of informal networks of care and in identifying barriers to the networks working together. Methods Qualitative methods, informed by an interpretive approach, were used. In February-July 2012, 10 focus groups were conducted in urban, regional, and rural Australia comprising 88 participants. Findings Our findings show that formal providers are aware, and supportive, of the vital role informal networks play in the care of the dying at home. A number of barriers to formal and informal networks working together more effectively were identified. In particular, we found that the Australian policy of health-promoting palliative is not substantially translating to practice. Conclusion Combinations of formal and informal caring networks are essential to support people and their primary carers. Formal service providers do little to establish, support, or maintain the informal networks although there is much goodwill and scope for them to do so. Further re-orientation towards a health-promoting palliative care and community capacity building approach is suggested.

Postcards from somewhere : ‘marginal’ cultural production, creativity and community

This paper focuses on a case study of local postcard production in a rural community in Western Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with key producers of these postcards, the analysis presented explores perceptions of and contexts for the emergence of this production, in turn examining the notion of ‘creativity’ articulated and privileged by this cultural work. Connections are identified between the making of postcards, the broader historical field of local cultural work and the construction of community. This, in turn, forms the basis for consideration of the role and relativity of ‘marginality’.

On display : Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and the assembly of place

Each September since 1983 in the rural Shire of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, volunteers collect samples of up to 700 wildfl ower species which are then displayed in the Ravensthorpe Senior Citizens Centre from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm daily over a two-week period. This chapter offers an ethnographic interpretation of this enduring annual event focusing on the 25th show held in 2007. The study contributes to understanding the complex and nuanced role of local wildflower shows in shaping and supporting rural senses of place and of community. Importantly, this particular type of festival, and more specifically this local instance, foregrounds a less-remarked aspect of festivals, namely the (re)production and celebration of place-specific knowledge through validations of, and interconnections between, scientific flower classification and emotive experience. This feature, encapsulated in Laurel Lamperd’s poem above, invites consideration of the ways in which local place knowledge and the simultaneous (re)production of ‘place’ are constituted by a complex layering of rational, objective ways of knowing and those which emphasize emotions, aesthetics and memories. This rural wildflower show not only mobilises both the rational and the emotional in ‘making sense of the world’ for local residents and for tourists, but also offers insights into the production of place as constituted in and through relations between humans and non-human life forms (Cloke & Jones, 2001; Conradson, 2005; see also Chapter 6).

Facilitators of expanded and extended scope of paramedic practice - what makes them work?

Introduction Better integration of health services and redefinition of health workforce roles through expanding and extending traditional scope of clinical practice have been explored nationally and internationally. This paper aims to extend our earlier work by examining models of expanded and extended scope of paramedic practice for attributes which facilitate such a practice. Methods An exploratory multi-case study analysis of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom expanded and extended paramedic practices were analysed. Results Successful models of advanced practice harness the capacity and personality of the paramedic practitioner, and are supported by enabling infrastructures, specifically: professional development/ education; clinical guideline and policy (boundary); access to physical infrastructure and clinical support from senior medical practitioners; and, ability to directly refer to other health services (service integration). The scope of advanced practice is however influenced by individual employers’ capacity, perceived needs and preference/ prioritises. The potential for advanced paramedic practice is equally applicable to urban as well as rural Australia. The Council of Ambulance Authorities’ Professional Competency Standard provides the form and functions for building on advanced paramedic practice. Recognition of such advanced paramedic practice provides a structure for professional growth, process for career progression and will support workforce retention. Conclusion The achievement of advanced knowledge and skills has positioned the paramedic profession to be recognized as a valuable clinician. The Council of Ambulance Authorities’ Professional Competency Standards provides the form and function for supporting advanced paramedic practice.

Bang and bust: almost everything you wanted to know about sex and the mining boom (but were afraid to ask)

Recent growth and expansion of the fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) model of mining in remote rural Australia has led to concerns about the health and well-being of those employed by the mines and those in the small rural communities where they are based. A particular concern has been the potential disruption to sexual norms in mining towns and increases in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV.