Building a Better Future for our Children

2002 Annual Symposium, AGM and Cunningham Lecture
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia

11 November 2002
The Common Room, University House
Australian National University

C A N B E R R A

The 2002 ASSA Symposium focuses on the health and well-being of the children of Australia. Recent studies from Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere heighten awareness of the importance of the early years of human development and specifically the provision by parents, families and society for the younger generations. How well are we managing this in Australia? The Symposium will commence with an overview of the history of childhood. It will then move to explore the paradox of why, in the context of more informed social environments and improving economic conditions, it is now harder for children to imagine a secure future. It will also hope to understand why it is harder for individuals and families to provide parenting that suits the needs of their children, their communities, and themselves. Afternoon sessions will take up these issues with established academics leading discussion. Young scholars involved in research into the health of youth will provide their perspective and wide discussion will be sought in informal and interactive forums.

Program

Monday 11 November

9.00am Welcome - Leon Mann, President, ASSA
9.05am Introduction - Fiona Stanley, AC
9.15am Pathways in the Past: history and childhood - Janet McCalman
9.50am How do children flourish? - Margot Prior
10.25am Education as an equalizer? - Sven Silburn
11.00am Morning tea & launch of book - "Investing in our children: Developing a research agenda"
11.20am Does the economy provide what children need? - Bruce Bradbury
12.00pm Children's worlds - Paul Jennings
12.45pm Lunch
1.45pm Statements by young people
2.25pm Hypotheticals - Mediator: Rebecca Gorman
3.25pm Afternoon Tea
3.45pm President's Panel - Chair: Leon Mann
4.15pm Statements from the floor
4.45pm Finish

Speakers

Professor Janet McCalman. Department of History and Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne
Professor Margot Prior. Department of Psychology, The University of Melbourne
Professor Bruce Bradbury. Social Policy Research Centre
Mr Paul Jennings. Author of children's books
Mr Damien Williams. Temperament Project, The University of Melbourne
Ms Sally Parkinson. Life Patterns Project, Youth Research Centre, The University of Melbourne
Ms Rebecca Gorman. ABC Radio National 'Life Matters'
Mr Barry Jones AO. Former Member of Parliament
Professor Sven Silburn. Director, Curtin Centre for Developmental Health, Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia.
Professor Ann Sanson. Deputy Director (Research), The Australian Institute of Family Studies
Dr Helen Sykes. President, Trust for Young Australians
Professor Johanna Wyn. Director, Youth Research Centre, The University of Melbourne
Ms Fiona Malisse. Assistant Secretary, Family and Community Services, Family Policy Branch
Professor Sue Richardson. National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University of South Australia
Professor Fiona Stanley AO. Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia
Professor Leon Mann. President, ASSA

Cunningham Lecture

Before the bough breaks - doing more for our children in the 21stC

Professor Fiona Stanley, AC, FASSA

Time: 5.00 - 6.00pm Monday 11 November 2002
Venue: Coombs Lecture Theatre, Coombs Building, Fellows Road, Australian National University, Acton

Trends in child health, development and well being over the last 100 years in relation to changes in society provide a fascinating backdrop to challenges facing us this century. High rates of infectious disease in the early 1900s with high mortality rates were reduced drastically by social, physical and educational interventions, well before the bacteriology was known, before antibiotics and before vaccines were available. Our founding fathers in public health introduced a raft of effective preventive activities aimed at making environments more healthy. They were brilliantly successful and must have felt excited as they watched the infectious disease rates come tumbling down.

A hundred years later, we are faced with rates of psychosocial problems, mental health morbidities, drug and alcohol addiction, developmental disorders and juvenile crime which appear to be as high as they have ever been in Australia. These increases have coincided with dramatic changes in society - technological, social, economic, educational and cultural. Paradoxically, these so called advances have been associated with increasing inequalities in health, educational and other outcomes. It seems that whilst some families have responded well to the demands of the late 20th century, an increasing proportion of those with less resilience are struggling. Their children, soon to be the adults and parents of the next generations, are the ones experiencing the increases in developmental and health problems.

Our challenges are similar to those faced and tackled by the public health reformers of the early 20th century; will we be able to respond to these with similar success to ensure a better future for our children and our nation?

~~~
Fiona Stanley studied medicine at the University of Western Australia, practised in hospitals for 2 years before going to the UK (5 years) and USA (1 year) for further training in epidemiology (the science of describing and explaining the occurrence of disease in populations), biostatistics and public health. She is married with two daughters.

CURRENT POSITIONS
Interim Chair and Director, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. The Alliance is a national collaborative whose purpose is to facilitate the generation and translation of knowledge to enhance the wellbeing and life chances of children and young people.
Founding Director, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Variety Club Professor, Department of Paediatrics, the University of Western Australia. The Institute is multi-disciplinary and researches prevention of major childhood illnesses.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Medical and health research and its translation into better health and health care provide significant social and economic benefits to the community.

Her work involves conducting and supervising research in maternal and child health. The WA Maternal and Child Health Research Data Base is a unique collection of data on births from the entire state so that the research has a population (and hence an unbiased) approach. Established by her group of researchers in 1977, it also describes trends in maternal and child health and preventive programs (folate for spina bifida prevention; preventive maternal and child health in Aboriginal communities).

 

 

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