Community Debate Research Articles

The Cheonan Incident and East Asian Community Debate: North Korea’s Place in the Region

The East Asian community debates project the region as one integral unit. Rapidly shifting landscapes explain the tension between the old order and emerging hierarchy where North Korea plays a crucial role. This paper analyzes North Korea’s place in the East Asian community debates by examining the regional governments’ reactions to the Cheonan incident. The responses and circumstances of South Korea, Japan and North Korea to the sunken ship incident demonstrate three dynamics. First, domestic political needs of the regional government supersede normative Community rhetoric. Second, manageability of the North Korean regime will determine the next regional hegemon. And third, the community debates need to include North Korea for viability.

Genomic databases access agreements: legal validity and possible sanctions

Large-scale, public genomic databases have greatly improved the capacity of researchers to do genomic research. In order to ensure that the scientific community uses data from these public resources properly, data access agreements have been developed to complement already existing legal and ethical norms. Sanctions to address cases of data misuse constitute an essential part of this compliance framework meant to protect stakeholders in genomic research. Yet very little research and community debate has been done on this most important topic. This paper presents a review of different sanctions that could be invoked in cases of non-compliance from data users. They have been identified through comprehensive research and analysis of over 450 documents (journal articles, policy, guidelines, access policies, etc.) related to this topic. Given the considerable impact on users of even the milder sanctions considered in our paper, it is essential that stakeholders strive to achieve the highest degree of standardization and transparency when designing controlled-access agreements. It is only fair, after all, that users be able to expect that the border between acceptable and unacceptable conduct is clearly delineated and predictable in controlled-access policies. This suggests the importance for researchers to undertake additional empirical studies on the clarity and accessibility of existing database access agreements and related policies in the near future.

Sexualizing the child: The strange case of Bill Henson, his ‘absolutely revolting’ images and the law of childhood innocence

In 2008 internationally acclaimed Australian photographer Bill Henson planned to exhibit some of his work at a Sydney Gallery. This included photographs of a naked 12-year-old child. When one image was used in publicity to promote the exhibition it came to the attention of the organizer of a child advocacy group who complained to police that the image constituted child pornography. The subsequent seizing of the images gave rise to a community debate about artistic freedom, what constitutes child pornography and the capacity of children to consent. Although these events coincidentally occurred at the same time as a Senate inquiry into the sexualization of children in the media, the issue of childhood sexuality was a muted aspect of the ensuing public debate.

Not in my back schoolyard: schools and skate-park builds in Western Australia

Skate-parks serve as hang-out hubs for juveniles engaged in both lawful leisure pursuits (e.g. skateboarding, inline skating, bike/scooter riding and urban artistry) and illegal activities (e.g. graffiti-writing, underage drinking or substance abuse). Thus, proposed skate-park builds often can produce polarized community debate. Such debate typically focuses on issues relating to the potentiality for increased graffiti-tagging, noise, litter, and antisocial behaviour and the resultant fear that such actions might engender in the community's more vulnerable members. This places city planners in the difficult position of having to decide whether to approve or not approve skate-park builds. This study reports on a common concern regarding skate-park builds namely whether their placement in close proximity to schools will increase the likelihood of graffiti attack. Correlation analysis of the annual removal costs for 355 schools located within Western Australia revealed that this graffiti-attack concern is unfounded as, regardless of school size or SES Index, there is no strong linear relationship between distance from skate-parks and number of graffiti incidents or yearly graffiti removal costs.

Does forest certification enhance community engagement in Australian plantation management?

The rapid expansion of timber plantations across Australia has been contentious, with ongoing debate in rural communities about the social, economic and environmental impacts of plantations. The need for effective and ongoing community engagement (CE) has been highlighted by this ongoing contention and the ensuing desire for plantation management companies to maintain a social licence to operate. CE activities are required under various regulations governing forest management practices within Australia. In recent years, voluntary governance mechanisms, particularly forest certification, have further promoted stakeholder engagement as an integral component of modern forest management. This paper reviews the influence of the introduction of forest certification on CE practice in the field. The effectiveness of operationally-based CE activities conducted within Australian plantation management was examined through a qualitative study of plantation managers and community members in conjunction with a document analysis of relevant regulations, codes of forest practices and forest certification standards. Whilst arguing that forest certification is positively impacting on CE practice, the research indicates that a number of regulatory, corporate and social influences impact on the capacity of forest certification to promote positive changes in CE practice. The impact of forest certification is limited by existing CE requirements within both mandatory and voluntary regulations; the narrow commercially-oriented foci promoted by corporate realities and organisational ethos; poor practitioner skills and understanding of fundamental CE concepts; and the presence of pre-existing negative perceptions of firms or individuals. Regardless of these limiting influences, our research has shown that forest certification is positively affecting engagement practices within operational plantation management. Such improvements are infrequently acknowledged as they are typically not obvious in terms of changes in CE techniques or improved social relations. Instead, we suggest that forest certification is promoting a longer term, cumulative change in CE practice. The capacities of plantation managers and communities to effectively engage with each other are improving due to the forest certification requirement for continual improvement that results in plantation managers continually reflecting on engagement outcomes and adapting practices based on prior learnings.

Is health workforce sustainability in Australia and New Zealand a realistic policy goal?

This paper assesses what health workforce 'sustainability' might mean for Australia and New Zealand, given the policy direction set out in the World Health Organization draft code on international recruitment of health workers. The governments in both countries have in the past made policy statements about the desirability of health workforce 'self-sufficiency', but OECD data show that both have a high level of dependence on internationally recruited health professionals relative to most other OECD countries. The paper argues that if a target of 'self-sufficiency' or sustainability were to be based on meeting health workforce requirements from home based training, both Australia and New Zealand fall far short of this measure, and continue to be active recruiters. The paper stresses that there is no common agreed definition of what health workforce 'self-sufficiency', or 'sustainability' is in practice, and that without an agreed definition it will be difficult for policy-makers to move the debate on to reaching agreement and possibly setting measurable targets or timelines for achievement. The paper concludes that any policy decisions related to health workforce sustainability will also have to taken in the context of a wider community debate on what is required of a health system and how is it to be funded.

‘Live your liberation – don't lobby for it’: Australian queer student activists' perspectives of same-sex marriage

One topic covered in Australian queer university student print media is the legalization of same-sex marriage. The legalization of same-sex marriage is currently generating much debate in Western queer communities. This paper explores Australian queer university student activists' media representation of same-sex marriage, and the debates surrounding its legalization. It uses discourse analysis to examine a selection of queer student media from four metropolitan Australian universities, and the 2003 and 2004 editions of the national queer student publication Querelle. This paper thus contributes to the history of queer activism, documenting what one group of young people say about the legalization of same-sex marriage, and furthers research on queer perspectives of marriage and same-sex relationships.

Permitting a new mine: Insights from the community debate

When a mining company selects a site for development, the company begins a dialogue with the local community about receiving the necessary approvals for the mining permits. The dialogue focuses on how well the company can use science and technology to manage risk to the local environment, and on how much economic benefit will be gained by the local community for accepting the risk. A useful approach to better understand how the debate affects the outcome of the permitting effort is to use the method of “discourse communities and analysis”. This paper analyzes two efforts by Kennecott (Rio Tinto) and one by Exxon to develop base metal mine sites in the Upper Midwest of the USA. As the three case studies show, the local pro- and anti-mining discourse community members will not be changing their basic positions as the permitting of a new mine is debated. Accordingly, both communities are trying to convince undecided stakeholders rather than talking to each other. Both sides are using ever more sophisticated media methods to communicate their message to the undecided residents of the community. By winning the support of the majority of the undecided residents, political pressure can be used to sway the decision.

Adequacy of consent documentation in a specialty surgical unit: time for community debate?

To determine the adequacy of consent documentation related to descriptions of intended procedures, associated risks and treatment alternatives, and to analyse trends in the adequacy of consent documentation in a specialty surgical unit. Retrospective reviews of consent forms for all patients on the Urology Unit waiting list of the Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide on three occasions. Reviews were undertaken during 2005, 2007 and 2008, with a minimum of 12 months between reviews. 1280 consent documents were evaluated. No trend in the studied criteria of adequacy of documentation was observed during the study period. Overall, 18.5% of consent forms described procedures using plain language. In 15.3% of consent forms, a significant component of the procedure was described using only an acronym, without further explanation. In 6.6% of consent forms, procedure descriptions contained only acronyms, abbreviations or technical terminology, with no plain language word. The purpose of the operation was conveyed in 10.1% of consent forms. Relevant risks were provided in 4.1%. Any indication of the magnitude of procedural risks was provided in only four of 1280 forms. No consent form provided information about alternative treatments. We believe these findings are broadly representative of current hospital practice and that the community should consider whether an acronym or technical terminology is appropriate for documenting consent. If not, can minimum practice standards be defined, and should any emerging recommendations be mandated?

Argument and Identity Change in the Atlantic Security Community

The Atlantic community shares more than just dependable expectations of peaceful change. Its members also share a reflexive political community they sense is worth preserving and a view that their security is intertwined. Existing accounts of the Atlantic security community have identified the importance of renewed emphasis on common values as a factor in preserving and expanding the security community after the Cold War. But, debates at the end of the Cold War also turned on the question of what the allies would do together and what responsibilities they had to each other and to other states. This article outlines a discursive framework and a set of rhetorical strategies used by members of the Atlantic community that explain how they worked to maintain and change their community during debates about their mandate for cooperation. This framework is then applied to the Atlantic community's debates over common action during the Yugoslav wars.

Mediating Knowledges: Origins of a Zuni Tribal Museum (review)

Reviewed by: Mediating Knowledges: Origins of a Zuni Tribal Museum Nancy J. Parezo (bio) and Sunny K. Lybarger (bio) Gwyneira Isaac . Mediating Knowledges: Origins of a Zuni Tribal Museum. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2007. 272 pp. Cloth, $50.00. Mediating Knowledges: Origins of a Zuni Tribal Museum by Gwyneira Isaac, an assistant professor of anthropology and director of the Museum Studies Program at Arizona State University, is a perfect book to be reviewed in Collaborative Anthropologies. It is a best practices example of a successful collaborative research process between a native community and a young anthropologist who really knows how to listen to what community members tell her, how to center and integrate their desires throughout her study (not simply place it in a single chapter), and how to honor their restrictions. It is contemporary yet classic ethnography based on long-term fieldwork at its best. It is also exemplary because it shows the respect Isaac has for the Zuni community and their research interests and testifies to the Zunis' respect for her and her research concerns. The collaborative nature of the project can be seen in the fact that Isaac had distinct research goals of her own stemming from her family background (growing up in an anthropological family whose lives centered on university museums); her interest in what is now being called materiality, knowledge production, and museology; the lingering effects of past anthropological practices and relations with native communities; and her commitment to decolonizing research topics, theories, and methodologies by centering indigenous epistemologies as the paradigmatic heart of her study. To readers in American Indian studies, Native studies, and indigenous studies who have long used and advocated such an approach, Mediating Knowledges documents how community-based, participatory cultural research should be done. Tribal museums have for many years been an intellectual and practical topic of academic and community debate as Native communities strive to conceptualize and build culturally relevant institutions that will help them maintain their heritage and language for future generations. [End Page 232] Much of the extant literature has dealt with the founding and politics of the National Museum of the American Indian, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and intellectual property rights; how indigenous peoples have felt about Euro-American museums (often conceptualized and stereotyped static places where photographs, documents, and objects are not always interpreted or stored correctly using culturally specific principles); representational issues; and power. This growing literature has challenged standard concepts about the idea of the museum as an institution that collects, researches, stores, and displays objects for the edification and education of the public. New concepts, like the ecomuseum idea, have been developed from the ground up, producing a rich debate on what museums should be and should do as community-based and societal-based institutions. What Isaac has done in this book is to show how the Zuni community debated these issues over a number of years, how the internal debate worked (and was often contested), and how The People came to subsume the idea of a museum under the idea of a cultural and heritage center conceptualized as a place of activity, a location where culture in action can occur, not simply where culture can be seen. Isaac begins her book with a description of Zuni as a place of social, cultural, and intellectual engagement and then describes how she slowly learned to see and think like a Zuni community member would; in short, how the Zuni came to see museums both as a resource for preserving and telling historical knowledge and as a site in which to interrogate past practices of Euro-American scholars and scientists. Such a personalized encounter helps the reader understand how Isaac positioned herself in the community and slowly gained people's trust and confidence. It also shows how she began to alter her thinking and revise her initial research questions and interests as she came to see what was truly important about her research project: examining people's expectations about how their system of knowledge operates, rather than simply asking what kind of museum could work in Zuni and what kinds of knowledge could be shared with non-Zunis. In the...

Bringing Together Local Culture and Rural Development: Findings from Ireland, Pennsylvania and Alaska

The developmental trajectories of communities are routinely explained by reference to economic history, human capital deficits, or the structure of local labour markets. The role of local culture in understanding community development or in interpreting empirical research has received less attention. We believe culture plays an important independent role in shaping community debate and action. Framing community as an interactional field emphasises the opportunities created when people who share interests come together to address local problems. Interaction and local culture are essential parts of community and community development. Appreciating community uniqueness and local culture helps in the interpretation of study data and clarifies development trajectories. Research from Ireland, Pennsylvania and Alaska illustrates the linkages between local culture and community development.

RESTRICTION OF DUTY HOURS FOR RESIDENTS IN INTERNAL MEDICINE: A QUESTION OF QUALITY OF LIFE BUT WHAT ABOUT EDUCATION AND PATIENT SAFETY?

Like in other medical specialities, training in internal medicine is confronted with the duty hours regulation. A reduction to a maximum of 48 duty hours has been introduced in Belgium in 1999 for all residents and is still under debate in the European Communities. A reduction of duty hours to a maximum of 80 hours per week was recently adopted in the USA. Several surveys were conducted in this country before and after the introduction of the new system to evaluate its impact on training and patient care. A reduction of duty hours appears to improve the mental health and the security and the quality of life of the trainees. On the other hand, it is suspected that reducing training hours can have a negative effect not only on education but also on patient safety and satisfaction giving the fragmentation of care. This appears to be a key problem, particularly in internal medicine, as it implies more frequent transfers of medical information, a source of medical errors and a loss of responsibility.

The Ghost in the Machine: Trust and Technology in the Water Recycling Debate

AbstractIn January 2007, the Premier of Queensland triggered significant community debate with his decision to introduce recycled water to South East Queensland’s drinking supply. As there is currently no formal water recycling in Australia, this research explored public perceptions via a random postal survey of 410 directly affected residents (21% response rate) living in the Pine Rivers Shire of Brisbane, Queensland. This paper focuses on participants’ responses to the open-ended question, “what, if any, concerns do you have about using treated recycled water for drinking purposes?”. Using the Public Acceptability of Controversial Technologies (PACT) framework as a conceptual guide, the 177 responses were thematically coded into the three key pillars of PACT: technology (n=128; 72%), constituents (n=23, 13%) and context (n=28, 16%). Thematic analysis revealed the majority of concerns were classified under the technology dimension of PACT, specifically in relation to insufficient knowledge about the technological processes, the long-term effects on health and the possibility of human error. Residents questioned why recycled water was the first option and felt that other alternatives, such as mandatory grey-water systems and water-saving devises for consumers and industry, should have been explored further. As the first study to explicitly ask Australians directly affected by water recycling about their concerns, the findings highlight how limited knowledge and trust in the technology was the key barrier to acceptance.

Guest Editorial: International Conference on Gambling 2006

This special edition includes selected papers from the 2006 International Conference on Gambling ‘Gambling and its Impacts: Policy, Practice and Research Perspectives.’ Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) hosted the conference, with financial support from the New Zealand Ministry of Health. It took place on 13 to 15 September 2006 at the AUT North Shore campus. The event continued major themes from two previous conferences held in Auckland. As in 2004 and 2005, the 2006 conference was held in conjunction with a meeting of the International Think Tank on Presenting Gambling Populations and First Contact Services. Gambling remains a major growth industry in many parts of the world—expanding into new markets, changing and evolving in diverse ways. The costs and benefits of this growth are multiple, complex and difficult to assess. They operate at different levels and are a touchstone for intense political, community and academic debate. The 2006 conference provided a forum to examine the impacts of gambling, in their various forms, on individuals, communities and societies. This included consideration of the nature and extent of these impacts and ways to reduce adverse consequences. The conference also provided an opportunity for participants from throughout the world to consider and discuss various recent developments and innovations in gambling policy, practice and research. This included examination of the extent to which research is responsive to and informs policy and practice. The host organisations both have long, significant, involvement in the gambling field. The PGF evolved from the Compulsive Gambling Society, which established the first national gambling help-line and counselling services in New Zealand during the early 1990s. The PGF is currently the largest organization of its kind internationally, with over 60 staff in 38 offices and clinics throughout the country providing a range of gambling-focused Int J Ment Health Addiction (2007) 5:277–278 DOI 10.1007/s11469-007-9123-3

Youth Participation in Radio Listening Clubs in Malawi*

This article reports on a qualitative research study that used community radio and radio listening clubs to examine the involvement of youth in community debate in Malawi. The study sample was chosen from young members of radio listening clubs in Mangochi district in Malawi's southern region. Research topics included the radio listening clubs' mode of operation in relation to community radio, the issues dominating discussion in each radio listening club and youths' experiences of constraints placed on debate. Findings suggest that community radio and its associated radio listening clubs have together created an emerging public sphere for the local community, including a space for youths and other disadvantaged groups to discuss solutions to local socio-economic problems. Intergenerational factors and the divisive nature of the political environment at the national level, however, place some constraints on debate in the clubs. While young club members avoid the more divisive political issues, they, nevertheless, freely discuss those factors that affect socio-economic development, such as HIV/AIDS, general community health, agriculture/farming and education.

British Muslim Perspectives on Multiculturalism

We explore aspects of what it means to be a ‘moderate’ Muslim in Britain. Based on interviews with 21 Muslim intellectuals or those active in public or community debates (not all of whom were happy with the term ‘moderate Muslims’), we examine what these Muslims think about multiculturalism. While there is a variety of views, the respondents are promulticulturalism as long as it includes faith as a dimension of ‘difference’, something they believe has only belatedly, tentatively and slowly happened in Britain. Most of the other aspects of the multicultural ideal and criticisms of contemporary British practice, such as the distinction between mutual respect and tolerance, the importance of non-separateness and dialogue, the need for transformative change on the part of the minorities as well as the majority, seem to be similar to the views held by non-Muslim British multiculturalists. Yet some believe that the Qur’an, Islam and Muslim history are powerful sources of multi-culturalism and represent a form superior to any that has been developed elsewhere or is on offer in the contemporary West. This view was held by those who are experts in using and engaging with contemporary Western discourses rather than those who are authorities in interpreting Islamic texts, and so they, like most others in the group could be said to be a relatively new kind of Muslim public figure.

A process designed to lead to international agreement on terminologies and definitions used to describe abnormalities of menstrual bleeding ∗

There is considerable worldwide confusion in the use of terminologies and definitions around the symptom of abnormal uterine bleeding, and these are leading increasingly to difficulties in setting up multinational clinical trials and in interpreting the results of studies undertaken in single centers. To develop an agreement process through an international initiative to recommend clear, simple terminologies and definitions that have the potential for wide acceptance. After widespread consultation with relevant international and national organizations, journal editors, and individuals, a modified Delphi process was developed to assess current use of terminologies, followed by a structured face-to-face meeting of 35 clinicians (mostly gynecologists) and scientists in Washington, DC. Focused small-group discussions led to plenary assessment of concepts and recommendations by using an electronic keypad voting system. An international group of experts on disorders of menstruation. Women with complaint of menstrual symptoms. An international debate and consultation process. Expert debate and anonymous voting on agreement through use of electronic keypads. There was almost-universal agreement that poorly defined terms of classical origin that are used in differing ways in the English medical language should be discarded and that these should be replaced by simple, descriptive terms with clear definitions that have the potential to be understood by health professionals and patients alike and that can be translated into most languages. The major recommendations were to replace terms such as menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, hypermenorrhea, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Suggestions for potentially suitable replacement terms and definitions are made. A simple terminology has been recommended for the description and definition of symptoms and signs of abnormal uterine bleeding. This article should be a living document and should be part of an ongoing process with international medical and community debate. Classification of causes, investigations, and cultural and quality-of-life issues should be part of the ongoing process.

Can we achieve international agreement on terminologies and definitions used to describe abnormalities of menstrual bleeding? †

There is considerable worldwide confusion in the use of terminologies and definitions around the symptom of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), and these are leading increasingly to difficulties in setting up multinational clinical trials and in interpreting the results of studies undertaken in single centres. An international initiative was established to develop an agreement process to recommend clear, simple terminologies and definitions with the potential for wide acceptance. After widespread consultation with relevant international and national organizations, journal editors and individuals, a modified Delphi process was developed to assess the current use of terminologies followed by a structured face-to-face meeting of 35 clinicians (mostly gynaecologists) and scientists in Washington. Focused small group discussions led to plenary assessment of concepts and recommendations using an electronic keypad voting system. There was almost universal agreement that poorly defined terms of classical origin used in differing ways in the English medical language should be discarded and that these should be replaced by simple, descriptive terms with clear definitions which have the potential to be understood by health professional and patient alike and which can be translated into most languages. The major recommendations were to replace terms such as menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, hypermenorrhoea and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Suggestions for potentially suitable replacement terms and definitions are made. A simple terminology has been recommended for the description and definition of symptoms and signs of AUB. This manuscript should be a living document and should be part of an ongoing process with international medical and community debate. Classification of causes, investigations and cultural and quality of life issues should be part of the ongoing process.

The Real Filth in American Psycho

The Real Filth in American Psycho