‘The old fashioned notion of setting out to discover what is really going on in the lives of such families and their communities has ceased to be the primary purpose of journalism. The circularity of the management of ideas and issues is complete – journalism is often reduced to simply illustrating highly managed information, speculation and reaction.’ In the election … more
Monthly Archives:: June 2004
Childbirth – a constant in a changing world
Tracy Reibel looks at how medicalised childbirth has largely replaced the low tech, low intervention approach to a normal physiological event that has indeed been constant over time and across cultures and asks if this situation is actually in the best interests of women and babies and an effective use of our workforce and finite health dollars?
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The importance of primary and community care
Professor Hal Swerissen outlines the urgent need for a national framework to improve Australian primary health and community support systems.
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Weather events and other opportunities
Martin Callinan Record breaking weather events and the Kyoto Protocol. The two events may be unrelated but they speak volumes about the same issue. An issue the Howard Government sees no need to take seriously.
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An Asia-illiterate society: Asian studies in crisis
Meg Gurry is concerned that few university students are learning anything about Asia, and more worryingly, even fewer will do so in the future. more
Valuing children’s education
Tony Vinson A fiction is being put about that the level of expenditure on school education is of little importance. Instead, the quality of teaching is emphasised… The situation is not helped by the fact that competition between the education sectors for available government funds is simply that.
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Improving constitutional awareness
Allison Henry and John Warhurst The researchers found that only half of the young people they interviewed would vote if it was not compulsory, and among the reasons given by respondents for not voting was lack of knowledge.
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The end of pub smoking in Australia: a tribute to Frank Sartor
The pubs and clubs sought to position those pushing for the ban as dreary fun phobics who never went out after dark and couldn’t stand the thought of anyone enjoying themselves with a beer and cigarette. They knew nothing of real life.
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Building blocks for a national health policy
A summary of what we consider to be the key building blocks around which a national health policy should be built.
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