Australian Association Research Articles

Advantage Receiver: Australia and Japan's Return to the Davis Cup after World War II

This article investigates Japan's readmission into the International Lawn Tennis Federation after World War II and its return to the Davis Cup in 1951. In seeking readmission, the Japanese Tennis Association sought support from Australia, where the animosity resulting from recent wartime conflict was particularly strong. The article examines particularly the ways in which the Council of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia dealt with the proposal for Japan's readmission, and indicates how its strong opposition was initially respected by other national tennis bodies but ultimately mediated by their desire to readmit former enemy countries. The article suggests that tennis relations between Australia and Japan in the early post-war period provided a useful means for the respective governments to promote goodwill between the two countries once the diplomatic relationship was resumed and were an important facet of the history of Australia–Japan relations after World War II.

ALLA Conference 2013: “Law Librarians are a National Icon and a National Resource”

AbstractIn this conference report Vola Walker gives an account of the conference of the Australian Law Librarians Association (ALLA) held in Sydney in 2013.

SOCIAL WORK SUPERVISION POLICIES AND FRAMEWORKS: PLAYING NOTES OR MAKING MUSIC?

INTRODUCTION Kadushin (1992:230-231) drew a parallel between the supervision of social workers and making music: is supervision just a random sounding of notes, serving to mask incompetence, or is it tuneful music, conducive to social workers’ best efforts? This analogy may be considered to reflect the emergence of new public management measures as an operationalisation of neoliberal ideas, with consequent changes in conditions of service delivery, control and accountability of social workers. These management mechanisms for bureaucratic standardisation in social work have resulted in, for example, the introduction of supervision policies and frameworks in various countries, such as those of the Australian Association of Social Workers (2010), British Association of Social Workers (2011), Aortearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (2012), and the supervision framework for the social work profession in South Africa (DSD & SACSSP, 2012), to name a few.

Unresolved Issues Regarding the Research and Practice of Cognitive Behavior Therapy: The Case of Guided Discovery Using Socratic Questioning

This article presents a panel discussion on the integration of collaborative empiricism, specifically Socratic Questioning, into cognitive behaviour therapy. The panel comprised experts in research and practice who had been invited as keynote presenters for the 34th National Conference for the Australian Association of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy, held in Sydney, Australia. Experts responded to questions regarding (a) the definition of Socratic dialogue, and (b) whether the purpose of Guided Discovery using Socratic Questioning is to impart information, correct, or dispute patient cognitions. The session was well attended by mental health professionals from around the globe and the panel enjoyed the opportunity to discuss questions and comments from those in attendance. This article presents this exchange so that the broader AACBT membership may benefit from the ideas and comments generated.

Dietitians’ Interests in Primary Food Production: Opportunities for Greater Involvement in the Promotion of Environmental Sustainability

Dietitians are food communication professionals. Little is known about their views of food sustainability and security or of their interest in learning more about these issues. Therefore, an online survey of members of the Dietitians’ Association of Australia was conducted during the first half of 2012 about these issues.Thirty-five percent of the 380 respondents were particularly interested in the impact of food production systems on the nutrient composition of food, sustainability, food selection, and related issues. Preferred ways of learning about these issues included discussion groups and workshops, professional development courses, and online webcasts.A small minority of dietitians appear to have strong interests in environmental sustainability and are receptive to further communication about these issues.

No Learner Too Far: A Comparative Study of the Development of Guidelines for Distance Education Library Services in Australia

This paper is a comparative study relating to the development of global education policy. It examines the origins of the distance learning library services guidelines developed in Australia by the then Library Association of Australia (LAA), and those by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) division of the American Libraries Association (ALA) and by the Library Association (LA) of the United Kingdom. While the guidelines in the United States grew out of efforts to provide quality library services for an expanding population of off-campus college students, and Britain's perhaps out of the needs for an expanded approach to tertiary education, the Open University, the language in these guidelines would expand to meet criteria for a newer era locally. The paper discusses the various conditions under which guidelines for distance education library services originated and evolved in Australia and their influence elsewhere.

Targeting sugar sweetened beverages through social marketing and policy guidelines

Given the association between sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) and weight gain, the Cancer Council Australia, Diabetes Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia formed a partnership to develop a national digital campaign to encourage a comprehensive approach to reduce the demand of SSBs in the community. The aim of the campaign was to highlight the health impacts of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, reduce the supply of SSBs in community spaces frequented by children and reduce the marketing of SSBs to children. To help facilitate this effort, a new website was launched, Rethink Sugary Drink www. rethinksugarydrink.org.au using an Australian version of a commercial developed by the New York Health Department. The launch of the campaign received significant national publicity and as a result the Beverage Council of Australia became vocal opponents. Since the launch, the second phase of the campaign has been developed with new additional partners, the Australian Dental Association and the Australian Medical Association also coming on board. The presentation will outline the campaign, the challenges associated with going up against major beverage multinationals, but also outline importantly what the future opportunities are from a policy and education perspective to drive down SSB beverage consumption into the future.

Open access to Journal of Physiotherapy

In 2014, as Journal of Physiotherapy enters its 60th year of publication, it will undergo one of the most significant developments in its history. From January 2014 the Australian Physiotherapy Association will provide open access to Editorials and all research articles published in Journal of Physiotherapy. A unique feature of the new publication model is that access to research content will be free for readers and its publication will be free for authors. This initiative is part of the Association’s strategic plan.

“Stop Deploying Your White Privilege on Me!” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement with the Australian Association of Social Workers

Historically, few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social workers have joined and remained active members of the professional organisation that represents the interests of the social work profession, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). This research project uses qualitative methodology to investigate barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the AASW and propose how these barriers might be overcome. In offering insights from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the research findings address issues of social justice, equity, and social disadvantage. They suggest ways of improving cross cultural relationships and practices that will increase practice knowledge and promote a more effective and sustainable relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social workers and the AASW.

Physiotherapists in occupational health — the Australian experience

Occupational health physiotherapy (OHP) as a distinct discipline has been practised in Australia since the 1970s. In 1984, a national special interest group was formed within the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) to provide professional support and education for the growing numbers of physiotherapists in the field. In its latest form the group has nearly 300 members with chapters in each of the six states and in one of two territories. Since 1999, the APA has facilitated the development of a structured tiered career pathway for its members in all the special interest groups. To date, a number of OHP members have successfully completed the recognition process for advanced standing in the field of OHP and become either Titled or Specialist. It is planned to increase the numbers of physiotherapists working at advanced practitioner levels in workplace health and safety and continue to have OHP representatives on peak national health and safety groups and key bodies in the workers' rehabilitation and compensation field. The way forward for the special interest group lies in furthering educational opportunities for group members, and improving knowledge of other stakeholders including the physiotherapy profession about the skills group members have. Opportunities for networking and sharing resources via an international subgroup may be a reality in the near future.

The Australian Association for Adolescent Health and the National Youth Health Conference 2013

The <scp>A</scp>ustralian <scp>A</scp>ssociation for <scp>A</scp>dolescent <scp>H</scp>ealth and the <scp>N</scp>ational <scp>Y</scp>outh <scp>H</scp>ealth <scp>C</scp>onference 2013

Managing the Australasian Journal on Ageing: A 30‐year journey

The Australian Council on the Ageing (COTA) commenced publication of the Australian Journal on Ageing (AJA)in early 1982 with the purpose of publishing important issues around ageing, reporting new ageing research developments and providing a forum for the exchange of views on ageing issues. Over a 30-year period, the AJA has evolved into an internationally recognised, peer-reviewed journal, publishing high-quality original work in gerontology and geriatric medicine under the stewardship of six editors, editorial teams and management committees. The journal is currently published on behalf of the AJA, Inc., with representation from The Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM), the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG), COTA and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA). Key events over the 30 years are explored later and summarised in Table 1.

Thirty years and counting

Thirty years and counting

The Duality of Continuing Professional Development in Mental Health Social Work: Voluntary and Involuntary Status

In recent years, regulation of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of accredited mental health social workers (AMHSWs) in Australia has increased. AMHSWs are now obliged to do 10 hours of CPD in focused psychological strategies (FPS) each year to retain their accreditation status. CPD in FPS is often provided by psychologists and is not tailored to the broader context of social work practice. Given that AMHSWs are now mandated to undertake CPD in FPS it is essential that educational opportunities are provided that are appropriate to their ongoing needs. In this paper the findings of a 2010 national study of the CPD requirements of AMHSWs are presented. Just under 50% (n = 566) of social workers accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers participated in this study. A main finding was that AMHSWs wanted a range of CPD courses offered at different levels that were accessible, affordable and tailored to the context of social work practice. Accessibility to appropriate CPD was particularly an issue for social workers in regional, rural, and remote areas. This was the first comprehensive study of the postqualifying educational needs of AMHSWs in Australia and lays the foundation for CPD development for AMHSWs and further research in this area.

Is Work–Family Enrichment an Antidote to Experiences of Psychological Strain Among Australian Social Workers? An Empirical Study

Few studies in work–family interface have explored the work–family experiences of social workers as an occupational group. Further, work–family conflict and its impact on psychological strain have dominated the majority of the literature. The positive effects of participation in work and family roles remain under-researched despite consensus among scholars confirming the benefits of participation in both roles. The present study contributes significantly to the gap in the literature by examining the work–family enrichment experiences of Australian social workers and its association with psychological strain. Data for the study were collected via online survey of the membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers and included one open-ended question asking social workers to comment on their work–family enrichment experiences. The survey yielded a usable sample of 439 responses. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the direct effects of the three forms of work-to-family enrichment (WFE) and family-to-work enrichment (FWE) on psychological strain. The results showed that WFE-Affect, WFE-Capital, and FWE-Affect were significantly associated with reduced psychological strain. The qualitative findings provided further evidence of the benefits associated with participation in work and family roles. The implications of the findings for theory, practice and service provision are discussed.

Obituary: Emeritus Professor Desmond J. Power AM

Deafness is a part of the natural human condition.-Des Power, Signs of LifeEmeritus Professor Des Power AM, who was known to many Deaf people, academics and researchers in Australia and around the world, died on April 3, 2013, after respiratory complications following heart surgery. He was born in Cobden,Victoria, on March 23, 1936, and was trained as a teacher at the Geelong Teachers' College and the Training Centre for Teachers of the Deaf in Melbourne. He later completed a BA in psychology and an MA at the University of Melbourne. After winning a Harkness Fellowship he completed a PhD at the University of Illinois. He began work in Deaf education in the late 1950s at theVictorian School for Deaf Children and Glendonald School for Deaf Children, and he is remembered fondly by many Deaf adults who were students at these schools. Des lectured at the Training Centre for Teachers of the Deaf in Victoria until he moved to the Mt Gravait Teachers' College (later part of Brisbane College of Advanced Education and then the Education Faculty of Griffith University) in Brisbane in 1979.Des Power was not only an educator and academic in the field of Deaf education but also a long-time supporter of Deaf people and their aspirations for more access and opportunity. This was most evident to the Deaf community in his support for the recognition of signed languages and his belief that Deaf people should be able to access higher education. He did much practical advocacy for these two goals at a time when very few other people believed they were important.Up to the mid-1980s, it was virtually impossible for a Deaf person to become a teacher of deaf children in Australia. Deaf people were told that such a thing was simply not possible, that there had never before been any deaf teachers of the deaf, that deaf people should be satisfied with a job in the public service, and that deaf people were silly to aspire to something like teaching. Des, on the other hand, had long wanted to see deaf teachers in Australia and hoped to make teacher-training courses accessible to them. Most of Dess colleagues would have been skeptical if not downright dismissive. But Des Power was always ahead of his time, and he followed through on his wish to see deaf teachers in Australia. In 1985 the Mt Gravait campus of the Brisbane College of Advanced Education began its innovative bachelor of teaching program by supporting five deaf students. Few people remember how precarious this program was:The Australian Disability Discrimination Act had not yet been passed, and most schools for deaf students at that time provided education only up to year 10. It was a challenge to recruit and retain the deaf students and a battle to persuade local schools to accept them for practice teaching, and for several years the money for interpreters, notetakers, and tutors was scrabbled together from small one-time grants from Quota clubs and other similar sources. Nonetheless, the program was a success, and after the merger with Griffith University the program was able to expand; as the Deaf Student Support Program (DSSP), it enabled deaf students to study in all departments. Scores of today's professional deaf people in Australia are alumni of Griffith University.The DSSP has since been regarded as a model for other Australian universities, especially after the Disability Discrimination Act was ratified in 1992.Through the Centre for Deafness Studies and Research, which Des estabHshed at Griffith, he supported the production of educational video projects such as Signs of Life (1989), the development of teaching materials for Deaf studies in schools, and many other innovative programs. He worked with Deaf researchers and supported many Deaf people in their studies. Breda Carty is one such grateful colleague who was able to work with Des on a range of projects and to complete her PhD at Griffith with his support.Des Power was a consistent ally of Deaf Australia (known until 2007 as the Australian Association of the Deaf, or AAD) and always showed great interest in the lobbying activities of Deaf people. …

Social Work Education and Children

It is well documented that social work graduates feel unprepared for work with vulnerable children, especially those involved with child protection systems. Initiatives of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) emphasise the importance of including a focus on children within the Australian social work curricula. This article considered whether social work education was preparing graduates to respond more effectively to children by examining current online evidence of the courses provided in Australian social work programs in 2011. It builds on previous research conducted by the Australian Centre for Child Protection. Some implications for practice, research, and the future education of social work graduates are discussed.

Work-Family Conflict and Its Impact on Job Satisfaction of Social Workers

Job satisfaction of social workers has captured the attention of social work researchers for many decades. Several organisation and client-related factors have been associated with reduced job satisfaction among social workers. Scant attention has been given to work–family conflict as a potential contributor despite growing evidence of its detrimental impact on the job satisfaction of varied sample groups of working men and women. The present study examined the impact of three forms of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC): Time, Behaviour and Strain, on job satisfaction of social workers in Australia. Data were gathered via an online survey from members of the Australian Association of Social Workers which yielded 439 usable data. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that, in the direction of work-to-family conflict, WFC-Time and WFC-Strain were significant predictors of reduced job satisfaction. In the direction of family-to-work conflict, FWC-Behaviour significantly predicted reduced job satisfaction. These findings have implications for social work workforce planning and retention of social workers, and it emphasises the importance to have organisational policies that enhance the ability for social workers to manage their work and family commitments responsibly.

Australian Religion Studies Review – Journal for the Academic Study of Religion Name Change Announcement

From Volume 26, the Australian Religion Studies Review (the journal of the Australian Association for the Study of Religions) will change to the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion.

Solving Problems A Strategic Approach: Examples, Processes &amp; Strategies

The report has been commissioned by Consumer Action Law Centre and the Footscray Community Legal Centre and launched at a National Conference and the Ruby Hutchison Lecture on Thursday 14 March 2013. The ACCC and CHOICE jointly host the Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture each year. Ruby Hutchison was the founder of the Australian Consumers' Association which is now known as CHOICE.Dr Curran's report which was written with the assistance of the staff of Consumer Action Law Centre and the Footscray Community Legal Centre illustrates the importance of going beyond an individual approach to casework to benefit individuals, groups and the broader community. It argues that a strategic approach to problem solving can better ensure that a service is effective, efficient and targeted, with a broader and long lasting impact or as government says - a “successful outcome”. It also proposes that community legal centres should be given more support to encourage and foster an environment where strategic thought and planning about service mix approaches are used to make the service more outcome-focused. This would lead to service being more effective and mindful of what interventions are needed to achieve the best outcomes rather than merely providing case work, information and referral in isolation from a broader strategy that improves clients’ lives.