Knowing our users: scoping interviews in design research with ageing participants

This paper reports the findings from a series of scoping interviews designed to evaluate, ground and refine the initial understandings, assumptions and concepts of a research team in a larger project about the role of social and tangible technologies in maintaining good habits into old age. Participants' understandings of some basic terms used in the research are presented along with a discussion of their current use of new and established information and communications technologies and the existing barriers to ongoing uptake of emerging technologies. The findings suggest that we question common assumptions about both ageing and technology usage by ageing people, demonstrating the contribution such early scoping interviews can make within design research projects.

Fans teaching fans how to consume : the role of ritual in the consumption of entertainment

The status of entertainment as both a dimension of human culture, and a booming global industry is increasing. Given more recent consumer-centric definitions of entertainment, the entertainment consumer has grown in prominence and is now coming under closer scrutiny. However viewing entertainment consumers as always behaving in a similar fashion towards entertainment as to other products may be selling them short. For a start, entertainment consumers can exhibit a strong loyalty towards their favourite entertainment products that is the envy of the marketing world. Academic researchers and marketers who are keen to investigate entertainment consumers would benefit from a theoretical base from which to commence. This essay therefore, takes a consumer-oriented focus in defining entertainment and conceptualises a model of entertainment consumption. In approaching the study of entertainment one axiomatic question remains: how should we define it? Richard Dyer notes that, considering that the category of entertainment can include – by its own definition in the song ‘That’s entertainment!’ – everything from Hamlet and Oedipus Rex to ‘the clown with his pants falling down’ and ‘the lights on the lady in tights’, it doesn’t make much sense to try to define entertainment as being marked by particular textual features (as is done, for example, by Avrich, 2002). Dyer’s position is rather that ‘entertainment is not so much a category of things as an attitude towards things’ (Dyer, 1973: 9). He traces the modern conception of entertainment back to the writings of Molière. This writer defended the purpose of his plays against attacks from the church that they were not sufficiently edifying by insisting that, as entertainments he had no interest in edifying audiences – his ‘real purpose …was to provide people pleasure – and the definition of that was to be decided by “the people”’(Dyer, 1973: 9). In my own discipline of Marketing this approach has been embraced – Kaser and Oelkers, for example, define entertainment as ‘whatever people are willing to spend their money and spare time viewing’ (2008, 18). That is the approach taken in this paper, where I see entertainment as ‘consumer-driven culture’ (McKee and Collis, 2009) – a definition that is closely aligned with the marketing concept. Within a marketing framework I explore what the consumption of entertainment can tell us about the relationships between consumers and culture more generally. For entertainment offers an intriguing case study, and is often consumed in ways that challenge many of our assumptions about marketing and consumer behaviour.

Large igneous provinces and silicic large igneous provinces : progress in our understanding over the last 25 years

Large Igneous Provinces are exceptional intraplate igneous events throughout Earth’s history. Their significance and potential global impact is related to the total volume of magma intruded and released during these geologically brief events (peak eruptions are often within 1-5 Myrs duration) where millions to tens of millions of cubic kilometers of magma are produced. In some cases, at least 1% of the Earth’s surface has been directly covered in volcanic rock, being equivalent to the size of small continents with comparable crustal thicknesses. Large Igneous Provinces are thus important, albeit episodic episodes of new crust addition. However, most magmatism is basaltic so that contributions to crustal growth will not always be picked up in zircon geochronology studies that better trace major episodes of extension-related silicic magmatism and the silicic Large Igneous Provinces. Much headway has been made on our understanding of these anomalous igneous events over the last 25 years, driving many new ideas and models. This includes their: 1) global spatial and temporal distribution, with a long-term average of one event approximately every 20 Myrs, but a clear clustering of events at times of supercontinent break-up – Large Igneous Provinces are thus an integral part of the Wilson cycle and are becoming an increasingly important tool in reconnecting dispersed continental fragments; 2) compositional diversity that in part reflects their crustal setting of ocean basins, and continental interiors and margins where in the latter setting, LIP magmatism can be silicicdominant; 3) mineral and energy resources with major PGE and precious metal resources being hosted in these provinces, as well as magmatism impacting on the hydrocarbon potential of volcanic basins and rifted margins through enhancing source rock maturation, providing fluid migration pathways, and trap formation; 4) biospheric, hydrospheric and atmospheric impacts, with Large Igneous Provinces now widely regarded as a key trigger mechanism for mass extinctions, although the exact kill mechanism(s) are still being resolved; 5) role in mantle geodynamics and thermal evolution of the Earth, by potentially recording the transport of material from the lower mantle or core-mantle boundary to the Earth's surface and being a fundamental component in whole mantle convection models; and 6) recognition on the inner planets where the lack of plate tectonics and erosional processes and planetary antiquity means that the very earliest record of LIP events during planetary evolution may be better preserved than on Earth.

Returning to the practices of our ancestors? Reconsidering Indigenous justice and the emergence of restorative practices

Restorative practices have often been considered both as emerging from the customs of Indigenous peoples, and ways of responding to crime that might be most suitable for Indigenous individuals and communities. This paper, which consists of two parts, will reconsider these claims from a critical perspective. The first part of the paper draws on my Ph.D. research on the emergence of restorative justice in Western criminal justice systems. It will argue that although many advocates of restorative justice uncritically and unproblematically accept that restorative practices emerged from the customs of Indigenous peoples, the relationship between Indigenous justice customs and the emergence of restorative justice is much more nuanced than proponents imply. The paper will examine, therefore, the legitimating rationalities associated with the diverse historical ‘truths’ obscured in advocates’ accounts of the role of Indigenous customs and the emergence of restorative justice. The second section draws on the findings of recent research undertaken at the Australian Institute of Criminology, and will present data on the numbers of Indigenous juveniles who participate in restorative conferences in each jurisdiction. These data will be used to elucidate the disparity between the rhetoric or ‘promise’ of restorative justice, and its apparent impact in relation to Indigenous juveniles. This paper will conclude with a consideration of the continued relevance of restorative justice for Indigenous young people in Australia.

Killing our darling: why we need to let go of the entrepreneurial opportunity construct

We support Shane and Venkataraman’s (2000) basic idea of an “entrepreneurship nexus” where characteristics of the actor as well as those of the “opportunity” they work on influence action and outcomes in the creation of new economic activities. However, a review of the literature reveals that minimal progress has been made on the core issues pertaining to the nexus idea. We argue that this is rooted in fundamental and insurmountable problems with the “opportunity” construct itself, and demonstrate the state of confusion in the literature caused by inconsistent use of the construct within and across works and authors. As an alternative, we suggest the admittedly subjective notion of New Venture as a more workable alternative. We provide a comprehensive definition and explanation of this construct, and take steps towards improved conceptualization and operationalization of its subdimensions. With some further work on these conceptualizations and operationalizations it will be possible to implement a comprehensive research program that can finally deliver on the promise outlined by Shane and Venkataraman (2000).

Finding our way to the future : directions for a city of opportunity

This Australian case study of futures methodologies in local government explores the development and implementation of the Logan 2026 City Directions project. As an innovative approach to strategic planning, and forming the city visioning umbrella for the Strategic Planning and Performance Management Framework of Council, Logan 2026 City Directions has facilitated greater engagement with the community and represents an opportunity for Council to explore and build on the organisation's foresight capacity and to enhance internal communications within the organisation. One significant by-product has been ongoing dialogue and actions of the workshop groups in Council seeking to address such issues as climate change.

Post-genomic science & society : Getting our fangs into omics science and its implications

Genomics and genetic findings have been hailed with promises of unlocked codes and new frontiers of personalized medicine. Despite cautions about gene hype, the strong cultural pull of genes and genomics has allowed consideration of genomic personhood. Populated by the complicated records of mass spectrometer, proteomics, which studies the human protein, has not achieved either the funding or the popular cultural appeal proteomics scientists had hoped it would. While proteomics, being focused on the proteins that actually indicate and create disease states, has a more direct potential for clinical applications than genomic risk predictions, culturally, it has not provided the material for identity creation. In our ethnographic research, we explore how proteomic scientists attempting to shape an appeal to personhood through which legitimacy may be defined.

‘We don’t leave our identities at the city limits’ : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in urban localities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in cities and towns are often thought of as ‘less Indigenous’ than those who live ‘in the bush’, as though they were ‘fake’ Aboriginal people — while ‘real’ Aboriginal people live ‘on communities’ and ‘real’ Torres Strait Islander people live ‘on islands’. Yet more than 70 percent of Australia’s Indigenous peoples live in urban locations (ABS 2007), and urban living is just as much part of a reality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as living in remote discrete communities. This paper examines the contradictions and struggles that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience when living in urban environments. It looks at the symbols of place and space on display in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Brisbane to demonstrate how prevailing social, political and economic values are displayed. Symbols of place and space are never neutral, and this paper argues that they can either marginalise and oppress urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, or demonstrate that they are included and engaged.

Trees along our travelling tracks

This creative non-fiction piece of writing speaks to the ‘tree’ themed edition of the About Place Journal. It begins with…“This tree stands steadfast along my inland travelling track, near the town of Mundubbera on the land of the Wakka Wakka people. It is in the region called North Burnett. When we travel, we follow the river systems and look out for distinct markers in the landscape. We acknowledge the lands of others as we move down to Booburrgan Ngmmunge (the language term used by many Aboriginal people to describe the Bunya Mountains) and beyond”. The piece includes photograph images also taken by the author.

Making the written word part of our toolbox: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women educators

In this paper we will outline a workshop that we conceived, developed, facilitated and evaluated especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The Tiddas Writin’ Up Workshop specifically addressed the academic writing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women working in universities, institutes and TAFE colleges. We demonstrate how we can make the written word part of our toolbox for success.

Queensland diabetic foot hospitalisations (2005-10) : in what state is our foot hospital problem?

Background Diabetes foot complications are a leading cause of overall avoidable hospital admissions. Since 2006, the Queensland Diabetes Clinical Network has implemented programs aimed at reducing diabetes-related hospitalisation. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to determine the incidence of diabetes foot-related hospital admissions in Queensland from 2005 to 2010. Methods Data on all primary diabetes foot-related admissions in Queensland from 2005-2010 was obtained using diabetes foot-related ICD-10-AM (hospital discharge) codes. Queensland diabetes foot-related admission incidences were calculated using general population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Furthermore, diabetes foot-related sub-group admissions were analysed. Chi-squared tests were used to assess changes in admissions over time. Results Overall, 24,917 diabetes foot-related admissions occurred, resulting in the use of 260,085 bed days or 1.4% of all available Queensland hospital bed days (18,352,152). The primary reasons for these admissions were foot ulcers (49.8%), cellulitis (20.7%), peripheral vascular disease (17.8%) and osteomyelitis (3.8%). The diabetes foot-related admission incidence among the general population (per 100,000) reduced by 22% (103.0 in 2005, to 80.7 in 2010, p < 0.001); bed days decreased by 18% (1,099 to 904, p < 0.001). Conclusion Diabetes foot complications appear to be the primary reason for 1.4 out of every 100 hospital beds used in Queensland. There has been a significant reduction in the incidence of diabetes foot-related admissions in Queensland between 2005 and 2010. This decrease has coincided with a corresponding decrease in amputations and the implementation of several diabetes foot clinical programs throughout Queensland.

Reshaping our protective systems : issues and options

Australia's systems for protecting children from child abuse and neglect are undergoing reform in light of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children and innumerable judicial and other inquiries into their operations and outcomes. This article examines the current context for child protection practice and critically examines the dominant policy and practice frameworks, highlighting issues confronting policy makers and practitioners. Within the current systematic reform agendas, it is posited, there are key priorities that must be attended to in order to bring about necessary change, workforce support and a renewed emphasis on quality professional practice and re-orientation of practice approaches. Also required is the embedding of ethics into a relationship-based practice framework, and revitalising localised community involvement in a protective web of care that provides practical, compassionate and accessible help to needy and vulnerable children and families.