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In this article the authors outline the kinds of propositions from
both progressive and pessimistic commentators that young people are
either threats to civilisation or victims of change. They question the
validity of representing young people as victims and/or agents of social
disorder. Contemporary representations of youthful disorder, lawlessness
and misrule as novel responses to change, newness and discontinuity, are
better understood as part of a tradition of myth making that is central
to what some writers refer to as the history of modernity. In the final
part of the article, the authors cast doubt about the empirical basis of
contemporary claims made about the societal causation of youth crime and
youth suicide.
De Vaus, D; Millward, C. Home alone before
or after school.
Self care before or after school is believed to be becoming more
widespread due to increases in the number of working mothers and one
parent families. Based on data from the Australian Institute of Family
Studies' Australian Living Standard's Study, this article looks at which
families use self or sibling care for primary school age children and
examines whether or not poverty, class or minority group status predicts
the use of self care when compared with other circumstances. Contrary to
prevailing stereotypes, the use of self care was not linked to minority
groups, poverty or sole parent households.
Glover, S; Burns, J; Butler, H; Patton, G.
Social environments and the emotional wellbeing of young
people.
There are growing concerns about current rates of adolescent
depression and youth suicide. This article discusses the work of the
Centre for Adolescent Health's Gatehouse Project which highlights the
significance of social environments on young people's mental health, and
outlines school based approaches to the promotion of emotional well
being. The framework proposed has relevance to other settings and
challenges the reader to consider how to extend preventive action across
the community.
Harrison, M. What's new in the Family
Court.
The particular focus of this family law overview, a regular feature of
Family Matters, is a proposal by the Law Council of Australia that model
de facto relationships legislation be enacted by each State and Territory
as soon as practicable. The background to the proposal is explained;
current legislative approaches are outlined; the two disparate approaches
to de facto relationships legislation identified by the Council are
noted; and brief details of the Council's proposal are provided. Also
discussed are the availability of indigenous court interpreters, and the
recent endorsement by the Family Court of 'Guidelines for court
counsellors regarding the involvement of children in conciliation
counselling', and the significance of these guidelines.
Malone, K. About the Growing Up in Cities
project.
The Growing Up in Cities project is an eight country international
participatory research project sponsored by the UNESCO - MOST (Management
of Social Transformation) program. This article outlines the project and
describes its goal, which is to document some of the human costs and
benefits of economic development. It is done by showing how young
people's perceptions and actual use of the micro environment resulting
from economic development affects their lives and personal
development.
Malone, K; Hasluck, L. Geographies of
exclusion: young people's perceptions and use of public
space.
At a time when many societies perceive young people to be intruders
and a threat in public spaces, there is a need to understand the impact
of exclusionary practices on young people's experiences of urban life.
This article draws on data from a three year research study currently
being conducted in Australia on young people's experiences of growing up
in urban environments, the Growing Up in Cities project. It looks at
factors young people themselves identify as affecting their use of public
space in their local neighbourhood. The article focuses on four issues
that young people in the study have indicated marginalise them, and at
times, exclude them from public spaces: physical form of the
neighbourhood; commercialisation of youth spaces; restricted mobility;
and personal safety, dangers and fears.
McLeod, J; Yates, L. How young people think
about self, work and futures.
This article reports on the 12 to 18 Educational Research Project, a
longitudinal study that is following a number of young people at four
different schools through each year of their secondary schooling. The
aim of the study is to chart the thinking of these young people, and
their pathways, as they go through school, and then enter life beyond
this. In this article, the authors discuss some findings from this work
in progress, looking particularly at how young people in the early and
middle years of secondary school are thinking about self, work and the
future. The authors also consider in what ways gender is an issue in
their approach.
Qu, L. Age differences between brides and
grooms in Australia.
Like other aspects of social behaviour, attitudes about the
appropriate relative age differences between spouses is affected by
community assumptions about age, but little attention has been given to
this recognised social behaviour compared with other aspects of marriage
and family. The analysis in this article looks at changes in age
difference over time between brides and grooms in Australia.
Sandor, D. A wider view of 'family'
contributions under de facto relationships legislation.
A general feature of legislation regarding de facto relationships is
that a court may adjust the entitlement of the partners to the property
of either or both of them if they have lived together for a certain
period, or if there is a child of the relationship. To reach a fair
result, the court is to take account of both contributions to the
parties' property and financial resources, and their contributions to the
welfare of the family. In this article the author outlines both narrow
and wider approaches to de facto legislation in recent cases under the De
Facto Relationships Act 1984 (NSW).
Sheehan, G; Noller, P. Adolescents'
perceptions of parental favouritism: links with family
functioning.
This article examines the findings from a study set up to investigate
the relation between adolescents' experience of parental favouritism and
family functioning. The findings highlight the role of parental
favouritism as a powerful form of injustice within the family system,
which for the disfavoured child causes varying levels of distress and ill
feeling, and which in turn appears to effect other relationships and
interpersonal dynamics throughout the family system.
Stone, W. Young people's access to home
ownership: chasing the great Australian dream.
In this article the author reports on recent findings from the
Australian Family Life Course Study undertaken by the Australian
Institute of Family Studies. She examines whether today's young famlies
are able to enjoy the benefits of home ownership that previous
generations have taken for granted, given the broad economic, political
and demographic changes that have occurred in recent years. This article
aims to add to the understanding of the 'settling down' process of young
Australians, and more specifically, to examine the adequacy of the
housing system in meeting the needs of young adults and their families as
they undertake this process.
Weston, R. Latest Australian and overseas
quality-of-life research.
This article provides information on the First Conference of the
International Society of Quality-of-Life Studies, held in Charlotte,
North Carolina in 1997. The conference brought together social and
behavioural science researchers to discuss factors affecting physical
health and subjective well being. A broad range of topics were covered
on the quality of life and its relation to work, unemployment, finances,
interpersonal relationships, family life, school, leisure, religion, and
health. The author discusses the input made by both Australian and
international researchers.
Winter, I. Australian family research and
policy news.
This column is designed to keep readers informed of contemporary
developments that matter to families. It is compiled from reports
provided by a panel of the following corresponding consultants with
expertise in the many dimensions of family research and policy making:
Pat Noller; Cynthia a'Beckett; Lee Wightman; Steven Zubrick; Judy
Cashmore; Alison Garton; Jon Altman; and Sotirios Sarantakos. The column
provides a snapshot of family research and policy issues from a range of
research perspectives and geographic locations around Australia, and in
particular covers in this issue, youth suicide prevention, sibling
relationships and parental divorce, adolescent health, child protection,
indigenous families and domestic violence.
Wyn, J. The post-1970 generation: issues
for researching young people in Australia today.
This article looks at the distinctive experiences of young people of
the 'post-1970 generation' after they leave secondary school. This is
the first generation of whom the majority are expected to participate in
post compulsory education. The youth labour market has disappeared, to
be replaced by part time and casual work mainly undertaken by students.
The term 'post-1970 generation' focuses on the circumstances in which
young people are living and the conditions they face, rather than on
their assumed characteristics. The author examines the need for those
involved in policy formulation to rethink the meaning of youth and to
attempt to understand the complexities of young people's lives.
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