Contemporary Australian Archetypes: Different People, Different Needs

FaHCSIA Social Policy Research Paper No. 32

112 Pages Posted: 21 Dec 2010

See all articles by Helen L. Berry

Helen L. Berry

Australian National University (ANU) - National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health

Peter Butterworth

Australian National University (ANU) - Centre for Mental Health Research

Tanya M. Caldwell

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Bryan Rodgers

Australian National University (ANU) - Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute

Date Written: March 19, 2008

Abstract

The paper reports on the first phase of a two-part research project that aims to substantiate a new approach to describing the Australian population for social policy purposes. By analysing psychosocial factors that contribute to overall wellbeing, the researchers have developed ways of generalising about the Australian population, which acknowledge the complexity of people's lives and may be more helpful for policy and program interventions than 'traditional' sociodemographic or economic analysis.

This research proposes a method to understand how the multifaceted disadvantage that prevents people from participating and living full lives can be addressed; it also helps to explain why policies based solely on income support are often ineffective. This type of analysis sets up different ways of constructing groups of concern to social policy, which are theoretically sensible and intuitively suggestive of multidimensional policy responses (taking account of the different impacts on peoples lives) rather than one dimensional responses.

The five 'contemporary Australian archetypes' identified by the researchers are: - Connected Retirees (representing 22 per cent of the population) - Financially Secure Working Couples (20 per cent of the population) - Time-pressured Couples with Children (26 per cent of the population) - Dissatisfied Working Age Singles (19 per cent of the population) - Marginalised Australians (13 per cent of the population).

Suggested Citation

Berry, Helen L. and Butterworth, Peter and Caldwell, Tanya M. and Rodgers, Bryan, Contemporary Australian Archetypes: Different People, Different Needs (March 19, 2008). FaHCSIA Social Policy Research Paper No. 32, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1728563 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1728563

Helen L. Berry (Contact Author)

Australian National University (ANU) - National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health

NCEPH
Building 62
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Peter Butterworth

Australian National University (ANU) - Centre for Mental Health Research ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Tanya M. Caldwell

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Bryan Rodgers

Australian National University (ANU) - Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
100
Abstract Views
1,011
Rank
452,445
PlumX Metrics