Neil Drew

Sex and gender role differences in anger: An Australian community study

Anger is a commonly experienced emotion popularly thought to differ for men and women. Studies have produced conflicting evidence for sex differences on measures of anger often due to definitional confusion, methodological limitations, the use of non-random samples and the use of student and clinical populations. Some previous studies have suggested that males and females do not differ in measures of anger and that gender role identification may be more predictive of patterns of anger experience and expression. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sex, gender role identification and sex of the target of anger on measures of state and trait anger in a community sample of the Australian population. Results supported the prediction that gender role identification rather than sex were related to anger experience, expression and control, with this finding being consistent across two situational contexts. Sex of the target of anger was found to provide a weak contextual influence on male and female expression of anger. The implications of these findings for future research and for those working with anger in clinical settings are discussed.

The evolution of epistemology and concepts in an iterative-generative reflective practice: The importance of small differences

Using a contextualist epistemology, it would be expected that regional differences in community psychology would develop over time. It is argued that the epistemology and theory of Western Australian community psychology, while largely based on North American approaches, has developed its own idiosyncracies. These developed through the integration of practice and theory in an “iterative-generative” fashion. The process of development is conceptualized in terms of Schöns and Altmans distinctions between foundational knowledge, and professional and socially responsive knowledge (I. Altman, 1996; D. A. Schön, 1983). It has also been characterized as an incremental development based on the reflection on tacit and conceptual knowledge. From the small differences that have developed between regions, a dialogue can emerge that will better allow understanding of how social forces shape peoples actions.

The settlement experiences of refugees from the former Yugoslavia

In the 1990s many mixed marriage refugees from what was Yugoslavia settled in Perth, Australia. A mixed marriage is one where the parties have different ethnicities. Using multiple‐case, conversational interviews, the experiences of 12 of these refugees were explored. The processes of acculturation and adaptation, the development of social support networks and community, and their ethnic identity and ethnicity, were discussed and analysed within both the sociopolitical context of the conflict in what was Yugoslavia, and their subsequent migration. The initial settlement programmes and supports to the refugees and provided by Australias government and community groups were also analysed. The results illustrated the diversity of experiences of the participants as well as shared experiences resulting from their being in a mixed marriage. In summary, the results suggest that settlement is stressful for the refugees, that community‐based settlement programmes provide more positive settlement experiences than government programmes, and that people in mixed marriages experience particular stresses related to the political context in the former Yugoslavia, including a history of alienation and persecution. Theoretically the results indicate that the participants are moving towards an acculturation outcome of biculturalism. The complex nature of their ethnic identity and ethnicity is also discussed.

Critiquing the school community: A qualitative study of children’s conceptualizations of their school

Schools are traditionally seen as responsible for the educational outcomes of our children. However, schools also play an important role in the development of aspects such as self‐efficacy, participation, competence and self‐determination. As schools are often run as societies rather than communities, they offer little opportunity for these attributes (self‐efficacy, participation, competence and self‐determination) to develop. Forty‐six children aged from nine to 12 years were interviewed to ascertain their conceptualizations of the school community. The children define their school in terms of people, places for activities and interaction, a place for safety, cooperation, influence and functionality. The responses closely align to the adult conceptualizations of sense of community as purported by McMillan and Chavis (1986). Implications of this research suggest that children can and should have an integral role in designing a curriculum and systems relevant to the school context if we are at all concerned with their psychological wellness.

Social and emotional wellbeing, natural helpers, critical health literacy and translational research: connecting the dots for positive health outcomes:

Objective: The tripartite framework for principled practice was developed as part of the Wundargoodie Aboriginal Youth and Community Wellbeing Programme. The programme engages natural helpers to enhance critical health literacy. This paper examines the importance of translational research to enhancing critical health literacy for this group of de facto health workers using the work of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as an example. Translational research provides workforce support for those who are time poor and overburdened. Connecting these concepts and natural helpers will make a positive difference to Aboriginal health outcomes. Conclusions: There is a need for the development of translational research products that enhance the critical health literacy of natural helpers. The tripartite framework for principled practice supports reflective and accountable practice in the intercultural space to build trust and confidence between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to enhance the opportunity for authentic knowledge production and transfer.

Living and Learning Together: Principled Practice for Engagement and Social Transformation in the East Kimberley Region of Western Australia

In this chapter, Drew will discuss the 4-year program of engagement with Aboriginal communities in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Youth and Community Wellbeing program was initiated (and wholly funded) by the Traditional Owners of the region as a partnership to address youth suicide. The program embodies culturally determined ways of working based on authentic relationship building for the long term. He will explore the importance of everyday practices as well as the use of innovative approaches including photography, art and film to document the lived experiences of community in pursuit of social transformation and critical consciousness.

Homelessness, mimesis, and the flânerie

As an intense repository for human existence, the contemporary city is textured by scenes of homelessness that manifest broader issues of inequality and poverty in society. This article explores material from photo-elicitation projects with 36 street homeless men in Auckland who were asked to go out into the city and picture their everyday lives. In interpreting the results, we draw on theoretical work on mimesis, urban mobilities, and social practice to conceptualize how homeless people attempt to convey aspects of street life. A core proposition is that in adopting the mobile analytic gaze of flânerie, participants produce photographs as memetic objects that enable them to show and articulate traces of the key places, features, rhythms, practices, and relationships of homelessness.