Fiona Andrews

Parents׳ experiences of raising pre-school aged children in an outer-Melbourne growth corridor☆

There is growing concern about the outer-suburbs in Australia as healthy places to raise children. This paper aimed to explore this from the perspectives of parents raising preschool-age children in an outer-Melbourne municipality. Findings showed that parents were positive about the natural environment as well as the provision of recreation areas and generally felt their neighbourhoods were a safe place for raising children. However, car-dependency, housing estate design and limited local job opportunities all appeared to contribute to social isolation amongst families. Using the Environments for Health Framework, this paper makes suggestions to improve liveability for families in this municipality.

Exploring the Suburban Ideal Residents’ Experiences of Photo Elicitation Interviewing (PEI)

This article reports on how photo elicitation interviewing (PEI) was experienced by eight participants in a qualitative phenomenological study of suburban lived experiences. Adopting a respondent-controlled approach, participants were required to photograph at least 10 aspects of their suburb that they perceived to be good and problematical and then explain the meaning of their images as part of a follow-up interview. This discussion also involved in-depth reflection on the photography exercise itself, with analysis revealing that taking photographs was perceived to be a purposeful exercise that offered a range of benefits. It gave a new perspective and appreciation for the community, while also helping to ensure their meanings were conveyed to the interviewers. The photography task was not without challenges. While some of these challenges influenced the images captured, the findings of this study highlight the importance for qualitative researchers who use PEI to not only consider the benefits and limitations for the research but also give due consideration to the experiences of the participant photographers.

Managing the family`s health: preferences and experiences of women with different work and family arrangements.

Balancing the needs of work and family is a subject of much debate. The purpose of this research was to explore how families manage their childrens health within the context of different work and family arrangements. In-depth interviews were conducted with women who were at home full time (8) or in paid work over 30 hours a week (7). Women had at least one child under five years of age. Findings revealed there was no simple relationship between womens working arrangements and how they managed their childrens health. All women, irrespective of their working arrangements, held similar preferences for managing their childrens health. However, most women experienced either time or financial constraints that meant they had to compromise their original preferences. In some cases this meant children missed out on receiving health services. Workplace support, extended family support and general satisfaction with work and family arrangements appeared to be important factors for the small number of women who had no problems in managing their childrens health. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Centrality of the Australian Suburb: Mobility Challenges and Responses by Outer Suburban Residents in Melbourne

Abstract Living in the suburbs is founded on mobility, as residents move to the periphery of the city, commute to work and travel for shops, schools and leisure. While there have been numerous studies raising critical questions on the vulnerability of outer suburban residents to loneliness, financial and mortgage stress, the actual experiences and challenges posed by the dependence of suburban life on mobility is rarely singled out for attention. Through purposive sampling and then snowballing, eight outer suburban residents participated in photo-elicited interviewing to detail their lifeworlds and mobility experiences. Problems ranged from getting to work to accessing schools, shops and even neighbourhood services as the suburban car culture was embraced but also constrained patterns of movement. However, there was also an array of positive experiences and alternatives to these patterns, including the pleasures to be found in traffic jams and the suburban environment and local actions to establish new pathways and means of movement as well as set up local employment options. Mobility constraint thereby generated a range of unexpected strategies, as residents exercised their agency to shape their experiences, create alternatives and to build suburban centred lives.

“A tapestry without instructions.” Lived experiences of community in an outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia

Abstract The suburbs located on the metropolitan edges of Australian cities are popular residential locations, but concerns have been raised about social isolation in these developing communities. This paper explores residents’ lived experiences of community in an outer-suburb of Melbourne using a phenomenological approach and photo-elicited interviews. Nine participants photographed positive and less favourable aspects of their suburb and these images were used to guide in-depth interviews. Findings indicated that participants’ views on what it meant to be a community and how they went about making social connections did not align exclusively with concepts of community saved, lost or liberated, but included broad aspirations around community building, helping and being helped by strangers and online place-based relationships. Overall, residents’ experiences were complex suggesting researchers, government and developers alike need to pay closer attention to how residents themselves create community in new and evolving suburbs.

Mothers’ ideals and experiences of raising children in inner and outer suburban Melbourne, Australia

ABSTRACT Parents’ perceptions of their neighbourhoods are important for child health outcomes. This study compared views among mothers in inner versus outer suburbs of Melbourne, Australia using a mixed methods approach. Mothers of preschool-aged children were recruited via playgroups, mother’s groups and preschools and interviewed face-to-face regarding their local area as a good place to raise a family, with a second open-ended interview focussing on mothers’ ideals and experiences of raising children in their current location. Findings demonstrated that mothers had different ideals for, and experiences of, raising their children in their neighbourhoods. Inner suburban mothers valued a manageable work/family balance and access to public transport over the size of their homes. However, access to childcare, secondary schooling and heavy traffic were issues, with the latter two being reasons for moving from the municipality. In contrast, outer suburban mothers preferred a larger home in neighbourhoods that they perceived as low crime, over accessibility to work. Access to a car and activities for their children were also important. Findings suggest no ‘one size fits all’ in respect to what features mothers expect from a good place to raise a family, or how they experience these features. This has implications for service delivery and social planning of suburbs.

High-rise parenting: experiences of families in private, high-rise housing in inner city Melbourne and implications for children’s health

ABSTRACT Families raising children in private, high-rise, housing are a new phenomenon in Australian cities. This study explored their experiences and the implications of these findings for children’s health. Parents’ experiences of raising preschool age children in private, high-rise housing (3 storeys or more) in one, inner city Melbourne municipality were explored using the participatory research method Photovoice. Ten parents photographed aspects of their development and neighbourhood perceived to have positive or negative impacts on raising young children. Parents participated in both individual and group interviews about their photographs and key themes were determined. 120 images and over 15 hours of interview material were collected. Three themes were developed from the interviews and photographs relating to: (1) space (2) density and (3) design of housing complexes. The health implications of these experiences were discussed with regards to social ecology theory. Microsystem influences on children’s health included the safety of windows, balconies and car parks, along with exposure to sunlight, noise and places to play. Exosystem influences included the opportunity inner city, high-rise housing provided in maintaining work/family balance. Macrosystem influences included policy on apartment design, which while improving over time (chronosystem influence), is still not directed to families raising children.

Menopause into the Millennium: Development of a Training Program for General Practitioners in Menopausal Medicine

Recent studies suggest that general practitioners (GPs) are voicing a need for continuing medical education to help them in their role as primary health care providers for women going through the menopause. The study describes the development and evaluation of a pilot training program for GPs in menopausal medicine. Key features of the program include: the importance of GPs in the development of the program; recognition of adult learning principles; the incorporation of womens views; the accessibility of the program; and the recognition that providing GPs with high, quality, relevant education on the menopause should ultimately benefit women seeking their help. Evaluation of the pilot program found that GPs were very satisfied with the content and delivery of the program. The material presented was found to be relevant to GP practices and a substantial proportion of GPs suggested that the information would change the way they practiced.