The Australian Everyday Consumption project represents the first ever study of Australians' c... more The Australian Everyday Consumption project represents the first ever study of Australians' cultural consumption. The study aims to delineate the cultural activities of Australians and their relationship to social class. The survey covers a broad range of cultural pursuits, and variables include the books, newspapers and magazines people read; the film and television programs they watch; the types of cars they drive and possession of other consumer durables; their musical interests; the suburbs they live in; their homes and levels of home ownership; whether they gamble; their hobbies; whether they play and/or watch sport; membership of clubs; what they eat; their pets; how often they attend galleries, concerts and/or the theatre; the clothes they wear; their families and friends; working conditions and working hours; comparisons with spouse and parents; personal and household financial details; religious beliefs and practices; and their attitudes towards societal classes, cultur...
The general aim of this study was to investigate contemporary Australian class structure. As part... more The general aim of this study was to investigate contemporary Australian class structure. As part of this general aim, the study also sought to provide a profile of the class structure of contemporary Australian society in relational terms; relate the class model to a number of specific variables in the area of ideology and political participation; examine the differential nature of men's and women's access to, orientations toward and positions in the labour process; and to provide the Australian component of a major international comparative project on class structure in a number of advanced industrial societies. Two questionnaires were employed: a Workforce Questionnaire which was administered by personal interview, and a separate attitude questionnaire which the respondent completed alone. The Workforce Questionnaire consisted of several sections. The first section, Current Occupation and Employment, asked detailed questions about current job, industry sector, employment ...
To investigate the health benefits of companion animals in a way that goes beyond finding statist... more To investigate the health benefits of companion animals in a way that goes beyond finding statistical patterns involves appreciating the philosophical debates about the nature of animal consciousness that engage an inter-disciplinary field of scholarship cutting across the Great Divide of the hard sciences and humanities. It also requires developing a methodology to conduct empirical research which is often viewed as of secondary importance by researchers wishing to make a philosophical case about human beings and modernity. This paper considers the achievements of qualitative sociologists, particularly in the field of post-Meadian symbolic interactionism who have addressed these issues, and discusses ways of extending and deepening this agenda through crossfertilization with similar work in ethnomethodology, conversation analysis and post-humanist sociology in investigating the health benefits of dogs.
With qualitative data archiving emerging as a distinct possibility in Australia, the practices an... more With qualitative data archiving emerging as a distinct possibility in Australia, the practices and 'use' of qualitative research are coming under increased scrutiny and reflection. The recent development of a qualitative data archive (AQuA) by the Australian Social Science Data Archive (ASSDA) provides an opportunity for qualitative researchers to reflect, not only upon the feasibility of qualitative data archiving, but on the core assumptions of their work and the extent to which qualitative data lend themselves to sharing and secondary analysis. Drawing on a series of focus groups with qualitative researchers, we critically explore the meanings ascribed to qualitative research practice and the perceived challenges posed by contemporary technological innovations in data management, access, and analysis. As well as raising concerns over the ethical and intellectual property implications of data sharing, focus group participants frequently referred to the uniqueness of qualit...
This article explores the idea of `cultural mobility' both as a way of thinking about the pol... more This article explores the idea of `cultural mobility' both as a way of thinking about the polarizing logic of class relations and practices in contemporary society and as a means by which the debate over the cultural omnivore might be advanced. The concept of cultural mobility refers to the differential capacity to engage with or consume cultural goods and services across the entire spectrum of cultural life, an ability which is itself premised upon an unequal, class-related distribution in cultural competence. Cultural mobility, then, is the ability to move at will between cultural realms, a freedom to choose where one is positioned in the cultural landscape. I argue that the concept provides fertile ground for exploring possible interconnections between a number of diver-gent strands in current social theory which have largely developed independently of each other. At the same time much of this theoretical effort remains divorced from concrete research agendas. Using data coll...
A C Grayling, The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life, Phoenix Paperbacks, 2001, pp 20... more A C Grayling, The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life, Phoenix Paperbacks, 2001, pp 208, pb $21. ISBN 0753813599.Miriam Estensen, The Life of Matthew Flinders, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 538, hb $59.95. ISBN 1865085154.Marele Day, Mrs Cook: The Real and Imagined Life of the Captain's Wife, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 357, pb $29.95. ISBN 1865088021.Tim Rowse, Nugget Coombs: A Reforming Life, Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp 419, hb $59.95. ISBN 0521817838.Rae Wear, Johannes Bjelke‐Petersen: The Lord's Premier, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 249, pb $35. ISBN 0702233048.Robyn Annear, The Man Who Lost Himself— The Unbelievable Story of the Tichborne Claimant, The Text Publishing Company, 2002, pp 430, pb $32. ISBN 1877008176.Christine Halse, A Terribly Wild Man, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 220, pb $35. ISBN 186508753.Brenda Niall, The Boyds, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 514, 38 colour plates, 95 b&w illustrations, hb $49.95. ISBN 0522848710.Mark Johnston, That Magnificent 9th: An Illustrated History of the 9th Australian Division 1940–46, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 272, hb $49.95. ISBN 1865086541.P A Howell, South Australia and Federation, Wakefield Press, pp 418, pb $39.95. ISBN 1862545499.Bruce Kaye, Tom Frame, Colin Holden and Geoff Treloar (eds), Anglicanism in Australia: A History, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 408, hb $69.95. ISBN 0522850030.Julian Meyrick, See How It Runs: Nimrod and the New Wave, Currency Press, 2002, pp 312, pb $39.95. ISBN 0868196517.Raffaele Caputo and Geoff Burton (eds), Third Take: Australian Film‐Makers Talk, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 215, pb $27.95. ISBN 1865085073.Christine Nicholls and Ian North, Genius of Place: the Life and Art of Kathleen Petyarre, Wakefield Press, 2001, pp 96, hb $45.00. ISBN 1862545464.Diane Bell, Daughters of the Dreaming, Spinifex Press, 2002, pp 342, pb $34.95. ISBN 1876756152.Deborah Carlyon, MamaKuma: One woman, two cultures, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 179, pb $19.95. ISBN 070223320X.Dianne Johnson, Lighting the Way: Reconciliation Stories, The Federation Press, 2002, pp 205, pb $29.95. ISBN 1862874271.Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara, Caprice: A Stockman's Daughter, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 84, pb $17.95. ISBN 0702233560.Rose Zwi, Speak the Truth, Laughing, Spinifex, 2002, pp 197, pb $21.95. ISBN 1876756217.Craig Bolland, IKnit Water, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 213, pb $S19.95. ISBN 0702233196.
A systematic overview of the class structure of contemporary Australia which sets out to examine,... more A systematic overview of the class structure of contemporary Australia which sets out to examine, in the light of new empirical evidence, many of the assumptions that are often held about the existence of class and the significance of class divisions in Australian society.
Discussing the role of class in Australian social, cultural and political life has always involve... more Discussing the role of class in Australian social, cultural and political life has always involved taking issue with those traditions which maintain either that Australia does not have classes or, if it does, that no one pays them much attention. When sociologists write about class, ...
The Australian Everyday Consumption project represents the first ever study of Australians' c... more The Australian Everyday Consumption project represents the first ever study of Australians' cultural consumption. The study aims to delineate the cultural activities of Australians and their relationship to social class. The survey covers a broad range of cultural pursuits, and variables include the books, newspapers and magazines people read; the film and television programs they watch; the types of cars they drive and possession of other consumer durables; their musical interests; the suburbs they live in; their homes and levels of home ownership; whether they gamble; their hobbies; whether they play and/or watch sport; membership of clubs; what they eat; their pets; how often they attend galleries, concerts and/or the theatre; the clothes they wear; their families and friends; working conditions and working hours; comparisons with spouse and parents; personal and household financial details; religious beliefs and practices; and their attitudes towards societal classes, cultur...
The general aim of this study was to investigate contemporary Australian class structure. As part... more The general aim of this study was to investigate contemporary Australian class structure. As part of this general aim, the study also sought to provide a profile of the class structure of contemporary Australian society in relational terms; relate the class model to a number of specific variables in the area of ideology and political participation; examine the differential nature of men's and women's access to, orientations toward and positions in the labour process; and to provide the Australian component of a major international comparative project on class structure in a number of advanced industrial societies. Two questionnaires were employed: a Workforce Questionnaire which was administered by personal interview, and a separate attitude questionnaire which the respondent completed alone. The Workforce Questionnaire consisted of several sections. The first section, Current Occupation and Employment, asked detailed questions about current job, industry sector, employment ...
To investigate the health benefits of companion animals in a way that goes beyond finding statist... more To investigate the health benefits of companion animals in a way that goes beyond finding statistical patterns involves appreciating the philosophical debates about the nature of animal consciousness that engage an inter-disciplinary field of scholarship cutting across the Great Divide of the hard sciences and humanities. It also requires developing a methodology to conduct empirical research which is often viewed as of secondary importance by researchers wishing to make a philosophical case about human beings and modernity. This paper considers the achievements of qualitative sociologists, particularly in the field of post-Meadian symbolic interactionism who have addressed these issues, and discusses ways of extending and deepening this agenda through crossfertilization with similar work in ethnomethodology, conversation analysis and post-humanist sociology in investigating the health benefits of dogs.
With qualitative data archiving emerging as a distinct possibility in Australia, the practices an... more With qualitative data archiving emerging as a distinct possibility in Australia, the practices and 'use' of qualitative research are coming under increased scrutiny and reflection. The recent development of a qualitative data archive (AQuA) by the Australian Social Science Data Archive (ASSDA) provides an opportunity for qualitative researchers to reflect, not only upon the feasibility of qualitative data archiving, but on the core assumptions of their work and the extent to which qualitative data lend themselves to sharing and secondary analysis. Drawing on a series of focus groups with qualitative researchers, we critically explore the meanings ascribed to qualitative research practice and the perceived challenges posed by contemporary technological innovations in data management, access, and analysis. As well as raising concerns over the ethical and intellectual property implications of data sharing, focus group participants frequently referred to the uniqueness of qualit...
This article explores the idea of `cultural mobility' both as a way of thinking about the pol... more This article explores the idea of `cultural mobility' both as a way of thinking about the polarizing logic of class relations and practices in contemporary society and as a means by which the debate over the cultural omnivore might be advanced. The concept of cultural mobility refers to the differential capacity to engage with or consume cultural goods and services across the entire spectrum of cultural life, an ability which is itself premised upon an unequal, class-related distribution in cultural competence. Cultural mobility, then, is the ability to move at will between cultural realms, a freedom to choose where one is positioned in the cultural landscape. I argue that the concept provides fertile ground for exploring possible interconnections between a number of diver-gent strands in current social theory which have largely developed independently of each other. At the same time much of this theoretical effort remains divorced from concrete research agendas. Using data coll...
A C Grayling, The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life, Phoenix Paperbacks, 2001, pp 20... more A C Grayling, The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life, Phoenix Paperbacks, 2001, pp 208, pb $21. ISBN 0753813599.Miriam Estensen, The Life of Matthew Flinders, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 538, hb $59.95. ISBN 1865085154.Marele Day, Mrs Cook: The Real and Imagined Life of the Captain's Wife, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 357, pb $29.95. ISBN 1865088021.Tim Rowse, Nugget Coombs: A Reforming Life, Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp 419, hb $59.95. ISBN 0521817838.Rae Wear, Johannes Bjelke‐Petersen: The Lord's Premier, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 249, pb $35. ISBN 0702233048.Robyn Annear, The Man Who Lost Himself— The Unbelievable Story of the Tichborne Claimant, The Text Publishing Company, 2002, pp 430, pb $32. ISBN 1877008176.Christine Halse, A Terribly Wild Man, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 220, pb $35. ISBN 186508753.Brenda Niall, The Boyds, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 514, 38 colour plates, 95 b&w illustrations, hb $49.95. ISBN 0522848710.Mark Johnston, That Magnificent 9th: An Illustrated History of the 9th Australian Division 1940–46, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 272, hb $49.95. ISBN 1865086541.P A Howell, South Australia and Federation, Wakefield Press, pp 418, pb $39.95. ISBN 1862545499.Bruce Kaye, Tom Frame, Colin Holden and Geoff Treloar (eds), Anglicanism in Australia: A History, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 408, hb $69.95. ISBN 0522850030.Julian Meyrick, See How It Runs: Nimrod and the New Wave, Currency Press, 2002, pp 312, pb $39.95. ISBN 0868196517.Raffaele Caputo and Geoff Burton (eds), Third Take: Australian Film‐Makers Talk, Allen & Unwin, 2002, pp 215, pb $27.95. ISBN 1865085073.Christine Nicholls and Ian North, Genius of Place: the Life and Art of Kathleen Petyarre, Wakefield Press, 2001, pp 96, hb $45.00. ISBN 1862545464.Diane Bell, Daughters of the Dreaming, Spinifex Press, 2002, pp 342, pb $34.95. ISBN 1876756152.Deborah Carlyon, MamaKuma: One woman, two cultures, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 179, pb $19.95. ISBN 070223320X.Dianne Johnson, Lighting the Way: Reconciliation Stories, The Federation Press, 2002, pp 205, pb $29.95. ISBN 1862874271.Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara, Caprice: A Stockman's Daughter, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 84, pb $17.95. ISBN 0702233560.Rose Zwi, Speak the Truth, Laughing, Spinifex, 2002, pp 197, pb $21.95. ISBN 1876756217.Craig Bolland, IKnit Water, University of Queensland Press, 2002, pp 213, pb $S19.95. ISBN 0702233196.
A systematic overview of the class structure of contemporary Australia which sets out to examine,... more A systematic overview of the class structure of contemporary Australia which sets out to examine, in the light of new empirical evidence, many of the assumptions that are often held about the existence of class and the significance of class divisions in Australian society.
Discussing the role of class in Australian social, cultural and political life has always involve... more Discussing the role of class in Australian social, cultural and political life has always involved taking issue with those traditions which maintain either that Australia does not have classes or, if it does, that no one pays them much attention. When sociologists write about class, ...
Uploads