Description:
Australian media invests considerable attention in asylum seekers and their children, especially those arriving by boat. In this paper, we provide an analysis of Australian newsprint media published during the term of Australia's Gillard's government (2010-2013). This period is critical as it coincides with rising numbers of boat arrivals to Australian shores, fear towards Muslims, and growing Islamophobia. At the time, there were government promises to move children from offshore immigration detention into community-based detention, that would involve living among mainstream Australian society. A data set of 46 articles from major Australian newspapers articles was subject to a discourse analysis of representations of children in both the written texts and in silences. Manipulative tactics of 'risk framing' and 'dispersed intentionality' were identified as discursive acts aimed to confuse compassion and deviancy with respect to asylum seeker children presumed to be from Islamic backgrounds. We argue that this was achieved through binary characterizations in which Muslim parents and people smugglers were constructed as deviant alongside intentional silences, that may have otherwise elicited compassion for asylum seeker children. We propose that this period of media reporting is foundational to understanding the rise of Islamophobic discourses and the implication of Muslim children in Australia.
Description:
Australian media invests considerable attention in asylum seekers and their children, especially those arriving by boat. In this paper, we provide an analysis of Australian newsprint media published during the term of Australia's Gillard's government (2010-2013). This period is critical as it coincides with rising numbers of boat arrivals to Australian shores, fear towards Muslims, and growing Islamophobia. At the time, there were government promises to move children from offshore immigration detention into community-based detention, that would involve living among mainstream Australian society. A data set of 46 articles from major Australian newspapers articles was subject to a discourse analysis of representations of children in both the written texts and in silences. Manipulative tactics of 'risk framing' and 'dispersed intentionality' were identified as discursive acts aimed to confuse compassion and deviancy with respect to asylum seeker children presumed to be from Islamic backgrounds. We argue that this was achieved through binary characterizations in which Muslim parents and people smugglers were constructed as deviant alongside intentional silences, that may have otherwise elicited compassion for asylum seeker children. We propose that this period of media reporting is foundational to understanding the rise of Islamophobic discourses and the implication of Muslim children in Australia.
Description:
When a student experienced a personally challenging situation during field placement, she and her field supervisor worked through the scenario together, using a process of critical reflection. Many ideas and assumptions were unsettled for both, and aspects of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics were questioned. Using critical reflection as a pedagogical tool, we reflect on how discourses affect our practice. We demonstrate this by undertaking a political reading of the AASW Code of Ethics. Our analysis exposes tensions between the core social work value of ‘respect for persons’ and the practice responsibility of social workers to undertake culturally competent, safe and sensitive practice. We suggest that the Code of Ethics is predominantly embedded in Kantian philosophy and limits our ability to practise in culturally sensitive ways, as it denies the impact that knowledge and power have on our work with Indigenous communities specifically, and all non-Western peoples more broadly.
Description:
This report documents research conducted by Federation University in relation to the City of Ballarat Intercultural Employment Pathways (IEP) program from 2019 - 2022. The IEP program aims to enhance social inclusion, employment, and education pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants in the Ballarat region. The purpose of the research was to explore the lived experiences of migrants who participated in the IEP program to better understand the strengths of the program and propose recommendations for its future. The research was a qualitative study that used a survey, interviews, and a focus group to explore the perspectives of IEP participants and encourage them to share deep and rich accounts of their lived experiences. Overall, 39 migrants involved with the IEP program participated in the research. The findings are grouped into four themes: Connection: The communal nature of the IEP program enabled participants to establish social and professional connections which increased their networking capacity to find gainful employment. Participants valued the networking opportunities created by the IEP program as many felt as though they were ‘starting again’ after migrating to Australia. Culture: The IEP program assisted participants to adapt to Australian norms of job-hunting and workplace culture and to learn practical strategies to utilise in their job application and interview techniques. The IEP program created a broader platform for cultural exchange within the community and can contribute to wider changes in representation and appreciation of diversity. Confidence: The IEP program assisted participants to improve their levels of confidence and feelings of self-worth. The tailored support that is available to each participant enabled them to develop confidence in their abilities and focus upon their strengths. Context: Participants shared experiences of the many challenges and barriers they have faced when looking for meaningful and secure employment in Australia. Understanding these wider experiences provide the context in which the IEP program operates and emphasises its importance in providing valuable assistance to migrants settling in the City of Ballarat.
Description:
This report documents research conducted by Federation University in relation to the City of Ballarat Intercultural Employment Pathways (IEP) program from 2019 - 2022. The IEP program aims to enhance social inclusion, employment, and education pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants in the Ballarat region. The purpose of the research was to explore the lived experiences of migrants who participated in the IEP program to better understand the strengths of the program and propose recommendations for its future. The research was a qualitative study that used a survey, interviews, and a focus group to explore the perspectives of IEP participants and encourage them to share deep and rich accounts of their lived experiences. Overall, 39 migrants involved with the IEP program participated in the research. The findings are grouped into four themes: Connection: The communal nature of the IEP program enabled participants to establish social and professional connections which increased their networking capacity to find gainful employment. Participants valued the networking opportunities created by the IEP program as many felt as though they were ‘starting again’ after migrating to Australia. Culture: The IEP program assisted participants to adapt to Australian norms of job-hunting and workplace culture and to learn practical strategies to utilise in their job application and interview techniques. The IEP program created a broader platform for cultural exchange within the community and can contribute to wider changes in representation and appreciation of diversity. Confidence: The IEP program assisted participants to improve their levels of confidence and feelings of self-worth. The tailored support that is available to each participant enabled them to develop confidence in their abilities and focus upon their strengths. Context: Participants shared experiences of the many challenges and barriers they have faced when looking for meaningful and secure employment in Australia. Understanding these wider experiences provide the context in which the IEP program operates and emphasises its importance in providing valuable assistance to migrants settling in the City of Ballarat.
Description:
It is vital that social work students learn to integrate their personal and professional selves if they are to meet the challenges of social work in complex changing environments. This accessible text is designed to enable readers to explore and build on their existing skills and abilities, supporting them to become competent and self-aware reflective practitioners. Reflective Thinking in Social Work uses stories told by a range of social work students to model reflective practice learning. Discussing issues such as identity, motivation to enter the social work profession and lived experiences in the journey into social work, the book brings together stories of hardship, privilege, families, hopes, interests and community activism from many diverse ethnic backgrounds. Each narrative is introduced by the author and ends with a commentary drawing out the key themes and exploring how the reader can use the narrative to enhance their own understanding and critical thinking, and to engage in transformative practice. Framed by an in-depth discussion of available frameworks for reflective practice in different contexts and the importance of narratives in constructing identities, this is an invaluable text for social work students at both bachelor's and master's degree levels.
Description:
Internationalisation of curriculum (IoC) practices promote students developing knowledge of other cultures, attitudes, values and ethics. This conceptual article argues that embedding critical reflection in the IoC program–through integrating insights from both IoC thinkers and critical reflection literature–may allow educators and students to not only gain understanding and/or competency in other cultures but better address questions of privilege, power and colonisation and thereby interrogate their own normative cultural understandings. Borrowing from debates within IoC pedagogy, as well as from Ahmed’s work on critical reflection, this article also argues that cross/intercultural understanding should be understood (and taught) not as a competency but a disposition towards thinking, analysing and understanding the world which is based on critiquing the ‘self’ and its relationship with the ‘other’.
Reporting on training developed for pharmacy assistants and pharmacy dispensary technicians working with Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers in regional Victoria
Description:
A recent study (Patil et al., 2018) analysing lived experiences of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers suggested that some experienced discrimination and stigma in the pharmacy context in regional Victoria, Australia. One of the recommendations was to explore professional training and education opportunities for allied health professionals and in particular, Pharmacy Assistants (PAs) and Pharmacy Dispensary Technicians (PDTs) as they are integral to serving MATOD consumers. Ballarat Community Health commissioned Federation University to develop training modules for PAs and PDTs working in the pharmacy settings in regional Victoria. A survey of the literature identified two key issues, namely, the lack of professional education and training of PAs and PDTs involved in serving the consumers in pharmacy settings either at the national or state level in Australia. The other finding was the varied use of different types of ‘opioid dependence’ treatments in different jurisdictions of Australia which had implications in terms of embedding psychosocial or Social Determinants of Health (SDH) with therapeutic treatments. As a result, this project serves as a significant step in employing SDH based training modules for PAs and PDTs working with MATOD consumers in the pharmacy settings to address stigma and discrimination. The training workshop materials will be evaluated to determine its efficacy in terms of change of attitudes and professional practice. The aim of this study is to: 1. Deliver and evaluate a new professional training module concerning MATOD and; 2. Examine and evaluate the efficacy and impact of the training module on professional practice and changes in attitudes towards stigma and discrimination amongst PAs and PDTs. This project was conducted in two stages. At the first stage, two workshops (each lasting for two hours) were delivered in two different regional locations in the state of Victoria, Australia (referred to as locations A and B in this report). Thirteen participants expressed interest in location A but eleven attended both training workshops. In location B, fourteen attended the first workshop, while twelve attended the second workshop. Participants who attended the training were administered pre-training and post-training surveys. The pre-training surveys included demographic information, professional experience, educational background and professional training, whereas the post-training survey involved questions about the impact and efficacy of the training delivered. The second stage involved conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with participants who attended the training workshops. The main goal was to evaluate the impact on professional practice and change in attitudes amongst PAs and PDTs. Data collected from the surveys and interviews were analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis via an inductive process. In addition, an interpretive phenomenological analysis was undertaken to identify and code themes emerging from the interviews. Ethics approval was received through the Federation University’s Human Research Ethics Committee before the commencement of this project.
Description:
A recent study (Patil et al., 2018) analysing lived experiences of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers suggested that some experienced discrimination and stigma in the pharmacy context in regional Victoria, Australia. One of the recommendations was to explore professional training and education opportunities for allied health professionals and in particular, Pharmacy Assistants (PAs) and Pharmacy Dispensary Technicians (PDTs) as they are integral to serving MATOD consumers. Ballarat Community Health commissioned Federation University to develop training modules for PAs and PDTs working in the pharmacy settings in regional Victoria. A survey of the literature identified two key issues, namely, the lack of professional education and training of PAs and PDTs involved in serving the consumers in pharmacy settings either at the national or state level in Australia. The other finding was the varied use of different types of ‘opioid dependence’ treatments in different jurisdictions of Australia which had implications in terms of embedding psychosocial or Social Determinants of Health (SDH) with therapeutic treatments. As a result, this project serves as a significant step in employing SDH based training modules for PAs and PDTs working with MATOD consumers in the pharmacy settings to address stigma and discrimination. The training workshop materials will be evaluated to determine its efficacy in terms of change of attitudes and professional practice. The aim of this study is to: 1. Deliver and evaluate a new professional training module concerning MATOD and; 2. Examine and evaluate the efficacy and impact of the training module on professional practice and changes in attitudes towards stigma and discrimination amongst PAs and PDTs. This project was conducted in two stages. At the first stage, two workshops (each lasting for two hours) were delivered in two different regional locations in the state of Victoria, Australia (referred to as locations A and B in this report). Thirteen participants expressed interest in location A but eleven attended both training workshops. In location B, fourteen attended the first workshop, while twelve attended the second workshop. Participants who attended the training were administered pre-training and post-training surveys. The pre-training surveys included demographic information, professional experience, educational background and professional training, whereas the post-training survey involved questions about the impact and efficacy of the training delivered. The second stage involved conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with participants who attended the training workshops. The main goal was to evaluate the impact on professional practice and change in attitudes amongst PAs and PDTs. Data collected from the surveys and interviews were analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis via an inductive process. In addition, an interpretive phenomenological analysis was undertaken to identify and code themes emerging from the interviews. Ethics approval was received through the Federation University’s Human Research Ethics Committee before the commencement of this project.
Description:
Literature on media representations of Islamic terrorism predominantly employs discourse analysis as a methodological tool to unpack concepts of power in texts. There is scant literature focused on the operation of silence as a discursive practice in the public sphere. This paper employs Huckin's (2002) notion of manipulative silences to demonstrate how textual media representations of Australians Joining the Fight in Syria are dominated by identity debates, particularly evident in the media's act of defining Muslims who engage in the Syrian conflict as bad Australians. We use Joining the Fight on Insight, an Australian opinion-based television program on Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), as the centrepiece of our argument to demonstrate how media representations use manipulative silences. These silences skew dialogue in the public sphere away from the core issue, the role of ISIS in the Syrian conflict, and towards internal politics and nationalistic concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Social Alternatives is the property of Social Alternatives and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Description:
Introduction and Aims Treatment of opioid dependence through opioid replacement therapy is widely recognised as effective. Nonetheless, while there has been a community-based program in the state of Victoria for over two decades, consumer experiences have received little attention. This study aimed to describe the experiences of opioid replacement therapy consumers living in rural and regional areas of the state. Design and Methods A qualitative design employed an interpretative phenomenological approach. Sixteen consumers were interviewed. Thematic analysis was conducted by the researchers to examine the phenomena of consumers ' experiences and findings were verified by a stakeholder group. Results Findings centred on themes of consumers ' experience of becoming recipients; consumer perceptions of pharmacists and pharmacy settings and psychosocial impacts on consumers. A majority of participants believed opioid replacement therapy brought increased normality to their life, however systemic and psychosocial barriers impacted on well-being. The pharmacy setting itself as a public dosing space commonly provoked feelings of stigma and discrimination among consumers. Other barriers prominently reported were restrictions on number of takeaways, cost of dispensing and lack of access to medical practitioners and allied supports. Discussion and Conclusions There were psychosocial impacts on opioid replacement therapy consumers relating to financial and social burdens, stigma and discrimination. Access to medical care and a choice of pharmacy appeared to be restricted in rural regions. The findings suggest a need to address, in particular, the financial and dispensing point burdens experienced by consumers to facilitate program retention.