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This thesis contributes to the literature on the Howard Government's mutual obligation policy by investigating the perspectives of those who are subject to it: specifically, those required to undertake Work for the Dole. To date, research on participants' perspectives has been limited to a few predominantly quantitative studies, most of which have been commissioned or conducted by government departments. This study provides a more qualitative and independent perspective on participants' experiences and their views about their rights and obligations as unemployed people. It considers the extent to which these experiences and views are consistent with or conflict with the rationales for mutual obligation. The study included a survey of 87 participants in nine Melbourne and Geelong-based Work for the Dole projects conducted in 1999, eight focus groups conducted with 59 of these participants, and 37 in-depth interviews conducted with a new sample of Work for the Dole participants in 2002. Unemployed participants in the study had a strongly positive orientation towards work and many had substantial experience of employment. They viewed work as necessary to fulfil human capacities and needs, and often believed that they should work for their own well-being, as much as to contribute to society. Far from expressing any distinctive values of a 'dependency culture', participants appeared to share many of the work values of the wider community. However, many also had substantial experience of unemployment and faced significant barriers to gaining ongoing work. This thesis provides evidence that Work for the Dole provides short-term benefits for many such unemployed people: most study participants enjoyed taking part in the program and felt that they gained benefits from participating. They clearly endorsed some kind of work placement and skill development programs for the unemployed. Given the Howard Government's abolition of a range of previous programs of this type, Work for the Dole is now the only such program available for many participants and was often preferred to doing no program at all. However, more than four in ten survey participants did not enjoy doing the program overall, and a fifth actively disliked taking part. Further, the program's impact on employment prospects appeared to be either negligible or negative-which was not surprising given the scheme's focus on the unemployed discharging their 'obligations to the community' and 2 overcoming a 'psychology of dependency', rather than on job outcomes for participants. However, this thesis argues that there is very limited value in a program which provides benefits at the time of participation but does not help in achieving the main aim of the unemployed: gaining work. The study analyses the Howard Government's three central rationales for the mutual obligation policy: that it ensures that participants fulfil the requirements of the 'social contract' by requiring them to 'contribute to the community' (the contractualist claim), that it deters the unemployed from being 'too selective' about jobs (the 'job snob' claim), and that it benefits participants by developing their capacity for autonomy and self-reliance (the new paternalist claim). These three rationales are assessed in the light of participants' responses. With regard to the contractualist claim, the study finds that most participants shared the widespread community belief that only 'genuine' jobseekers deserve unemployment payments, but many did not share the community's support for the requirement to work for payments. While a third of survey participants supported this requirement, almost half opposed it. Most believed the government was not fulfilling its obligations to the unemployed to provide appropriate employment and training opportunities which were relevant to the jobs they were seeking. Many viewed the mutual obligation 'contract' as a one-way set of directives imposed on them and believed that the breaching regime which enforced these directives was unreasonably punitive and unfairly administered. With regard to the 'job snob' claim, study participants largely rejected an expectation that they should be required to accept any job, and most had substantial concerns about the specific form of the job search regime. They did not agree that 'any job is better than no job' and objected to the pressure under mutual obligation arrangements to apply for jobs which they considered inappropriate. They were not willing to be forced into jobs in which they feared they would be unhappy and which they were likely to soon leave; rather, they wanted assistance to help them to find sustainable work. Finally, with regard to the 'new paternalist' claim, many participants believed that compelling recipients to undertake certain activities or to apply for unsuitable jobs unreasonably restricted their freedom of choice, undermining rather than increasing their autonomy. As argued by Yeatman (2000b), recipients may benefit from a program, or from a case manager who assists 3 them to develop their capacities, but compulsion to undertake activities that are not related to individual needs and goals is likely to undermine capacity-building. The evidence of poor employment outcomes from Work for the Dole adds further weight to this view. The provision of a greater range of program types in place of Work for the Dole-including those which combine work with accredited training and those providing subsidised placement in mainstream jobs-would address many concerns held by participants in this study. However, compulsion to participate in a labour market program would remain problematic in a society which generates far fewer jobs than are needed for full employment. The thesis concludes that the mutual obligation principle privileges the obligations of the unemployed over their rights to autonomy and to work. Its associated requirements have further added to the already considerable constraints faced by unemployed people who are attempting to identify and meet their own work-related goals. Ironically, a policy which is portrayed by the Government as promoting active participation in society, in reality requires many payment recipients to passively obey government directives-instead of actively participating in shaping their own future.

This study is about the risk of youth unemployment in Canberra. It applies the perspective of Giddens and others on risk communication to how the hazards of self identity and self esteem, coping ability, the work ethic, family support and level of education, the ability to enjoy spare time, drugs and alcohol use, poverty and suicide affect young people's ability to cope. The study's communication perspective also integates political with organizational, interpersonal and network as well as mass media communication. The study also draws from scholars who write from a sociological and psychological viewpoint and are frequently cited in communication sources. The loss of traditional work opportunities in the Public Service in Canberra is a significant barrier to a young person's integration into the community. Other barriers are the reduced work opportunities for young unskilled workers in a fledgling private market, the lack of adequate social and transport facilities, and family breakdown that can leave young Canberrans abandoned. The added factor of a global decline in participation in work in the last two decades has resulted in the general collapse in the full time jobs market, a growth of part time and casual employment, multiple job holding, and non-standard hours of work. Using historical research, participant observation, interview data and newspaper content analysis the study shows that the risk of unemployment for young people remains high notwithstanding the reduction in the overall unemployment rate. The media has played a significant role in forming community attitudes since the 1974 recession to the new millennium - a time of increasing government hardline policies towards welfare reform. Such policies have resulted in semi-privatisation of the employment services and tightening of welfare eligibility. Poor communication of these policies and coordination of their service delivery has resulted in public confusion about accessing these services. This is exacerbated in varying ways at the individual level depending on the extent that young people are affected by the hazards of unemployment. The government's answer to the problem of youth unemployment seeks to force young people to return to school and the family home. The outcomes of other reforms, such as the mutual obligation component of work for the dole, are yet to be determined. Young people want to work. However, the consequences of the present government reforms for young people are that they are 'parked' in education, denied access to full time employment and the privileges of adult status. All of these issues are reflected in the findings of the five research questions posed in the study detailed as follows: Research Question 1: What role does interpersonal communication play in the construction of a positive sense of self-concept among young unemployed people? Findings: Young people are vulnerable to social change. At the individual level, the risk of unemployment and its associated hazards is heightened when an individual's sense of self and identity is not properly developed and they are unable to forge a sense of belonging with society. Reduced job opportunities, lack of trust despite the strong will do to the 'right thing' have prevailed amongst the young. For some access to choice is exciting. For others who are overwhelmed or have dropped out the world can be a bleak place. For an increasing number of young people the absence of family support and education impinges on their interpersonal communication skills in developing coping strategies in their day-to-day existence outside society's norms of acceptance. Research Question la: How important is a positive sense of self-concept for young unemployed people in communicating with community support organizations? Findings: A positive sense of self-concept is paramount for young people communicating with Centrelink and the Job Network organizations in an environment where they are required to contribute extra effort in finding work, reduce their use of social assistance, adopt compliant behaviours towards the government's welfare reforms and meet raised expectations in finding employment. Research Question 2: How do young unemployed people differently experience their primary and secondary social support networks? Findings: Family support as well as education increases the ability of young unemployed people to interact with their primary and secondary social support networks. Consequently, a poor experience of primary support leads to eventual confusion when dealing with organizations that deliver employment services. The replacement of family support by a friendship group can nevertheless be empowering in these circumstances. Research Question 2a: How does young people's ability to access secondary support networks affect their experience of unemployment? Findings: The lack of family support and education increases the chances of having low resilience, low trust in organizations and other people and an inability to cope. These are all significant barriers to communicating successfully with secondary support networks that provide assistance with employment opportunities. Staying in education is a safety net against youth unemployment. The feeling of connectedness with the community is difficult because of the loss of identity and the absence of identity recognition for young unemployed people through discrimination. The maintenance of the work ethic in the main stems from the desire to accrue material benefits. Research Question 3: What is the role of community and organizational support for young people experiencing the hazards of unemployment? Findings: The findings of the study highlight the vulnerability of young unemployed people accessing organizational support with the hazards stated in the study being the intervening variables. It was found that reforms linking markets and networks make increasing demands on the unemployed and their families. Poor communication within Centrelink, interorganizationally with the Job Network providers and in public communication informing about such reforms has resulted in confusion amongst young unemployed people. The new market driven environment has had detrimental effects on clients because of the lack of integrated programs and has generated a lack of trust in organizational providers. Research Question 4: What is the role of the media and public opinion polls informing community perceptions about youth unemployment? Findings: Media agenda setting provides the cues setting the standards by which the public evaluates government and attributes responsibility for societal problems. Public opinion is formed when media reports on public affairs. People talk to one another about the topic and consequently public opinion is formed. In the 1970s the media framed unemployed youth as 'dole bludgers' and the polls reflected public attitudes that unemployment was due to people not wanting to work. Media framing in the 1990s contrasted with the 1970s view. Such indications included that it now considered that young people were priced out of a job whilst showing cynicism of governments to improve the situation. It did not use the 'dole bludger' tag. Although the salience of youth unemployment in the opinion polls had diminished, it was still a dominant consideration. Sympathy for young unemployed people who are seen as victims of social change by the media has maintained into the new millennium with media criticism aimed at the government's punitive approach to youth unemployment. Research Question 5: How are policies about youth unemployment communicated to the community? Findings: Following Foucault the study found that government is a broader process involving more than the state. From depth interviews with organizational representatives it was found that formulation of policy for youth and unemployment should be bottom up - community, state, federal - before Cabinet consideration. Political and economic ideologies currently precede pragmatism and there is a diminished voice of those representing youth policy. These findings contribute to building on understandings of the phenomenon of youth unemployment at the community level in Australia and inform about the various individuals, groups, organizations including the media that contribute to shaping the discourse in and around youth and youth unemployment.

<p>The thesis consists of four papers, summarized as follows.</p><p>"Do attitudes towards immigrants matter?" analyses the consequences of negative attitudes towards immigrants to Sweden. If attitudes changed from the average level to the most positive level, the wage earned by a well educated immigrant from a non developed country would increase by 12%. This change in attitudes would increase the welfare of immigrants from Africa and Asia, through their wage and local amenities, by an equivalent to one third of their wage and the welfare of immigrants from South America and Eastern Europe by one fourth of their wage if they are well educated, and one tenth otherwise.</p><p>In "Who is hurt by discrimination?", the effects of discrimination of immigrants on the labour market are studied in a search and wage-bargaining setting, including a risk of losing skills during the experience of unemployment. The negative effects of discrimination in the form of higher unemployment and lower wages spread to all workers, immigrants and natives, in all sectors of the economy. An increase in the share of immigrants in the economy exacerbates the problem of discrimination.</p><p>In "Complementary controls of corruption", a theoretical model shows that when the judiciary and the media are more dependent and the elections less competitive, corruption flourishes. The three institutions are shown to be complementary. The empirical analysis indicates that the dependence of the judiciary and the media has a positive effect on perceived corruption and that the media is complementary with both the judiciary and the electoral system.</p><p>"Decision making in the ECB's Governing Council -- Should minutes and forecasts be published ?" analyses if the publication of forecasts and minutes of the meetings of the Governing Council could have a negative effect due to the influence of governments on their representatives' votes. The information provided is shown to reduce their influence and benefit the Executive Board.</p>

<p>Arbetslösheten är idag ett av resultaten av den pågående lågkonjunkturen. Att vara arbetslös kan kännas psykiskt påfrestande och i längden hota delar av den sociala kompetensen. Social kompetens kan kortfattat sägas handla om förmågan att möta och kommunicera med andra människor samt anpassa sig till nya miljöer. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan tiden som arbetslös och sociala kompetens i termerna bas- självkänsla, self-efficacy och empati samt hur situationen för den arbetslöse ser ut ifråga om hjälp och stöd från arbetsförmedlingen. En enkätundersökning genomfördes där 128 arbetslösa deltog. Resultatet visade att personer som varit arbetslösa en längre tid inte hade lägre social kompetens utifrån de utvalda delarna men att vissa av delarna enskilt påverkades av tiden som arbetslös vilket tas upp för diskussion tillsammans med resultatet av arbetsförmedlingens insatser för de arbetslösa.</p>

<p>Stark tro på en rättvis värld (BJW) har setts ha samband med en benägenhet att nedvärdera olycksdrabbade men även med positiva aspekter såsom stresshantering. Politiskt har BJW setts relaterad till högerorientering. Denna studie kombinerar relationen mellan BJW och politik med fokusering på attribuering av orsaker till arbetslöshet vilket tidigare förbisetts. Elever (n = 63) från gymnasium och högskola tog ställning till föreslagna orsaker till arbetslöshet och besvarade bakgrundsfrågor inklusive politisk hemvist och två olika BJW-skalor: dels en cynisk inställning till andras misslyckanden (deserved misfortune, DM), dels en förmåga att glädjas över andras framgång (deserved good fortune, DGF). DM och DM för deltagare med lågt DGF uppvisade samband med högerpolitisk orientering, vilket även korrelerade positivt med intern attribution. En tendens till korrelation mellan DM och intern attribution återfanns, men inga signifikanta samband mellan BJW och attribution. Uppdelningen av BJW samt möjligheter till och behovet av framtida forskning diskuteras utifrån resultaten.</p>

<p>Forskning har visat att arbetssökandes motivation till att söka arbete påverkar deras hälsa och sociala liv. Tre motivationsteorier som utvecklats inom området och som ligger till grund i studien är</p><p><em>Förväntning- och värdeteorin, Målsättningsteorin och <em>Självbestämmandeteorin. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur positivt psykologiskt kapital, inskrivningstid på arbetsförmedling samt tillgång till jobbcoach eller inte inverkar på arbetssökandes inre motivation. En enkätstudie genomfördes där 154 arbetssökande, 83 män och 70 kvinnor deltog. De fick ta ställning till 50 påståenden gällande tron på den egna förmågan, hopp, hantering av motgång och inre motivation. Resultatet visade att den främsta variabeln som förklarar inre motivation hos arbetssökande är hopp, som innebär hopp om framtiden. Det visade sig att tiden som individen är arbetssökande och tillgång till jobbcoach, inte hade någon betydelse för inre motivationen. Slutsatsen är att trots att det råder lågkonjunktur så finns hopp om framtiden. <em><p>Key words:</p>length of unemployment, hope, intrinsic motivation </em></em></em></p>

<p>Andelen individer med eftergymnasial utbildning ökar på arbetsmarknaden samtidigt som antalet arbetstillfällen inom vissa akademiska yrken inte ökar i samma takt. Denna studie syftade till att undersöka om förekomsten av oro bland högskolestudenter inför eventuell arbetslöshet hade något samband med självkänsla och kontrollupplevelse. Studien avsåg även att undersöka huruvida tidpunkt för avslutad utbildning och utbildningsinriktning hade någon betydelse för studenternas nivå av oro. En enkätundersökning med 101 deltagare mellan 19 och 59 år genomfördes. Resultatet visade att det fanns en signifikant skillnad i orosnivån mellan studenter när det gällde hur lång tid de hade kvar på sin utbildning. Studenter med längre studietid kvar oroade sig mindre. Denna undersökning kan hjälpa till att belysa studenters oro inför en allt hårdare arbetsmarknad.</p>

<p>Calmfors and Driffill in 1988 argued that there is a humpshaped relation between the degree of centralisation in wage bargaining structures within an economy and unemployment. They collected aggregate economic data from 17 different OECD economies and ranked them according to their relative degree of centralisation to prove their model. The model was further developed by Rowthorn who in 1992, using individual data from the same countries, concluded that there is a negative linear relationship between the degree of centralisation in wage bargaining structures and wage dispersion.</p><p>During the past two decades the Russian economy, as well as the Russian trade union movement, has transformed greatly. Membership rates in trade unions have fallen and bargaining leverage of trade unions vis-á-vis employers has decreased. Using data from ten sectors within the Russian economy (collected in interviews with trade union representatives in Moscow, June 2006) this essay questions whether the theoretical assumptions above hold in the Russian context. By ranking the sectors according to their relative degree of centralisation in wage bargaining structures and using these rankings as explanatory variables in econometric analyses with unemployment rates and wage dispersion rates as dependent variables, this essay finds little proof that the theoretical framework of Calmfors and Driffill holds within the Russian economy. However, Rowthorn’s model of centralisation and wage dispersion seems to be more valid.</p>

<p>There have been numerous studies, both theoretical and empirical, dealing with how the degree of experience rating affects employment. The results have been often contradicting, giving ground for ongoing debate among the economists. Here in this thesis I will present the most central studies done concerning the effects on employment induced by layoff costs and UI payroll tax in particular. A special interest will be put on the implicit-contract model, since it appears to be especially useful when studying the effects of experience rating. The theoretical approaches and the existing empirical evidence will be discussed. By doing this survey I will make an attempt in explaining and summarizing the crucial and sometimes contradicting conclusions made though the years, so that a reader unfamiliar with those concepts will be able to easily grasp.</p>