School of Social and Political Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemApplying Mixed Methods Research to Participatory Development Projects and Local Conflict Mediation: A Case Study from Indonesia(Sage Publications, 2009)An enduring lesson of social theory is that periods of institutional and political change are often associated with conflict. It is less well understood, however, whether and how development projects help, hinder or are incidental to these processes of change. This paper summarizes the methodological strategies underpinning a study designed to assess the ways in which a large participatory development project in rural Indonesia influenced trajectories of local conflict. Drawing upon a range of coherently integrated qualitative and quantitative research methods, it shows how, where and in what order these methods were combined to yield an innovative array of empirical data on which to base assessments regarding the nature and extent of the project’s impact on prevailing local conflicts. We conclude by offering some lessons from our study, and suggestions for others contemplating large-scale mixed methods research on complex issues.
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ItemBare-chested politics in central Sulawesi: The dynamics of local elections in a post-conflict region(ISEAS Publishing, 2009)The 2005 pilkada (pilihan kepala daerah, or local head election) for the positions of bupati (regent) and wakil bupati (deputy regent) in the troubled Indonesian district of Poso were of vital importance for the future stability of the region and the reconciliation processes under way. Given the instrumental role of political and electoral mobilization as one of the features underpinning violence in the post-Soeharto period, there were many fears that the elections could see a return to violence. From a social scientific perspective, the elections were also important as they allow us a snapshot of the status and dynamics of the broad peace that has endured since 2001 despite many incidences of provocation. Using a two-level conceptualization of peace at the elite and the grassroots level, this paper examines how far the pilkada elections are indicative of a move towards a more «positive" peace at the elite and grass-roots level. Examining various formal and informal interventions in the campaigning for the election, we argue that at the elite level, a strong negative peace is in place to prevent a return to conflict, but with little positive engagement co address some of the underlying problems or construct a mutual vision for the future for all groups involved. At the grass-roots level, we argue that voting patterns suggest a similar lack of positive peace at this level and an even weaker form of negative peace.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableIntroduction to the Review(University of Chicago Press, 2007-01-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableAge Equality in Education and Training(Elsevier, 2010)The issue of age and work has come to prominence in recent years, particularly among European Union countries, as policymakers have grown concerned with the stability of social welfare systems and labor supply due to population aging. Critical to the prolongation of working lives is the maintenance and development of skills and competences. However, older workers' participation in learning activities is rather lower than among younger ones. While this issue is being addressed by policy reforms in a number of countries, the response overall could be described as fragmented, although much is now known about what works for older learners.
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ItemNo Preview AvailablePopulation ageing in a globalizing labour market: implications for older workers(Shandong University, 2009)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe Place of Age in Organisational Policymaking: Evidence from an Australian Qualitative Study(CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), 2008)This report presents findings of qualitative research in four case study organizations as part of a larger study, Redesigning Work for an Ageing Society (RW4AS) Project, being undertaken by Business Work and Ageing Centre for Research, Swinburne University. The study will identify factors transforming the nature of work and posing risks to the work ability of an ageing workforce, examine existing policies and practice in managing workforce ageing in public and private organizations and test the applicability of the Work Ability model to Australian circumstances. The research found that changes engendered by globalization shaped the organization of work and the pressures experienced by individual workers. All the organizations function in a globalised, highly competitive market, are adopting new technologies and are increasingly reliant on work intensification and casualization of labour. They had not come to terms with the need to retain their ageing workers as manifested by short term policy responses rather than proactive strategies. The areas in which ageing workers experienced difficulties, such as their competence with new technologies, changing work structures and occupational health risks indicate alignments between work ability domains and managing the vulnerabilities of ageing Australian workers in changing organizational environments.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableAgeing and the Labour Market: A Comparison of Policy Approaches(Palgrave Macmillan, 2009-01-15)On the one hand additional measures have been implemented, such as wage insurance, whereby an approach has been ... Comparison of policy approaches Even though the rhetoric in terms of active labour market policies against the ...
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ItemNo Preview AvailableAre European older workers on the verge of a ‘golden age’ of employment opportunities?(Open University Press, 2008)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEuropean Union Policy for Older workers(Knaw Press, 2008)