Theses

Indigenous Secondary Education: What implications for counsellors lie in the stories of Indigenous adults, who as children, left their home communities to attend school?

Suzanne Jenkins — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:26:00 PDT

Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of the peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can become the president of a great nation. Nelson Mandela

Access to a ‘good’ education is often argued as deserving of the highest priority. The available research pertaining to the educational experience of Australian Indigenous students, however, too often reflects a picture of profound disadvantage, particularly in relation to their non-Indigenous counterparts. In 2008, Prime Minister Rudd announced $20 million of Federal Government funding for 2000 boarding school places over 20 years, to address chronic levels of academic underachievement and to prepare Indigenous students to become “workplace P-platers” in an attempt to close the education gap between black and white Australians. Education in Australia, however, is tied to white culture, the industrial economy and the means through which white culture survives, so accepting these places may also have a shadow side, in relation to multiple levels of loss and possible cultural alienation.

The purpose of this study is to discover what implications for counselling practice lie in the self-report of the ‘lived experience’ of an adult sample of eight Indigenous participants who, as children, experienced leaving home to attend school. Their experience spans five decades.

A phenomenological method was adopted, using an unstructured interview as the data-gathering instrument and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data. IPA is a qualitative research methodology appropriate for exploring in detail how participants are making sense of their personal and social worlds.

Analysis of participant stories identified eleven subordinate themes, which were clustered under three ordinate themes: recognition, living environment and realism. One super-ordinate theme emerged, “living between two worlds’, which is represented as a never-ending ‘journey’ involving both ‘loss and gain’, highlighting the need for a loss/gain audit to be maintained as many of the positive and negative experiences were felt in the moment, while others had life-long repercussions. Identifying these experiences will enhance the counselling profession’s ability to develop interventions to strengthen the social, psychological and educational attainment of current and future Indigenous students.

Water as Blessing: Recovering the Symbolism of the Garden of Eden through Ezekiel for Christian Theology – A Theological Investigation

Jim Cregan — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:18:07 PDT

The Garden of Eden is one of the most pervasive and enduring images in the Abrahamic Tradition. Despite being the inspiration of many profound works of art, including painting, music, literature, architecture, and landscape design, theological meaning has tended to be subsidiary to wider anthropological, archaeological or art-historical concerns. Recent interest in nature imagery in the Bible, including the Garden of Eden, suggests this aspect of religious expression is becoming more visible. However, most attention has tended to focus on the socio-political and ecological implications of these images, and is primarily agrarian in focus. Given the canonical location of the Eden myth in Genesis 2:5 and 3, and Revelation 22:1-5, bookending, as it were, the Christian Bible, this emphasis seems misplaced. Indeed, an examination of the use of Edenic imagery, with its roots in the temple cult of pre-exilic Jerusalem, points instead to an alternative interpretation expressive of an eschatology that simultaneously symbolizes, manifests and energises the enduring hope that lies at the root of the Christian experience. The Eden imagery used in Ezekiel 47:1-12, as it is reprised in Revelation 22:1-5, and also in John 4:4-42, is central to this understanding, mediating the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit through the notion of water as blessing.

Employee Health in the 21st Century: An Investigation of Exercise Incentives in Four Medium-Sized Western Australian Organisations

Troy Fuller — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 23:05:14 PDT

The first decade of the 21st century has shown how organisations are dynamic and turbulent. Many employees are time-poor, working longer and longer hours and are expected to be contactable 24/7, motivated and available to work. Research has shown that employee health is at great risk. Some organisations are now offering incentives for employees to exercise (‘exercise incentives’), and rigorous research was needed to understand and manage these incentives and support health.

The major research question in the study involved employees’ experience of exercise incentives in four medium-sized organisations in Western Australia. Four subsidiary questions provided detail as to the term ‘exercise incentives’, incentives currently provided, influences to employees’ use of exercise incentives and implications for organisational strategy and practice.

The research was driven by a Salutogenic (proactive) focus on health, developed by Aaron Antonovsky. A detailed literature review relevant to contemporary organisations was conducted in the areas of health, exercise and employee incentives; it culminated in an Integrated Hypothetical Framework which was tested and expanded through a phenomenological, mixed method of focus groups, surveys and interviews to fully assess the current situation.

Critically, it was found that just over half (52.1%) of the participating employees were likely to meet the Australian recommendations for physical activity for adults, which encompasses exercise. Therefore, the research provides a necessary and timely contribution to organisational strategy and practice and to academic discussion by demonstrating the profound influence of exercise incentives which must be well-considered, suitably implemented and evaluated.

Four key models were developed: an Exercise Incentives Model for understanding the concept, a Gap Analysis Model to assess strengths and opportunities for improvement, an Exercise Incentives Implementation Model for action and a Research Outcomes Model which encompassed the entire investigation. Before publication, models and recommendations were validated with a senior manager from each participating organisation for clarity and refinement.

Employees, organisations and the research community now have access to rigorously-researched, comprehensive information about exercise incentives and processes for implementation, monitoring and future development. The research offers a powerful contribution to support employee and organisational health in their own right, and a vital extension to contemporary Human Resource Management to drive organisational success now and into the future.

‘One Foot in Wales and My Vowels in England’: Double-Consciousness in the work of Dylan Thomas

Karl Powell — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:31:56 PDT

Dylan Thomas once made a throwaway observation that he was a border case: regarded in England as Welsh and living in Wales as an Englishman. He claimed he was living with one foot in Wales and his vowels in England. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the phenomenon of double-consciousness arising in the work and life of Thomas. Based on W.E.B. du Bois’ theory of Double-Consciousness, it is argued that due to being raised to speak only English by Welsh-speaking parents, Thomas developed a cultural awareness to both cultures and found himself caught between identifying himself as either Welsh or English. To measure this a tripartite method of research is undertaken. First a double investigation into his mimicry of the two cultural traditions to which he felt aligned and in binary opposition to: the Welsh traditions of his upbringing, and the English traditions of his mother tongue. This will conducted using a selection of illustrative poems, drawn from his five volumes of published poetry. In this structural dichotomy it is hoped to witness his mimicry of the two literary traditions he had an awareness of, through his own literary output. The study concludes with an examination of Under Milk Wood seeking to discover the possible resolutions Thomas negotiated through his own fashioning of hybridity and anticipation of Homi K. Bhabha’s ‘third space of enunciation’ between such binary opposites.

Sand and Skirts: A Study of British Women in Early Colonial Fremantle, 1829-39

Toni Church — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:01:29 PDT

This study of Fremantle during the first decade of British settlement at Swan River investigates the trauma and triumph of its female colonists. In this outpost of empire, British women hoped for a better life, with greater economic and social freedoms, and a promising future for their families. They faced many challenges to achieve these aspirations.

On their journey to Swan River they experienced the cramped conditions on board the emigrant ships that bred disease and discontent amongst passengers. Some suffered from violence, and loss was a part of everyday life. Loss of belongings and livestock in rough seas hampered their prosperity in the new settlement. Loss of children, husbands or guardians, while emotionally devastating, could have ended women’s colonial experiment before even reaching Fremantle.

Upon arrival at Swan River, female colonists were met with a sandy, barren, disappointment of their expectations. Fremantle in 1829 to 1832 was not the Arcadian paradise many emigrants had hoped. Living in hot, sandy, pest-ridden tents on the beaches of Fremantle, female colonists had to uphold the propriety of daily life. They cared for children, assisted their husbands, and worked in the domestic sphere. Their fear of the local Nyungah Aboriginal people was ever-present, as was the constant threat of illness, accident and loss of life. A number of colonists left Fremantle during these harsh early years.

From 1833, conditions at Fremantle improved. Economic stability ushered in greater freedoms for female colonists. Land ownership and business opportunities became available. Domestic servants could demand higher wages and better working conditions in these sturdier conditions. With the progress of the colonial economy, Fremantle developed as a town. An increase in institutions such as schools encouraged a burgeoning sense of colonial identity and sense of community at Fremantle. Although the period was marked with increased frontier conflict with the Nyungah people, most major clashes occurred outside of Fremantle.

The development of Fremantle, and the resulting achievements of female colonists in 1839 lay in stark contrast to the conditions of earlier settlement. Emigrant women’s initial aspirations and goals for settlement were mostly fulfilled by the end of the first decade of colonisation at Swan River. The colony was prosperous: land ownership and business opportunities were realised, colonial identity and social advancement were possible and Fremantle held realistic potential as a strong future for female colonist’s families.

Is Pain Really God’s Megaphone? Responding to C.S. Lewis

Lisa Moate — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 23:56:45 PDT

In this study I will defend C.S. Lewis’ claim that people can be morally improved through experiences of pain and suffering and that, as such, attempts to avoid painful experiences are inappropriate. In explaining the context within which Lewis treats pain, a discussion of the nature of pain itself is not necessary since the importance of Lewis’ work lies in its practical application and the role it has in people’s lives; that is, in contributing towards our moral growth. The nature of pain is examined insofar as clarifying the idea it that can only be understood individually due to the distinct uniqueness of the person as a singular entity and the respective individuality of perspective and linguistic interpretation. Because of this individuality, responses to pain differ vastly, and for this reason it is important to emphasise the benefits of endurance and the consequences of avoidance in painful experiences. Furthermore, I have examined the way Lewis deals with the claim in each of his various genres in order to show how his work collectively contributes toward the development of this position.

Sustainability of Potable Water in the Pilbara

Timothy P. Pidhirnyj — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:35:13 PDT

This paper provides an examination of current and future demands on potable (drinking) water in the Pilbara. In this examination, it builds a picture summarizing human habitation in the Pilbara, and the nature in which the Western Australia state and Commonwealth governments assess and manage resources in the Pilbara, state wide, and nationally. Following on, water demand is broken down into its major user groups per town, and future demand is estimated based on publically available documents. It will be shown that water demand in certain areas of the Pilbara will exceed their licensed extraction limits within the next 20 years. It will also be show that a number of factors, including industrial grown and higher residential demand are the drivers of these issues. Finally, these factors will be examined for their root cause, the rolls of various government stakeholders assessed, and recommendations will be made to improve the supply, use, and management of water in the Pilbara.

Practical Rationality in the Nicomachean Ethics: An investigation into the use of craft analogies in relation to practical wisdom (phronesis) and happiness (eudaimonia)

Tom Vanderveen — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:21:32 PDT

This thesis is an investigation into Aristotle’s use of craft analogies in the Nicomachean Ethics, as instructional to his concept of practical wisdom and happiness. For Aristotle, ethics is predominantly a practice, thus the focus is on practical rationality rather than theory. For this reason, Aristotle’s discussion of ethics lends itself to the use of craft analogy, in that craft is a practice. It is argued that while being a good pedagogical tool, craft analogies fall short, because they do not cover the full gamut of human experience.

Non-Traditional Choices: The Construction of Masculine Identity Among Male Nursing Students

Tim Mackellar — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:59:52 PDT

This purpose of this project was to examine the experiences of five male nursing students, to uncover the challenges involved with reconciling the perceived feminine nature of their occupation with the demands of a traditional masculine gender regime. The research was based within a social constructionist epistemological paradigm, employing a critical theory interpretation and grounded theory methodology. Conducted through semi-structured interviews, the participant’s accounts demonstrated the ways in which they modified, rejected and generally re-conceptualised dominant masculinities within the non-traditional setting. Their experiences were captured through three dominant themes; script assessment, self-authorship and authenticity. Emerging from these themes was a grounded theory of developmental gender authenticity, an iterative process of masculine identity construction that was similar for all of the men as they increasingly distanced themselves from the normative gender discourses with which they were formerly familiar. Traditional masculine practices lost most if not all legitimacy for the participants, as they committed themselves to authentic ongoing personal projects to reconstruct their gender identity to produce a progressively socialised self.

Research in Aboriginal Contexts: Kimberley Voices

Luke Taaffe — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:43:38 PDT

As a result of the enduring legacy of negative Australian history and culturally inappropriate past research practices, Aboriginal peoples are generally suspicious and mistrusting of research and researchers, particularly non-Indigenous researchers. Poor relations, paternalistic policies, racial discrimination and the inherent unequal power distribution in research relationships has seen many Aboriginal communities exploited, studied as ‘the other’, robbed of intellectual property, sacred artefacts and human remains. The introduction of ethical research guidelines in recent times has since improved contemporary researcher practices; however the lack of grassroots Aboriginal community consultation regarding appropriate, culturally competent research practices led the researcher to ask Aboriginal peoples from the Kimberley region of WA their experiences, values, beliefs and insights regarding research and researchers, in particular non-Aboriginal researchers. Fourteen Aboriginal participants and one non-Aboriginal participant, all with varying past research experiences, were interviewed in Broome and Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia. Results indicate that although participant responses were consistent with formal published guidelines, a number of gaps were identified. The major themes identified in participant interviews reflect: negative history and background understandings, rationales, agendas and vested interests, relationships, dialogue, time and timing, collaboration, partnership and negotiation, power and control, informed consent, understandings and awareness, appropriate researchers, cultural awareness, reflexivity, ownership, intellectual property, acknowledgement and commercialisation, outcomes, accountability, and ethical research. Community awareness of the existence and content of standardised research guidelines is minimal, and guideline accessibility was found to be poor. Researchers must reflect and reconsider their position and the position of Aboriginal participants in research partnerships to honour decolonising research practices, the deconstruction of whiteness and the redistribution of power. A need for research accountability and an enhanced capacity to enforce research guidelines is recommended. Further research into this topic is also recommended. The research findings are to be utilised in the policy development of Nulungu: The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, Broome Campus.

Assistive technology: Effects of training on education assistants' perceptions of themselves as users and facilitators of assistive technology and consequent transfer of skills to the classroom environment

Dianne J. Chambers — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:15:09 PDT

With the increasing use of Education Assistant Special Needs (EASN) to support students with special needs in regular settings, it is important to consider the tools and knowledge that they bring to the role. The use of assistive technology (AT) as a support for students with special needs in Australia and globally is becoming more prevalent as the technology becomes increasingly affordable and more widely available. Consequently, it is important that the staff who are most likely to be working closely with these students are competent and confident in the use of AT. The purpose of this research was to investigate EASNs’ perceptions of themselves as users and facilitators of AT in the classroom and to examine how skills learnt in a training situation might transfer into a classroom setting. Perceptions of EASN in regards to AT have not previously been examined, even though these perceptions may potentially impact upon if, when and how, AT is utilised in the classroom.

Eighteen EASN were recruited to participate in the study. These participants were drawn from five primary school settings in the Perth, Western Australia, metropolitan area. The EASN were all employed to work with students with special needs, and indicated that they previously had little training in the area of AT. As part of the study, an eight-week training program was designed for the EASN to incorporate a wide range of assistive technologies, from low-tech to high-tech, across a number of functional areas (i.e. learning disability, vision and hearing impairments, physical disability). The training was targeted towards the EASN and their role as described by the level 3 Job Description Form (Department of Education and Training, 2002c) and the Competency Framework for Education Assistants – Special Needs (Department of Education and Training, 2008).

A mixed method study incorporating a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies underpinned the research. Participants were asked to complete a skills test, questionnaire and focus group interview at three phases of the study – pre-training, post-training, and after a ten week maintenance period. The data collected were then analysed using non-parametric statistics and qualitative coding. Together the data allowed the researcher to explore the perceptions of the EASN to using and facilitating the use of AT and to determine the level of skill development as a result of the training. The use of a ten week maintenance period also assisted the researcher to determine how the training had transferred into the classroom setting.

The research revealed significant impacts for the EASN in the areas of confidence for using and facilitating AT with students with special needs and highlighted areas where barriers to the use of AT were evident. Recommendations to address these barriers are presented. Future avenues of research are also highlighted. These areas of research would provide further insight into the use of AT and how EASN are utilised in school settings to support students with special educational needs who are using AT.

Development and Trial of a Report Card on Children’s Physical Activity in Western Australia

Maria Doolan — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:43:28 PDT

Current levels of physical activity in Western Australian children and adolescents do not meet national physical activity recommendations. Insufficient physical activity and increasing levels of sedentary behaviours endanger the physical, mental and social health of young Western Australians. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Report Card to monitor Western Australia’s status in delivering the 10 Key Rights (identified and articulated in the

Charter for Active Kids and developed by the Children’s Physical Activity Coalition) which aim to guide current and future physical activity interventions for Western Australian children and adolescents. The Report Card targeted multiple levels within a local community and was implemented in both a rural and metropolitan trial community. The study was carried out in three phases; 1) Development of a Report Card Template and Implementation Tools, 2) Evaluation Trials and 3) Report Card Evaluation and Report Card Process Feedback. Other international examples of child physical activity Report Cards guided the research design and an action learning methodology allowed for learning and improvements to be implemented along the way. First, indicators representing all the Key Rights of the Report Card and which were significant for all levels and sectors of the Western Australian community were identified. Next, to validate the tool, evidence to evaluate each indicator within each community was sourced and grades allocated overall and for each Key Right. Both communities were challenged to participate in improved delivery of these Key Rights. Areas identified as lacking sufficient data (for reporting purposes) hold particular significance for researchers in the Western Australian community; they will highlight future research needed to adequately monitor a common vision of improving physical activity opportunities for our Western Australian children and adolescents.

Exploring the Development of Student Leadership Potential Within a Catholic School: A Qualitative Case Study

Gregory Hine — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:18:36 PST

The focus of this research was student leadership and student leadership development in a Catholic secondary school. Central to the thesis were the leadership experiences and self-perceptions of elected students aged 15-17 years as they participated in the school’s leadership program. These insights helped the researcher characterise the functioning Program of student leadership at the school, and to discern what kinds of leaders are produced through its efforts.

The review of literature considered five established leadership models: transactional leadership, transformational leadership, charismatic leadership, servant leadership, and distributed leadership. These models were analysed with regards to their strengths, limitations, and potential application to a Catholic, educational setting. Christian leadership and school-based, student leadership initiatives were also examined.

The study focused on a longitudinal case study, the conduct of which was located in the interpretive paradigm of qualitative research. It was situated within the epistemology of interpretivism, and the chosen theoretical perspective was symbolic interactionism. The data were gathered through the exercise of multiple, qualitative methods, namely: one-on-one interviewing, focus group interviewing, document searches, field notes, and researcher reflective journaling.

Findings from the study indicated that the school does not ascribe to any single, established model of leadership; rather, it can be characterised as encompassing an eclectic approach, with an emphasis on elements of transactional, transformative, and servant leadership models. Students asserted that their predominant roles comprised actively participating in leadership-related tasks and acting as role-models for others, particularly younger students. Staff shared that they were chiefly responsible for mentoring students, and for the provision and facilitation of student leadership opportunities.

The student leaders encountered a range of positive and challenging leadership opportunities and activities as they participated in the school’s leadership program. Few, if any, negative leadership experiences were reported. There were a number of perceived benefits and shortcomings students associated with the functioning student leadership program. Benefits included working with other student leaders, and having many leadership opportunities available to the student body. Three shortcomings were associated with the functioning leadership program, namely: some elected students abrogating leadership roles and responsibilities, the apparent non-involvement of younger elected leaders within the program, and the influence of a perceived popularity vote on leadership elections.

Staff outlined various beneficial, personal outcomes for students participating in the school’s leadership program. The chief benefit mentioned was the acquisition and refinement of distinctive leadership skills. Finally, staff unanimously agreed that student participation within the program contributed to the development of leadership potential.

Martin Griver: A biographical study of a missionary, visionary and colonial bishop in Western Australia, 1814-86

Odhran O'Brien — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:46:07 PST

Brigadier Richard Holmes, biographer and military historian, has stated that he seeks the ‘character of the man’ in his biographical studies of such British political figures as Winston Churchill. In undertaking a biography of Bishop Martin Griver, I have been endeavouring to realise that same objective. The ‘search for Griver’ began on a completely physical level with an exhumation of his remains from within St Mary’s Cathedral, the place of worship that he helped design and build. In many ways much of the knowledge about his contribution to Western Australia’s Catholic Church has been laid to rest with him—until now. The object of this thesis is bring new life to Griver’s story and reveal the essence of the man through investigation of a plethora of correspondence, reports, memoranda, diaries and other historical material much of which has never been researched.

Due to certain limitations of the historical record this biographical account focuses mainly on Griver’s missionary career in Western Australia. The revision of primary and secondary sources has taken place and considered in conjunction with the cultural remains from Griver’s time namely his home in Perth, the churches he built and institutions he created. These footprints of Griver’s time have made it possible to identify the key issues and themes within the life of the man, his impact on Catholic Church in Western Australia and its interaction with its counterparts in the eastern colonies and Rome. Further, Griver significantly changed the place of the Catholic community within colonial society.

In all, this biography reveals the life of a man who had a devotion to missionary work, that led him to become the leader of the Catholic community in Western Australia. Throughout his time as leader, he maintained a close pastoral relationship with his congregation. This enabled him to see the need for more churches, schools, social welfare and a united Catholic hierarchy. He focused the administration of the Perth Diocese on achieving initiatives which directly benefited the people it served. When he died he was the first active bishop of the Diocese to both die in office and be buried within its ecclesiastical territory. His legacy further included a financially stable, spiritually enriched, and cohesive Catholic community. To this end, although an unwilling leader, he achieved the ideal for a bishop by successfully promoting the unity and welfare of his flock.

Impact of Relational Marketing of Laptops: High Tech Product Adoptions in a Retail Setting

Anirudha Vasant Bansod — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:36:32 PST

Marketing has developed from using a simple transactional model to a more sophisticated relational orientation model. Selling and marketing practices are different according to the culture of a country, purchasing power parity, economical situations, political conditions, the demand versus supply gap ratio and the socioeconomic conditions of the market place. Academics have translated these factors into a simple sales discipline. However, every region and country has its own style of business.

The business problem in this study was to understand ‘how retailers develop effective marketing strategies to increase the consumer’s propensity to buy high-tech products from their retail stores in a declining product life-cycle?’

Three research questions were set for the study:

1) Does Relational Marketing (RM) have a role in the adoption of high tech products in the technological retail industry?

2) What impact does the Retail salesperson have on the adoption of high-tech products?

3) What impact does the retailer have on the adoption of high-tech product purchasing?

In-depth answers have been provided as to whether relational theory is important in today’s global market place where consumers feel confident and emotionally attached to a respective retail outlet. Also, the importance of the relationship of consumers with salespersons and the retail store to gain benefits or otherwise has been determined. The research addressed the issue of whether present retailers, along with their professional salespeople, have adopted the relationship marketing (RM) strategy in their selling process to help consumers reach their purchasing decisions.

The major objective of RM is to reduce available market choices and engage in relational market behaviour by attracting the same marketer in subsequent choice situations. The current research confirmed previous research that consumers like to reduce their available choices and engage in relational market behaviour because they want to simplify their buying and consuming tasks, simplify information processing, reduce perceived risks and maintain cognitive consistency and state of psychological efforts. In addition, as time becomes a very valued asset in the busy lifecycle of modern people, they want to have easy access to the information and, ultimately, decide on their specific purchase once they have established their need for a product or service. Also, it was found that they engage in relational market behaviour because of family and social norms, peer group pressure, government mandates, religious tenets, employer influences and market policies. Findings supported the argument by academics that the willingness and ability of consumers and marketers to engage in relational marketing leads to greater marketing productivity, unless either the consumer or marketer abuses their mutual interdependence and cooperation. Relationship marketing is a win-win situation for both consumer and marketers.

The research indicated that today’s retailers are managing their customer relationships aggressively and effectively. The retailer’s strategy of relationship marketing (RM) is helping consumers take the ultimate decision in purchasing. Whereas traditional transaction marketing was dominant with retailers focused on acquisition and making transactions as quickly as possible, modern retailers use the relationship marketing strategy by considering the long term benefits of loyal consumers. Customer for life is the philosophical agenda of most top managers, so that organisations reap the fruits of consumer loyalty over a decade. Currently, retailers focus on delivering superior service quality to satisfy their customers, to differentiate themselves from the competition and to build a steady customer base by focussing on customer retention.

The research was carried out in six countries and data collected and analysed as composite data; however, the data also can be used to compare purchasing power and consumer behaviour in future research. The hypothetical conceptual model designed for current study was confirmed by the research as comprising seven constructs and their relationships; viz., purchase intent, retail store image, salesperson likeability, relationship orientation, trust in salesperson, commitment to retail store and involvement of consumer. A two-step structural equation modelling procedure was used as the primary statistical technique to test the hypothesised relationships.

The Role of the Virtues in Christian Discipleship in James Keenan SJ and William Spohn: A Comparative Investigation

Nicola Jane Borg — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:03:44 PDT

As Christians, the basis for our moral development and consequent actions is rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ. To the extent that we respond to the love of God, open ourselves to ongoing conversion, allow of our consciences to be formed by His truth, recognise and repent of sin in our lives and strive to develop the virtues is the extent to which we will grow as disciples of Jesus. Both James Keenan and William Spohn have used virtues ethics to investigate various aspects of this call and our moral response. Keenan’s principal concern seems to be the nature and practice of the virtues, especially that of wisdom in moral decision-‐ making. Spohn looks at identity, perception and dispositions while using Scripture to argue how the person of Jesus Christ must play a normative role in how we reflect on and respond to moral issues. Common to both is the requirement of disciples to be lovers and imitators of Jesus Christ, not only for our own moral good, but for that of our wider church communities and our society.

Development of a System to Optimise Water Recharge and Timber Production from Pinus pinaster Aiton Plantations on the Gnangara Water Mound

Scott Wood — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:52:46 PDT

Degree Name:

Doctor of Natural Resource Management

In 1996, the Western Australian Government decided to progressively liquidate 21,000 hectares of Pinus pinaster Aiton plantations located 20 kilometres north of Perth on the Gnangara Water Mound. The decision was made for a number of reasons but one of the principal concerns was the conflict between water use and timber production. The decision to liquidate the plantation over a prescribed period while meeting a legal requirement to produce timber for a laminated veneer lumber plant provided the opportunity to integrate the large database on plantation growth and water recharge and use operational research models to determine the optimum liquidation scenario.

Pinus pinaster Aiton growth on the Gnangara Water Mound on sites with shallow water tables was found to be less than on sites with deep water tables. This indicates that the trees on these shallow sites, with depths to water table of five to ten metres, are not accessing the water table. Consequently, it is concluded that it is the volume of the water in the unsaturated zone, beneath the trees that is the factor limiting growth not the depth of the water table. Leaf area index (LAI) can be derived from satellite photography except in stands with very open canopies. The relationship between LAI and the extent to which groundwater is recharged is critical. The relationship between Leaf Area Index and Basal Area was not linear as has been assumed in previous recharge models but there was a strong relationship between tree growth and Leaf Area Index. LAI is subject to a number of influences which include amongst other species, age and stand density.

Site maximum LAI for Pinus pinaster Aiton was 3.3 on the Gnangara Mound. Leaf Area Index regrowth for Pinus pinaster Aiton on the Gnangara Mound after thinning for a whole stand could be explained by:

LAI regrowth = z0 + a(SPH) + b(AGE) + c(SPH*SPH) + d(AGE*AGE) (where SPH is stems per hectare and AGE is time since planting). The LAI growth curve of unthinned young (<20 years>old) stands was sigmoidal and explained by LAI = 3/(1-81^((3.5+12/2-year)/12)). This pattern is probably caused by increasing reductions of water availability. Because of this LAI pattern for young stands (<20 years>old) it was hypothesized that the water recharge /age relationship for these stands is a negative sigmoid. That is it inversely mirrors the growth rates of LAI. Consequently the proportion of total rainfall used by plantations would increase with increasing LAI until it reaches the site maximum LAI and then plateaus. Combining the recharge relationship with LAI growth for the same ages of young stands (below 20 years of age) results in a negative linear relationship where percentage recharge = -15*LAI +45. This differs for the LAI to recharge relationship used in PRAMS( Perth Regional Aquifer Model) which proposes that above LAI 1.5 there is a complete extinguishment of recharge. The hypothesised negative linear relationship of LAI to water recharge is more readily able to explain the LAI to age pattern for young stands(<20 years>old) whereas a full extinguishment at LAI 1.5 is not able to explain the ongoing LAI growth to 3.3. It is not conceivable that a plant would double its transpiration and rainfall interception area if it has already reached the limitation of full site water usage as proposed in PRAMS. There will always be some uncertainty in the LAI to water recharge relationship because it is impossible to measure directly. Sensitivity analysis was used to accommodate any departure from the actual relationship. LAI does have a strong inverse relation to water recharge. Consequently, LAI minimization within a model would have the same effect as maximizing the water recharge.

A Gnangara Mound Model was developed to provide a high level decision support tool that could effectively evaluate the relationship between water recharge and timber production. The model required a number of scenarios to test sensitivity to growth rates, recovery percentage of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) from gross volumes, increasing volume requirements and shorter liquidation periods. Changing the objective to one of minimizing LAI (equivalent to maximizing ground water recharge) was tested to determine if it would give a significantly different result to that obtained with a maximize volume objective.

The effect of a number of harvesting regimes and other management options on the change in average per annum water recharge derived from the Gnangara Mound Model are listed below:-

• Increasing the frequency of prescribed burning native vegetation, increased recharge by 33.5 GL/yr.

• A reduction of private and public abstraction from 370 to 304GL/yr, increased recharge by 66 GL/yr. • Harvesting regime for Sustainable timber volume supply to 2026, increased recharge by 45.5 to 55 GL/yr.

• Harvesting regime for Minimize LAI with 100000 m3 minimum annual timber volume until 2026, increased recharge by 47.6 to 58.2 GL/yr.

• Harvesting regime for Sustainable timber volume supply to 2016, increased recharge by 50.5 to 62 GL/yr. An equal area of Banksia, at LAI 1, to the pine plantations would recharge annually 39.4 to 36.2 GL. A continuing lower rainfall of 100mm less than long term average would mean a reduction of recharge annually of 107 GL to that achieved prior to 1970.

Within the constraints of the State Agreement Act a small increase in water recharge could be achieved by using a harvesting schedule with an objective that minimizes LAI provided the volumes from 2008 to 2026 are no lower than 117000 m³ per annum.

It is also possible to combine this scenario with maximizing the liquidation of Gnangara plantation rather than the Pinjar and Yanchep plantations within the next 5 years. The combination of these two scenarios would result in the best water outcome (3.2 GL per annum) within the timber production constraints of achieving a minimum of 117000m3 per annum.

Early liquidation of the plantation will increase the water recharge but the water outcomes are small (5-7 GL per annum) in comparison to the timber volume loss and potentially could result in significant costs. Far greater savings could be achieved at a lower cost by using other management strategies such as reduction in Banksia water use through prescribed burning or less water extraction for private use. Small gains in water production would be lost by only a small reduction in annual rainfall due to continuing climate variability.

Extra Food Intake and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: Is there a relationship?

Elizabeth Bradshaw — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:01:30 PDT

This pilot study explored the potential role of food on young people’s mental health. Specifically, the aim was to determine if a relationship exists between extra food intake and depressive symptoms in adolescents’ age 12-17 years. It has been documented that mental health problems in young people result from a complex interaction of risk and protective factors. Eating behaviours and food intake has been investigated in early adolescence (age 10-14), however the specific contribution of extra food on depressive symptoms in mid adolescence has not been determined.

Extra food intake and depressive symptoms were collected from girls and boys in year 8 to 12 (age 12-17) at one middle socio-economic secondary school located in the Perth metropolitan area. Participants completed a daily food recall checklist each day in class from Monday to Thursday to collect extra food intake during the weekday and weekend. Extra food included take away, drinks, party food and snacks. For depressive symptoms, participants completed the Centre of Epidemiological- Depression Scale. Participants were asked to indicate how often in the previous week they had experienced the symptoms listed.

Non parametric tests found girls to have higher scores for depressive symptoms than boys. Girls had significantly higher depressive symptoms than boys in year 8 and 9, and the pattern of depressive symptoms for boys revealed a significant increase from years 9 to 10. Being female and in year 10 emerged as important risk factors to depressive symptoms. There were no significant gender or year differences for total extra food intake, however girls consumed significantly more take away, party food and snack food in year 8 and 9, but boys consumed significantly more take away than girls in year 11 and 12. Significantly more servings of take away and drinks were consumed on the weekend compared to the weekday.

A linear mixed model analysis reported that the consumption of drinks was related to depressive symptoms. Specifically, cordial intake appeared as a significant contributor to higher level of depressive symptoms in girls and year 10 students. The interactions between other types of extra food and specific years also became significant to depressive symptoms. The consumption of take away and drinks on the weekend emerged as significant contributors to depressive symptoms.

This study identifies the potential role of food intake on mental health problems. Previous research has focused on the overall diet in adolescents age 10-14 and has identified that a diet high in processed food is linked with self reported depressive symptoms. The results of this study have revealed important interactions between different types of food and specific years beyond age 14. In particular the consumption of drinks in year 10 is associated with a higher level and severity of depressive symptoms. Another important finding was the pattern of depressive symptoms between boys and girls, with girls having significantly higher depressive symptoms in years 8 and 9, and boys showing a significant increase from years 9 to 10. These results have important implications for future research and practice, particularly in the content and timing of messages about healthy eating and in addressing the risk and protective factors interacting during this time.

Perspectives of Women in Leadership Roles: Working Through The Change

Philippa Gavranich — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:37:50 PST

The majority of women will experience perimenopausal symptoms (Hickey, Davis & Sturdee, 2005; MacLennan, 2009) with an estimated 20% of those experiencing severe symptoms (Hickey et al., 2005). Many of these symptoms have the potential to directly or indirectly affect work performance including hot flushes and night sweats which are experienced by 85% of perimenopausal women (Baldo, Schneider, & Slyter, 2003). Symptoms may begin several years before the cessation of menstruation and may last well into old age (MacLennan, 2009).

This research sought to explore the perceived impact of perimenopausal symptoms on women in leadership roles: how they managed symptoms; the factors that influenced their decisions regarding treatment options and their recommendations for women in similar circumstances. Information was gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 female leaders. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed to identify salient themes from the transcribed narrative. Four superordinate themes were identified:

- Distraction, disruption, discomfort and distress

- Soldiering on or taking control

- Keeping up appearances

- It’s lonely at the top

Participants reported that contending with the demands associated with a leadership role while experiencing perimenopausal symptoms was often distracting and for some, a source of physical and emotional distress which had the capacity to undermine confidence and work performance. Many reported feeling isolated because of the demands and status associated with their work. This isolation often restricted opportunities to gather and share information about symptoms with other women.

The findings provide valuable insights into the experiences of a unique group of women. These insights inform further research and guide interventions and strategies that may assist women in leadership who may be experiencing perimenopausal symptoms.

In particular, the findings of this study indicate that women leaders and the health professionals from whom they seek advice and support are often ill-informed about the onset, nature and management of perimenopausal symptoms. Interventions that provide information and support in a timely and sensitive manner will benefit all perimenopausal women and particularly those in demanding leadership roles.

Individual, behavioural and environmental pathways to adolescent obesity

Paola Teresa Chivers — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:16:30 PST

The longitudinal investigations of the contributions of obesogenic variables to developmental pathways of adolescent obesity were examined. Key obesogenic variables were examined from the extensive database of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. The data set included variables collected in utero (18-20 weeks), at birth, and at ages 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 14 years.

The key research question was: How do individual, behavioural and environmental factors in childhood contribute to weight status at early adolescence? Investigation of this key question examined how factors change over time and their respective influence on obesity, identified critical points in the timing of change, and gender differences.

The conceptual model was framed from an individual, behavioural and environmental perspective, based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Cross-sectional statistics described the sample and variables of interest. A longitudinal model of BMI from birth to 14 years using linear mixed modelling examined the influence of obesogenic variables on BMI over time and differences across weight status groups. Interrelationships between key variables and BMI at each follow-up and over time were investigated using exploratory structural equation modelling. Some key findings were that adolescents who were overweight or obese at 14 years followed different BMI trajectories from birth, compared to those of normal weight. There was a difference between weight status groups in the timing of adiposity rebound (p<.001) and BMI at nadir (p<.001), as well as differences in influence of obesogenic factors. The obese group had the fastest increase of BMI over time (p<.005), while the rate of change was faster for females compared to males (p<.001). Interrelationships between physical activity and sedentary behaviours were shown and changed across models at age 6 years (χ2 (df=22) = 25.036 p=.295), age 8 years (χ2 (df=32) = 33.326 p=.403, age 10 years (χ2 (df=40) = 47.820 p=.185) and age 14 years (χ2 (df=57) = 59.487 p=.385).

This study showed, within the constraints of available obesogenic variables, the complex interrelationships between individual, behavioural and environmental factors, and their relative importance to obesity from birth through to early adolescence. Weight status is a complex balancing act between positive and negative influences, and an individual’s ability (genetic, psychological and environmental) to be resilient to the impact of negative influences. Early childhood was identified as a critical time point for establishing key behaviours that influence later obesity.