Stories from the back paddock : Community building in the Pyrenees shire
- Harman, Jessie, Clark, David
- Authors: Harman, Jessie , Clark, David
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Australia's Country Towns, Bendigo, Victoria : 11th - 13th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In 2001 the Victorian Government launched its Community Building initiative. As part of this initiative the government funded 11 locally based community building demonstration projects. One of these projects is located within the Pyrenees Shire. In this discussion paper the authors examine the Pyrenees Shire’s Community Building Demonstration Project, describing the program and its objectives. They focus on the factors which have had a significant impact on the community building process within the municipality, identifying factors which have both facilitated and impeded the process. In terms of facilitating factors they identify a number: the involvement of community champions, strong local government support and community readiness, the capacity to deliver ‘runs on the board’ early in the life of the project, along with a flexible planning process. Conversely, they identify factors which have impeded the community building process in the Shire. Lack of continuity of personnel, an inability to develop shared understanding on occasions and difficulties associated with engaging disparate groups are described. This paper is significant for a number of reasons. In the first instance, it contributes useful, ‘real time’ insights into the implementation of community building in regional Victoria. Secondly it may, through its contribution to theory building and managerial practice, develop and strengthen community building programs in the future. Finally, at the level of public policy, it may contribute to the growing body of knowledge around the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of these types of regional interventions.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001459
- Authors: Harman, Jessie , Clark, David
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Australia's Country Towns, Bendigo, Victoria : 11th - 13th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In 2001 the Victorian Government launched its Community Building initiative. As part of this initiative the government funded 11 locally based community building demonstration projects. One of these projects is located within the Pyrenees Shire. In this discussion paper the authors examine the Pyrenees Shire’s Community Building Demonstration Project, describing the program and its objectives. They focus on the factors which have had a significant impact on the community building process within the municipality, identifying factors which have both facilitated and impeded the process. In terms of facilitating factors they identify a number: the involvement of community champions, strong local government support and community readiness, the capacity to deliver ‘runs on the board’ early in the life of the project, along with a flexible planning process. Conversely, they identify factors which have impeded the community building process in the Shire. Lack of continuity of personnel, an inability to develop shared understanding on occasions and difficulties associated with engaging disparate groups are described. This paper is significant for a number of reasons. In the first instance, it contributes useful, ‘real time’ insights into the implementation of community building in regional Victoria. Secondly it may, through its contribution to theory building and managerial practice, develop and strengthen community building programs in the future. Finally, at the level of public policy, it may contribute to the growing body of knowledge around the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of these types of regional interventions.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001459
The agenda for change among female rural general practitioners
- Authors: Schwarz, Imogen
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents the preliminary results of a qualitative study examining the agenda for change being pursued by key influential women in Australia to address male-centred rural general practitioner (GP) workforce policies. Many current recruitment and retention programs do not reflect the needs of female GPs as they are based on the traditional notions of a country GP — that is a full-time, on call doctor with a supporting spouse. As women become the majority in medicine, key women influentials in the rural general practice field are advocating for the restructuring of medicine so that women GPs can be part of the solution to rural health care issues. Previous empirical research and theoretical analyses have suggested that medicine and rural communities are patriarchal. To date data collection for this explorative study consists of 5 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of key women activists across the spectrum of organised medicine. Preliminary results show how women are pressuring for change but also the sources of resistance they encounter from the dominant medical culture. Key women players use particular collective and individual strategies to advocate for female GP issues. These results reflect some research findings on women leaders and female rural GPs. In conclusion, it is important that women are given equal access to decision-making positions to enable their input into the structure and culture of rural general practice. The recommendation put forward is to build inclusive recruitment and retention rural workforce strategies for female rural GPs.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000514
- Authors: Schwarz, Imogen
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents the preliminary results of a qualitative study examining the agenda for change being pursued by key influential women in Australia to address male-centred rural general practitioner (GP) workforce policies. Many current recruitment and retention programs do not reflect the needs of female GPs as they are based on the traditional notions of a country GP — that is a full-time, on call doctor with a supporting spouse. As women become the majority in medicine, key women influentials in the rural general practice field are advocating for the restructuring of medicine so that women GPs can be part of the solution to rural health care issues. Previous empirical research and theoretical analyses have suggested that medicine and rural communities are patriarchal. To date data collection for this explorative study consists of 5 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of key women activists across the spectrum of organised medicine. Preliminary results show how women are pressuring for change but also the sources of resistance they encounter from the dominant medical culture. Key women players use particular collective and individual strategies to advocate for female GP issues. These results reflect some research findings on women leaders and female rural GPs. In conclusion, it is important that women are given equal access to decision-making positions to enable their input into the structure and culture of rural general practice. The recommendation put forward is to build inclusive recruitment and retention rural workforce strategies for female rural GPs.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000514
Older class people - First class experience : Stories of ageing well in rural communities of Victoria
- Authors: Blume, Suzanne
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Diversity in Ageing Conference 2006, Sydney : 23rd November, 2006 p. 52-60
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Victorians aged 65 years and over are classified as ‘old’, yet many are able to remain living at home in a rural area, maintain health, retain a sense of wellbeing, and lead productive lives without requiring extraordinary assistance to do so. As such, these older people are exemplars of healthy ageing. This qualitative study examined the stories of older people who were living in that moment to answer questions about the meaning of ageing and living at home in a rural community for older people and the measures used to sustain that lifestyle. Rich descriptions were gathered through face-to-face interviews with ten older people living at home in various rural areas of Victoria. Their stories describe personal perceptions and philosophies of ageing and ‘being old’, life as a rural living older person and individual means of meeting declining physical dexterity. This study describes the acumen of a small group of rural living older people from whom much can be learnt. However, further research with larger populations of older people would enhance learning opportunities for other Australians who similarly wish to achieve positive healthy ageing whilst living at home in a rural community.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003002143
- Authors: Blume, Suzanne
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Diversity in Ageing Conference 2006, Sydney : 23rd November, 2006 p. 52-60
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Victorians aged 65 years and over are classified as ‘old’, yet many are able to remain living at home in a rural area, maintain health, retain a sense of wellbeing, and lead productive lives without requiring extraordinary assistance to do so. As such, these older people are exemplars of healthy ageing. This qualitative study examined the stories of older people who were living in that moment to answer questions about the meaning of ageing and living at home in a rural community for older people and the measures used to sustain that lifestyle. Rich descriptions were gathered through face-to-face interviews with ten older people living at home in various rural areas of Victoria. Their stories describe personal perceptions and philosophies of ageing and ‘being old’, life as a rural living older person and individual means of meeting declining physical dexterity. This study describes the acumen of a small group of rural living older people from whom much can be learnt. However, further research with larger populations of older people would enhance learning opportunities for other Australians who similarly wish to achieve positive healthy ageing whilst living at home in a rural community.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003002143
Place matters! Rural as an ‘enabling culture’ for female GPs
- Schwarz, Imogen, McDonald, John
- Authors: Schwarz, Imogen , McDonald, John
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 9th National rural health conference: Standing up for rural health., Albury, Australia : March, 2007 p. 1-9
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003005837
- Authors: Schwarz, Imogen , McDonald, John
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 9th National rural health conference: Standing up for rural health., Albury, Australia : March, 2007 p. 1-9
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003005837
What is evidence-based practice anyway? A rural survey
- Authors: Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000515
- Authors: Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000515
Trust in rural areas
- Braun, Patrice, Lowe, Julian
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001148
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001148
Rural social welfare practice : Stories from the western region of Victoria
- Authors: Green, Rosemary
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study explored rural welfare practice issues with six welfare professionals working in contentious fields of practice such as child welfare, family violence and the justice system in the western region of Victoria. Participants were selected on the basis of difference to provide a range of experiences. The six participants completed a questionnaire and were subsequently interviewed in depth about their own experiences. The study asked participants about issues of concern to them and strategies that they find useful in their professional practice in small communities. Issues of concern included: risk and experience of violence and harassment, managing confidential information gathered from formal and informal sources, providing services that are non stigmatising, managing dual and multiple roles and lack of anonymity and privacy. Participants were concerned about the dilemmas of personal privacy versus community “right to know” particularly when they had privileged information about perpetrators of violence and child sexual assault within their communities. Participants shared their practical solutions and personal survival strategies, as well as their concerns. Many employing organisations did not recognise these factors effectively in work practices, and supervision was focused on agency accountability rather than professional development and support. On a broader level, workplaces and educators need to recognise the impact of the occupational demands and stressors relevant for rural practitioners, where anonymity and privacy are frequently compromised, and respond sensitively to these issues. This paper includes a number of recommendations for educators and organisations employing welfare staff in rural areas. The author sincerely thanks the six welfare professionals for sharing their stories in such rich detail and with such honesty and frankness. Identifying details have been altered to protect their privacy.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000562
- Authors: Green, Rosemary
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 7th National Rural Health Conference, Canberra : 1st - 4th March, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study explored rural welfare practice issues with six welfare professionals working in contentious fields of practice such as child welfare, family violence and the justice system in the western region of Victoria. Participants were selected on the basis of difference to provide a range of experiences. The six participants completed a questionnaire and were subsequently interviewed in depth about their own experiences. The study asked participants about issues of concern to them and strategies that they find useful in their professional practice in small communities. Issues of concern included: risk and experience of violence and harassment, managing confidential information gathered from formal and informal sources, providing services that are non stigmatising, managing dual and multiple roles and lack of anonymity and privacy. Participants were concerned about the dilemmas of personal privacy versus community “right to know” particularly when they had privileged information about perpetrators of violence and child sexual assault within their communities. Participants shared their practical solutions and personal survival strategies, as well as their concerns. Many employing organisations did not recognise these factors effectively in work practices, and supervision was focused on agency accountability rather than professional development and support. On a broader level, workplaces and educators need to recognise the impact of the occupational demands and stressors relevant for rural practitioners, where anonymity and privacy are frequently compromised, and respond sensitively to these issues. This paper includes a number of recommendations for educators and organisations employing welfare staff in rural areas. The author sincerely thanks the six welfare professionals for sharing their stories in such rich detail and with such honesty and frankness. Identifying details have been altered to protect their privacy.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000562
Who's doing the hunting and gathering? : An exploration of gender segmentation in adult learning in small and remote Australian communities
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 2003 AVETRA Conference, Sydney : 10th -11th April, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Adults in Australia have tended to return relatively recently to learning in patterns that are significantly different by gender. These patterns of gender segmentation for adults are particularly noticeable in the findings of recent research by the author into adult, community and vocational learning in small and remote towns in Victoria. The issues associated with such patterns form the basis of this exploratory paper.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000498
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 2003 AVETRA Conference, Sydney : 10th -11th April, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Adults in Australia have tended to return relatively recently to learning in patterns that are significantly different by gender. These patterns of gender segmentation for adults are particularly noticeable in the findings of recent research by the author into adult, community and vocational learning in small and remote towns in Victoria. The issues associated with such patterns form the basis of this exploratory paper.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000498
Developing policy for Australia's small towns : From anthropology to sustainability
- Courvisanos, Jerry, Martin, John
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry , Martin, John
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities (CSRC) 2nd National Conference on the future of Australia's Country Towns, Latrobe, Bendigo : 11th February, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Over the last three decades the way in which public policy analysts learn about the structure and function of Australia’s small towns has shifted from the intensive, in-depth analysis provided by the anthropologist living in the community (called “community studies”) to a more empirically oriented, demographic-based research carried out at a distance from these places (called “sustainability studies”). Rather than just understanding the functioning of small towns through case studies, recent research emphasis has centred on the more “aggregative” question of small town sustainability in all it forms. This alters the way in which small towns are viewed and complicates the current policy approaches to small town development and change. This paper identifies the two different methodologies implied by these divergent approaches and examines what this means to understanding of small towns and the policy implications that emerge. By reviewing the community studies approach to learning about small towns popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and contrasting this approach with recent, more aggregative approaches to learning about the sustainability of towns; this paper aims to find points of alignment and suggest a broader research framework that incorporates both approaches. This provides a comprehensive understanding of small towns, leading to a more effective development of public policies for these communities.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001308
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry , Martin, John
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities (CSRC) 2nd National Conference on the future of Australia's Country Towns, Latrobe, Bendigo : 11th February, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Over the last three decades the way in which public policy analysts learn about the structure and function of Australia’s small towns has shifted from the intensive, in-depth analysis provided by the anthropologist living in the community (called “community studies”) to a more empirically oriented, demographic-based research carried out at a distance from these places (called “sustainability studies”). Rather than just understanding the functioning of small towns through case studies, recent research emphasis has centred on the more “aggregative” question of small town sustainability in all it forms. This alters the way in which small towns are viewed and complicates the current policy approaches to small town development and change. This paper identifies the two different methodologies implied by these divergent approaches and examines what this means to understanding of small towns and the policy implications that emerge. By reviewing the community studies approach to learning about small towns popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and contrasting this approach with recent, more aggregative approaches to learning about the sustainability of towns; this paper aims to find points of alignment and suggest a broader research framework that incorporates both approaches. This provides a comprehensive understanding of small towns, leading to a more effective development of public policies for these communities.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001308
Unwrapping packages : An exploration of the implementation of community care policy in rural Victoria
- Authors: Brown, Katrina
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 3rd National Conference for emerging researchers in Ageing, Brisbane, Australia : 2nd December, 2004 p. 80-83
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper will discuss research being conducted into the implementation of community care for the aged in rural Victoria, by focusing on one program – Community Aged Care Packages (CACP). This program has expanded rapidly in the last 15 years to provide case management and service brokerage as a community based alternative to low level residential care. The research is being undertaken as part of a PhD thesis and utilises a multi-method qualitative design of semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis and case study analysis. This paper will focus on a discussion of the preliminary results of the study, utilising data from an initial series of exploratory semi-structured interviews. The data from these interviews suggests that although the program is delivering highly valued services, program implementation choices have had unintended consequences and do not take account of rural issues in service provision. This data has implications for the development of policy and delivery in the aged care area, however it also illustrates the way in which policy implementation choices can impact on the quality of life of those who need support services.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000945
- Authors: Brown, Katrina
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 3rd National Conference for emerging researchers in Ageing, Brisbane, Australia : 2nd December, 2004 p. 80-83
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper will discuss research being conducted into the implementation of community care for the aged in rural Victoria, by focusing on one program – Community Aged Care Packages (CACP). This program has expanded rapidly in the last 15 years to provide case management and service brokerage as a community based alternative to low level residential care. The research is being undertaken as part of a PhD thesis and utilises a multi-method qualitative design of semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis and case study analysis. This paper will focus on a discussion of the preliminary results of the study, utilising data from an initial series of exploratory semi-structured interviews. The data from these interviews suggests that although the program is delivering highly valued services, program implementation choices have had unintended consequences and do not take account of rural issues in service provision. This data has implications for the development of policy and delivery in the aged care area, however it also illustrates the way in which policy implementation choices can impact on the quality of life of those who need support services.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000945
Still on the outer edges? Progress towards and prospects for the development of a rural and remote evidence base for clinical practice
- McDonald, John, Murphy, Angela
- Authors: McDonald, John , Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 8th National Rural Health Conference, Alice Springs, Australia : 10th - 13th March, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: One of the most significant issues in clinical practice for rural and remote Australia is the need for improved evidence about the most effective and appropriate interventions. Clinical research is fundamental to effective evidence-based practice. This paper assesses the extent to which an Australian rural evidence base for clinical practice has emerged over the past five years. The methodology for this study involves an analysis of one input (research funding) and one output (published evidence) concerning Australian research that specifically addresses rural health issues and includes rural, regional and/or remote populations in clinical research. The first project involves the analysis of extant databases of rural clinical research funding and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) research allocated during the period 2000 to 2004 by two major national organisations: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS). Data are analysed in terms of the number of grants allocated and the level of funding. The results show that, of the 5995 grants (exceeding $1.3 billion) awarded by the NHMRC, only 126 grants (2.1%) amounting to $21 million (1.6% of the total dollars) were allocated to rural/regional/remote and ATSI research. NICS has funded one rural/remote clinical research project, and has commissioned a literature review and conducted a workshop on the use of evidence by rural and remote health practitioners.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001235
- Authors: McDonald, John , Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 8th National Rural Health Conference, Alice Springs, Australia : 10th - 13th March, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: One of the most significant issues in clinical practice for rural and remote Australia is the need for improved evidence about the most effective and appropriate interventions. Clinical research is fundamental to effective evidence-based practice. This paper assesses the extent to which an Australian rural evidence base for clinical practice has emerged over the past five years. The methodology for this study involves an analysis of one input (research funding) and one output (published evidence) concerning Australian research that specifically addresses rural health issues and includes rural, regional and/or remote populations in clinical research. The first project involves the analysis of extant databases of rural clinical research funding and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) research allocated during the period 2000 to 2004 by two major national organisations: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS). Data are analysed in terms of the number of grants allocated and the level of funding. The results show that, of the 5995 grants (exceeding $1.3 billion) awarded by the NHMRC, only 126 grants (2.1%) amounting to $21 million (1.6% of the total dollars) were allocated to rural/regional/remote and ATSI research. NICS has funded one rural/remote clinical research project, and has commissioned a literature review and conducted a workshop on the use of evidence by rural and remote health practitioners.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001235
About Face : Implications of research into men's learning preferences in rural towns
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Emerging Futures 2005: recent, responsive and relevant research Conference, Brisbane : 13th -15th April, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001327
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Emerging Futures 2005: recent, responsive and relevant research Conference, Brisbane : 13th -15th April, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001327
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