Research staff
General Manager
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Paul Smyth General Manager, Research and Policy Centre, and Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne
- Iris Levin Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, The Relocation Toolkit
Research teams
Early Years and Community
Indigenous and Refugees
- Zoë Morrison Senior Manager, Research and Policy, Indigenous Australians and Refugees (Zoe is on leave until 2012)
Through School to Work and In and Out of Work
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Michael Horn Senior Manager, Research and Policy, Through School to Work and In and Out of Work
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Dina Bowman Principal Researcher, Through School to Work and In and Out of Work
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Sharon Bond Senior Research Officer, Through School to Work
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Retirement and Ageing
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Simon Biggs Senior Manager, Retirement and Ageing, and Professor in Social Policy and Gerontology, University of Melbourne
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Bonnie Simons Senior Research Officer, Research and Policy, Retirement and Ageing
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Equity and Climate Change
Economist
Honorary Research Fellows
Research staff list
Paul Smyth
psmyth@nullbsl.org.au
Paul is the General Manager of the Research and Policy Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and Professor of Social Policy at the University of Melbourne. This joint position combines policy development and research at the Brotherhood with teaching and research at the University's Centre for Public Policy. As Professorial Fellow in Social Policy, Paul coordinates the Masters of Social Policy program. Paul's chair appointment is to lead research and develop policy around partnership solutions to Australia's social problems. Paul's research areas include contemporary Australian social policy, local governance and social inclusion, and international perspectives on social inclusion. His diverse career combines academic and social action experience. He was previously the Director of Social Policy in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Queensland. Prior to this he was Senior Researcher at Uniya, the Jesuit social research and action centre at Kings Cross, Sydney. A former Catholic priest, he also worked for 20 years in youth and family care.
Paul is on advisory councils for the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Volunteering Australia, and is an External Thought Leader, The Wyatt Benevolent Institution Inc.
Research interests
- Social policy as investment
- Local governance and social inclusion
- Social policy and development in the Southeast Asian region
Selected recent publications
Smyth, P 2012, 'Securing the Social Conditons for Individual Autonomy in Australia' guest editorial, Australian Social Work, 65:1, pp. 1-5.
Smyth, P 2011, 'A new welfare morality?' online opinion piece, The Drum, ABC News 24, 17 May.
Smyth, P 2011, 'British social policy legacy in Australia', in J Midgley and D Piachaud (eds), Colonialism and welfare: social policy and the British imperial legacy, Edward Elgar Publishing, UK.
Smyth, P 2011, 'After Beveridge: the state of voluntary action in Australia', in M Oppenheimer and N Deakin (eds), Beveridge and voluntary action in Britain and the wider British world, Manchester University Press.
Smyth, P 2010, In or out? Building an inclusive nation, Brotherhood of St Laurence and The Australian Collaboration, Melbourne.
Smyth, P 2010, ‘Reframing the social inclusion debate for the twenty first century', in Rethinking welfare for the 21st century: forum proceedings, University of Auckland, 10 September.
McClelland, A & Smyth, P 2009 (eds), Social policy in Australia: understanding for action, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Smyth, P 2009, 'Social inclusion, wages and social democracy', presentation to the Australian Workplace Research Centre conference, UNSW, 7 August.
Paul Smyth's AWRC presentation Aug 09
Smyth, P 2009, 'Religion, welfare and the new social contract in Australia', submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Contribution of the Not for Profit Sector. view here
Currie, G, Richardson, T, Smyth, P et al. 2009, 'Investigating links between transport disadvantage, social exclusion and well-being in Melbourne: preliminary results', in Journal of the World Conference on Transport Research Society, vol. 16, no. 3.
Smyth, P 2009, Social inclusion, social democracy and the GFC, presentation to ACOSS conference, 2 April.
Smyth, P 2008, ‘William Beveridge’s voluntary action 60 years on’, paper presented at conference hosted by the Australian High Commission, College of London, 27–28 November.
Smyth, P 2008, 'Collaborative governance: the community sector and collaborative network governance', in Collaborative governance: a new era of public policy in Australia?, ANU E Press(Acton).
Smyth, P 2008, 'The role of the community sector in Australian welfare: a Brotherhood of St Laurence perspective', in Strategic Issues for the not-for profit sector, UNSW Press, Sydney.
Smyth, P 2008, 'Closing the gap? The role of wage, welfare and industry policy in promoting social inclusion', in Journal of Industrial Relations, vol 50 (4).
Smyth, P 2007 University of Melbourne Foenander lecture. Closing the gap? The role of wage, welfare and industry policy in promoting social inclusion, 3 October
Smyth, P 2007, Social investment in human capital: revisioning Australian social policy, BSL Social Policy Working Paper, September.
Smyth, P 2007, 'Transport: a new frontier for social policy? An historical reflection' in J Stanley, J Stanley & G Currie (eds), No way to go: transport and social disadvantage in Australian Communities, Monash University ePress, Clayton.
McClelland, A & Smyth, P (eds) 2006, Social policy in Australia:- understanding for action, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Smyth, P 2006, 'Australian social policy in an International context' in A McClelland & P Smyth (eds), Social policy in Australia: understanding for action, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Bessant, J, Watts, R, Dalton, T & Smyth, P 2005, Talking policy: how social policy is made, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Smyth, P, Redell, T & Jones, A (eds) 2005, Community and local governance in Australia, UNSW Press, Sydney.
Perkins, D, Nelms, L, & Smyth, P 2005, 'Beyond neo-liberalism: the social investment state?', Just Policy, no. 38, Victorian Council of Social Service.
Smyth P, 2005, ‘ “Australian way”, Australian settlement and the Australian legend’, in Battin, T (ed.), A passion for politics: essays in honour of Graham Maddox, Pearson Education, Sydney.
Jones Finer, C & Smyth, P 2004, ‘Introduction’ in C Jones Finer & P Smyth (eds), Social policy and the Commonwealth: prospects for social inclusion, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire.
Smyth, P 2004, ‘British social policy and the “Australian Way”’, in C Jones Finer & P Smyth (eds), Globalisation, social inclusion and the Commonwealth, Palgrave McMillan, Hampshire.
Smyth, P & Wearing, M 2002, ‘After the welfare state?: state and civil society in the governance of welfare’ in S Bell (ed.), The institutional dynamics of Australian economic governance, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Smyth, P, Redell, T & Jones, A 2004, ‘Social inclusion, new regionalism and associational governance: the new regionalism’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 601–5.
Smyth, P 2004, ‘Australian way or Australian settlement’, Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 39, no.1, pp. 39–41.
Smyth, P 2003, ‘Reclaiming community? From welfare society to welfare state in Australian Catholic social thought’, Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol. 49, no. 1.
Smyth, P 2002 ‘British and European influences on the “Australian way” from the 1980s', Social Policy and Administration, vol. 36, no. 4, pp.426–42.
Smyth, P, 2000, Welfare reform in Australia and the concept of welfare dependency, Department of Families, Youth and Community Care, Research paper series No.1.
Affiliations/associations
Member on advisory councils for the Centre for Work and Life, University of South Australia, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and Volunteering Australia.
External Thought Leader, The Wyatt Benevolent Institution Inc.
Iris Levin
ilevin@nullbsl.org.au
Dr Iris Levin is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow who joined the Brotherhood in 2011 to work on an ARC Linkage grant led by Flinders University on a project titled, 'The Relocation Toolkit'. She completed her PhD in 2010 at the University of Melbourne focusing on migrants’ housing in Melbourne and in Tel Aviv, Israel. She has researched housing of ethnic minorities in Israel, planning issues and social inclusion of people with intellectual disability in Melbourne. Iris has taught extensively at the University of Melbourne and at Deakin University.
Research interests
- Immigration and planning
- Immigrant settlement
- Housing for immigrants and refugees
- Social groups in the city
- Housing and residential environments
- Public housing and social inclusion
Current research project
The Relocation Toolkit: a guide for implementing relocation policies that enhance residents’ health and well-being and social inclusion
Selected recent publications
Levin, I 2012 (ed.) Planning for healthier growth: how can metropolitan planning address social infrastructure gaps in middle and outer suburbs in Melbourne? Summary report (PDF file, 106 KB) from a joint workshop hosted by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and University of Melbourne, 14 November.
Arthurson, K, Ziersch, A and Levin, I 2011, 'The Relocation Tool Kit project: policies to enhance residents’ health, wellbeing and social inclusion', Brotherhood Comment, pp. 6–7.
Levin, I 2011, Home-building practices in houses of Italians and Chinese in Melbourne, paper presented to the Housing Theory Symposium, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia, 17–18 March.
Levin I and Fincher, R 2010, Tangible transnational links in the homes of Italian immigrants in Melbourne, Global Networks, vol. 10, no. 3.
Levin, I and Kallus, R 2010, 'Housing and change: women and progress in Givat Faradis', HAGAR Studies in Culture, Polity and Identities, vol. 9 , no. 1, pp. 95–120.
Levin, I 2009, Migrants’ homes: the question of comparison, paper presented to the Institute of Australian Geographers Conference, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia, September–October.
Levin, I 2009, Homes of migrants: architectural form of housing in the process of settlement, paper presented to the Association of American Geographers Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, March.
Zoë Morrison
zmorrison@nullbsl.org.au
Dr Zoë Morrison is the Senior Manager, Indigenous Australians and Refugees, and oversees the Early Years and Community transition. She has worked in academia, for state and federal governments and as an independent consultant, and currently teaches the course ‘Social Inclusion and the Politics of Recognition’ at the University of Melbourne. Zoë holds a PhD in Human Geography from Oxford University on the topic of social exclusion. (*NB: Zoe is on leave until 2012)
Research interests
- Social exclusion and inclusion
- Politics of recognition
- Violence against women
- Families and care
Current research projects
- State and national evaluations of HIPPY
Selected recent publications
Morrison,Z 2010, On dignity: social inclusion and the politics of recognition (PDF file, 214 KB), Social Policy Working Paper, Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Centre for Public Policy, the University of Melbourne.
Morrison, Z 2009, ‘Children and child poverty’, Equality Speaks: Challenges for a Fair Society, Catalyst.
Morrison, Z 2009, ‘Homelessness and sexual assault’, ACSSA Wrap 8, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Commonwealth of Australia, vol.15, no.1.
Dever, M and Morrison, Z 2009, ‘Women, research performance, and work context’, Tertiary Education and Management.
Morrison, Z 2009, ‘A life lived outside the goal-posts’, The Age, Opinion Section, 25 May.
Morrison, Z 2007, ‘Caring about sexual assault: the effects of sexual assault on families, and the effects on victim/survivors of family responses to sexual assault’, Family Matters, No. 76.
Morrison, Z 2007, Feeling heavy: vicarious trauma and other issues facing those who work in the sexual assault field, ACSSA Wrap 4.
Morrison, Z, Quadara, A & Boyd, C 2007, Ripple effects of sexual assault, ACSSA Issues Paper 7.
Morrison, Z 2006, ‘Women still on trial in rape cases’, Crikey, Politics section, 1 November.
Morrison, Z 2006, ‘Abuse: it’s now entertainment', The Age, Opinion section, 28 October.
Morrison, Z 2006, ‘Reforming family violence laws in Victoria’, Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre Newsletter, Issue 3.
Morrison Z, Bourke M and Kelley C 2005, ‘Stop making it such a big issue: Perceptions and experiences of gender inequality by undergraduates at Oxford University’, Women’s Studies International Forum, vol. 28, no. 203, pp.150-62.
Morrison Z 2005, ‘True crime – and true crime effects: a review of Esther McKay’s Crimes scene: true stories from the life of a forensic investigator’, Australian Women’s Book Review, vol. 17, no. 2.
Morrison, Z 2003, ‘Recognising ‘recognition’: social justice and the place of the cultural in social exclusion policy’, Environment and Planning A, vol.35, no.9.
Morrison, Z 2003, ‘Contradictions in tackling social exclusion in communities: issues of redistribution, recognition and respect in a Single Regeneration Budget policy project in Blackbird Leys, Oxford’ in Imrie, R and Raco, M (eds.) Urban policy: community, citizenship and rights, Policy Press, UK.
Morrison, Z 2000, ‘Britain’s ‘shameful places’: examining discursive and spatial constructions of social exclusion – towards spaces beyond social divisions, in JR Stephens (ed.), Habitus 2000: a sense of place, Curtin University of Technology.
Tony Barnett
tbarnett@nullbsl.org.au
Tony Barnett is Acting Senior Manager in the Early Years and Community transition of the Research & Policy Centre. Tony holds a Master of Science in Evidence-Based Social Intervention, Oxford University, and a Master of Social Policy from the University of Melbourne at which he is also an Honorary Fellow. Prior to joining the Brotherhood, Tony worked for ten years managing social housing and homelessness organisations in Australia. He has recently managed a major two-year national evaluation of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) program rolled-out across nationally by the Australian Government. He is also evaluating the First Nation Foundation My Moola financial inclusion program in an urban and a remote Indigenous community. Tony is a co-author on a Campbell C2 systematic review together with the Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work Practice (IMS) in Stockholm, investigating the effectiveness of case management in reducing homelessness. In 1998 he completed a study investigating the link between social capital and antisocial behaviour in social housing in the United Kingdom, and last year contributed to a Brotherhood of St Laurence submission to the Victorian Government inquiry into the future of public housing in Victoria.
Current research projects
- HIPPY national evaluation
- Evaluation of the Doveton /Eumemmerring Neighbourhood Renewal initiative
Research interests
- Building the evidence base of social interventions
- Experimental research designs for evaluating the effectiveness of social interventions
- Evidence informed policy and practiceSelected recent publications
Selected recent publications
Liddell, M, Barnett, T, Diallo Roost, F and McEachran, J 2011, 'Investing in our future: an evaluation of the national rollout of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)' (PDF file 1.7MB) final report to DEEWR, August.
Barnett, T et al. 2009, 'Housing programs and case management for reducing homelessness and increasing residential stability for homeless people', Campbell C2 protocol.
Barnett, T 2009, 'Evaluation of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters'. Report to the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Barnett, T 2009, 'Evaluating a targeted child and parent intervention: The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)' in Brotherhood Comment, April .
Barnett, T 2007, 'Preventing antisocial behaviour in social housing: in search of what works and the role of the social housing landlord'. Report to HouseMark Inc. UK.
Barnett, T 2007, 'The Current Crisis in Crisis Accommodation'. White Paper presented to the Minister of Housing, Victoria.
Barnett, T 2006, 'Responding to Antisocial Behaviour in Public Housing: A comparison between Sweden and Australia'. Masters thesis, Umeå University, Sweden.
Barnett, T 2005, 'Strategic Options Paper'. Report to the Board of MetroWest Housing Services.
Barnett, T 2005, 'Homelessness assistance service standards'. A report of the Victorian Government Department of Human Services, Melbourne.
Affiliations/associations
Australasian Housing Research Institute
Systematic Reviewer, Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work Practice (IMS)
The National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden
Regional coordinator (Oxford, UK)
Early Career Housing Researchers Network
Nadine Cameron
ncameron@nullbsl.org.au
Nadine Cameron has worked at the Brotherhood of St Laurence since 2008 and has been involved in evaluations of the Frankston North implementation of Communities for Children and the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood. Nadine has a PhD in Social Work and Neuroscience, a Bachelor of Social Work (Hons), and a BA from the University of Melbourne, and is an Honorary Fellow. In 2010 she was appointed to the new joint position in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, of Barr Research Fellow, Early Years and Social Inclusion. As part of the Brotherhood's collaborative work with the University of Melbourne, Sonia Martin and Nadine Cameron delivered an intensive course, 'Social Inclusion Policy and Practice' in 2011.
Current research projects
- Family Day Care needs analysis for the City of Melbourne
Research interests
- Early childhood interventions and policy
- Mental health and conceptualisations of wellbeing
- Forms of and methods of addressing social exclusion
Selected recent publications
Cameron, N (forthcoming) Resisting beauty, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Cameron, N and McDermott, F 2007, Social work and the body, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Cameron, N and Swain, P 2003, ‘Good enough parenting: parental disability and child protection’, Disability and Society, vol. 18, no. 2.
Cameron, N, Campbell, L, Jackson, A and Goodman, H 2003, ‘High risk infants in the children’s court process in Australia: dilemmas and directions’, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 25 (2).
Cameron, N, Swain, P, Goodfellow, J, Lee, J and Bennett, W 2002, 'Pride and prejudice: a snapshot of parents with disabilities’ experience of the child protection system'. Disability Discrimination Law Advocacy Service Melbourne, Victoria report.
Cameron, N, Campbell, L, Jackson, A and Smith, S 2001, 'Parenting Assessment and Skill Development Program: Evaluation’, Department of Human Services, Melbourne report.
Cameron, N, Campbell, L, Jackson, A, Smith, S and Goodman, H 2000, 'High Risk Infants Service Quality Initiatives Project', Department of Human Services, Melbourne report.
Cameron, N, Jackson, A and Goodman, H 1999 (unpublished), 'Evaluation of the Family Choice Project' report.
Cameron, N, Jackson, A, Miller, J and Johnson, J 1999, 'High Risk Infants Literature Review', Department of Human Services, Melbourne report.
Cameron, N 1998, ‘The internet and violence against women’, Women Against Violence, 4.
Fatou Diallo Roost
froost@nullbsl.org.au
Fatou Diallo Roost has worked at the Brotherhood of St Laurence since May 2007. She is undertaking research in early childhood development and the Home Interaction Program for Parents andYoungsters (HIPPY) evaluation. Fatou completed a Masters in Political Sciences at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She has a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Bachelor in Public Law.
Current research projects
HIPPY evaluation
Research interests
- Early childhood development
- Family and welfare policy
- Immigrants and refugees
- Early year and social inclusion
Selected publications
Liddell, M, Barnett, T, Diallo Roost, F and McEachran, J 2011, 'Investing in our future: an evaluation of the national rollout of the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)' (PDF file 1.7MB) final report to DEEWR, August.
Michael Horn
mhorn@nullbsl.org.au
Michael is a Senior Manager, Research and Policy in the Through School to Work and the In and Out of Work transitions. He leads the development of research and evaluation projects towards policy reform to reduce the level of social and economic exclusion in these two life course transitions. Michael has a BSc from the University of Warwick (UK), a MA and BA in Social Research Methods from the University of Melbourne, and is an Honorary Principal Fellow. Michael has extensive experience as a social researcher and project manager primarily in the not-for-profit sector. He has conducted a wide range of research, evaluation and developmental projects addressing social exclusion and disadvantage, formerly at Hanover Welfare Services and more recently at Melbourne Citymission.
Research interests
- Employment assistance and welfare to work
- Intermediate labour markets and the social economy
- Integrated models of assistance to address multiple disadvantage
- Inclusive approaches to education and vocational training
- Early school leaving and disengagement from learning
- Dynamics of poverty, deprivation and social exclusion
- Homelessness, housing assistance and affordable housing
Selected recent publications
Horn, M 2011, 'Decent sustainable work for all in a global economy: submission to the Independent Inquiry into Insecure Work in Australia' (PDF file, 280 KB), December, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Horn, M, Scutella, R and Wilkins, R 2011, Social exclusion monitor bulletin, Brotherhood of St Laurence and Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, September.
Horn, M 2011, 'Measuring social exclusion – evidence for a new social policy agenda', in Staying Power, State of the Family 2011, Anglicare Australia, Canberra, pp.1-24.
Horn, M 2011, ‘Strategies for inclusive growth: strengthening the critical role of active labour market interventions’, presentation to the Inclusive Growth in Australia Roundtable, jointly hosted by Brotherhood of St Laurence and University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, 21 October.
Horn, M 2011, ‘Offsetting the costs of support: a BSL perspective’, presentation to the Quality at Work Forum, Social Traders and Social Firms Australia, Melbourne Business School, 24 November.
Horn, M 2011, 'Line of sight: better tailored services for highly disadvantaged job seekers', submission to the Australian Federal Government on future employment services , January.
Horn, M 2011, ‘Measuring social exclusion – findings from a new approach to measure the extent and persistence of social exclusion in Australia’, presentation at Australian Social Policy Conference, USW, Sydney, 7 July.
Horn, M 2011, ‘Supporting the hardest to help – an Australian perspective’, presentation to the International Symposium on Welfare to Work, London, 22 March.
Bowman, D and Horn, M 2010, ‘The Australian experience of employment services: what have we learnt?’, in D Ben-Galim and A Sachrajda (eds), Now it’s personal: learning from welfare-to-work approaches around the world, ippr: London, pp.8-10.
Bond, S and Horn, M 2009, 'The cost of a free education: cost as a barrier to Australian public education', Brotherhood of St Laurence, August.
Horn, M 2009, 'Policy recommendations to the Australian Government for an effective response to the economic downturn', Brotherhood of St Laurence federal government submission, February.
Horn, M 2009, 'Building capacity and preventing social exclusion: proposals in response to the economic downturn', Brotherhood of St Laurence submission to the Victorian State Budget 2009-2010, February.
Horn M, 2009, 'Responding to the economic downturn: policies for sustainable social and economic participation', in Beyond economics: families in the forefront, State of the family 2009, Anglicare Australia, Canberra, pp. 61-72.
Horn, M 2009, 'Social inclusion and young people', keynote address to Inner Melbourne VET Cluster forum, Melbourne, 12 February.
Horn, M 2009, 'Ensuring that young disadvantaged job seekers are involved in the emerging green jobs market', discussion paper Environment Victoria Green Jobs State Forum, Melbourne, 24 April.
Horn, M 2009, 'Impact of the economic downturn: an assessment of policy responses from the Brotherhood’s perspective', presentation to LGPro’s Community Development Special Interest Group, Melbourne, 22 May.
Scutella, R, Wilkins, R and Horn, M 2009, ‘Measuring poverty and social exclusion in Australia: a proposed multidimensional framework for identifying socio-economic disadvantage’, Working Paper No. 4/09, Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series.
Kamp, A and Horn, M 2008, 'Social inclusion, learning and young people', paper presented to the Social Inclusion and Youth Workshop, Brotherhood of St Laurence, 29 October.
Horn, M 2008, 'Win-win: social inclusion and addressing the skills shortage', paper presented at the North Queensland Economic Development conference, Townsville, 20 October.
Horn M, 2008, 'Vocational pathways and social inclusion', presentation at the Per Capita & RMIT Market Design in Vocational Education and Training seminar, RMIT, Melbourne, 20 October.
Horn, M 2008, 'Valuing all young people', Brotherhood of St Laurence submission to the Victorian government on the Vulnerable Youth Framework discussion paper, September.
Horn, M 2008, ' Welfare to work in Australia: what have we learnt?', paper presented at the Welfare to Work UK convention, Birmingham, UK, 25 June.
Horn, M 2008, 'Welfare reform in the Howard years: reflections from ‘down under’, paper presented at the Challenging Boundaries Social Policy Association conference, The University of Edinburgh, 23 June.
Bond, S and Horn, M 2008, 'Counting the cost: parental experiences of education expenses', Brotherhood of St Laurence, May.
Horn, M 2008, ,'Growing up in an inclusive Victoria', submission to the Victorian government on the Blueprint for Early Childhood Development and School Reform', Brotherhood of St Laurence, May.
Horn M, 2008, 'Rethinking employment assistance to strengthen social and economic participation', paper presented at the Economic & Social Outlook conference, University of Melbourne, 27 March.
Dina Bowman
dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
Dr Dina Bowman is Principal Researcher in the Through School to Work and In and Out of Work transitions. Dina’s research focuses on the processes and experience of inequality, with a particular interest in economic sociology, public sociology and qualitative research methodologies. Dina is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Current research projects
- Employment retention and advancement of disadvantaged jobseekers
- Understanding and preventing workforce vulnerabilities in midlife and beyond
- Disability, care and social inclusion
- Women, work, learning – developing gender responsive policies and services
Current research interests
- Gender, work and inequality
- Intersections of market and non-market activities and relations
- Disability, care, ageing and work
- Public sociology and social policy
Selected recent publications
Bowman, D 2012, ‘The contentious politics of unemployment in Europe’, book review in International Sociology, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 6–8.
Bowman, D and Kimberley, H 2011, 'Sidelined! Workforce participation and non participation among Australian baby boomers', (PDF 361 KB), Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Bowman, D 2011, ‘Should we care? Why many carers have no choice’, opinion piece in The Conversation, 17 November.
Bowman, D 2011, ‘Pierre Bourdieu and Australian social policy research: some opportunities and challenges’, SPRC seminar series presentation, 13 September, UNSW, Sydney.
Kimberley, H and Bowman, D 2011, ‘Mature age workforce participation in Australia’, in T. Griffin and F. Beddie (eds) in Older workers: research readings, National Council on Vocational Educational Research (NCVER), Canberra, pp. 85–94 .
Bowman, D 2011, ‘Addressing disadvantage: applying theory to practice’ in Working Notes, Issue 2, June 2011, electronic resource.
Bowman, D 2010, ‘Language, ideas and policy: notes from the periphery’ in S Velayutham, N Ebert, and S Watkins (eds), proceedings of the annual conference of The Australian Sociological Association, Social Causes, Private Lives, 6–9 December, Macquarie University, Sydney.
Bowman, D and Horn, M 2010, ‘The Australian experience of employment services: what have we learnt?’, in D Ben-Galim and Sachrajda (eds), Now it’s personal: learning from welfare-to-work approaches around the world, ippr, London, pp. 8–10.
Bowman, D 2010, ‘Evidence and experience: employment for disadvantaged jobseekers with mental health issues’ in Newparadigm: Australian Journal on Psychosocial Rehabilitation, winter, pp. 32–7.
Bowman, D 2010, Sen and Bourdieu: understanding inequality (PDF file, 233 KB), Social Policy Working Paper no. 14, Brotherhood of St Laurence and Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne.
Bowman, D and Souery, N 2010, Training for work: insights from students and trainees at the Brotherhood of St Laurence (PDF file, 515 KB), Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Bowman, D and Lawlor, J 2010, Evidence and experience: report on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) project for disadvantaged jobseekers with mental health issues (PDF file, 704 KB), Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Bowman, D 2010, ‘Marginal notes: reflections on resistance and the 'commonsense' understandings of work in employment policy’, paper delivered as part of a symposium on language, ideas and policy, Social Policy Association UK annual conference, Social Policy in Times of Change, 5–7 July, Lincoln, UK.
Bowman, D, 2010, 'Sen and Bourdieu: making sense of economic inequality’, conference paper presented to the XVII ISA World Congress of Sociology, Research Committee on Economy and Society RC02, July, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Bowman, D 2009, ‘Studying up, down, sideways and through: sociology and social policy research’, in S Lockie, D Bissell, A Greig, M Hynes, D Marsh, L Saha, J Sikora and D Woodman (eds), The future of sociology, the annual conference of The Australian Sociological Association, 1–4 December, Australian National University, Canberra.
Bowman, D 2009, ‘The deal: wives, entrepreneurial business and family life’, Journal of Family Studies, vol.15, no. 2, pp. 167–76.
Affiliations/associations
The Australian Sociological Association
International Association for Feminist Economics
International Sociological Association
Joseph Borlagdan
jborlagdan@nullbsl.org.au
Joseph Borlagdan is the Research and Policy Manager for the Through School to Work transition. Joseph gained a PhD in Sociology from Flinders University in 2005, and joined the Research & Policy Centre as a Sociologist in 2011. In previous roles he worked as a Research Fellow for the Australian Drug Foundation, and as a Senior Researcher at the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction. Joseph has also lectured in the Sociology Department of Flinders University, and the Communication School of the University of South Australia. Joseph has contributed to long-term, large-scale research about young people in the health and alcohol and other drug fields. His work in these areas seeks to increase the understanding of young people as active agents capable of positively impacting upon the cultural, social and economic conditions in which they find themselves.
Research interests
- Impact of health and wellbeing on social inclusion
- Youth culture and consumerism
- Stigma and social identity
- Qualitative research methodologies
Current research projects
- Review of policy and service delivery approaches to youth disengagement
- Evaluation of youth attainment and alternative education programs
- Life Chances Study
Selected recent publications
Lunnay, B, Ward, P and Borlagdan, J (forthcoming) 'The practise and practice of Bourdieu: the application of social theory to youth alcohol research', International Journal of Drug Policy.
Borlagdan, J, Freeman, T, Duvnjak, A, Lunnay, B, Bywood, PT, and Roche, AM, 2010, 'From ideal to reality: cultural contradictions and young people’s drinking', National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
Roche, AM, Bywood, PT, Freeman, TA, Pidd, KJ, Borlagdan, JI, and Trifonoff, A, 2009, 'The social context of alcohol use in Australia', National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
Affiliations/Associations
Cultural Sociology group of The Australian Sociological Association.
Eve Bodsworth
ebodsworth@nullbsl.org.au
Eve Bodsworth is the Research and Policy Manager for the In and Out of Work transition. Her research focuses on issues regarding income support and welfare to work policies as well as alternative approaches to employment services for disadvantaged groups. Eve is particularly interested in intersections of disadvantage and the interplay between everyday lives, social policy and the labour market. She is in the final stages of her doctorate about how single mothers make choices about work, family and income support and whether their experiences match the normative assumptions built into Australia's welfare to work policy. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and, prior to commencing her career in social policy, worked as a community lawyer practising in family law and family violence law.
Research interests
- Welfare to work policy
- Risk, welfare and the labour market
- Qualitative methods in social policy research
- Sociological approaches to choice and decision making
- Alternative approaches to employment services
- Financial inclusion
Selected publications
Bowman, D, Bodsworth, E and Zinn Jens, (forthcoming 2013), Working years: Gender inequalities and risk during the ‘rush hour’ of life, Social Policy and Society – special thematic issue Risk, Social Inclusion and the Life Course.
Bodsworth, E 2011, Many faces of saving: the social dimensions of Saver Plus (PDF file, 331 KB), Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ, Melbourne.
Bodsworth E, 2011, ‘Disadvantaged Australians and the intensification of risk in everyday life’ Australian Social Policy Conference, July, Sydney.
Bodsworth E, 2011, ‘Challenging choices under welfare to work: exploring single mothers’ paid work ‘choices’ in the flexible labour market’ Australian Social Policy Conference, July, Sydney.
Bodsworth, E 2010, ‘Listening to sole parents – lessons from the Australian ‘welfare to work’ reforms and a framework for a supportive, secure and flexible welfare system’ presented at Learning from Australia: Welfare forum Child Poverty Action Group, NZ, and the Departments of Economics and Sociology at the University of Auckland, 10 September
Bodsworth, E 2010, Making work pay and making income support work (PDF file, 604 KB), Social Policy Working Paper, Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Centre for Public Policy, the University of Melbourne.
Bodsworth, E, 2010, 'Managing the ‘paid work-family-welfare’ collision: single mothers’ experiences of Welfare to Work policy' The Australian Institute of Family Studies 2010 Conference, Melbourne, 8 July,
Cook, K, Ward, B, McKenzie, H, Noblet, A and Bodsworth, E 2009, ‘How welfare-to-work requirements impact upon single parents’ volunteer activities’, Australian Journal on Volunteering, vol.14, no. 10, pp. 1–8.
Bodsworth, E 2009, 'Welfare to work policy, choice and human agency', The Australian Sociological Association Annual Conference, TASA, Canberra, December.
Bodsworth, E 2008, ‘Single mothers’ decision making in the context of Australian welfare to work policy – a “rationality clash”?’, The Australian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, December.
Janet Taylor
jtaylor@nullbsl.org.au
Janet Taylor is a Senior Researcher who has worked in social research with a particular interest in disadvantaged families and social exclusion. She joined the Brotherhood of St Laurence in 1988 and her research areas have included immigrant and refugee settlement, health needs, young people, unemployment, and attitudes to poverty. Projects include the longitudinal Life Chances Study, and Understanding Poverty Project. Janet has a MA Sociology from La Trobe University, and a BA and Diploma, Social Studies from the University of Melbourne. She is an Honorary Senior Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne.
Research Interests
- Transition from school to work
- Equity in education
- Poverty and social inclusion
- Narrative methods
- Refugee settlement
- Attitudes to poverty
Current research projects
- Life Chances Study
- Making a difference: building on young people’s perspectives on economic adversity (ARC partner with SPRC, UNSW and others)
- Families at the Centre: negotiating Australia’s mixed market in early education and care (ARC partner with SPRC, UNSW and others)
Selected recent publications
Taylor, J 2011, ‘What happened to the babies?’ Disadvantage and advantage across 18 years’, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 36, no. 4 , pp.147–152.
Taylor, J and Gee, N 2010, Turning 18: pathways and plans: Life Chances Study stage 9, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Taylor, J 2009, Stories of early school leaving: pointers for policy and practice, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Taylor, J and Nelms, L 2008, Life Chances at 16: Life Chances Study stage 8, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Taylor, J 2006, ‘Life chances: including the children’s view’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 31–9.
Taylor, J and Nelms, L 2006, School engagement and life chances: 15 year olds in transition, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Taylor, J and Stanovic, D 2005, Refugees and regional settlement: balancing priorities, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Taylor, J 2003, ‘The health of children’ in Liamputtong, P and Gardner, H (eds), Health, social change and communities, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
George Myconos
gmyconos@nullbsl.org.au
Dr George Myconos joined the Brotherhood of St Laurence as Senior Research Officer, Through School to Work transition in 2009. He completed his PhD in 2004 focusing on the ways in which labour movements have been globalised. He has researched globalization, labour history, and changing forms of global governance. George has also researched values education, faith-based schools, the role of intercultural dialogue in secondary schools, and school–community partnerships. He is currently exploring the extent to which Victoria’s education system, and emerging flexible learning options, assist disengaged young people to gain education and training, and then to find secure work. Of particular interest is how alternative education programs and the VET system interact and how well they accommodate the needs of disadvantaged students.
Research interests
- Education and intercultural relations
- Values Education
- Schools-community partnerships
- Social inclusion
- Theories of international relations
- Theories of globalization
- Labour relations
- Ideology
Current research projects
- Youth disengagement
- Applied/adult learning approaches as a response to disengagement
- Evaluations of alternative education programs such as ‘Community VCAL’
- School Community Partnerships
Selected recent publications
Myconos, G 2011, A path to re-engagement: evaluating a community VCAL education program for young people, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Myconos, G 2010, A taste for learning: evaluating a pre-Community VCAL program, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Myconos, G 2010, Recycling rising high: an evaluation of the High Rise Public Housing Recycling Project, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Myconos, G 2009, ‘The Australian media’s treatment of Muslims, post 11 September 2001’, in L Anceschi, J Camilleri and B Tolosa Jr (eds) ,Conflict, religion and culture: domestic and international implications for south-East Asia and Australia, Philippine Australia Studies Network - Ateneo de Manila University.
Myconos, G 2005, The globalization(s) of organized labour: 1945–2004, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Myconos, G 2005 'Precarious employment: some reflections from the semi-periphery', in Just Policy, no.37.
Camilleri, J A and Myconos, G, 2004 ‘WTO: The competitive dynamic of globalization at work’, in Jianfu Chen and Gordon Walker (eds), Balancing act: law, policy and politics in globalization and global trade, The Federation Press, Leichhardt, pp. 21–53.
Sharon Bond
sbond@nullbsl.org.au
Sharon Bond is a Senior Research Officer contributing to a range of research projects including education, health and youth. She is also undertaking a PhD in the School of Social Sciences at La Trobe University exploring the attitudes of younger Australians and their engagement with issues of poverty and social justice. She completed a BA (Hons) Sociology and a Graduate Diploma Education at the University of Melbourne. Sharon has worked in research since 1999, she previously worked in religious research prior to joining the Brotherhood in 2007. Sharon is on parental leave till August 2012.
Current research projects
- Evaluation of Youth Connections program on the Mornington Peninsula
- Review of the School Parent Engagement project
- Literature study of youth centres and integrated service models
Research interests
- Social attitudes and values
- Social action and engagement
- Access to education and equity issues
- Young people’s aspirations, and their engagement in education, training, paid and unpaid work
Selected recent publications
Bond, S 2011, Overcoming barriers to education: Peninsula Youth Connections evaluation stage 1 report(PDF file, 522 KB) Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S 2010, Integrated service delivery for young people: a literature review (PDF file, 378 KB) Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S 2010, 'A history of decay: time for the government to put teeth first', Brotherhood Comment, August, p. 11.
Bond, S 2010, Women on the Move: evaluating a refugee mentoring pilot project, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S 2009, Cost shifting in education: Implications for government, the community sector and low income families, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S and Horn, M 2009, The cost of a free education: Cost as a barrier to Australian public education, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S 2009, Learning support programs: education reform beyond the school, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S and Horn, M 2008, Counting the cost: parental experiences of education expenses: results from the 2007 Education Costs Survey, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Bond, S 2008, ‘Re-fashioning community engagement: Rotary’s PACE project’, Brotherhood Comment, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Lauren Siegmann
lsiegmann@nullbsl.org.au
Lauren was formerly a project officer in the Retirement and Ageing team, who developed a practice guide for housing services responding to people with cognitive impairment (dementia) who are homeless or facing insecure housing. In 2010, Lauren commenced as a Research Officer for the Centre for Work and Learning, a training and employment initiative of the Brotherhood of St Laurnece.
Current resarch projects
- research related to the Brotherhood of St Laurence's Centre for Work and Learning
Selected recent publications
Siegmann, L 2010, Work and learning in Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood: survey of public housing residents, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Simon Biggs
sbiggs@nullbsl.org.au
Simon Biggs joined the Research and Policy Centre in September 2010 as the Senior Manager, Retirement and Ageing, and Professor in Social Policy and Gerontology, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne. Formerly a community psychologist in mental health and adolescence, Simon was the Head of Policy Development, UK Social Work Education Council, Professor of Social Gerontology, Keele University, and visiting Research Fellow, Department of Social Medicine, Harvard University. He was the UK representative on the EC Masters in Gerontology Program, and Professor of Gerontology and Director, Institute of Gerontology, King’s College, London. In 2009 he was visiting Professor at the Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology at Jyvaskyla University, Faculty of Sports & Health Sciences. Simon has participated in EC and Canadian Government briefings on dignity in later life and elder protection, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Ageing Societies, maintaining links with the University of Heidelberg, University College Dublin, National Centre for the Protection of Older People and Helsinki Department of Social Policy. Recent research includes World Heath Organization’s ‘Age friendly cities’ project, ESRC study of baby boomers, uses of adaptive technology in later life, and the first national prevalence study of elder abuse and neglect in the UK.
Simon's written work extends to community care policies, technologies of self such as counselling and psychotherapy in later life, midlife and maturity, intergenerational relationships, spirituality and ageing, lifestyles and retirement communities, public policy toward old age, and social theory and ageing. His new book, Generational intelligenceexamines the role of empathic understanding in relations between different generations, and the steps that need to be taken to improve intergenerational communication in families, at work and in neighborhoods. The book is co-authored with Professor Ariela Lowenstein of Haifa University.
Research interests
- the relationship between social identity and adult ageing, including the analysis of international and national social policy
- the changing adult life-course
- social and personal experience of ageing
Selected recent publications
Biggs,S & Lowenstein, A 2011, Generational intelligence: a critical approach to age relations, Routledge, London.
Biggs, S & Haapala, I 2010, ‘Responsibility, ambivalence and care: theoretical development in elder mistreatment', Aging International, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 171–84.
Biggs, S, McCreadie, C, Manthorpe, J, Tinker, A, Hills, A, Doyle, M, & Erens, B 2009, 'Mistreatment of older people in the United Kingdom: findings from the first national prevalence study', Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 1–14.
Biggs,S 2008, 'Aging in a critical world: the search for generational intelligence', Journal of Aging Studies. vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 24–9.
Biggs, S, Leach, R, Phillipson, C & Money, AM 2008, 'The mature imagination and consumption strategies: age & generation in the development of a UK baby boomer identity', International Journal of Ageing & Later Life, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 31–59.
Antonucci, T, Jackson, J & Biggs, S (eds) 2007, Journal of Social Issues, Intergenerational Relations Theory, Research & Policy, special edition, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 679–902.
Biggs, S & Davenport, R (eds) 2006, Journal of Social Work Practice, Working with Older People: Social & Clinical Issues, special edition, vol. 20, no. 3.
Helen Kimberley
hkimberley@nullbsl.org.au
Dr Helen Kimberley is Principal Researcher in the Retirement and Ageing transition in the Research & Policy Centre. In the past, Helen has managed a range of research and evaluation projects commissioned by the government, not-for-profit and private sectors around communities, inclusive education and employment, leadership, information technology and government programs. Helen holds a PhD and a BEd from La Trobe University, and is an Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne.
Research interests
- combating ageism and promoting human rights
- social inclusion, capability and wellbeing of older people in Australia
- rethinking Australian culture and social policy for the second half of life
- the future patterns of ageing
- innovative and responsive service delivery
- the impact of an ageing population on Australian culture and social policy
Current research projects
- Workforce participation and non-particpation among baby boomers
- Social exclusion of older people through language
- Social Inclusion, Capability and Brotherhood aged services
Selected recent publications
Waterhouse, P, Kimberley, H, Jonas, P and Glover, J 2010, What would it take? Employer perspectives on employing from equity groups, National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Adelaide.
Kimberley, H and Simons, B 2009, The Brotherhood's Social Barometer: living the second fifty years, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Golding, B, Kimberley, H, Foley, A and Brown, M 2008, 'Houses and sheds: an exploration of the genesis and growth of neighbourhood houses and men’s sheds in community settings', Australian Journal of Adult Education, vol.48 (2).
Kimberley, H, and Keating, M 2008, Learning from the front? Research on disability employment in the Victorian disability sector, Australians for Disability and Diversity Employment, Melbourne.
Kimberley, H and Simons, B 2008, 'Cultural Exchange Evaluation Project', Mensline Australia, Crisis Support Services, Melbourne.
Kimberley, H 2006, The state of equity in TAFE in Victoria 2005/06, Equity Research Centre, Melbourne.
Kimberley, H 2005, The perils of pokies: information needs of older women with gambling problems, WIRE Women’s Information, Melbourne.
Bonnie Simons
bsimons@nullbsl.org.au
Bonnie Simons is a Senior Research Officer in the Retirement and Ageing transition and has undertaken research and evaluation projects for the government, not-for-profit, education and private sectors. As well as conducting qualitative evaluations using an action research model, including the evaluation of the BSL Good Food Matters project, Bonnie has experience in developing practice manuals and training resources. She worked in the neighbourhood house and adult community education sector for many years and has an understanding of the barriers and disadvantage which many people encounter in their life course. Her current research interests include the social inclusion and wellbeing of older people, with a focus on access to technology and its impact on their lives.
Current research projects
- Chelsea Seniors Access IT project
- BSL Social Inclusion Training evaluation
Selected recent publications
Kimberley, H and Simons, B 2009, The Brotherhood's Social Barometer: living the second fifty years, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy.
Simons, B 2009, CALD Senior Surfers Project Evaluation, Department of Planning and Community Development, Melbourne.
Kimberley, H and Simons, B 2008, Cultural Exchange Evaluation Project, Mensline Australia, Crisis Support Services, Melbourne.
Simons, B and Keating, M 2008, Somali students in VET: some factors influencing pathways, Equity Research Centre, Melbourne.
Simons, B and Thomas, J 2008, ACETrax, ACE Corrections Resource Kit - a workbook for ACE providers working with offenders, Adult and Community Further Education, Melbourne.
Malita Allan
mallan@nullbsl.org.au
Malita Allan is a Research Officer in the Retirement and Ageing transition, and also contributes to the longitudinal Life Chances study. Malita joined the Research and Policy Centre in 2011 after gaining a PhD in Anthropology from La Trobe University in 2010. In previous roles she worked as a tutor and tutor Coordinator in Anthropology and Sociology at La Trobe University, and has tutored Aboriginal secondary school students under the Victorian Government’s Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme. She is also working as a Senior Research Assistant at RMIT on a project titled ‘Cultural Economies of Hard Rubbish’ and is the co-editor of the Australian Anthropological Society newsletter.
Research Interests
- Poverty and marginalisation
- Everyday practices, strategies, negotiations and transformations
- Social-cultural attitudes, values and identities
- Ethnic tourism in South-east Asia
- Qualitative research methodologies, ethnography
Current research projects
- Knowhow for Later Life
- Life Chances Study
Selected recent publications
Allan, M 2011, ‘Cosmopolitan methodologies: implications of the ethnographer’s multiple positions in studying tourism’, in MC Hall (ed.), Field work in tourism: methods, issues and reflections, Routledge, London, pp. 140–50.
Allan, M 2010, Living in a tourism village: strategies, negotiations and transformations among Upland Tai in northern Vietnam, PhD thesis submitted to the School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne.
Allan, M 2007, The Hmong of Australia: culture and diaspora, Nicholas Tapp & Gary Yia Lee (eds.) in Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 245–6.
Affiliations/Associations
Australian Anthropological Society (AAS)
Vietnam Studies Association of Australia (VSAA)
Damian Sullivan
dsullivan@nullbsl.org.au
Damian is the Senior Research Manager for the Brotherhood's Equity in Response to Climate Change program.
Current projects include
- Solar Cities Energy Hub project
Victoria Johnson
vjohnson@nullbsl.org.au
Victoria Johnson is a Senior Researcher in the Equity in Response to Climate Change program. Her other recent projects include research into Afghan and Burmese experiences around finances in Australia and an evaluation of mental health outcomes for people participating in community arts projects. Victoria holds a Masters degree (Research) in Social Work from the University of Melbourne and a PhD in the field of transport and social and exclusion from Monash University.
Current research projects
- Evaluation of the Solar Cities' Warm Home Cool Home project in Moreland
Research interests
- Energy efficiency and low-income households
- Transport and social and exclusion
- The role of the arts in social inclusion, health and wellbeing
Selected recent publications
Johnson, V, Dileri, S and Eh Ywa, N 2011, Financial life in a new setting: Experiences of Afghan and Burmese (Chin and Karen) communities in Melbourne, Australia, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Johnson, V and Sullivan, D 2011, Improving energy efficiency in Moreland: research sample, baseline measures and recruitment for the Warm Home Cool Home program evaluation (PDF file, 290 KB), Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic.
Johnson, V and Sullivan, D 2011 ‘Urban sustainability and household energy efficiency: Inequities, impacts and ways forward’ paper to the State of Australian Cities National Conference, Melbourne, 29 November – 2 December.
Johnson, V, Currie G and Stanley, J 2011 ‘Planning for society and community: are transport problems a barrier to participation in community activities?’, 32nd Australasian Transportation research forum, Adelaide, 28–30 September.
Sullivan, D and Johnson, V 2011 ‘Energy efficiency at the margins: opportunities for improving energy efficiency and energy affordability in low income households’ paper to the Australian Social Policy Conference, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 6–8 July.
Johnson, V, Currie, G and Stanley, J 2010, Transport to arts and cultural activities: determinants, dynamics and impacts on social inclusion, paper to the World Conference on Transportation Research, Lisbon, Portugal, 11–15 July, .
Johnson, V, Currie, G and Stanley, J 2010, Exploring transport to arts and cultural activities as a facilitator of social inclusion, Journal of Transport Policy, vol.18, no.1, pp. 68–75.
Johnson, V, Currie, G and Stanley, J 2010, Measures of disadvantage: is car ownership a good indicator?, Social Indicators Research, vol 97, no. 3, pp.439–50.
Francisco Azpitarte
fazpitarte@nullbsl.org.au
Francisco Azpitarte is an Economist who joined the Research and Policy Centre in early 2011. Francisco has a Masters degree in Economic Analysis from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and completed his PhD in Economics at the Universidade de Vigo in 2009. After finishing his postdoctoral studies at the London School of Economics and Social Sciences in 2011, he was appointed in the Ronald Henderson Research Fellow joint position at the Melbourne Institute, University of Melbourne and the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
Research interests
- Measurement of poverty and inequality
- Social exclusion and multidimensional poverty
- Welfare dynamics
Selected recent publications
Azpitarte, F 2011,'Ray-invariant intermediate inequality measures: A Lorenz dominance criterion' (joint with Olga Alonso), ECINEQ WP2011-226, October.
Azpitarte, F 2011 (forthcoming), 'Measuring poverty using bothincome and wealth: a cross-country comparison between the US and Spain', the Review of Income and Wealth.
Azpitarte, F 2011, 'Can corruption constrain the size of governments?', European Journal of Law and Economics, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 1–14.
Azpitarte, F 2010, 'Measurement and identification of asset-poor households: a cross-national comparison between Spain and the United Kingdom', Journal of Economic Inequality, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 87–110.
Azpitarte, F 2010, 'The household wealth distribution in Spain: the role of housing and financial wealth', Hacienda Pública Española/ Revista de Economía Pública, vol. 94, no. 3, pp. 65–90.
Azpitarte, F 2008, 'The distribution of wealth in Spain', in the VI Foessa report on exclusion and social development in Spain. Funded by Foessa foundation.
Gradín, C, Del Río, C, Cantó, O and Azpitarte, F 2007, Poverty and social exclusion in Galicia. Report on poverty and social exclusion for the Galician Regional Government to assess the II Plan of Social Inclusion in Galicia.
Robert Kerr
rkerr@nullbsl.org.au
Robert is an Honorary Research Fellow who commenced in October 2010. He is an economist, retired from service with Commonwealth and state governments in Treasury portfolios. For the last six years he was a Commissioner with the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission, conducting public inquiries into regulatory issues. Prior to that he was head of the staff at the Commonwealth Productivity Commission. Robert advises on economic perspectives and government liaison for any research project. He has an Economics Honours degree from Cambridge University and is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
Research interests
- Regulation
- Community infrastructure
- Ageing
Mohshin Habib
mhabib@nullswin.edu.au
Mohshin Habib joined the Research & Policy Centre as an Honorary Fellow in 2009 to contribute to the research activities of the Brotherhood's Financial Inclusion program. Mohshin is currenly a Lecturer in Management at Swinburne University, with a PhD in Development Studies. His research interests include microfinance and social inclusion, and he is currently undertaking a joint research project with ASA Foundation Philippines, 'Microfinance and Socio-political Empowerment of Women: Philippines Experience'.
Selected recent publications
Habib, M, Jubb, C and Hossari, G 2008, 'Does microfinance fight social exclusion and poverty?' Refereed paper presented at the Consumer Finance: Inaugural Investment & Regulatory Symposium organised by Financial Services Institute of Australasia, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, 19 August.
Habib, M, Härtel, CEJ and As-Saber, S 2006, 'The impact of micro finance programs on social protection: some evidence from the Philippines', Asian Profile. vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 565–76.
Habib, M and Härtel, CEJ 2005, 'Fighting the digital divide with microfinance: building social capital and socio-economic development', refereed paper presented at the ANZIBA 2005 annual conference, Melbourne,10–11 November.
Panipucci, DP, Habib, M, Appo, D and Strybosch, VE 2004, 'From Australia to New Zealand: a trans-Tasman experience', Doing business Across Borders, Journal vol. 3, no. 1.
Affiliations/associations
Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network www.pep.org
United Nations Associations of Australia (UNAA)
Afro-Asia-Pacific forum on ICT for Education and Development, AISECT, India