Category: General interes
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How ‘the future’ connects across subjects
By Jennifer Gidley ‘Today’s world is complex and unreliable. Tomorrow is expected to be more so.’ – Jennifer M. Gidley, The Future: A Very Short Introduction From the beginning of time, humanity has been driven by a paradox: fearing the unknown but with a constant curiosity to know. Over time, science and technology have developed, meaning that we are…
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The Land Is Our History
The Land Is Our History author Miranda Johnson was awarded the Australian Historical Association’s W K Hancock Prize, which recognises an Australian scholar who has published a first book in any field of history in 2014 or 2015. To coincide with NAIDOC Week, here is an excerpt: The late 1960s was a watershed moment for…
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What makes a literate nation?
An excerpt from Australian Literature for Young People by Rosemary Ross Johnston The arts – literature in all its forms, theatre and cinema, dance, music, drawing, painting and sculpture – both sustain and create literate nations. They are not an extra-curricular frill, but an integral part of communal and personal lives; they arm for the…
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The long shadow of financial exceptionalism
An excerpt from Necessary Evil: How to Fix Finances by Saving Human Rights by David Kinley Of the ailments of the financial sector and their causes, one stands out above all others: the capacity of finance’s prevailing culture of self- assured exceptionalism (and the political clout it buys) to resist fundamental change. The world of…
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How well do you know the Australian Constitution? Take our quiz to find out
Which provisions of the Australian Constitution reference Australia’s First Peoples? The preamble Section 51(xxvi) Sections 51(xxvi) and 127 None of the above 2. How did the Australian Constitution become law? By a vote of delegates to the Australian Constitutional Conventions By enactment of a British Act of Parliament By approval in a referendum By ratification…
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There are many reasons to love libraries
Modern libraries can take the form of a local book exchange to a huge community centre, complete with roof gardens and cafes. The reasons why Australians love them are just as diverse. From the smell of books to the friendly librarian, there are plenty of reasons to visit, and to love, our libraries. To mark…
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Health Ageing and Aged Care: An Introduction
Healthy Ageing and Aged Care takes an inter-disciplinary approach to supporting older people within the community and in care. It represents current Australian and New Zealand policies and practices and takes a holistic view of the older person, and emphasises the positive aspects of the ageing process, maintaining that people age in healthy ways and…