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A study of 12 secondary schools students in Victoria, Australia explored the spirituality of young people in the context of their everyday lives through a hermeneutic phenomenological investigation. In developing an understanding of what spirituality meant to the participants in this study, it was apparent that spirituality was deeply abiding and embedded within the participants’ religious traditions. This was influenced by the exposure participants had to religious and spiritual teachings. Despite the fact that the participants expressed a range of religious beliefs about God, the afterlife and transcendence towards others as significant ways in which they understood spirituality, the findings were not generalisable across the Australian population. These themes will be explored throughout the paper proving implications for educators working with specific groups of students from faith backgrounds and the possibility of investigating what young people from non-religious backgrounds believe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction and Aims To assess the demographic profile, use patterns, market characteristics, reasons for first use and self-reported harms associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids in Australia. Design and Methods An online questionnaire was administered to a purposive sample of 316 Australian synthetic cannabinoid users [96% cannabis users, 77% male, median age 27 years, interquartile range ( IQR) 23-34] who self-reported demographic and drug use characteristics. Results The median duration of synthetic cannabinoid use was 6 months ( IQR 2-10), 35% reported use weekly or more often and 7% reported daily use. Reasons for first use included curiosity (50%), legality (39%), availability (23%), recreational effects (20%), therapeutic effects (9%), non-detection in standard drug screening assays (8%) and to aid the reduction or cessation of cannabis use (5%). Users reported buying a median of 3 g ( IQR 3-6) and paying a median of AU$60 ( IQR 37-90). Most (68%) reported at least one side-effect during their last session of use, including decreased motor co-ordination (39%), fast or irregular heartbeat (33%), dissociation (22%), dizziness (20%), paranoia (18%) and psychosis (4%). 4 respondents reported seeking help. A greater number of side-effects were reported by males, those aged 18-25 years, water pipe ('bong') users and concurrent alcohol drinkers. Discussion and Conclusions The sample reported first using synthetic cannabinoids due to curiosity, legality, availability, effects, non-detection in drug testing and to reduce their cannabis use. Harms were widely reported yet help-seeking was minimal. Inclusion of questions regarding synthetic cannabinoids in household surveys is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article reports on an international qualitative study investigating career pathways through the stories of transition and adaptability of older women. Informed by grounded theory, the study explored how this group of women coped with and adapted to changes and transitions related to career. Data were gathered by means of interviews with 36 older women from Australia, England and South Africa. An inductive data analysis informed by grounded theory produced nine themes with 19 subthemes of which one subtheme was career adaptability. A second stage deductive data analysis of the career adaptability subtheme was conducted using qualitative descriptors developed by the researchers of the five dimensions of concern, control, curiosity, confidence, and cooperation as well as three levels of career adaptability proposed by Savickas (2008). Three case studies are discussed. The results support a qualitative interpretation of career adaptability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This comparative study of journalism practices in Australia and Denmark explores the interplay between two concepts relevant for journalism's meaning-making activity: a curiosity seen as an action meant to close an information gap, and a story-telling frame seen as a form of structuring information which helps to define what is known of a topic. Using the newspaper coverage of events following the discovery of a “mysterious sickness” in the previous home of a group of Tasmanian devils sent to Copenhagen Zoo as a christening gift for the baby of the Danish royal, the article examines how the epistemological and organisational dimension of frames relates to the process of meaning making. We suggest refining the concept of frame in journalism studies by making a distinction between a frame (an epistemological category) and an angle (a textual organisation category). Our investigation shows that this distinction better serves the analysis and understanding of the mechanisms behind journalism in comparative contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on CensusAtSchool, a database developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that contain answers to questions that students have provided, which they can use to investigate questions that may interest them. Involvement of schools; Benefits to students, including the stimulation of their curiosity; Utilization of the data to draw and use graphs.

Introduction and Aims: A growing body of evidence suggests e-cigarette use increases the risk of conventional cigarette use. Assessing the factors associated with intentions to use e-cigarettes can inform programs designed to minimise uptake, potentially assisting in preventing a new population of smokers. This study developed and tested a model assessing the importance of various factors that may be associated with intentions to use e-cigarettes among young adults who have never used e-cigarettes or tobacco cigarettes., Design and Methods: A web-panel provider recruited 429 Australian 18- to 25-year-olds who had never used e-cigarettes or smoked tobacco cigarettes (56% female, mean age = 21.17 years). Various individual and social factors were assessed as potential direct and indirect predictors of e-cigarette use intentions., Results: The developed model provided an excellent fit to the data and accounted for 49% of the variance in use intentions. Males had greater intentions to use e-cigarettes compared to females (β = -0.13). Having a greater number of friends who smoke tobacco cigarettes (β = 0.11) and curiosity about e-cigarette use (β = 0.58) were also directly associated with greater use intentions. Positive expectancies about e-cigarettes (β = 0.14), having family members who use e-cigarettes (β = 0.11), and having friends who smoke tobacco cigarettes (β = 0.07) were indirectly associated with intentions via curiosity., Discussion and Conclusions: Curiosity about e-cigarette use was strongly associated with use intentions. Aspects of the social environment were also important. Further research is needed to identify effective means of challenging positive e-cigarette expectancies given these were found to be strongly associated with intentions via curiosity., (© 2019 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)