Research confirms the positive relationship between commercial newspaper readership and social capital. However, the relationship between independent community newspapers and social capital is largely overlooked in social science research. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between community newspapers and social capital by analysing the newspaper content, and investigating the timing of the establishment and production of independent community newspapers published in Tasmania between 1910 and 2000. Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, and a mixed-method case study, the study explores the number and distribution of community newspapers in Tasmania, the issues presented, and the relationship between community newspapers and social capital. Data were gathered through a content analysis of the community newspapers, as well as semi-structured interviews with newspaper editors/coordinators. The content analysis framework incorporates four dimensions of social capital identified from the literature: elements, networks, knowledge and identity resources and incorgov. Content of a sample of 16 independent community newspapers was coded into Excel and was analysed using SPSS; results are presented as frequencies and cross-tabulations. Findings indicate that community newspaper numbers in Tasmania between 1970 and 2000 tripled. Community newspaper establishment was closely related to the periods of highest emigration and economic change throughout the century. This suggests that community newspapers contribute to higher community cohesion in 'difficult times'. The content analysis identified a changing focus of the papers's content from human interest and more global information in the earliest decades, to community and local issues and interests after 1950. The study supports the literature in finding that trust is a key factor linked to the establishment and increasing circulations of new publications. It is also a core element of social capital, functioning at a number of levels in the process and continuity of community newspapers. The process supporting the relationship between communities and their community newspapers is identified in this study for the first time as cyclical reciprocity. The study provides valuable insights into community dynamics and patterns of social capital. This has implications for community development practice and policy. The study classifies the broad term 'community newspaper' into three levels, allowing independent community newspapers 'of geographic locale' - established as a result of community initiative - to be identified as a unit, which may aid future media research. The study contributes a new perspective to social capital research by devising a content analysis framework to explore both the quality and quantity of social capital. Unlike other social capital research, the framework provides a means of analysing historical data and profiling social capital by means other than interview and survey. This has implications for expanding future social capital research.

This study explored how women were able to leave a male partner who assaulted them, and the common critical success factors of leaving and establishing a new life for themselves and any children in their care. Conducted from a feminist standpoint, a qualitative exploration of 53 women's perceptions of being able to leave was undertaken, using a non-probability purposive sampling method and semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Applying a thematic analysis, the results indicated that women used a variety of strategies to 'manage' and resist the abuse and violence, encountering numerous barriers to stopping the violence and/or to leaving, before reaching a final turning point. The pathways out of the violence included formal and informal support, supportive beliefs and information and underpinning structural supports, including relevant policies and laws. The study's findings highlight the importance of developing strategies that focus on men taking responsibility for their use of violence, effective government and community responses, and changing societal attitudes. The study provided examples of individual good practice in the responses of a range of workers, and identified a number of characteristics of good practice. Based on these characteristics, the study identified a generic framework for practice suggesting good practice at each of five identified phases of leaving. The study highlighted the importance of specialist domestic violence services and, in particular, mobile domestic violence crisis services, as an effective domestic violence service model. Integral to their effectiveness were: (a) their formal liaison with the police, through police Standing Orders; and (b) regional locations. Four key issues emerged requiring urgent attention: (1) women having to leave their homes; (2) the impoverishment of women who leave a violent partner; (3) the need for a consistent and integrated response across the service system; and (4) the importance of understanding both the role of hope and the concept of relational autonomy when responding to women who are assaulted by a male partner. The study discusses these findings in relation to contemporary social work practice.

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This thesis considers the 'spirits of governing' that currently frame youth justice approaches to Samoan youth offending in New Zealand, today. It claims that, in the current management of Samoan youth offending cases, three main spirits of governing are in play. These are the spirits of neo-liberal risk management cultural appropriateness, and faaSamoa. All three spirits operate simultaneously, in multilayered and intersecting ways. Gaining insight into this complexity is critical to building an understanding of the points of tension that may arise in the operationalisation of 'culturally appropriate' youth justice policies in the case of Samoan youth offenders. To highlight the complex character of these spirits of governing and their relationships, the thesis first describes each spirit of governing and then considers how they compete, intersect and/or diverge through a close analysis of seven youth justice cases. Analysis of each of the seven cases is based on interviews with a Samoan youth offender, a family representative, their CYFS social worker, police youth aid officer, Youth Court youth advocate and a community intervention programme worker. The key sites of government examined in this work are those of the family, the Youth Court, the youth justice family group conference and a community intervention programme service. The thesis reveals that to gain nuanced understanding of the complexities of managing a Samoan youth offender case, it is not simply a question of knowing what 'spirits of governing' are at play, one also needs to examine how they play. I contend that these three 'spirits' have specific relationships with each other. In youth justice, neo-liberalism opened up space for cultural appropriateness which, in turn allowed for the circulation of the faaSamoa. These three 'spirits', however, can not be reduced to each other because of their differing understanding of governmental strategies, techniques and subjects. In particular, they differ on their understanding of the role of families, of collaboration and of cultural expertise. Consequently, for example, while these three 'spirits of governing' 'agree' on the value of cultural appropriateness, they do not 'agree' on how it should be defined and measured. Too often when politically sensitive programmes or policies, such as those involving ethnic-specific cases, do not work, the response from politicians and programme personnel alike is to couch their failures in overly simplistic terms. This work seeks to indicate the importance of developing culturally nuanced models of analysis that can engage in the complexities of governing across cultural divides, in the improvement of practice in the field and in the development of a sociology capable of enhancing cross-cultural understanding.

This thesis considers the 'spirits of governing' that currently frame youth justice approaches to Samoan youth offending in New Zealand, today. It claims that, in the current management of Samoan youth offending cases, three main spirits of governing are in play. These are the spirits of neo-liberal risk management cultural appropriateness, and faaSamoa. All three spirits operate simultaneously, in multilayered and intersecting ways. Gaining insight into this complexity is critical to building an understanding of the points of tension that may arise in the operationalisation of 'culturally appropriate' youth justice policies in the case of Samoan youth offenders. To highlight the complex character of these spirits of governing and their relationships, the thesis first describes each spirit of governing and then considers how they compete, intersect and/or diverge through a close analysis of seven youth justice cases. Analysis of each of the seven cases is based on interviews with a Samoan youth offender, a family representative, their CYFS social worker, police youth aid officer, Youth Court youth advocate and a community intervention programme worker. The key sites of government examined in this work are those of the family, the Youth Court, the youth justice family group conference and a community intervention programme service. The thesis reveals that to gain nuanced understanding of the complexities of managing a Samoan youth offender case, it is not simply a question of knowing what 'spirits of governing' are at play, one also needs to examine how they play. I contend that these three 'spirits' have specific relationships with each other. In youth justice, neo-liberalism opened up space for cultural appropriateness which, in turn allowed for the circulation of the faaSamoa. These three 'spirits', however, can not be reduced to each other because of their differing understanding of governmental strategies, techniques and subjects. In particular, they differ on their understanding of the role of families, of collaboration and of cultural expertise. Consequently, for example, while these three 'spirits of governing' 'agree' on the value of cultural appropriateness, they do not 'agree' on how it should be defined and measured. Too often when politically sensitive programmes or policies, such as those involving ethnic-specific cases, do not work, the response from politicians and programme personnel alike is to couch their failures in overly simplistic terms. This work seeks to indicate the importance of developing culturally nuanced models of analysis that can engage in the complexities of governing across cultural divides, in the improvement of practice in the field and in the development of a sociology capable of enhancing cross-cultural understanding.

No description available.