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The changing relationship between the generations ...
It could even be good news?

by Michael Pusey

Every year Australian newspapers run articles about the emerging conflict between the baby boomer generation and their now adult children. The stories then get fed out nationwide through talkback hosts. However, the discourse achieves little traction in the public imagination and Michael Pusey suggests that this is because today relations between the generations have something like a mirror-opposite appearance to those that so preoccupied social commentators 30 years ago.

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Independence, individualism & connection among share householders

by Kristin Natalier

How do young people who are financially dependent on their parents but living in share households conceive of the concept of independence? The meanings of independence are discussed in relation to a qualitative study of young people who described themselves as independent although they accepted money on a regular basis from their parents. Their descriptions of independence drew heavily on individualism through an emphasis on individual choice and responsibility. However, this individualism was underpinned by the importance of negotiating familial relationships. The findings suggest that young people's claims to choice and independence need to be interpreted in the context of ongoing connections with others.

('Youth Studies Australia', 2007, v.26, n.1, pp.17-24.)
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Should inhalants be included in Australian school-based drug education?

by Sarah MacLean

This article questions whether inhalants should continue to be excluded from school-based drug education curricula in Australia. It argues that rationales provided for such a policy in Victoria are, in the main, not supported by recent research. The Australian evidence-base about drug education makes it difficult to predict the outcomes of providing young people with education about any form of drug use, not just inhalants. Nonetheless, a strong case may be made (particularly in disadvantaged communities) for policy change on this issue.

('Youth Studies Australia', 2007, v.26, n.1, pp.25-31.)
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Breaking a spell of silence
The Tasmanian evaluation of the 2006 Pride & Prejudice program

by Doug Bridge

An evaluation of the Pride & Prejudice program,1 which ran in three Tasmanian schools in 2006, suggests that students who completed the program had more positive attitudes towards gay men and lesbians. This finding parallels an earlier evaluation of the same anti-homophobia program undertaken in Victoria. The evaluation leads to a discussion about the deeper and often hidden purposes of schooling, and about the discursive formations of heteronormativity, which provide a heterosexist basis for 'curriculum'. Issues related to school systems becoming more democratic and tolerant are also identified.

 ('Youth Studies Australia', 2007, v.26, n.1, pp.32-40.)
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What does wellbeing mean?
Perspectives of well being among young people & youth workers in rural Victoria

by Lisa Bourke & Paula Geldens

Wellbeing is a well-used but ill-defined term in youth research. This paper describes research that explored the ways in which young people and youth workers define wellbeing. The findings suggest that both groups agreed that wellbeing was a multidimensional concept; however, the young people were more likely to consider wellbeing to be influenced by individual factors, such as the state of their relationships, while the youth workers were more likely to emphasise the importance of structural factors. The different focuses of young people and youth workers may mean that each group works toward different but not necessarily contradictory goals. In fact, the goals may compliment each other.

('Youth Studies Australia', 2007, v.26, n.1, pp.41-49.)
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Minimum standards for quality education for refugee youth
PROGRAMS & PRACTICE ARTICLE

by Jackie Kirk & Elizabeth Cassity

There is a growing emphasis on the right to and the benefits of education for young people within refugee camps. The benefits include physical and cognitive protection as well as the promotion of a sense of normalcy and feelings of hope. Minimum standards for refugee youth have been developed, which the authors argue should be used by not only by educators in crisis situations, but also by those involved in the education of refugee young people in their country of settlement. The use of the standards would not only provide a protective framework for positive educational development, but also ensure continuity in educational experiences for young refugees.

('Youth Studies Australia', 2007, v.26, n.1, pp.50-56.)
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