This study examined the relations between school climate variables and students’ feeling of wellbeing, life satisfaction, ethnic identity, moral identity and resilience. Furthermore, the study also examined the interrelationships between these five outcome variables. Six aspects of the school climate were measured: teacher support, peer connectedness, school connectedness, affirming diversity, rule clarity and reporting and seeking help. The participants included 2202 students, the data from whom included 2122 cases that were complete and usable (1058 boys and 1059 girls) from six public high schools in Perth, Western Australia. These data were analysed by means of structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis. All six school climate factors were related to student wellbeing. These relations were primarily indirect (with the exception of teacher support, school connectedness and affirming diversity which had a direct influence), mediated through the students’ sense of ethnic and moral identity, resilience and life satisfaction.
This paper reports the apparent paradox of high levels of discrimination experienced by humanitarian migrants to Australia, in the labor market and everyday life, yet simultaneous reporting of positive well‐being. How can people feel discriminated against, yet still be relatively satisfied with life? The study draws on quantitative and qualitative data from a study of 150 refugees from the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, and Africa. Possible reasons for the level of well‐being are explored, including “relative deprivation theory,” as well as various resiliency and mitigating factors, including personal and social supports. The notion of eudaimonic well‐being – whereby experiences of difficulty produce positive well‐being – is also applied to the findings. The negative experiences and perceptions appear to map onto low‐level dissatisfaction or disgruntlement, and specifically directed or contained disappointment, rather than serious dissatisfaction with life generally, orientation to Australia, or negative subjective well‐being.
Globalisation has rendered the island nation of Australia more vulnerable to infectious livestock diseases, making bio-security a key concern of government. Although farmers are at the front line of disease surveillance, little is known about this group's behaviour and motives. A study to investigate on-farm bio-security practices -and in particular how farmers decide whether to report unusual symptoms in their livestock -was conducted with sheep and cattle producers in Western Australia. This article reports on the findings of the qualitative phase of the study, which consisted of in-depth interviews with 37 farmers. The study found that farmers make reporting and bio-security decisions based on the perceived risk to their enterprise. Trust in others was found to be a key contributor to perceived risk. In support of Wynne (2006), this study found that scientific institutions linked to the government suffered from lack of trust and credibility. If farmers are hesitant to trust government sources, important animal health messages may go unheeded.
The year 2011 marked the 60 th anniversary of the United Nations Refugee Convention. It is thus an appropriate time to review the situation of refugees in one of the few signatory countries that accepts UNHCR approved refugees, Australia. Australia takes around 14,000 refugees annually, from countries in the African, Middle Eastern and Asian regions. The Australian government funds a range of services to assist the settlement process, and these are recognized as among the best in the world. While these services provide assistance in the areas of employment, education and training, housing, language, health, social support, and cultural orientation, there is room for improvement to ensure social inclusion. This paper provides an overview of research undertaken with this population over the last fifteen years investigating some of the key barriers to social inclusion. It outlines a number of matters in need of policy improvement, and areas for further research.
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