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Monash Expert: From Resistance to Reform: New book presents analysis of policy areas where reform was achieved after many years of neglect

Monash University

In his new book "From Resistance to Reform: Case studies of long term social justice advocacy in Australia," Professor Philip Mendes, from the Department of Social Work presents a comprehensive historical and political analysis of four policy areas where reform was achieved after many years of neglect, including:

 

• Young people transitioning from out-of-home care

• Medically supervised injecting facilities

• Social security payments for the unemployed

• Compulsory income management.

The following can be attributed to:

 

Professor Philip Mendes, Director of the Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit in the Department of Social Work, Monash University 

Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]  

 

“Australian social welfare policies and programs are not always effective at improving the life chances and opportunities of the targeted service user group. Yet, Australian governments often fail to actively engage with detailed research evidence domestic and global as to what types of interventions would work better.

 

“This text presents a comprehensive historical and political analysis of four policy areas where positive reform was achieved after many years of neglect by reformers who successfully used a range of research evidence, economic cost-benefit analysis, a window of opportunity, the power of lived experience voices, and other advocacy tools to overcome long-term resistance to change.

 

“In case study one, young people transitioning from forms of out-of-home care – foster, kinship, and residential group home care – finally had the funding for their housing and other core needs extended from 18 to 21 years in all eight jurisdictions – after more than three decades of neglect and associated poor outcomes.

 

“In case study two, the Victorian government finally introduced a Medically Supervised Injection Room in the City of Yarra as a core harm-reduction strategy to save lives, following 15 years of policy inaction.

 

“In case study three, both Coalition and Labor Commonwealth governments introduced minor increases to the Jobseeker payment for the unemployed, but only after two decades of erosion of the real rate of payments and corresponding growth in entrenched poverty.

 

“In case study four, the Commonwealth Labor government abolished the welfare quarantining Cashless Debit Card, after nine years of research evidence that the Card was causing more harm than good.

 

“Based on these case studies, it is argued that governments should introduce policy development processes and networks that include active engagement with knowledge from domestic and global research studies, in order to advance more effective policy outcomes.”

 

The launch of From Resistance to Reform: Case studies of long term social justice advocacy in Australia will take place at Graduate House, Melbourne University, from 12.30pm on Wednesday 19 November, or watch the live stream remotely. 

 

Registration to attend the public event is available here. 

 

For more Monash media stories visit our news & events site: monash.edu/news 

For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]