Social change and masculinities: exploring favourable spaces?

Understanding social change remains a challenge in the social sciences. This has resonance when considering the continuing significance of gender inequality in Australian society despite decades of political and social reform. Our aim is to elaborate a framework regarding social change which engages with major debates in masculinity studies, with applications beyond gender and masculinity. The potential of favourable spaces for social innovation is explored by outlining a dynamic taxonomy of masculinity and change. This framing of social change is located in a material social context involving specific actors. While popular media accounts of boys’ schooling and the specific instance of private boys’ schools indicate the maintenance of hegemonic norms upholding masculine dominance, we investigate illustrative instances of Catholic boys’ schools committed to gender equality. Yet, constructions of masculinity shift between and/or incorporate hegemonic styles and gender equitable styles, even in situations where gender equality is publicly promoted.

Religion and the Constitution: A Response to Luke Beck’s Safeguard against Religious Intolerance Theory of Section 116

This article critiques Luke Beck’s ‘safeguard against religious intolerance’ theory of section 116 of the Constitution. We argue that a plausible theory of section 116 must be able to account for the fact that, at Federation, Australia was an overwhelmingly Christian nation, which was opposed to the establishment of any religion but was not ‘secular’, and also for the fact that Australian society has become less religious but with many surviving remnants of the enmeshing of religion and the government. We argue that, consistent with the traditional understanding, section 116 has a federal purpose, being designed to distribute power to legislate in relation to religion throughout the Australian federation. Section 116 can also be seen as promoting religious pluralism, enabling interactions between religion and government. Beck’s theory, and its separationist implications, fails to adequately take these factors into account.

Integration Experiences of Former Afghan Refugees in Australia: What Challenges Still Remain after Becoming Citizens?

This paper explores, analyses, and documents the experiences of Afghan-Australians who arrived in Australia as refugees and were granted citizenship after living in Australia for several years. This research adopted a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative approaches and surveyed 102 people, interviewed 13 participants, and conducted two focus-groups within its research design. Analysis of data indicates that former Afghan refugees gradually settled down and integrated within Australian society. They value safety and security, open democracy and orderly society of Australia, as well as accessing to education and healthcare services and opportunity for social mobility. However, since the integration is a long process, they are also facing some challenges in this area. Findings of this study show that Afghan-Australians require more support from Australian governments to overcome some of these challenges particularly securing employment within their area of interests and professional occupations that they have qualifications and experiences from Afghanistan. They are also experiencing broader challenges in the area of socio-cultural issues within Australian society. Since the Afghan community is an emerging community in Western Australia, they require more support from local government to enhance their ethnic cohesion and solidarity.

Wellnes, burnout and resilience

Dr Dan Kennedy, President of the Australian Society for Plastic Surgeons, discusses wellness, burnout and resilience in a talk given to members and colleagues.

Indian psychiatrists in the Australian workforce – From brain drain to brain exchange

Worldwide doctors have been migrating from low- and middle-income countries to high-income countries for decades. This contributes to dearth of doctors, especially psychiatrists, in low- and middle-income countries – often referred to as ‘brain drain’. Australia has a fair share of psychiatrists of Indian origin in its workforce. This article endeavours to re-formulate the migration phenomenon as ‘brain exchange’ through the experiential insight of the authors along with published literature and discusses the contribution of substantial number of psychiatrists of Indian origin to the Australian society. Furthermore, the article highlights the potential for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to be a leader in this area by facilitating globally responsible practice by giving back to countries from which psychiatrists originate. The key observations and recommendations are transferrable to other similar countries and equally to other medical specialities.

Australian perspective on Fourth Consensus Guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting

This is a summary document that provides an Australian perspective on the Fourth Consensus Guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The Australian Society of Anaesthetists has endorsed the Fourth Consensus Guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting and has written this document with permission from the authors and the American Society for Enhanced Recovery to provide an Australia-specific summary.