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.
Description:
Most contact sports, including rugby union, carry a risk of injury. Although acute spinal cord injuries (ASCIs) in rugby are rare, the consequences of such injuries are far-reaching. Optimal management of these injuries is challenging, and a detailed understanding of the different barriers and facilitators to optimal care is needed. In this study, we aimed to describe the perception of players, regarding factors related to the optimal immediate management of a catastrophic injury in a developing country with socioeconomic and health care inequities. The most frequently reported barriers were transportation delays after injury and admission to appropriate medical facilities. Other barriers included inadequate equipment, the quality of first aid care, and barriers within the acute hospital setting. Barriers were more prevalent in rural and lower socioeconomic areas. These findings are relevant for all rugby stakeholders and may help shape education, awareness, and future policy around the immediate management of ASCIs.
Description:
In 2008, the Australian Law Reform Commission journal, Reform, called out animal welfare as Australia’s ‘next great social justice movement’ in 2018; however, public mobilisation around animal welfare is still a contested issue in Australia. The question stands as to how to mobilise everyday mainstream consumers into supporting animal activism given that animal activism is presented in the public sphere as dampening the economic livelihood of Australia, with some animal activism described as ‘akin to terrorism’. The questions, then, are as follows: how to mobilise everyday mainstream consumers into supporting animal activist ideals? How to frame and communicate animal activist ideals so that they can come to inform and change the behaviour and self-understandings of mainstream consumers? This article is an investigation into the possible production and mobilisation of animal activists from mainstream consumers through the work of one digital campaign, Make it Possible. Delivered by the peak Australian animal advocacy organisation, Animals Australia, and explicitly targeting the lived experiences and conditions of animals in factory farming, Make it Possible reached nearly 12 million viewers across Australia and has directly impacted on the reported behaviour and self-understandings of over 291,000 Australians to date, as well as impacting policy decisions made by government and industry. More specifically, our interest is to engage a new materialist lens to draw out how this campaign operates to transform consumers into veg*ns (vegans/vegetarians), activists and ethical consumers who materially commit to and live revised beliefs regarding human–animal relations.
Description:
The introduction of widespread school Internet access in industrialised countries has been accompanied by the materialisation of what can be labelled as a national school e-safety agenda. Drawing upon Foucault's notions of discourse and governmentality, this paper explores how e-safety policy documents serve to constrain the conceptual environment, seeking to determine and limit individuals' thoughts on this matter. Analysing UK and US government texts, it is argued that four main themes arise that subvert critical, informed debate about children online. Namely, the discursive construction of e-kids, the muting of schoolchildren's voices, the responsibilisation of students and ‘diagnostic inflation’ through realist risk discourses. These issues can be interpreted as an attempt to engender control through particular strategies of governmentality. While recognising that students may resist such attempts at control, it is concluded that the issue of children's digital rights need to be more prominent in e-safety policies.
Description:
A literature review was conducted to identify the experiences, challenges and acculturation of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) living and working throughout rural and remote Australia. As such recently published literature highlighted key factors impacting IMGs living and working in rural and remote areas which informed the acculturation process in western society. IMGs acculturation throughout Australian rural settings occurs rapidly among these higher educated migrants. Those IMGs with Australian spouses or who have practiced in rural settings prior to migration also experience a new phase of acculturation. However, maintaining cultural and religious connectivity continues to be challenging in these settings. Community awareness and an ability to embrace IMGs and cultural differences remain crucial for identity and cultural retention. Nevertheless, few studies recognised quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their family’s impact on the rural acculturation and settlement success. Previous research has focused primarily on employment integration, satisfaction and practice support. The identified literature is in no way extensive as it focuses on IMGs in the Australian context, which may impact on transferability. A gap exists where quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their families have been overlooked. These are crucial factors impacting rural acculturation, retention and IMGs health and wellbeing. The literature highlights insights into IMGs acculturation as they migrate and reside in Tasmania, a less culturally diverse population, remains absent with very little comparable research conducted.
Description:
A literature review was conducted to identify the experiences, challenges and acculturation of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) living and working throughout rural and remote Australia. As such recently published literature highlighted key factors impacting IMGs living and working in rural and remote areas which informed the acculturation process in western society. IMGs acculturation throughout Australian rural settings occurs rapidly among these higher educated migrants. Those IMGs with Australian spouses or who have practiced in rural settings prior to migration also experience a new phase of acculturation. However, maintaining cultural and religious connectivity continues to be challenging in these settings. Community awareness and an ability to embrace IMGs and cultural differences remain crucial for identity and cultural retention. Nevertheless, few studies recognised quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their family’s impact on the rural acculturation and settlement success. Previous research has focused primarily on employment integration, satisfaction and practice support. The identified literature is in no way extensive as it focuses on IMGs in the Australian context, which may impact on transferability. A gap exists where quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their families have been overlooked. These are crucial factors impacting rural acculturation, retention and IMGs health and wellbeing. The literature highlights insights into IMGs acculturation as they migrate and reside in Tasmania, a less culturally diverse population, remains absent with very little comparable research conducted.
Description:
Recently there has been a growth in the surveillance of students' online activities. This has been facilitated not only by the increasing numbers of digital devices, but also through surveillance creep (Marx, 1998). Drawing upon this concept and associated ideas, including data creep, policy creep and concept creep, this paper explores the digital monitoring of students via classroom management software, social media surveillance and education apps. It is concluded that driven by commercialisation, commodification and normalisation surveillance creep is problematic insofar as it results in over-blocking, undermines digital rights, invades privacy, appropriates personal property and proprietorially harvests data. Language
Description:
Migration has significantly accelerated over in the past few decades, with the migration of doctors and other health professionals from developed countries forming a large part of the globalisation of health care. As such, migrant labour has been observed as a means of meeting job shortages within developed countries, from low-skilled to highly-skilled professional occupations, such as International Medical Graduates (IMG). Australia, like many other developed countries, has trained insufficient doctors in the past. This has led to the immigration of IMGs to fill this gap, particularly in rural and remote areas. As countries, such as Australia has developed an ongoing need for IMGs, so too the policies and regulations have developed over the decades to meet those needs. However, as Australia now begins to train more local medical graduates, the future for IMGs remains less conceivable. The aim of this paper is to discuss the increased use of IMGs and the development of legislation and policy to regulate this cohort of migrant labour in Australia while examining what the future may be for IMGs.
Description:
Migration has significantly accelerated over in the past few decades, with the migration of doctors and other health professionals from developed countries forming a large part of the globalisation of health care. As such, migrant labour has been observed as a means of meeting job shortages within developed countries, from low-skilled to highly-skilled professional occupations, such as International Medical Graduates (IMG). Australia, like many other developed countries, has trained insufficient doctors in the past. This has led to the immigration of IMGs to fill this gap, particularly in rural and remote areas. As countries, such as Australia has developed an ongoing need for IMGs, so too the policies and regulations have developed over the decades to meet those needs. However, as Australia now begins to train more local medical graduates, the future for IMGs remains less conceivable. The aim of this paper is to discuss the increased use of IMGs and the development of legislation and policy to regulate this cohort of migrant labour in Australia while examining what the future may be for IMGs.
Description:
International Medical Graduates (IMG) remain integral to the Australian health workforce, particularly in rural areas. Stakeholders who recruit, support and acts as educators assist IMGs in their transition into and through the Australian health care setting. A study was conducted to examine IMGs and their acculturation in rural Tasmania. Twenty-three IMG stakeholders were interviewed regarding the challenges facing IMGs who live and work in rural Tasmania. Critical Discourse Analysis was used to determine if social power, dominance, and inequality are enacted and reproduced through the text and talk of stakeholders. The results indicate dominant views and practices were both intentionally and unintentionally produced within the Tasmanian health care setting. These issues were reported to be contributing to the marginalisation of IMGs in Tasmania, thus impacting on their retention. However, the participants were positive and respectful in their vocalisation of IMGs and their contribution to the Tasmanian health system and community
Description:
International Medical Graduates (IMG) remain integral to the Australian health workforce, particularly in rural areas. Stakeholders who recruit, support and acts as educators assist IMGs in their transition into and through the Australian health care setting. A study was conducted to examine IMGs and their acculturation in rural Tasmania. Twenty-three IMG stakeholders were interviewed regarding the challenges facing IMGs who live and work in rural Tasmania. Critical Discourse Analysis was used to determine if social power, dominance, and inequality are enacted and reproduced through the text and talk of stakeholders. The results indicate dominant views and practices were both intentionally and unintentionally produced within the Tasmanian health care setting. These issues were reported to be contributing to the marginalisation of IMGs in Tasmania, thus impacting on their retention. However, the participants were positive and respectful in their vocalisation of IMGs and their contribution to the Tasmanian health system and community
Description:
Objectives: Living alone is a risk factor for depressive symptoms among older men, and is likely to occur due to belongingness needs being unmet. It is proposed the living alone-sense of belonging and living alone-depressive symptoms relations are stronger for gay men than heterosexual men, due to different family circumstances. This research tested a moderated mediation model, specifically whether the relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms is mediated by sense of belonging, and whether the living alone-sense of belonging and living alone-depressive symptoms relationships are moderated by sexual orientation. Method: A community sample of 169 Australian gay men aged 65 to 93 years and 187 Australian heterosexual men aged 65 to 94 years completed the Psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: Results supported the simple mediation model, with living alone being associated directly and indirectly with depressive symptoms via sense of belonging. The conditional indirect effect of living alone on depressive symptoms via sense of belonging was not significant, and therefore the moderated mediation model was not supported. Conclusion: Results imply that older men who live alone are at increased risk of depressive symptoms directly and indirectly via lower levels of sense of belonging.
Description:
Recent alarming losses of insects from agricultural landscapes in multiple countries around the world have brought into sharp focus the urgent need to identify ways to manage these landscapes to avoid further biodiversity decline. Identifying the drivers of insect declines, such as land use change, is critical to this effort. We examined ant communities at the interface between remnant vegetation patches and three adjoining farmland types (wheat crop, rested from cropping and restoration plantings) in a fragmented landscape in temperate Australia. We asked: do ant communities and occurrence of individual species differ between remnant patches and farmlands with more intensive farmland use (restoration plantings < rested farmlands < wheat crop)? We recorded 13,283 ants belonging to 102 species from 30 genera. Excluding 21 singletons, 27 species only occurred in remnant patches compared to ten species found only in farmlands. Ant community composition in wheat crop and rested farmlands significantly differed from their adjacent remnant patches and were more homogeneous. In contrast, ant communities from restoration plantings in farmland were not significantly different in composition from those in the adjacent remnant patch. The large, aggressive Australian meat ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) showed significantly higher occurrence in the remnant patch than all farmland types, and we suggest that the absence of this strongly interacting species from farmlands may have contributed to biotic homogenisation. Our findings show that native vegetation provides crucial habitat resources for many ant species that are not provided by farmlands, and native plantings can, in some cases, ameliorate negative effects of farmland clearing over relatively short time scales (<7 years). Agricultural intensification that involves loss of remnant native vegetation or reduced revegetation will contribute to ongoing losses and changes to ant biodiversity in farming landscapes. However, replanting native vegetation can lead to rapid restoration, signifying a possible simple remedy to insect declines.