How to Increase the Relevance and Use of Social and Behavioral Science: Lessons for Policy-makers, Researchers and Others

Western, Mark

doi:10.1080/24751979.2019.1600381

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Identifying the structural drivers of socio-economic inequalities is an important step towards redressing them through the implementation of appropriate evidencebased policies, practices and interventions. This mode of thinking about inequality fits squarely within sociologists' renewed interest in solution-oriented research developed for and with stakeholders-including local and national government, philanthropic think-tanks, and not-for-profit organizations (Watts 2017;Western 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Based on the lessons learned from pioneering studies in this space, there are also great expectations about how the increasing availability and richness of these data will contribute to advancing the field (Connelly et al 2016). Perhaps the most exciting prospect is that of steering towards solution-oriented social science research that can generate policy-relevant insights to redress socio-economic disparities between population groups (Australian Government Productivity Commission 2013; Card et al 2010;Western 2019). The way I see it, administrative…”

Section: The Future Of Administrative Data To Ex-amine Inequalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Road Less Travelled: Using Administrative Data To Understand Inequalities By Sexual Orientation

Perales

2021

LiC

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Understanding the processes contributing to equality of opportunity and outcomes in contemporary societies is at the core of the discipline of sociology. This paper illustrates the value of administrative data to underpin research aimed at identifying, monitoring, and addressing socio-economic disparities between population groups. To accomplish this, I draw on three case studies of recent empirical research leveraging administrative data to examine processes contributing to the (re)production of inequalities by sexual orientation. Collectively, the three case studies exemplify how data sources that fall within the broad category of ‘administrative data’ can help social researchers generate new, policy-relevant knowledge on socio-economic inequalities, as well as robust information to contextualize public and legislative debate. The paper concludes with a discussion of the promises and challenges of using administrative data to understand inequalities by sexual orientation, as well as inequalities between other minority and majority groups.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: The Future Of Administrative Data To Ex-amine Inequalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Road Less Travelled: Using Administrative Data To Understand Inequalities By Sexual Orientation

Perales

2021

LiC

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“…It is grounded in critical policy analysis and the recognition that the design and delivery of ECEC in remote communities, and for First Nations families, can be considered a 'wicked policy problem' that requires systems thinking, collaboration and coordination (Head and Alford, 2015). As such, the study is inspired by a solution driven research approach that prioritizes research that is relevant to partners, stakeholders and end users (Western, 2019). In this way, the study was designed to identify solutions to ECEC delivery in remote communities and identify opportunities to collaborate in future research.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pockets of promise: exploring innovation and complexity of remote ECEC service delivery in Australia

Adamson

Skattebol

2023

Front. Educ.

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IntroductionThe existing funding architectures for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Australia are incompatible with the needs of remote and First Nations communities. The Australian system relies on a market-based model for ECEC – characterized by demand-led funding mechanisms where funding flows to users to choose what service to use. This model is not viable or sustainable in remote and First Nations communities. In this paper, we ask what we can learn from alternative models of ECEC that serve remote, largely Indigenous communities.MethodsThis research is based on interviews with 10 key stakeholders. Potential participants were identified using three selection criteria which established their expertise in relation to: advocacy and experience in delivering ECEC services in remote locations (evident in relevant parliamentary reviews and inquiries), in-depth knowledge about First Nations perspectives about ECEC models, and broader understandings of the ECEC system in Australia. Three themes were explored in the interviews: (1) funding context (including impact of recent changes to Budget Based Funding, and role of philanthropy in the ECEC sector); (2) Quality and regulatory context (including workforce challenges and cultural considerations); and (3) Future research (including research gaps, opportunities, and considerations). The study design and analysis of data was guided by policy studies frameworks that advocate for collaboration and coordination among researchers and stakeholders in order to address complex problems.ResultsAnalysis of the interviews illuminated the complex structural and cultural elements shaping the design of, and access to, ECEC in remote communities. Stakeholders argued that the ECEC system should be universal in that it delivers services that meet the needs of young children and their families. This requires the development of a definition of ‘universality’ that enables communities to define their own ECEC needs and the types of services best suited to meet those needs. Stakeholders’ views about the importance of community-led design and delivery highlighted the need to align structural and cultural aspects of quality standards and workforce needs, and also to strengthen consultation with First Nations organisations to better understand community-specific solutions.DiscussionThe paper outlines the complexities and nuances of ECEC service delivery in remote communities. The findings are intended to foster discussion about current initiatives, challenges, and futures possibilities for ECEC in remote communities in Australia. These findings concur with other research that argues for community led service delivery and for stronger equity-based partnerships between First Nations and non-First Nations researchers and organizations.

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“…The ARC' 2018 Engagement and Impact Assessment exercise reflected a broader institutional desire by researchers and the university sector to improve the social, economic and environmental impacts of research across all academic disciplines. 3 Social science researchers and their academic institutions have argued for many years that their disciplines need to do more to solve real world practical problems (Western, 2019). 'End users' of research including governments, industry, philanthropy and civil society are increasingly concerned with policy outcomes, greater use of data, evidence, multiple forms of expertise, co-design with stakeholders and better policy translation of research from their engagement with academics.…”

Section: How Can Effective Research-policy-practice Translation Work?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Influencing Social Policy on Families through Research in Australia

Reddel

Hand

Lata

2022

Family Dynamics Over the Life Course

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There is an emerging academic and public policy discourse about better research engagement, impact and policy translation. In this chapter we examine the place of research in making ‘real world’ impact on the social policies and practices affecting Australian families, especially the transmission of (dis)advantage over the life course and across generations. We begin by briefly reflecting on the influence of ‘policy research’ in shaping Australia’s early social development through the 1907 Basic Wage Case by Justice Higgins (The Harvester judgement), which placed the intersection of work and family life at the centre of economic and social policy debates. While historical, these reforms laid the foundations for what can be seen as tentative life course social policy frameworks engaged in the dynamics of family life from birth to death, changing family structures, and increasing economic and gender inequality. We then examine selected historical and contemporary social policy episodes consistent with the book’s central themes where research from academia, the public sector and civil society has been impactful in key national and state-based policy systems such as social security, balancing work and family, child care, addressing gender inequality and support for vulnerable and complex families.

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How to Increase the Relevance and Use of Social and Behavioral Science: Lessons for Policy-makers, Researchers and Others

Cited by 11 publications

References 44 publications

The Road Less Travelled: Using Administrative Data To Understand Inequalities By Sexual Orientation

The Road Less Travelled: Using Administrative Data To Understand Inequalities By Sexual Orientation

Pockets of promise: exploring innovation and complexity of remote ECEC service delivery in Australia

Influencing Social Policy on Families through Research in Australia

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