School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses

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End date: 1996 × Start date: 1996 × Subject: Victoria ×

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    Public perceptions of organisational offending: an analysis of attitudinal change between 1986 and 1994
    Stone, Wendy ( 1996)
    In 1986 the Australian Institute of Criminology conducted one of the most far reaching surveys of public attitudes towards crime conducted in Australia. As one part of a broader study of white collar crime, a replication of the 1986 study was undertaken in metropolitan Melbourne in 1994. This thesis focuses upon organisational crime and presents a comparison of current attitudes held by the Victorian public with those held by the Australian community in 1986. Underlying this comparison is the proposition that community attitudes towards white collar crime, and organisational crimes in particular, have hardened throughout the period. The findings of this analysis suggest that for the most serious of white collar crimes - those organisational offences leading to physical harms - community attitudes have indeed hardened in some ways. These findings raise several important implications for current judicial policy towards organisational crime, as well as white collar crime generally.
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    Women candidates: the 1996 Victorian local government elections
    Cumberland, Rhonda Lea ( 1996)
    Recent reforms to local government in Victoria, Australia may have a range of consequences either unintended or unseen. This research focuses on the critical relationship between women and this new local government. The theoretical significance of women’s representation in local government concerns the extent to which women have equal representation in public decision making about local economies and social and community affairs. Previous research identifies women’s access to direct representation in government as being complicated by a number of factors although researchers agree that the best chances of electoral success for women lie with their tier said to be closest to the people: local government. This study is unique in the Australian examination of these issues in that, through replicating an extensive North American study, it explores the nature of candidacy rather than the characteristics of those successful at the polls. Using a survey of all women candidates for the Victorian local government elections, this study achieved a very high response rate. The resultant findings confirm those of the North American study, establishing a direct relationship between the number of women who stand and the number of women elected, confirming the electoral appeal of women. Of particular relevance is the question of incumbency or for the purpose of this study, prior successful candidacy. Women were found to have a much greater chance of success if they had prior standing as a local councillor. This study also suggests that rather than the particular qualities of the candidate, resources such as campaign budget and volunteers are influential on the outcome at polling day. The study concludes that the most effective strategy for achievement of equal representation for women in local government by the turn of the century, more effective than any political party attempts to date, will be the strategy that secures candidacy for 2000 women by the year 2000.