Transforming habitus: Changing self, changing school

Since 2004, Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students at a low socioeconomic area Australian urban secondary school have used participatory action research to investigate issues of disengagement and absenteeism among their peers. Their research revealed that Indigenous students, who made up about 8% to 10% of the school’s population lacked a sense of belonging to the school. The researchers also revealed an apparent official disregard of the academic or sporting achievements of Indigenous students and, more disturbingly, their presence within the school. The young researchers followed up their findings with action to address the issues. These actions have resulted in a positive change of culture across the whole school, with Indigenous students now able to express pride in their heritage and feel some degree of ownership of the school.

Leveraging innovation for sustainable construction, proceedings of the CIB Task Group 58: Clients and Construction Innovation Workshop

This publication consists of a volume of papers presented at the workshop of the CIB Task Group 58: Clients and Construction Innovation, held on May 18- 19, 2009 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The workshop theme, “Leveraging Innovation for Sustainable Construction”, reflects a growing concern among clients for perspectives, approaches, and tools that will secure the practice of construction economically, socially, and environmentally. This collection encompasses some of the most incisive assessments of the challenges facing the construction industry today from a range of researchers and industry practitioners who are leading the way for tomorrow’s innovations. It provides a useful documentation of the ongoing conversation regarding innovation and sustainability issues and a foundation of knowledge for future research and development. The papers contained in this volume explore the workshop’s overarching theme of how to leverage innovation to increase the sustainability of the construction process and product. Participants sought to generate discussion on the topics of innovation and sustainability within the construction field, to share international examples of innovation from the research community and from industry, and to establish a point of reference for ongoing enquiry. In particular, our contributors have noted the value of learning through practice in order to orient research based on real-world industry experience. Chapters two and three present complementary models of sustainable research programs through the three parts collaboration of government, industry, and academia. Chapters four and five explore new tools and forms of technological innovation as they are deployed to improve construction project management and set the direction for advances in research. Chapters six, seven, and eight closely study practical examples of innovation in large-scale construction projects, showing with concrete results the impact of applying creative methods and best practices to the field. Innovation and sustainability in construction are truly global efforts; these papers illustrate how we can draw on international examples and cooperative organizations to address these important issues for long-term benefit of the industry.

Projecting change through construction innovation

In projecting change for the critical Australian construction industry, the CRC for Construction Innovation envisions a culture of self improvement through applied research and technology transfer. Construction Innovation is driving research outcomes into business practice in areas such as innovativeness, sustainability, procurement, project diagnostics and site safety. The group has also led the formation of an international alliance to ensure its activities are hitting the mark nationally and internationally. Through initiatives like these, the CRC for Construction Innovation is already providing a potent vehicle for change.

Sustainable, smart, safe : a 3'S' approach towards a modern transportation system

Sustainability, smartness and safety are three sole components of a modern transportation system. The objective of this study is to introduce a modern transportation system in the light of a 3‘S’ approach: sustainable, smart and safe. In particular this paper studies the transportation system of Singapore to address how this system is progressing in this three-pronged approach towards a modern transportation system. While sustainability targets environmental justice and social equity without compromising economical efficiency, smartness incorporates qualities like automated sensing, processing and decision making, and action-taking into the transportation system. Since a system cannot be viable without being safe, the safety of the modern transportation system aims minimizing crash risks of all users including motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Various policy implications and technology applications inside the transportation system of Singapore are discussed to illustrate a modern transportation system within the framework of the 3‘S’ model.

The quantum inspired modelling of changing attitudes and self-organising societies

We utilise the well-developed quantum decision models known to the QI community to create a higher order social decision making model. A simple Agent Based Model (ABM) of a society of agents with changing attitudes towards a social issue is presented, where the private attitudes of individuals in the system are represented using a geometric structure inspired by quantum theory. We track the changing attitudes of the members of that society, and their resulting propensities to act, or not, in a given social context. A number of new issues surrounding this "scaling up" of quantum decision theories are discussed, as well as new directions and opportunities.

The relationship between cognitive ability, insight and self-regulatory behaviors: Findings from the older driver population

Self-regulation is often promoted as a coping strategy that may allow older drivers to drive safely for longer. Self-regulation depends upon drivers making an accurate assessment of their own ability and having a willingness to practice self-regulatory behaviors to compensate for changes in ability. The current study explored the relationship between older drivers’ cognitive ability, their driving confidence and their use of self-regulation. An additional study aim was to explore the relationship between these factors and older drivers’ interest in driving programs. Seventy Australian drivers aged 65 years and over completed a questionnaire about their driving and a brief screening measure of cognitive ability (an untimed Clock Drawing Test). While all participants reported high levels of confidence regarding their driving ability, and agreed that they would continue driving in the foreseeable future, a notable proportion performed poorly on the Clock Drawing Test. Compared to older drivers who successfully completed the Clock Drawing Test, those who failed the cognitive test were significantly less likely to report driving self-regulation, and showed significantly less interest in being involved in driving programs. Older drivers with declining cognitive abilities may not be self-regulating their driving. This group also appears to be unlikely to self-refer to driving programs.

Sustainable retirement living : what matters

There is a growing demand for sustainable retirement villages in Australia due to an increasing number of ageing population and public acceptance of sustainable development. This research aims to gain a better understanding of retirees’ understanding about sustainable retirement living and their attitudes towards sustainable developments via a questionnaire survey approach. The results showed that the current and potential residents of retirement villages are generally very conscious of unsustainable resource consumption and would like their residences and community to be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The cost of energy supply is a concern to majority of respondents. Education is required to residents about recycling household waste and how to use available facilities. A better understanding of retirees’ awareness and attitudes towards sustainability issues helps to improve the sustainable developments of retirement villages in the future.

Sustainable retirement living : what matters

There is a growing demand for sustainable retirement villages in Australia due to an increasing number of ageing population and public acceptance of sustainable development. This research aims to gain a better understanding of retirees’ understanding about sustainable retirement living and their attitudes towards sustainable developments via a questionnaire survey approach. The results showed that the current and potential residents of retirement villages are generally very conscious of unsustainable resource consumption and would like their residences and community to be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The cost of energy supply is a concern to majority of respondents. Education is required to residents about recycling household waste and how to use available facilities. A better understanding of retirees’ awareness and attitudes towards sustainability issues helps to improve the sustainable developments of retirement villages in the future.

They Say You are a Danger But You Are Not: Representations and Construction of the Moral Self in Narratives of 'Dangerous Individuals'

This article is based on an analysis of narratives of 26 offenders with mental health problems living in the United Kingdom. It explores the impact of an ascribed dangerous status and the construction of the self as moral and responsible in response to this label with reference to the literature on denial, deviance disavowal and other “techniques of neutralization” and Goffman's presentation of self. Two dominant strands are identified in relation to the construction of moral self-hood: “Not my fault” and “Good at heart” narratives. “Techniques of neutralization” are widely drawn on, particularly denial of responsibility in the “Not my fault” narratives that seek to explain anti-social behavior with reference to external forces such as a hostile environment inhibiting their ability to control their lives. In contrast, “Good at heart” narratives draw on the essentially good and moral nature of the inner-self. Both are used as evidence of sharing and adhering to moral norms in order to present an acceptable and credible self.