Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 2000. / "A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves 203-235.

Thesis (Ph. D) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1999. / A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Centre for Electrochemical Research and Analytical Technology, University of Western Sydney, Nepean. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Sc (Hons)) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 2000. / "Submitted for the degree of Master of Engineering (Hons), School of Mechatronic, Computer & Electrical Engineering, University of Western Sydney, Nepean" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-114).

Thesis (Ph.D) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1999. / Bibliography : p. [295]-312.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 318-344.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1999. / "A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves 325-343. Electronic version is also available at.

What is happening on the dance floor at the gay and lesbian dance parties? What are lesbians and gay men doing when they dance? This thesis presents a project in performance research that takes as its locus on investigation the dance parties that have been produced annually by gay and lesbian organisations in Sydney since the early 1980s. In particular, it focuses on the largest of these dance parties, Mardi Gras Party and Sleaze Ball, during a period of research from 1994 to 1998. Harnessing these resources, the thesis aims at investigating how dance parties sustain an ongoing salience for gay men and lesbians in Sydney. On the basis of ethnographic research, performance documentation, and movement analysis, the investigation pursues an analytical trajectory across the making of dance parties within a subcultural scene, to the doing of dance parties as performance events, and then onto the dance floor as a site for performative practice. Responding to a persistent debate about straights at the parties, the anlayses register the salience of dancing as an etiquette of doing dance party as it is done, as a queer kinaesthesia sustained on the dance floor, and as an occasional community danced into existence. The thesis attests to the pertinence of analysing movement. It analyses the mobility of practice, rather than its textual residue; the kinaesthesia of performative identities, rather than their morphological contours; and the choregraphy of community, rather than its substantive contents. Recognising that queer theory too has an interest in movement, in proliferating metaphors for the mobility of queer identifications and desires, the thesis argues in conclusion that such metaphors represent imaginative flights of fancy to the extent that they fail to grasp the corporeality of queer kinaesthesia / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis examines the political economy of working class women in contemporary Campbelltown (NSW). A broad political economic approach is employed that considers relevant social structures, their effects, and working class women’s responses to them. It includes investigation of material and non-material, subjective and objective, aspects of this dialectical relationship. This study argues the political agency of Australian working class women has rarely been acknowledged, let alone understood. The thesis focuses on working class women in the suburbs and their politics of everyday life. Though these women rarely attract political investigation, they are too often assumed to be passive, apathetic, unenlightened or conservative bearers of oppression. These stereotypes persist despite the variability in historical portrayals of working class women, suggesting working class women’s politics only makes sense in the context of their conditions of existence in specific times and places. The thesis makes a contribution towards the field of applied feminist political economy research. It employs a historical materialist approach to demystify working class women’s politics. The empirical heart of the project draws on in-depth interviews with local working class women about their experiences and views of family, community, politics, work, unemployment and social institutions. This qualitative material is set against a detailed local political economic analysis of contemporary Campbelltown. The interconnections of capitalist and non-capitalist modes of production in which working class women labour, survive and resist are explored. The thesis questions what part capitalism and socialism play in their pursuit of self and social emancipation. Understanding the political economy of working class women is fundamental to social and ecological health and sustainability. Questions of class power and conflict, and gendered distributions of work and poverty locate working class women at the core of these pressing concerns. The central hypothesis of this study is that working class women are engaged in a wealth of political strategies stemming from their everyday bid for survival. Their (often contradictory) collective and self-activity coalesces around a politics antithetical to the logic of capitalism because it depends on their exploitation and immiseration for its viability. Working class women practice and reproduce a politics of survival and hope that informs their hidden worlds of resistance. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Science. / The suitability of the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea commercialis) as a monitor of heavy metal contamination in estuarine and coastal waters was assessed. Case study I examined the influence of body size (ie: soft tissue dry weight) on the tissue concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe. Sampling was replicated both spatially and temporally in order to determine whether the size-metal relationship for these elements varied with geographical location (ie: differing levels of environmental contamination) or season. All oysters were collected from 'wild' populations in the HawkesburyfNepean estuary. Least-squares regression analysis indicated that Cu concentrations were independent of body size at all times. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that this relationship did not change with either geographical location or season. Size-metal relalionships for Zn indicated that concentrations for this element varied from being independent of size to being size-dependent with proportionally greater concentrations present in the larger individuals. Yet lests for homogeneily of slopes (ANCOVA) showed that no differences in regression coefficients occurred with geographical location or season. Iron concentrations were size-dependent with proportionally greater concentrations in the smaller individuals. ANCOVA revealed that homogeneity of slopes with geographical location occurred only on two of the four sampling occasions. Further examination of data revealed that the size·range of the individuals sampled may be important in determining size-metal relationship for iron. Case Study II examined the concentrations of Cu and Zn in S. commercialis deployed into the Georges River/Botany Bay and the Port Stephens estuaries. The influence of tissue assimilation/loss on metal concenlralions was also examined. Organisms of a homogenous genetic stock, of a similar size and age, and transplanted to a similar lidal height were utilized. As all organisms were of a similar size and age at the time of their deployment any differences in size during sampling were attributed to growth. Results indicated that tissue loss (ie: 'degrowth') not accompanied by a similar loss of metal resulted in an increase in metal concentrations. The assimilation of new tissue at a greater rate than metal accumulation (ie: 'dilution') resulted in decreased metal concentrations. From these relationships it was apparent that measures must be taken to reduce, account for, or eliminate the effects of growth in bivalve monitoring programs. Unless this problem is addressed, metal concentration values in S. commercialis are likely to give an inaccurate estimation of the level of environmenlal contamination and confound attempts to isolate pollution point sources.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the extent to which graduates from the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program at the University of Technology, Sydney were adequately prepared for the nursing role in the current Australian health care system. This question was examined by adapting the illuminative evaluation method developed by Parlett and Hamilton (1977), and a meta-evaluation is provided of the model that was developed. Data were gathered from academic staff, clinical facilitators, curriculum and clinical experts and students. Course mileau and documentation were also assessed. The results indicate that graduates from the BN were adequately prepared to fulfil the nursing role. However, during the research a number of critical issues emerged which led to the development of an alternative model of curriculum. Although the conclusions support the continuance of a generic preparatory course, a number of changes to the course are recommended and two areas of future research identified. The first relates to exploring the depth, breadth and extent of knowledge that is required of a beginning registered nurse. The second involves evaluating the curriculum changes proposed here to assess whether this model is able to achieve improved outcomes in graduates / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)