The Changing Socio‐Demographic Composition of Poverty in Australia: 1982 to 2004

The extent of income poverty and its socio‐demographic composition are examined using all ABS income surveys conducted over the period 1982 to 2004. There has been some increase in the proportion of the population in poverty, particularly since 1997, but of more note are the substantial changes in the socio‐demographic composition of those in poverty. Compared with the start of the sample period, persons in poverty at the end of the period were much more likely to be older, in families without dependent children, holding post‐school qualifications and/or foreign‐born. In part, these changes reflect broader changes in the composition of the population. However, changes in the risks of poverty associated with different characteristics have also produced large changes in the composition of the poor, and have in some cases counteracted or reversed effects of demographic change. Specifically, the risk of poverty has increased for the elderly, non‐dependent youth, single people, foreign‐born persons and those without post‐school qualifications, and it has decreased for sole parent families and residents of Queensland, the ACT and the Northern Territory.     

Mobilization and Meaning: Toward an Integration of Social Psychological and Resource Perspectives on Social Movements*

This paper presents a model of the mobilization of people into movements that is compatible with a resource mobilization perspective on social movement organizations as the unit of analysis, but substitutes a cognitive social psychology based on attribution theory and the sociology of knowledge for the incentive model typically used in this perspective. We focus on the problem, neglected by resource mobilization theorists, of explaining the translation of objective social relationships into subjectively experienced, collectively defined grievances. On a macro level, our model gives independent causal weight to ideology without discounting the role that resources also play in defining group goals. On a social psychological level, we identify three distinct organizational strategies–conversion, coalition, and direct action–for mobilizing persons as participants and examine some cognitive and organizational consequences of each strategy. We conclude that incorporation of a more adequate social psychology of individual participation is not only compatible with the organizational focus and emphasis on rationality of the resource mobilization perspective, but can provide important insights into problems both social movement theorists and social movement organizers see as significant.     

Global Financial Crisis: The Australian Experience in International Perspective

This article addresses the impact of the global financial crisis in Australia. Obviously the impact has been varied and complicated, so that the picture presented can be no more than a sketch seeking to identify some of the main influences and governmental responses to them. In the event, the impact was relatively light in Australia, with credit accruing to a fairly effective regulatory system, though serious implementation problems developed. The article also explores the issue of the economic stimulus strategy more generally, and connections between the crisis experience and related movement in the arena of government-private sector relations.     

Bring back orphanages—An alternative to foster care?

The current foster care system in America has not been successful in transitioning youth who are in the system to become productive, independent adults in today's society. Study after study cites the poor adjustment of foster care youth in school settings because of constant change in foster care placements and the corresponding poor achievement of these students. We find many of the youth needing public aide, working at low-paying jobs (if working at all), often caught up in the criminal corrections system, and homeless. Having had no permanent home and very often lacking positive role models, these children have little opportunity to build a solid foundation that might give them the chance to succeed.In addition, the current foster care system has in place short-term home placements, and this system is failing. What is needed are long-term placements for these children-placements that last until adulthood. What we are suggesting is that we as a society consider bringing back orphanages-wellrun facilities that provide a stable environment over time, good educational opportunities, and the chance for the children to develop emotionally in a secure, nurturing environment such as those found at Boys Town, the Hershey School, Kinderhaus and The SEED Foundation.     

Developing and validating measures for child welfare agencies to self-monitor fidelity to a child safety intervention

Building evidence of effective practice in child welfare requires practitioners and researchers to know the extent to which programs are implemented in order to understand evaluation results. Fidelity monitoring is a critical strategy for ensuring that evidence-based and promising practices are implemented as intended and can be studied in real-world contexts. This paper addresses challenges to measuring fidelity in child welfare systems and presents an approach taken with one state to define fidelity criteria and measure fidelity to a child safety intervention. Measurement challenges were addressed by using existing documents and case review mechanisms to assess fidelity, and measuring the quality of practitioner judgment using expert reviewers. Validity of fidelity criteria and fidelity review instruments was established through consensus with model developers and local purveyors. Twelve cases were reviewed by a panel of raters to assess inter-rater reliability and discrepancy between local purveyors and model developers. This participatory and capacity-building method can be replicated and used to develop and embed valid and reliable fidelity monitoring systems in public child welfare to continue to build evidence about what works in child welfare services.     

Conventional and piecewise growth modeling techniques: applications and implications for investigating Head Start children's early literacy learning

This article reviews the mechanics of conventional and piecewise growth models to demonstrate the unique affordances of each technique for examining the nature and predictors of children's early literacy learning during the transition from preschool through first grade. Using the nationally representative Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) data set, 1997 cohort, the authors show how piecewise models revealed discrete contributions of child, family, and classroom experiences to children's literacy skills within particular years, whereas conventional models, which considered the whole 3-year trajectory of change as a single outcome, revealed fewer of these nuanced contributions.     

U.S. student-run agencies: Organization, attributes and adviser perceptions of student learning outcomes

Student-run communications agencies mimic professional public relations and advertising agencies by providing students with a professional environment in which to work on real projects for real clients. This study involved a survey of agency advisers at AEJMC universities and ACEJMC-accredited universities to evaluate the attributes, structure, and perceived student learning outcomes of agencies in the U.S. Though agencies vary greatly in how they are structured and managed, this study suggests student agencies in general are indeed beneficial to student learning, particularly in the areas of skills application and professionalism. Despite the benefit to students, agencies receive little funding relative to other campus media and agency advisers often receive limited support for the required time commitment. Agency organization, adviser time commitment, and agency facilities are examined in regard to their impact on agency protocols and perceptions of student learning.