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The project aims to produce an immersive video installation titled 'The Glittering City???. This project investigates contemporary cultural issues within the context of critical/specific geographical sites. These locations are the Australian coastal border, and a refugee camp near the Kenyan/Sudanese border, known as Kakuma. 'The Glittering City'is an installation that incorporates elements of video, sculpture, sound and electronics in a kinetic 2 channel immersive video and (multi-channel) audio installation. The key aims for the project are to raise awareness of the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers in relation to their sense of home. In order to accomplish this aim the research will extend upon prior research into embedded video sculptures. A subset of the key aim is to seek funding for the project. The installation is the third and final work from a trilogy of works that explores the themes journey, arrival and departure, respectively. The Glittering City is contextualised within four key areas inherent within the research practice. These key elements are 1. hybrid documentary art, 2. expanded cinema, 3. Technology and art, 4. culture and identity. Key outcomes of the research are the production and installation of The Glittering City at Campbelltown Arts Centre, May 2007. An educational program also took place at the Centre to raise awareness of the themes the installation poses. The production of a catalogue for The Glittering City is an important device for disseminating the core concepts. For the costs of making the multi-channel production, the project successfully sought grant funding from Arts NSW. This resulted in a grant through their Western Sydney I Artists' Fellowship program. The Glittering City used further funding from the Campbelltown Arts Centre to cover catalogue production, invitation design, mail out and installation costs.

This program of research investigated the mental health of Mandaean refugees living in Sydney, Australia (N=315). Participants evidenced high rates of psychological disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 23%), depression (34%), anger attacks (58%), complicated grief (10%) and impaired mental health-related functioning (42%). Participants also reported high levels of exposure to traumatic events, and experiencing multiple resettlement stressors. It was found that intrusive fear regarding traumatic events that may be experienced by family members remaining in Iraq contributed to PTSD, depression and mental health-related disability over and above the effects of past trauma and post-migration living difficulties. In addition, fear for family predicted frequency of anger attacks beyond the contribution of past trauma, living difficulties and PTSD. Fear of cultural extinction emerged as a salient concern for the Mandaean community, with path analyses revealing it was directly predicted by symptoms of PTSD. The effects of change in visa status on the mental health of Mandaean refugees who had also taken part in a previous survey were explored. Participants who had attained permanent residency status after previously holding Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) evidenced greater reductions in psychological distress than those who had consistently held permanent residency. Results suggested that that temporary protection may have exerted negative effects on mental health by creating high levels of post-migration living difficulties. Analyses modelling pathways from trauma and loss to other mental health outcomes at both the individual and family levels indicated that grief played a key role in the mental health of the Mandaean community, and that the refugee experience has implications for family mental health and functioning. This thesis represents an attempt to extend knowledge regarding factors that influence refugee mental health, and common psychological outcomes, by examining the relationship between circumstances of ongoing threat to the individual and the collective, family-level processes, and psychological difficulties including PTSD, depression, grief, anger and mental health-related disability. These findings have implications for government policies and service providers working with refugee groups.

This program of research investigated the mental health of Mandaean refugees living in Sydney, Australia (N=315). Participants evidenced high rates of psychological disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 23%), depression (34%), anger attacks (58%), complicated grief (10%) and impaired mental health-related functioning (42%). Participants also reported high levels of exposure to traumatic events, and experiencing multiple resettlement stressors. It was found that intrusive fear regarding traumatic events that may be experienced by family members remaining in Iraq contributed to PTSD, depression and mental health-related disability over and above the effects of past trauma and post-migration living difficulties. In addition, fear for family predicted frequency of anger attacks beyond the contribution of past trauma, living difficulties and PTSD. Fear of cultural extinction emerged as a salient concern for the Mandaean community, with path analyses revealing it was directly predicted by symptoms of PTSD. The effects of change in visa status on the mental health of Mandaean refugees who had also taken part in a previous survey were explored. Participants who had attained permanent residency status after previously holding Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) evidenced greater reductions in psychological distress than those who had consistently held permanent residency. Results suggested that that temporary protection may have exerted negative effects on mental health by creating high levels of post-migration living difficulties. Analyses modelling pathways from trauma and loss to other mental health outcomes at both the individual and family levels indicated that grief played a key role in the mental health of the Mandaean community, and that the refugee experience has implications for family mental health and functioning. This thesis represents an attempt to extend knowledge regarding factors that influence refugee mental health, and common psychological outcomes, by examining the relationship between circumstances of ongoing threat to the individual and the collective, family-level processes, and psychological difficulties including PTSD, depression, grief, anger and mental health-related disability. These findings have implications for government policies and service providers working with refugee groups.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (B.A. (Hons.))--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geography, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-107).

Thesis (M. Psych.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-94).

Thesis (Ph.D) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Politics, 1999. / Bibliography: leaves 385-420.

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1997. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-143).

Thesis (DR. P.H.)--University of Michigan.