Random finite element method prediction and optimisation for open pit mine slope stability analysis
- Authors: Dyson, Ashley
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Inherent soil variability can have significant effects on the stability of open-pit mine slopes. In practice, the spatial variability of materials is not commonly considered as a routine component of slope stability analysis. The process of quantifying spatially variable parameters, as well as the modelling of their behaviour is often a complex undertaking. Currently, there are no large-scale commercial software packages containing in-built methods for modelling spatial variability within the Finite Element environment. Furthermore, conventional Limit Equilibrium Methods (LEM) incorporating spatial variability are unable to consider the stress/strain characteristics of these materials. The following research seeks to accurately model the slope mechanics of spatially variable soils, adopting The Random Finite Element Method (RFEM) developed by Griffiths and Fenton (2004) to determine slope failure mechanisms and safety factors. Techniques are developed to produce a set of optimised Random Finite Element Method simulations using the Monte Carlo Method. Additionally, random field analysis techniques are investigated to compare and categorise soil parameter fluctuation, providing a direct relationship between random field properties and slope failure surfaces. Optimisation and analysis techniques are implemented to examine the effects of cross-sectional geometries and input parameter distributions on failure mechanisms, safety factors and probabilities of failure. Cross-sectional RFEM analysis is performed in the Finite Element Method (FEM) software package Abaqus, with the techniques of this research demonstrated for a large open-pit brown coal mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. The outcome of this research is a comprehensive procedure for optimised RFEM simulation and analysis.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Dyson, Ashley
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Inherent soil variability can have significant effects on the stability of open-pit mine slopes. In practice, the spatial variability of materials is not commonly considered as a routine component of slope stability analysis. The process of quantifying spatially variable parameters, as well as the modelling of their behaviour is often a complex undertaking. Currently, there are no large-scale commercial software packages containing in-built methods for modelling spatial variability within the Finite Element environment. Furthermore, conventional Limit Equilibrium Methods (LEM) incorporating spatial variability are unable to consider the stress/strain characteristics of these materials. The following research seeks to accurately model the slope mechanics of spatially variable soils, adopting The Random Finite Element Method (RFEM) developed by Griffiths and Fenton (2004) to determine slope failure mechanisms and safety factors. Techniques are developed to produce a set of optimised Random Finite Element Method simulations using the Monte Carlo Method. Additionally, random field analysis techniques are investigated to compare and categorise soil parameter fluctuation, providing a direct relationship between random field properties and slope failure surfaces. Optimisation and analysis techniques are implemented to examine the effects of cross-sectional geometries and input parameter distributions on failure mechanisms, safety factors and probabilities of failure. Cross-sectional RFEM analysis is performed in the Finite Element Method (FEM) software package Abaqus, with the techniques of this research demonstrated for a large open-pit brown coal mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. The outcome of this research is a comprehensive procedure for optimised RFEM simulation and analysis.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Robust Mobile Malware Detection
- Authors: Khoda, Mahbub
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The increasing popularity and use of smartphones and hand-held devices have made them the most popular target for malware attackers. Researchers have proposed machine learning-based models to automatically detect malware attacks on these devices. Since these models learn application behaviors solely from the extracted features, choosing an appropriate and meaningful feature set is one of the most crucial steps for designing an effective mobile malware detection system. There are four categories of features for mobile applications. Previous works have taken arbitrary combinations of these categories to design models, resulting in sub-optimal performance. This thesis systematically investigates the individual impact of these feature categories on mobile malware detection systems. Feature categories that complement each other are investigated and categories that add redundancy to the feature space (thereby degrading the performance) are analyzed. In the process, the combination of feature categories that provides the best detection results is identified. Ensuring reliability and robustness of the above-mentioned malware detection systems is of utmost importance as newer techniques to break down such systems continue to surface. Adversarial attack is one such evasive attack that can bypass a detection system by carefully morphing a malicious sample even though the sample was originally correctly identified by the same system. Self-crafted adversarial samples can be used to retrain a model to defend against such attacks. However, randomly using too many such samples, as is currently done in the literature, can further degrade detection performance. This work proposed two intelligent approaches to retrain a classifier through the intelligent selection of adversarial samples. The first approach adopts a distance-based scheme where the samples are chosen based on their distance from malware and benign cluster centers while the second selects the samples based on a probability measure derived from a kernel-based learning method. The second method achieved a 6% improvement in terms of accuracy. To ensure practical deployment of malware detection systems, it is necessary to keep the real-world data characteristics in mind. For example, the benign applications deployed in the market greatly outnumber malware applications. However, most studies have assumed a balanced data distribution. Also, techniques to handle imbalanced data in other domains cannot be applied directly to mobile malware detection since they generate synthetic samples with broken functionality, making them invalid. In this regard, this thesis introduces a novel synthetic over-sampling technique that ensures valid sample generation. This technique is subsequently combined with a dynamic cost function in the learning scheme that automatically adjusts minority class weight during model training which counters the bias towards the majority class and stabilizes the model. This hybrid method provided a 9% improvement in terms of F1-score. Aiming to design a robust malware detection system, this thesis extensively studies machine learning-based mobile malware detection in terms of best feature category combination, resilience against evasive attacks, and practical deployment of detection models. Given the increasing technological advancements in mobile and hand-held devices, this study will be very useful for designing robust cybersecurity systems to ensure safe usage of these devices.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Khoda, Mahbub
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The increasing popularity and use of smartphones and hand-held devices have made them the most popular target for malware attackers. Researchers have proposed machine learning-based models to automatically detect malware attacks on these devices. Since these models learn application behaviors solely from the extracted features, choosing an appropriate and meaningful feature set is one of the most crucial steps for designing an effective mobile malware detection system. There are four categories of features for mobile applications. Previous works have taken arbitrary combinations of these categories to design models, resulting in sub-optimal performance. This thesis systematically investigates the individual impact of these feature categories on mobile malware detection systems. Feature categories that complement each other are investigated and categories that add redundancy to the feature space (thereby degrading the performance) are analyzed. In the process, the combination of feature categories that provides the best detection results is identified. Ensuring reliability and robustness of the above-mentioned malware detection systems is of utmost importance as newer techniques to break down such systems continue to surface. Adversarial attack is one such evasive attack that can bypass a detection system by carefully morphing a malicious sample even though the sample was originally correctly identified by the same system. Self-crafted adversarial samples can be used to retrain a model to defend against such attacks. However, randomly using too many such samples, as is currently done in the literature, can further degrade detection performance. This work proposed two intelligent approaches to retrain a classifier through the intelligent selection of adversarial samples. The first approach adopts a distance-based scheme where the samples are chosen based on their distance from malware and benign cluster centers while the second selects the samples based on a probability measure derived from a kernel-based learning method. The second method achieved a 6% improvement in terms of accuracy. To ensure practical deployment of malware detection systems, it is necessary to keep the real-world data characteristics in mind. For example, the benign applications deployed in the market greatly outnumber malware applications. However, most studies have assumed a balanced data distribution. Also, techniques to handle imbalanced data in other domains cannot be applied directly to mobile malware detection since they generate synthetic samples with broken functionality, making them invalid. In this regard, this thesis introduces a novel synthetic over-sampling technique that ensures valid sample generation. This technique is subsequently combined with a dynamic cost function in the learning scheme that automatically adjusts minority class weight during model training which counters the bias towards the majority class and stabilizes the model. This hybrid method provided a 9% improvement in terms of F1-score. Aiming to design a robust malware detection system, this thesis extensively studies machine learning-based mobile malware detection in terms of best feature category combination, resilience against evasive attacks, and practical deployment of detection models. Given the increasing technological advancements in mobile and hand-held devices, this study will be very useful for designing robust cybersecurity systems to ensure safe usage of these devices.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Special needs, special play? Examining the agency of children with impairments in play-based learning in a special school
- Authors: Claughton, Amy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Play is an inherent part of childhood, often cast as an innate behaviour of children. Over the years, play has been scrutinised by theorists, researchers and educators alike in their attempts to understand how children engage in play, the role of play in development and how to identify, define and measure play. For children with impairments, play is frequently subjected to surveillance and compared to that of children whose development is considered typical. This thesis interrogates the play-based learning experiences of five children who attended a special educational school in rural Victoria, Australia. It examines the experiences that these children had in play and how teacher actions and responses enabled and supported their engagement in play-based learning. The theoretical framework for this study draws on critical ethnography underpinned by disability studies. Disability studies recognises the social model of disability, in which disability is a social construction. Using this model, impairment is distinct and separate from disability. In this study, socially constructed barriers that confront children in their play are identified as being created by attitudes, structures and environments (Bishop et al., 1999). These barriers are overlaid by the psycho-emotional dimensions of disability (C. Thomas, 1999) in an effort to represent the experiences of children as shaped by the actions and responses of others. This thesis introduces a new analytic tool in the learning portal framework. The learning portal framework aims to provide a platform through which teacher actions and responses can be analysed to understand how children are enabled to access play-based learning. The findings of this study indicate that children with impairments play in complex and nuanced ways. They show purpose in their play, are able to self-initiate, and independently investigate play-based learning experiences. Adult actions and responses often enable children with impairments to engage in play by offering opportunities and pathways for exploration. Indirect adult facilitation in play supports children’s ability to act in play with individuality and determination.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Claughton, Amy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Play is an inherent part of childhood, often cast as an innate behaviour of children. Over the years, play has been scrutinised by theorists, researchers and educators alike in their attempts to understand how children engage in play, the role of play in development and how to identify, define and measure play. For children with impairments, play is frequently subjected to surveillance and compared to that of children whose development is considered typical. This thesis interrogates the play-based learning experiences of five children who attended a special educational school in rural Victoria, Australia. It examines the experiences that these children had in play and how teacher actions and responses enabled and supported their engagement in play-based learning. The theoretical framework for this study draws on critical ethnography underpinned by disability studies. Disability studies recognises the social model of disability, in which disability is a social construction. Using this model, impairment is distinct and separate from disability. In this study, socially constructed barriers that confront children in their play are identified as being created by attitudes, structures and environments (Bishop et al., 1999). These barriers are overlaid by the psycho-emotional dimensions of disability (C. Thomas, 1999) in an effort to represent the experiences of children as shaped by the actions and responses of others. This thesis introduces a new analytic tool in the learning portal framework. The learning portal framework aims to provide a platform through which teacher actions and responses can be analysed to understand how children are enabled to access play-based learning. The findings of this study indicate that children with impairments play in complex and nuanced ways. They show purpose in their play, are able to self-initiate, and independently investigate play-based learning experiences. Adult actions and responses often enable children with impairments to engage in play by offering opportunities and pathways for exploration. Indirect adult facilitation in play supports children’s ability to act in play with individuality and determination.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Stress resilience : meaning, measurement, and the effects of physical activity
- Authors: O’Donohue, Josephine
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In rodent models of human behaviour, physical activity builds stress resilience. In contrast, human studies physical activity and stress resilience have been limited, and when investigated, provided mixed results. These inconsistencies may be due to the ambiguous use of the term stress resilience in human studies, making it difficult to quantify. Therefore, I aimed to assess the effect of physical activity on stress resilience in humans, after first evaluating operational definitions of stress resilience. Initially, I evaluated the use of stress resilience across the literature to provide a definition that is consistent with the research base (Chapter 2). I subsequently defined stress resilience as an active process of adapting to unpredictable and uncontrollable stimuli. In Chapter 3, I systematically reviewed measures previously used to capture stress resilience in humans, including trait-based questionnaires, as well as affective and cardiorespiratory responses to stressful conditions. In Study 1 (Chapter 4) of this dissertation, I then assessed the convergent validity of these stress resilience measures , including the Brief Resilience Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, as well as various responses (i.e., affective balance, systolic blood pressure, rate pressure product, and multiple indices of heart rate variability) to three stressor conditions (i.e., no stress, auditory startles, and stressful video clips). Results of Study 1 indicated that no measure captured all elements of stress resilience, although some indices of heart rate variability were related to changes in affective balance and systolic blood pressure was related to the Brief Resilience Scale. Across two studies, I then evaluated the effect of physical activity on stress resilience using the measures from Study 1. Through a cross-sectional study (Study 2, Chapter 5), I found no difference between active participants (n = 16) and less active participants (n = 14) across stress resilience measures. Additionally, in Study 3 (Chapter 6), I found that an 8-week moderate physical activity intervention had no effect on these stress resilience measures in 14 participants from desk-based occupations. I did, however, find an increase in mood and reduction in systolic blood pressure post-intervention, compared to pre-intervention scores. I also discussed the feasibility of various recruitment techniques, intervention purity and adherence, as well as stress resilience measurement protocols for future intervention studies. Overall, this dissertation has provided a critical evaluation of the use and measurement of stress resilience, with findings indicating that physical activity may not enhance stress resilience in humans. I discuss differences in my findings, compared to rodent research, including the potential effects of environment enrichment and increased severity of measurement protocols in animal models. I also discuss limitations of stress resilience conceptualisation and provide suggestions for future research to navigate these challenges.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: O’Donohue, Josephine
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In rodent models of human behaviour, physical activity builds stress resilience. In contrast, human studies physical activity and stress resilience have been limited, and when investigated, provided mixed results. These inconsistencies may be due to the ambiguous use of the term stress resilience in human studies, making it difficult to quantify. Therefore, I aimed to assess the effect of physical activity on stress resilience in humans, after first evaluating operational definitions of stress resilience. Initially, I evaluated the use of stress resilience across the literature to provide a definition that is consistent with the research base (Chapter 2). I subsequently defined stress resilience as an active process of adapting to unpredictable and uncontrollable stimuli. In Chapter 3, I systematically reviewed measures previously used to capture stress resilience in humans, including trait-based questionnaires, as well as affective and cardiorespiratory responses to stressful conditions. In Study 1 (Chapter 4) of this dissertation, I then assessed the convergent validity of these stress resilience measures , including the Brief Resilience Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, as well as various responses (i.e., affective balance, systolic blood pressure, rate pressure product, and multiple indices of heart rate variability) to three stressor conditions (i.e., no stress, auditory startles, and stressful video clips). Results of Study 1 indicated that no measure captured all elements of stress resilience, although some indices of heart rate variability were related to changes in affective balance and systolic blood pressure was related to the Brief Resilience Scale. Across two studies, I then evaluated the effect of physical activity on stress resilience using the measures from Study 1. Through a cross-sectional study (Study 2, Chapter 5), I found no difference between active participants (n = 16) and less active participants (n = 14) across stress resilience measures. Additionally, in Study 3 (Chapter 6), I found that an 8-week moderate physical activity intervention had no effect on these stress resilience measures in 14 participants from desk-based occupations. I did, however, find an increase in mood and reduction in systolic blood pressure post-intervention, compared to pre-intervention scores. I also discussed the feasibility of various recruitment techniques, intervention purity and adherence, as well as stress resilience measurement protocols for future intervention studies. Overall, this dissertation has provided a critical evaluation of the use and measurement of stress resilience, with findings indicating that physical activity may not enhance stress resilience in humans. I discuss differences in my findings, compared to rodent research, including the potential effects of environment enrichment and increased severity of measurement protocols in animal models. I also discuss limitations of stress resilience conceptualisation and provide suggestions for future research to navigate these challenges.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Student mobility and transition : setting your compass for success
- Authors: Murrell, Kerry
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: With increasing levels of student mobility within Victorian schools, many educational settings experience frequent changes to their student population. These changes are often met with an ad hoc array of practices implemented by schools in an attempt to adequately manage them. This thesis addresses the impact of student mobility on an educational community and its stakeholders in Victoria, Australia. The research was undertaken in five Victorian government schools that encompassed diverse geographical locations and socio-economic profiles. Key stakeholders include: school principals, teachers and education support staff, mobile students, parents/carers of mobile students, non-mobile students and their families. Each group offered a unique perspective regarding student mobility and transition processes. Participants in this study were involved in interviews and focus groups, and completed a questionnaire. Socio-economic status was identified as a predominant factor in student mobility for both families and schools. This was evidenced by high levels of often unpredictable mobility in socio-economically disadvantaged and significantly disadvantaged participating schools. The participating non-disadvantaged school experienced mobility related specifically to perceived academic gain or parental promotion. Regardless of socio-economic status, each group was reliant on other stakeholders to be successful. No stakeholder groups stood alone as being able to successfully navigate the process of mobility and transition independently. This study, through the thematic analysis of the data collected, has uncovered many actionable and achievable recommendations for families, schools and the education system itself both within Victoria and nationwide. The participants in this research clearly indicated a need for a more strategic and planned approach to mobility. Educational communities must respond proactively in order to provide optimal academic, social and emotional outcomes for students in these circumstances.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Murrell, Kerry
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: With increasing levels of student mobility within Victorian schools, many educational settings experience frequent changes to their student population. These changes are often met with an ad hoc array of practices implemented by schools in an attempt to adequately manage them. This thesis addresses the impact of student mobility on an educational community and its stakeholders in Victoria, Australia. The research was undertaken in five Victorian government schools that encompassed diverse geographical locations and socio-economic profiles. Key stakeholders include: school principals, teachers and education support staff, mobile students, parents/carers of mobile students, non-mobile students and their families. Each group offered a unique perspective regarding student mobility and transition processes. Participants in this study were involved in interviews and focus groups, and completed a questionnaire. Socio-economic status was identified as a predominant factor in student mobility for both families and schools. This was evidenced by high levels of often unpredictable mobility in socio-economically disadvantaged and significantly disadvantaged participating schools. The participating non-disadvantaged school experienced mobility related specifically to perceived academic gain or parental promotion. Regardless of socio-economic status, each group was reliant on other stakeholders to be successful. No stakeholder groups stood alone as being able to successfully navigate the process of mobility and transition independently. This study, through the thematic analysis of the data collected, has uncovered many actionable and achievable recommendations for families, schools and the education system itself both within Victoria and nationwide. The participants in this research clearly indicated a need for a more strategic and planned approach to mobility. Educational communities must respond proactively in order to provide optimal academic, social and emotional outcomes for students in these circumstances.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Techniques for the reverse engineering of banking malware
- Authors: Black, Paul
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Malware attacks are a significant and frequently reported problem, adversely affecting the productivity of organisations and governments worldwide. The well-documented consequences of malware attacks include financial loss, data loss, reputation damage, infrastructure damage, theft of intellectual property, compromise of commercial negotiations, and national security risks. Mitiga-tion activities involve a significant amount of manual analysis. Therefore, there is a need for automated techniques for malware analysis to identify malicious behaviours. Research into automated techniques for malware analysis covers a wide range of activities. This thesis consists of a series of studies: an anal-ysis of banking malware families and their common behaviours, an emulated command and control environment for dynamic malware analysis, a technique to identify similar malware functions, and a technique for the detection of ransomware. An analysis of the nature of banking malware, its major malware families, behaviours, variants, and inter-relationships are provided in this thesis. In doing this, this research takes a broad view of malware analysis, starting with the implementation of the malicious behaviours through to detailed analysis using machine learning. The broad approach taken in this thesis differs from some other studies that approach malware research in a more abstract sense. A disadvantage of approaching malware research without domain knowledge, is that important methodology questions may not be considered. Large datasets of historical malware samples are available for countermea-sures research. However, due to the age of these samples, the original malware infrastructure is no longer available, often restricting malware operations to initialisation functions only. To address this absence, an emulated command and control environment is provided. This emulated environment provides full control of the malware, enabling the capabilities of the original in-the-wild operation, while enabling feature extraction for research purposes. A major focus of this thesis has been the development of a machine learn-ing function similarity method with a novel feature encoding that increases feature strength. This research develops techniques to demonstrate that the machine learning model trained on similarity features from one program can find similar functions in another, unrelated program. This finding can lead to the development of generic similar function classifiers that can be packaged and distributed in reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro and Ghidra. Further, this research examines the use of API call features for the identi-fication of ransomware and shows that a failure to consider malware analysis domain knowledge can lead to weaknesses in experimental design. In this case, we show that existing research has difficulty in discriminating between ransomware and benign cryptographic software. This thesis by publication, has developed techniques to advance the disci-pline of malware reverse engineering, in order to minimize harm due to cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, government institutions, and industry.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Black, Paul
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Malware attacks are a significant and frequently reported problem, adversely affecting the productivity of organisations and governments worldwide. The well-documented consequences of malware attacks include financial loss, data loss, reputation damage, infrastructure damage, theft of intellectual property, compromise of commercial negotiations, and national security risks. Mitiga-tion activities involve a significant amount of manual analysis. Therefore, there is a need for automated techniques for malware analysis to identify malicious behaviours. Research into automated techniques for malware analysis covers a wide range of activities. This thesis consists of a series of studies: an anal-ysis of banking malware families and their common behaviours, an emulated command and control environment for dynamic malware analysis, a technique to identify similar malware functions, and a technique for the detection of ransomware. An analysis of the nature of banking malware, its major malware families, behaviours, variants, and inter-relationships are provided in this thesis. In doing this, this research takes a broad view of malware analysis, starting with the implementation of the malicious behaviours through to detailed analysis using machine learning. The broad approach taken in this thesis differs from some other studies that approach malware research in a more abstract sense. A disadvantage of approaching malware research without domain knowledge, is that important methodology questions may not be considered. Large datasets of historical malware samples are available for countermea-sures research. However, due to the age of these samples, the original malware infrastructure is no longer available, often restricting malware operations to initialisation functions only. To address this absence, an emulated command and control environment is provided. This emulated environment provides full control of the malware, enabling the capabilities of the original in-the-wild operation, while enabling feature extraction for research purposes. A major focus of this thesis has been the development of a machine learn-ing function similarity method with a novel feature encoding that increases feature strength. This research develops techniques to demonstrate that the machine learning model trained on similarity features from one program can find similar functions in another, unrelated program. This finding can lead to the development of generic similar function classifiers that can be packaged and distributed in reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro and Ghidra. Further, this research examines the use of API call features for the identi-fication of ransomware and shows that a failure to consider malware analysis domain knowledge can lead to weaknesses in experimental design. In this case, we show that existing research has difficulty in discriminating between ransomware and benign cryptographic software. This thesis by publication, has developed techniques to advance the disci-pline of malware reverse engineering, in order to minimize harm due to cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, government institutions, and industry.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Telling a story – managing impressions about corporate social responsibility
- Authors: Paynter, Merryn
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Today, an increasing number of companies are being held accountable by stakeholders for their impact on the environment and on society. Hence, failure to address stakeholder concerns can have dire consequences for companies, threatening their social licence-to-operate. To retain stakeholder support, companies must communicate to stakeholders how their concerns are being addressed, and this includes making disclosures about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Existing literature focuses on explaining the reasons for the uptake of CSR reporting, and why companies make CSR disclosures. Presently, to date, there has been only limited research on the way that companies use CSR reporting to manage impressions, and how this differs across industries. This study is unique because it uses constructive-interpretive, qualitative storytelling research methods to examine CSR reporting, and to investigate companies’ motivations for making CSR disclosures. In this thesis, multi-level narrative research was conducted on the annual, CSR, and integrated reports produced by three Australian companies: BHP, Westpac, and Westfield between 1992 and 2017. These companies represent very different industry sectors, and were chosen to provide an understanding of the similarities and differences in the development of storytelling practices in their CSR reporting. Significant events in company reports are substantiated by newspaper articles published in the Sydney Morning Herald. These significant events are used to study episodic changes in companies’ strategic organisational storytelling responses. This study found that companies use explicit and implied storytelling strategies to convey meanings about CSR using both visual and textual language. A conceptual framework is developed which presents organisational storytelling as a process and illustrates how companies construct and tell stories about CSR. Several implications were identified from this research, key amongst them being the ability of stakeholders to determine companies’ underlying motives for creating their particular CSR stories. From a company perspective, the importance of management’s understanding of the implications of poorly-executed storytelling is demonstrated, highlighting the consequent potential for stakeholders to misinterpret CSR disclosures and form adverse opinions of companies’ actions, despite positive intentions
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Paynter, Merryn
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Today, an increasing number of companies are being held accountable by stakeholders for their impact on the environment and on society. Hence, failure to address stakeholder concerns can have dire consequences for companies, threatening their social licence-to-operate. To retain stakeholder support, companies must communicate to stakeholders how their concerns are being addressed, and this includes making disclosures about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Existing literature focuses on explaining the reasons for the uptake of CSR reporting, and why companies make CSR disclosures. Presently, to date, there has been only limited research on the way that companies use CSR reporting to manage impressions, and how this differs across industries. This study is unique because it uses constructive-interpretive, qualitative storytelling research methods to examine CSR reporting, and to investigate companies’ motivations for making CSR disclosures. In this thesis, multi-level narrative research was conducted on the annual, CSR, and integrated reports produced by three Australian companies: BHP, Westpac, and Westfield between 1992 and 2017. These companies represent very different industry sectors, and were chosen to provide an understanding of the similarities and differences in the development of storytelling practices in their CSR reporting. Significant events in company reports are substantiated by newspaper articles published in the Sydney Morning Herald. These significant events are used to study episodic changes in companies’ strategic organisational storytelling responses. This study found that companies use explicit and implied storytelling strategies to convey meanings about CSR using both visual and textual language. A conceptual framework is developed which presents organisational storytelling as a process and illustrates how companies construct and tell stories about CSR. Several implications were identified from this research, key amongst them being the ability of stakeholders to determine companies’ underlying motives for creating their particular CSR stories. From a company perspective, the importance of management’s understanding of the implications of poorly-executed storytelling is demonstrated, highlighting the consequent potential for stakeholders to misinterpret CSR disclosures and form adverse opinions of companies’ actions, despite positive intentions
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The biopsychosocial impact of Autism on families and the contribution of solar irradiance to its aetiology
- Authors: Syed, Somayya
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder of unknown aetiology. A recent hypothesis is that a lack of Vitamin D is implicated in either the aetiology or maintenance of ASD. The human body synthesises Vitamin D from Ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation found in sunlight. It follows that greater exposure to sunlight hours may be related to decreased rates of ASD. There are no interventions that target the causes of ASD rather therapies address either its symptoms or its comorbidities. ASD not only affects individuals, it also has an impact on their families. Family members have experienced social, occupational and personal costs associated with their child’s ASD which can result in parental separation or divorce. While researchers have established some of the factors which contribute to the impact on families, this research has not addressed families living in regional areas nor have empirical studies used domain-specific scales. The aims in this thesis were: Study 1) to determine whether the prevalence rates of ASD vary as a function of exposure to sunlight by reviewing reported prevalence rates by latitude where, the greater the distance from the equator, the higher the expected prevalence rates; Study 2) to conduct interviews with parents and caregivers of children with ASD who live in a regional area to determine the factors which affect them and those which might protect them; and Study 3) use the interview data to develop domain specific measures and test a model of living with a child with ASD. The results of Study 1 revealed that there is an increase in the prevalence of ASD as distance from the equator increases lending some support to the hypothesis that Vitamin D is implicated in ASD. The 16 interviews conducted in Study 2 revealed seven themes: impact on finances; family life; child’s health and behaviour, and schooling; child’s future; limited support, and regional living. In Study 3, with 178 participants, domain-specific scales were developed to test a model of the impact of living with a child with ASD. Resilience manifested by social support and coping strategies, explained 54% of the variance in impact of living with a child with ASD which, was operationalised by financial and relationship costs, social impact and feelings. Family life as assessed in this thesis, is significantly impacted by living with a child with ASD. The implications of these findings are discussed, especially around the need for greater exposure to outdoor activities and hence sunlight for children with ASD, more regional facilities and assistance for families, the importance of educational interventions for the public as well as enhancing levels of family resilience, as operationalised by support and coping strategies. Limitations of the studies and future research are discussed.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Syed, Somayya
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder of unknown aetiology. A recent hypothesis is that a lack of Vitamin D is implicated in either the aetiology or maintenance of ASD. The human body synthesises Vitamin D from Ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation found in sunlight. It follows that greater exposure to sunlight hours may be related to decreased rates of ASD. There are no interventions that target the causes of ASD rather therapies address either its symptoms or its comorbidities. ASD not only affects individuals, it also has an impact on their families. Family members have experienced social, occupational and personal costs associated with their child’s ASD which can result in parental separation or divorce. While researchers have established some of the factors which contribute to the impact on families, this research has not addressed families living in regional areas nor have empirical studies used domain-specific scales. The aims in this thesis were: Study 1) to determine whether the prevalence rates of ASD vary as a function of exposure to sunlight by reviewing reported prevalence rates by latitude where, the greater the distance from the equator, the higher the expected prevalence rates; Study 2) to conduct interviews with parents and caregivers of children with ASD who live in a regional area to determine the factors which affect them and those which might protect them; and Study 3) use the interview data to develop domain specific measures and test a model of living with a child with ASD. The results of Study 1 revealed that there is an increase in the prevalence of ASD as distance from the equator increases lending some support to the hypothesis that Vitamin D is implicated in ASD. The 16 interviews conducted in Study 2 revealed seven themes: impact on finances; family life; child’s health and behaviour, and schooling; child’s future; limited support, and regional living. In Study 3, with 178 participants, domain-specific scales were developed to test a model of the impact of living with a child with ASD. Resilience manifested by social support and coping strategies, explained 54% of the variance in impact of living with a child with ASD which, was operationalised by financial and relationship costs, social impact and feelings. Family life as assessed in this thesis, is significantly impacted by living with a child with ASD. The implications of these findings are discussed, especially around the need for greater exposure to outdoor activities and hence sunlight for children with ASD, more regional facilities and assistance for families, the importance of educational interventions for the public as well as enhancing levels of family resilience, as operationalised by support and coping strategies. Limitations of the studies and future research are discussed.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The Melbourne art scene and the Victorian artists’ society 1870-2020
- Authors: Williams, Graeme
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis is a socio-cultural history, utilising the Victorian Artists’ Society as a longitudinal case study to look at the extent to which it has serviced the professional needs of artists. The Victorian Artists’ Society, formed in 1870, is the oldest organisation representing the visual arts in Victoria and, as such, is an appropriate vehicle to examine the discourse between history and the construction of cultural values in the visual arts in Melbourne. The Melbourne ‘art scene’ has existed since Victoria’s proclamation as a separate colony in 1851. During the greater part of this time, the Victorian Artists’ Society functioned as a meeting and an exhibition space for visual artists. Although it is Australia’s second oldest continuous organisation representing visual artists, the Society has been uncontroversial and largely ignored by academics as a focus of research in its own right. Notwithstanding, the two groups subject of the most academic attention and research, namely the Australian Academy of Art and the Contemporary Art Society, were announced and formed within its walls, with many of their key proponents members of the Society. Researching extensive archival records, this thesis explores the relationship that existed between the Society and Melbourne’s art community throughout its 150-year history. It historically interrogates to what extent the Society has been a harbinger for change. Through a study of organisations and events impacting the Melbourne art scene, the thesis argues the relevance of the Society to professional and amateur artists today. It reviews how societies, and clubs in general, once servicing the needs of all artists, have evolved into a more general function, and what role the emergence of the commercial gallery system played as the main platform for the success of the artist. Finally, it examines what sustains, inspires, and informs contemporary professional artists working in Melbourne today.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Williams, Graeme
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis is a socio-cultural history, utilising the Victorian Artists’ Society as a longitudinal case study to look at the extent to which it has serviced the professional needs of artists. The Victorian Artists’ Society, formed in 1870, is the oldest organisation representing the visual arts in Victoria and, as such, is an appropriate vehicle to examine the discourse between history and the construction of cultural values in the visual arts in Melbourne. The Melbourne ‘art scene’ has existed since Victoria’s proclamation as a separate colony in 1851. During the greater part of this time, the Victorian Artists’ Society functioned as a meeting and an exhibition space for visual artists. Although it is Australia’s second oldest continuous organisation representing visual artists, the Society has been uncontroversial and largely ignored by academics as a focus of research in its own right. Notwithstanding, the two groups subject of the most academic attention and research, namely the Australian Academy of Art and the Contemporary Art Society, were announced and formed within its walls, with many of their key proponents members of the Society. Researching extensive archival records, this thesis explores the relationship that existed between the Society and Melbourne’s art community throughout its 150-year history. It historically interrogates to what extent the Society has been a harbinger for change. Through a study of organisations and events impacting the Melbourne art scene, the thesis argues the relevance of the Society to professional and amateur artists today. It reviews how societies, and clubs in general, once servicing the needs of all artists, have evolved into a more general function, and what role the emergence of the commercial gallery system played as the main platform for the success of the artist. Finally, it examines what sustains, inspires, and informs contemporary professional artists working in Melbourne today.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The Millers : historical analysis of an early Australian colonial family
- Authors: Barrera, Jennifer
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In July 1823, a family originally from Derry-Londonderry, Ireland, embarked on the long journey from Chatham Dockyards, along with the first despatch of troops from the 40th Regiment, to the colony of New South Wales. Lieutenant Henry Miller would become the first commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement. But by August 1825, Lieutenant Miller had been replaced—in effect, dismissed—and the family relocated to Van Diemen’s Land. This thesis explores the growing importance of family history in the twenty-first century as a popular pursuit for engaging with and writing history. It highlights family history’s potential for historical inquiry and its capacity to unpack settler colonial history and the role of the individual in Empire. It offers fresh historical perspectives on Australia’s colonial experiment. The research uses the combined methodologies of microhistory, biography and family history to recover the lives of Henry Miller, his wife Jane, sons Henry and Mars, his father the Reverend Miller, as well as, the diverse and interconnected lives of Captain John Townson, his brother Robert, convict Sarah Griggs, and her children. As a number of scholarly histories in the last decade have shown, family history as an approach for engaging with the past continues to gain attention globally and offers powerful benefits to those who engage with it, for the family historian and academic historian alike. The six core chapters that comprise this thesis demonstrate the importance of family history research to deepening our understanding of the past and its capacity to change the way we think and write about the past. This thesis aims to make a substantial and original contribution to Australian colonial history by recovering powerful lost voices and identities, and connecting the past with the present in a more intimate and accessible way through the exploration of a colonial family.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Barrera, Jennifer
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In July 1823, a family originally from Derry-Londonderry, Ireland, embarked on the long journey from Chatham Dockyards, along with the first despatch of troops from the 40th Regiment, to the colony of New South Wales. Lieutenant Henry Miller would become the first commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement. But by August 1825, Lieutenant Miller had been replaced—in effect, dismissed—and the family relocated to Van Diemen’s Land. This thesis explores the growing importance of family history in the twenty-first century as a popular pursuit for engaging with and writing history. It highlights family history’s potential for historical inquiry and its capacity to unpack settler colonial history and the role of the individual in Empire. It offers fresh historical perspectives on Australia’s colonial experiment. The research uses the combined methodologies of microhistory, biography and family history to recover the lives of Henry Miller, his wife Jane, sons Henry and Mars, his father the Reverend Miller, as well as, the diverse and interconnected lives of Captain John Townson, his brother Robert, convict Sarah Griggs, and her children. As a number of scholarly histories in the last decade have shown, family history as an approach for engaging with the past continues to gain attention globally and offers powerful benefits to those who engage with it, for the family historian and academic historian alike. The six core chapters that comprise this thesis demonstrate the importance of family history research to deepening our understanding of the past and its capacity to change the way we think and write about the past. This thesis aims to make a substantial and original contribution to Australian colonial history by recovering powerful lost voices and identities, and connecting the past with the present in a more intimate and accessible way through the exploration of a colonial family.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The optimization of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as a diagnostic tool for low-density, asymptomatic malaria infections
- Authors: Surrao, Leanna
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Current diagnostic tools for malaria lack the sensitivity to identify individuals with low-density infections. Asymptomatic low-density infections are common in malaria endemic regions and these individuals provide an important reservoir of infection that enables transmission to mosquitoes. Failure to detect these individuals threatens the global health goal of malaria elimination. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a technique to amplify DNA and has the potential to diagnose these individuals. The LAMP assay was assessed in a field study in rural Vietnam. 5421 samples were collected and tested with a commercially available LAMP assay in Commune Health Care Centres in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong Provinces. 101 positive LAMP cases (asymptomatic, smear, and RDT negative) were identified, with the proportion of positives ranging from 0.18% and 3.25% across five communes. In order for LAMP to be used as a screening tool, it must be cost effective and have a workflow suitable for minimally trained end users. To achieve this, an in-house LAMP assay was developed and compared to PCR. The assay was combined with instrument detection to simplify decision making for the end user and improve sensitivity. The in-house assay was as sensitive as the PCR assay and cost US$0.60 per reaction compared to US$3.57 for PCR and US$8.23 for the commercial LAMP. An integrated single cartridge, called T1, was assessed to further simplify this workflow of sample preparation, LAMP amplification and detection. Further development of the cartridge and the assay will be required for future deployment. The LAMP assay is suitable for detection of low density infections in asymptomatically infected individuals in field settings and has the potential for cost effective population based screening.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Surrao, Leanna
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Current diagnostic tools for malaria lack the sensitivity to identify individuals with low-density infections. Asymptomatic low-density infections are common in malaria endemic regions and these individuals provide an important reservoir of infection that enables transmission to mosquitoes. Failure to detect these individuals threatens the global health goal of malaria elimination. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a technique to amplify DNA and has the potential to diagnose these individuals. The LAMP assay was assessed in a field study in rural Vietnam. 5421 samples were collected and tested with a commercially available LAMP assay in Commune Health Care Centres in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong Provinces. 101 positive LAMP cases (asymptomatic, smear, and RDT negative) were identified, with the proportion of positives ranging from 0.18% and 3.25% across five communes. In order for LAMP to be used as a screening tool, it must be cost effective and have a workflow suitable for minimally trained end users. To achieve this, an in-house LAMP assay was developed and compared to PCR. The assay was combined with instrument detection to simplify decision making for the end user and improve sensitivity. The in-house assay was as sensitive as the PCR assay and cost US$0.60 per reaction compared to US$3.57 for PCR and US$8.23 for the commercial LAMP. An integrated single cartridge, called T1, was assessed to further simplify this workflow of sample preparation, LAMP amplification and detection. Further development of the cartridge and the assay will be required for future deployment. The LAMP assay is suitable for detection of low density infections in asymptomatically infected individuals in field settings and has the potential for cost effective population based screening.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The regional trifecta: Entrepreneurs, managers and community leaders - an Ethnographic typology of leaders collaborating in a Regional Vicrorian Community
- Authors: Isham, Amy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This doctoral thesis explores a socioeconomic model for understanding and analysing leadership in the regional area of Horsham and its hinterland communities. This thesis critiques accepted models of regional development policy and leadership theory and in doing so argues for a new approach emphasising the roles that leaders adopt to achieve goals. These roles comprise the entrepreneur, manager and community leader that this thesis terms the regional trifecta model of leadership. This is a model that explores the ways that leaders attain mutuality within social and economic eco-systems in order to achieve long-term regional economic sustainability and liveability for residents. This doctoral study uses a critical qualitative ethnographic exploration of Horsham and its surrounding region drawing on researcher, the informant participant’s observations from a wide range of industries and social backgrounds. This thesis discusses themes of policy barriers to environmentally sustainable entrepreneurship, social ostracism of female leaders, a sense of futility in bureaucratic compliance, passive and unsupportive communities, tempered with the critical hope of social enterprise and potential partnerships. In examining these themes the thesis argues that entrepreneurs are overwhelmingly values driven. It also asserts that they experience barriers of unreliable labour and unsupportive external partnerships. Managers are also strongly values driven and can experience many barriers from internal partnerships within their own organisations. Community leaders are values driven and struggle against the barriers of bureaucracy with the organisations they partner with. The thesis provides a new contribution to the literature. This includes a critique of psycho-social approaches to leadership through role-based explorations that emphasise a collective responsibility for success within an eco-system. It also examines the types of people that become leaders and their motivations in regional Victoria. From this emerges a discussion about the tension between formal governance and power structures and the informal agency of leaders. The recommendations that emerge from this research are that policy-makers, local, state and federal governments acknowledge and support the role of existing informal leaders and the significant social and economic benefit they bring to regional Victoria.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Isham, Amy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This doctoral thesis explores a socioeconomic model for understanding and analysing leadership in the regional area of Horsham and its hinterland communities. This thesis critiques accepted models of regional development policy and leadership theory and in doing so argues for a new approach emphasising the roles that leaders adopt to achieve goals. These roles comprise the entrepreneur, manager and community leader that this thesis terms the regional trifecta model of leadership. This is a model that explores the ways that leaders attain mutuality within social and economic eco-systems in order to achieve long-term regional economic sustainability and liveability for residents. This doctoral study uses a critical qualitative ethnographic exploration of Horsham and its surrounding region drawing on researcher, the informant participant’s observations from a wide range of industries and social backgrounds. This thesis discusses themes of policy barriers to environmentally sustainable entrepreneurship, social ostracism of female leaders, a sense of futility in bureaucratic compliance, passive and unsupportive communities, tempered with the critical hope of social enterprise and potential partnerships. In examining these themes the thesis argues that entrepreneurs are overwhelmingly values driven. It also asserts that they experience barriers of unreliable labour and unsupportive external partnerships. Managers are also strongly values driven and can experience many barriers from internal partnerships within their own organisations. Community leaders are values driven and struggle against the barriers of bureaucracy with the organisations they partner with. The thesis provides a new contribution to the literature. This includes a critique of psycho-social approaches to leadership through role-based explorations that emphasise a collective responsibility for success within an eco-system. It also examines the types of people that become leaders and their motivations in regional Victoria. From this emerges a discussion about the tension between formal governance and power structures and the informal agency of leaders. The recommendations that emerge from this research are that policy-makers, local, state and federal governments acknowledge and support the role of existing informal leaders and the significant social and economic benefit they bring to regional Victoria.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The regulatory effects of CD161 and MAIT cells
- Authors: Meredith, Tobias
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are connected with the potential regulation of anti-tumour responses, although their role in this regulation is poorly defined. In cancer, the relative frequency of MAIT cells has an impact on patient outcome, although how this impact is mediated is not known. Therefore, we have carefully modulated the frequency of MAIT cells within cultures and assessed the effect this has on the anti-tumour functions of important immune cells such as NK and conventional T cells. We identified that changes in MAIT cell frequency can significantly impact the ability of NK cells to become activated and produce proinflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, changes in MAIT cell frequency do not impact conventional T cell activation, but can alter pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. We also identified trends that suggest alterations in MAIT cell frequency may suppress a broad range of cytokines produced within the PBMC pool. The thesis also examined the potential regulatory impact of the cell surface molecule CD161 on T cells (particularly MAIT cells). Several distinctive characteristics have been identified that provides a broader understanding of the effect ligating and blocking this molecule can have. We have demonstrated that interaction with CD161 can promote activation and affect cytokine and perforin expression by MAIT cells. Conventional T cells are also affected, specifically their cytokine expression and activation. Lastly, we also performed several pilot studies, which identified changes in the expression of some genes of interest (e.g. IL-13, IL-5) and raised the possibility that the products of these genes could also be affected. Taken together, our research indicates that MAIT cell frequency can have significant effects on the anti-tumour roles of other immune cells. Additionally, we have furthered the understanding of which anti-tumour functions CD161 interaction can affect. CD161 has the potential to be used as an immunotherapeutic target in cancer patients, but more knowledge is required to determine the host of potential functions CD161 may affect. We suggest that further study is required, particularly in determining the effect CD161 ligation and blocking can have on cytokine output on a range of cells, including MAIT cells.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Meredith, Tobias
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are connected with the potential regulation of anti-tumour responses, although their role in this regulation is poorly defined. In cancer, the relative frequency of MAIT cells has an impact on patient outcome, although how this impact is mediated is not known. Therefore, we have carefully modulated the frequency of MAIT cells within cultures and assessed the effect this has on the anti-tumour functions of important immune cells such as NK and conventional T cells. We identified that changes in MAIT cell frequency can significantly impact the ability of NK cells to become activated and produce proinflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, changes in MAIT cell frequency do not impact conventional T cell activation, but can alter pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. We also identified trends that suggest alterations in MAIT cell frequency may suppress a broad range of cytokines produced within the PBMC pool. The thesis also examined the potential regulatory impact of the cell surface molecule CD161 on T cells (particularly MAIT cells). Several distinctive characteristics have been identified that provides a broader understanding of the effect ligating and blocking this molecule can have. We have demonstrated that interaction with CD161 can promote activation and affect cytokine and perforin expression by MAIT cells. Conventional T cells are also affected, specifically their cytokine expression and activation. Lastly, we also performed several pilot studies, which identified changes in the expression of some genes of interest (e.g. IL-13, IL-5) and raised the possibility that the products of these genes could also be affected. Taken together, our research indicates that MAIT cell frequency can have significant effects on the anti-tumour roles of other immune cells. Additionally, we have furthered the understanding of which anti-tumour functions CD161 interaction can affect. CD161 has the potential to be used as an immunotherapeutic target in cancer patients, but more knowledge is required to determine the host of potential functions CD161 may affect. We suggest that further study is required, particularly in determining the effect CD161 ligation and blocking can have on cytokine output on a range of cells, including MAIT cells.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Tracing farmers' exploitation, alienation and agency through technology
- Authors: Latham, Amity
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Grain growers are caught in a system of production which is characterised by the privatisation of the farm services sector, global trade, machinery automation, and technologies. The commodity chain is structured so that costs are passed on to farmers through what they buy and sell. As a consequence of this structure, farmers are exploited and subject to the condition of alienation. Previous research has revealed the challenges of farm-scale efficiencies and the demise of rural areas due to farmer-exodus. Since Kautsky’s original publication of The Agrarian Question in 1899, there is still limited material offering a new sociological understanding of farming and the humanistic effects of farm trade. Therefore, this doctoral study is about farmer-exploitation, alienation, and agency, together with the role of political economy, and the function of the commodity chain. It draws upon historical works from labour theorists to seek a better understanding of the humanism of work and participation in commerce in reference to the relations and networks that exist through farming. To trace farmers and their operations, this research uses actor network theory by deploying some of the methods that sit within this approach. Reflexive photography creates a hybrid method with digital images supporting the findings. The photographs in this thesis help to transport the reader to the research setting that is family operated grain growing farms. The key findings are that agency is a property of farmers, land and their machinery. It was found that technology and science facilitated farmer-agency to re-arrange humans and non-humans to hold science stable on farm through strong networks. Technology is responsible for facilitating farmer-agency, which is used as a tool and then it becomes a force, to exert control over farm production. This thesis makes a significant contribution in understanding modern farmer exploitation and how farmers can work to overcome their vulnerability in socio-political economy. This research is place-specific in the dryland agricultural zone of the Wimmera Southern Mallee region of Victoria, but it contributes to a global understanding of what makes farmers act.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Latham, Amity
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Grain growers are caught in a system of production which is characterised by the privatisation of the farm services sector, global trade, machinery automation, and technologies. The commodity chain is structured so that costs are passed on to farmers through what they buy and sell. As a consequence of this structure, farmers are exploited and subject to the condition of alienation. Previous research has revealed the challenges of farm-scale efficiencies and the demise of rural areas due to farmer-exodus. Since Kautsky’s original publication of The Agrarian Question in 1899, there is still limited material offering a new sociological understanding of farming and the humanistic effects of farm trade. Therefore, this doctoral study is about farmer-exploitation, alienation, and agency, together with the role of political economy, and the function of the commodity chain. It draws upon historical works from labour theorists to seek a better understanding of the humanism of work and participation in commerce in reference to the relations and networks that exist through farming. To trace farmers and their operations, this research uses actor network theory by deploying some of the methods that sit within this approach. Reflexive photography creates a hybrid method with digital images supporting the findings. The photographs in this thesis help to transport the reader to the research setting that is family operated grain growing farms. The key findings are that agency is a property of farmers, land and their machinery. It was found that technology and science facilitated farmer-agency to re-arrange humans and non-humans to hold science stable on farm through strong networks. Technology is responsible for facilitating farmer-agency, which is used as a tool and then it becomes a force, to exert control over farm production. This thesis makes a significant contribution in understanding modern farmer exploitation and how farmers can work to overcome their vulnerability in socio-political economy. This research is place-specific in the dryland agricultural zone of the Wimmera Southern Mallee region of Victoria, but it contributes to a global understanding of what makes farmers act.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Trading Places : integrating Indigenous Australian knowledge into the modern economy
- Authors: Newkirk, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australia has a 30-billion-dollar knowledge industry, yet this industry barely recognises Indigenous Australian knowledge developed for over 50,000 years. This knowledge is important to understanding life on this planet. A 2012 regional Aboriginal education report noted “These ways of thinking and planning are our great gift to a world that desperately needs solutions...Unfortunately, this gift has not been accepted yet, or even noticed” (NSW Department of Education and Communities). Through continued denial of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience, their knowledge is largely hidden from mainstream Australia and to the rest of the world. This study examines what inhibits appreciation of Indigenous Australian knowledge through two sequential interviews with 26 non-Indigenous senior managers in business, finance and economics. The constructivism research paradigm frames the use of Causal Layered Analysis as a research method to investigate the interview data. A paradox arises between the aspirational discourse for an integrated nation with recognition of Indigenous knowledge as valuable, and ingrained images that erroneously position Indigenous knowledge as only representative of early human development on a linear trajectory toward 21st Century Western thought. From the findings, a spectrum of mainstream Australian society emerges with clear gradation from strong ignorance of Indigenous knowledge to reasonably high awareness. Evident from this spectrum is that for Australian society to embrace Indigenous knowledge, a transition is required to move non-Indigenous individuals significantly to higher awareness. This thesis argues that this transition could be progressed by supportive non-Indigenous individuals taking the next step to improve their understanding of Indigenous knowledge through learning. Thus, Australian society could establish that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is managed by its custodians, valued and in demand more broadly, is not compromised in the market, and is able to contribute to the management of Homo sapiens on Mother Earth.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Newkirk, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australia has a 30-billion-dollar knowledge industry, yet this industry barely recognises Indigenous Australian knowledge developed for over 50,000 years. This knowledge is important to understanding life on this planet. A 2012 regional Aboriginal education report noted “These ways of thinking and planning are our great gift to a world that desperately needs solutions...Unfortunately, this gift has not been accepted yet, or even noticed” (NSW Department of Education and Communities). Through continued denial of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience, their knowledge is largely hidden from mainstream Australia and to the rest of the world. This study examines what inhibits appreciation of Indigenous Australian knowledge through two sequential interviews with 26 non-Indigenous senior managers in business, finance and economics. The constructivism research paradigm frames the use of Causal Layered Analysis as a research method to investigate the interview data. A paradox arises between the aspirational discourse for an integrated nation with recognition of Indigenous knowledge as valuable, and ingrained images that erroneously position Indigenous knowledge as only representative of early human development on a linear trajectory toward 21st Century Western thought. From the findings, a spectrum of mainstream Australian society emerges with clear gradation from strong ignorance of Indigenous knowledge to reasonably high awareness. Evident from this spectrum is that for Australian society to embrace Indigenous knowledge, a transition is required to move non-Indigenous individuals significantly to higher awareness. This thesis argues that this transition could be progressed by supportive non-Indigenous individuals taking the next step to improve their understanding of Indigenous knowledge through learning. Thus, Australian society could establish that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is managed by its custodians, valued and in demand more broadly, is not compromised in the market, and is able to contribute to the management of Homo sapiens on Mother Earth.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Training and testing of 1v1 agility in Australian football
- Authors: Rayner, Russell
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Little is known of how agility events occur in the sport of Australian football (AF). As a result, appropriate training and testing methods are unknown. This thesis investigated 1v1 agility in AF to evaluate alternative methods for training and testing agility. The thesis was undertaken in three studies. Study one investigated if training and testing practices used in elite AF align with the demands of competition. A notational analysis revealed substantial variation in movement patterns used by, and the cognitive demands of, athletes in agility events. A survey of high-performance managers in the AFL revealed that a mixture of open and closed training methods are used in elite AF, and that subjective agility assessment is preferred to formal testing. Study two assessed the reliability and ecological validity of a field-based test of attacking and defending agility for AF. The text exhibited excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as moderate test-retest reliability. Characteristics of the test were compared to the notational analysis to assess the ecological validity of the test. While the test did not fully replicate the agility demands of AF, the test improved ecological validity when compared to previous tests described in the literature. Study three evaluated the effectiveness of a four-week 1v1 training intervention for improving attacking and defending agility in Australian footballers. In addition, the study assessed the crossover of attacking training to defending agility and defending training to attacking agility. Improvements in attacking agility were found which were greater for attacking-trained athletes. However, no improvements in defending agility were realised. This thesis indicates that 1v1 training and testing is suitable for assessing and developing agility in Australian footballers. However, 1v1 training may be more suitable for improving attacking agility. Further, agility is context-specific, and testing and training should consider the role of the athlete.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Rayner, Russell
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Little is known of how agility events occur in the sport of Australian football (AF). As a result, appropriate training and testing methods are unknown. This thesis investigated 1v1 agility in AF to evaluate alternative methods for training and testing agility. The thesis was undertaken in three studies. Study one investigated if training and testing practices used in elite AF align with the demands of competition. A notational analysis revealed substantial variation in movement patterns used by, and the cognitive demands of, athletes in agility events. A survey of high-performance managers in the AFL revealed that a mixture of open and closed training methods are used in elite AF, and that subjective agility assessment is preferred to formal testing. Study two assessed the reliability and ecological validity of a field-based test of attacking and defending agility for AF. The text exhibited excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as moderate test-retest reliability. Characteristics of the test were compared to the notational analysis to assess the ecological validity of the test. While the test did not fully replicate the agility demands of AF, the test improved ecological validity when compared to previous tests described in the literature. Study three evaluated the effectiveness of a four-week 1v1 training intervention for improving attacking and defending agility in Australian footballers. In addition, the study assessed the crossover of attacking training to defending agility and defending training to attacking agility. Improvements in attacking agility were found which were greater for attacking-trained athletes. However, no improvements in defending agility were realised. This thesis indicates that 1v1 training and testing is suitable for assessing and developing agility in Australian footballers. However, 1v1 training may be more suitable for improving attacking agility. Further, agility is context-specific, and testing and training should consider the role of the athlete.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Under the influence : identifying determinants of young adults' involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity to improve drowning prevention efforts
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: BACKGROUND: Young adults are an at-risk group for experiencing an alcohol-related drowning incident. Investigations and drowning prevention efforts have aimed to address young adults’ prevalence in alcohol-related drownings and contribute to understanding their level of risk. Some explanations have concluded young adults’ need for autonomy and independence coincides with their exposure to alcohol and social norm pressures. However, gaps in knowledge remain, specifically young adults’: behaviours, knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity and the associated risks; and, their awareness and perceptions of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns. METHODS: This PhD, completed with publications, aimed to address these gaps through four interlinked projects: (i) a systematic review of alcohol education programs to determine evidence-based quality criteria necessary for inclusion in programs to successfully change young adults’ alcohol-related behaviours, knowledge and attitudes; (ii) a program audit of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns to establish current prevention efforts in high-income countries and areas for improvement; (iii) a survey among young adults from Australia and the United Kingdom to establish their knowledge, attitudes and predictors of intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activities; and, (iv) interviews to deepen understanding of young adults’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, their awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns and their suggestions for improvement. Six publications resulted from this research. RESULTS: Friends influenced frequency of young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but involvement was dependent on the characteristics of the peer group, self-confidence and risk disassociation. Attitudes were neutral towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but when participants perceived personal control over the risks it was deemed more acceptable. Alcohol-related safety strategies from other contexts (e.g., driving) were applied to aquatic settings, but specific water safety knowledge/education was low. Stronger swimmers, Australian young adults and those who had received alcohol-specific water safety education displayed more knowledge of alcohol and its effects in aquatic contexts. Participants lacked awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns, and used campaign logos and names to interpret key messages. Little information was available on the alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns identified in the program audit and only two had evidence of evaluation, limiting progress of future prevention efforts. Ten quality criteria identified from evidence-based literature were considered to be necessary for inclusion in alcohol education programs. Programs included in the systematic review which incorporated these criteria were more likely to report success in influencing behaviour changes among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: To decrease the incidence of alcohol-related drowning among young adults, the findings of the projects included within this thesis result in the following recommendations. For enhanced likelihood of successful outcomes, alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns should align campaign design, implementation and evaluation with best-practice literature. The identified influencers on young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, such as their peers, should be incorporated into prevention efforts and appropriate information provided to encourage informed decision making. Alcohol education programs (e.g., drink driving education) should include information about alcohol use in aquatic settings to clarify the risks associated with transferring safety strategies between drinking contexts, and appropriate information should be provided about alcohol consumption in aquatic settings.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: BACKGROUND: Young adults are an at-risk group for experiencing an alcohol-related drowning incident. Investigations and drowning prevention efforts have aimed to address young adults’ prevalence in alcohol-related drownings and contribute to understanding their level of risk. Some explanations have concluded young adults’ need for autonomy and independence coincides with their exposure to alcohol and social norm pressures. However, gaps in knowledge remain, specifically young adults’: behaviours, knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity and the associated risks; and, their awareness and perceptions of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns. METHODS: This PhD, completed with publications, aimed to address these gaps through four interlinked projects: (i) a systematic review of alcohol education programs to determine evidence-based quality criteria necessary for inclusion in programs to successfully change young adults’ alcohol-related behaviours, knowledge and attitudes; (ii) a program audit of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns to establish current prevention efforts in high-income countries and areas for improvement; (iii) a survey among young adults from Australia and the United Kingdom to establish their knowledge, attitudes and predictors of intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activities; and, (iv) interviews to deepen understanding of young adults’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, their awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns and their suggestions for improvement. Six publications resulted from this research. RESULTS: Friends influenced frequency of young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but involvement was dependent on the characteristics of the peer group, self-confidence and risk disassociation. Attitudes were neutral towards alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, but when participants perceived personal control over the risks it was deemed more acceptable. Alcohol-related safety strategies from other contexts (e.g., driving) were applied to aquatic settings, but specific water safety knowledge/education was low. Stronger swimmers, Australian young adults and those who had received alcohol-specific water safety education displayed more knowledge of alcohol and its effects in aquatic contexts. Participants lacked awareness of alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns, and used campaign logos and names to interpret key messages. Little information was available on the alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns identified in the program audit and only two had evidence of evaluation, limiting progress of future prevention efforts. Ten quality criteria identified from evidence-based literature were considered to be necessary for inclusion in alcohol education programs. Programs included in the systematic review which incorporated these criteria were more likely to report success in influencing behaviour changes among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: To decrease the incidence of alcohol-related drowning among young adults, the findings of the projects included within this thesis result in the following recommendations. For enhanced likelihood of successful outcomes, alcohol-themed drowning prevention campaigns should align campaign design, implementation and evaluation with best-practice literature. The identified influencers on young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity, such as their peers, should be incorporated into prevention efforts and appropriate information provided to encourage informed decision making. Alcohol education programs (e.g., drink driving education) should include information about alcohol use in aquatic settings to clarify the risks associated with transferring safety strategies between drinking contexts, and appropriate information should be provided about alcohol consumption in aquatic settings.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Wild Australian shorebirds as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance
- Authors: Smith, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Many existing and emerging diseases of humans are of zoonotic origin. In addition, the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a serious risk for hospitals, agriculture, and the community. Habitat loss and degradation are forcing many wild animal populations into closer contact with human populations, presenting opportunities for the introduction and transmission of bacterial diseases. In Australia, many shorebird species undertake yearly migrations to and from breeding grounds in the high Artic, and during their migrations they pass over one-third of the human population. To determine if shorebirds are reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria the research presented in this thesis investigated the presence of three common enteric bacterial pathogens in twelve species of wild Australian shorebird; followed by AMR profiles of isolates, and genetic characterisation of selected isolates. In total, 1022 individual birds were sampled across three Australian states and tested for the presence of three potentially zoonotic pathogens; Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Salmonella spp. Two-hundred and six E. coli, 266 Enterococcus, and 20 Salmonella isolates were recovered, with AMR observed in 42% of E. coli isolates, 85% of Enterococcus isolates, and 10% of Salmonella isolates. Sedentary birds were more likely to carry AMR bacteria than migratory birds. A selection of E. coli isolates (n=16) underwent whole genome sequencing, and analysis of their genomes indicated a high level of genetic diversity with each isolate having a unique serotype. A total of 33 recognised virulence genes and eight AMR genes were detected. An important food-borne pathogen, Salmonella enterica serovar Hvittingfoss, was also recovered from one species of bird. This study shows that wild shorebirds can carry pathogenic enteric bacteria. While migratory birds may be less likely to harbour AMR bacteria relative to sedentary birds, they pose the potential to act as vectors for enteric and foodborne pathogens.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Smith, Hannah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Many existing and emerging diseases of humans are of zoonotic origin. In addition, the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a serious risk for hospitals, agriculture, and the community. Habitat loss and degradation are forcing many wild animal populations into closer contact with human populations, presenting opportunities for the introduction and transmission of bacterial diseases. In Australia, many shorebird species undertake yearly migrations to and from breeding grounds in the high Artic, and during their migrations they pass over one-third of the human population. To determine if shorebirds are reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria the research presented in this thesis investigated the presence of three common enteric bacterial pathogens in twelve species of wild Australian shorebird; followed by AMR profiles of isolates, and genetic characterisation of selected isolates. In total, 1022 individual birds were sampled across three Australian states and tested for the presence of three potentially zoonotic pathogens; Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Salmonella spp. Two-hundred and six E. coli, 266 Enterococcus, and 20 Salmonella isolates were recovered, with AMR observed in 42% of E. coli isolates, 85% of Enterococcus isolates, and 10% of Salmonella isolates. Sedentary birds were more likely to carry AMR bacteria than migratory birds. A selection of E. coli isolates (n=16) underwent whole genome sequencing, and analysis of their genomes indicated a high level of genetic diversity with each isolate having a unique serotype. A total of 33 recognised virulence genes and eight AMR genes were detected. An important food-borne pathogen, Salmonella enterica serovar Hvittingfoss, was also recovered from one species of bird. This study shows that wild shorebirds can carry pathogenic enteric bacteria. While migratory birds may be less likely to harbour AMR bacteria relative to sedentary birds, they pose the potential to act as vectors for enteric and foodborne pathogens.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Young mothers: Discursive constructions of their lives and identities
- Authors: Felstead, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The notion that early motherhood is a significant problem for society is widely documented in the academic literature, and there is a complicated history surrounding young pregnant and parenting women in social and educational policy contexts. Less is known about young mothers themselves and how they experience the social and material effects of early motherhood. The purpose of this study was to examine how young mothers, who attended a young parent program in Lake City in Victoria Australia, experienced early motherhood and how they contested the social discourses that framed their lives. Using a poststructural lens and drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, this thesis used narrative inquiry and discourse analysis to examine the complex nature of seven young mothers’ lives. Analysis of the narrative data showed that despite the complexities, early motherhood was a significant turning point as the young mothers drew on resources of resistance and responsibility to transform their lives. An analysis of the social welfare policy practices identified surveillance and regulation measures as responses to alleviate long-term welfare dependency but did not account for the structural and economic barriers that young mothers encountered in their lives. In educational contexts, the young mothers in this study had experienced disrupted education trajectories before moving to an alternative setting. The findings highlight that they were ‘invisible’ in mainstream educational contexts and while ‘learning from the margins’ in the young parent program. This study found that the voice of the young mother was missing in the social and educational policy discourses, and the complexities of early motherhood were not accounted for within the policies. This thesis argues that young mothers’ voices need to be included in strategic policy responses to address issues of inequity and reduce the structural and economic barriers faced by young mothers.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Felstead, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The notion that early motherhood is a significant problem for society is widely documented in the academic literature, and there is a complicated history surrounding young pregnant and parenting women in social and educational policy contexts. Less is known about young mothers themselves and how they experience the social and material effects of early motherhood. The purpose of this study was to examine how young mothers, who attended a young parent program in Lake City in Victoria Australia, experienced early motherhood and how they contested the social discourses that framed their lives. Using a poststructural lens and drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, this thesis used narrative inquiry and discourse analysis to examine the complex nature of seven young mothers’ lives. Analysis of the narrative data showed that despite the complexities, early motherhood was a significant turning point as the young mothers drew on resources of resistance and responsibility to transform their lives. An analysis of the social welfare policy practices identified surveillance and regulation measures as responses to alleviate long-term welfare dependency but did not account for the structural and economic barriers that young mothers encountered in their lives. In educational contexts, the young mothers in this study had experienced disrupted education trajectories before moving to an alternative setting. The findings highlight that they were ‘invisible’ in mainstream educational contexts and while ‘learning from the margins’ in the young parent program. This study found that the voice of the young mother was missing in the social and educational policy discourses, and the complexities of early motherhood were not accounted for within the policies. This thesis argues that young mothers’ voices need to be included in strategic policy responses to address issues of inequity and reduce the structural and economic barriers faced by young mothers.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
‘You can’t hear a child you don’t see’ : Frontline workers’ perspectives on engaging young people in out-of-home care in the decisions affecting their lives.
- Authors: McRae, Lynda
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Traditionally, young people in out-of-home care have been marginalised from the most important decision-making processes that affect their lives. A compelling, contemporary evidence base confirms that this dilemma persists despite the ratification of young people’s participation rights in legislation and policy, which has grave implications for young people’s wellbeing, the quality of decisions and subsequent interventions. This place-based, participatory action research drew on the perspectives of case and program managers at the frontline of out-of-home care service delivery in Inner Gippsland to provide unique insights into the barriers and opportunities to increased inclusion of young people in the decisions being made about them. The study was supported through a university–industry research collaboration within the Inner Gippsland Children and Youth Area Partnership. This thesis contends that a confluence of factors in response to unprecedented demand on the Inner Gippsland child welfare service system has significantly eroded the time and opportunity for face-to-face practice between workers and young people, which is fundamental to the facilitation of young people’s engagement in decision-making. The research process was underpinned by a blend of critical theory and the capability approach. New insights were developed to advocate for diverse, context-specific interventions and broader system reforms to expand the capacity for workers to engage in face-to-face practice with young people. An authorising environment that legitimises participatory practice is required to support connections between workers and young people. This thesis argues that the alignment of rights-based participation principles with critical components of the system—policy, performance management regimes, compliance and administrative practices and professionalisation strategies—could transform decision-making processes for young people. This is especially vital for a growing cohort of young people who live in out-of-home care. Keywords: participation, decision-making processes, face-to-face practice, children, young people, critical theory, capability approach, action research, out-of-home care research
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: McRae, Lynda
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Traditionally, young people in out-of-home care have been marginalised from the most important decision-making processes that affect their lives. A compelling, contemporary evidence base confirms that this dilemma persists despite the ratification of young people’s participation rights in legislation and policy, which has grave implications for young people’s wellbeing, the quality of decisions and subsequent interventions. This place-based, participatory action research drew on the perspectives of case and program managers at the frontline of out-of-home care service delivery in Inner Gippsland to provide unique insights into the barriers and opportunities to increased inclusion of young people in the decisions being made about them. The study was supported through a university–industry research collaboration within the Inner Gippsland Children and Youth Area Partnership. This thesis contends that a confluence of factors in response to unprecedented demand on the Inner Gippsland child welfare service system has significantly eroded the time and opportunity for face-to-face practice between workers and young people, which is fundamental to the facilitation of young people’s engagement in decision-making. The research process was underpinned by a blend of critical theory and the capability approach. New insights were developed to advocate for diverse, context-specific interventions and broader system reforms to expand the capacity for workers to engage in face-to-face practice with young people. An authorising environment that legitimises participatory practice is required to support connections between workers and young people. This thesis argues that the alignment of rights-based participation principles with critical components of the system—policy, performance management regimes, compliance and administrative practices and professionalisation strategies—could transform decision-making processes for young people. This is especially vital for a growing cohort of young people who live in out-of-home care. Keywords: participation, decision-making processes, face-to-face practice, children, young people, critical theory, capability approach, action research, out-of-home care research
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy