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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textNo. 175 (No. 14 of 1983)
Fix this textPublished fortnightly by the Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post Publication No. NBF 4388
Fix this text16 September 1983
Fix this textPoverty relief
Fix this textstrains States
Fix this textbudgets
Fix this textAn increasing demand for welfare payments, coupled
Fix this textwith the State Governments'greatly diminished tax bases, is
Fix this textplacing a severe strain on the States' ability to provide sup-
Fix this textplementary income support and social services, according
Fix this textto a report released by UNSW's Social Welfare Research
Fix this textCentre.
Fix this textThe report, Aspects of Fiscal Federalism and Social
Fix this textWelfare, was compiled by Dr Adam Graycar and Mr Ian
Fix this textScott and makes extensive use of fresh data in its analysis
Fix this textof what they see as the social and fiscal problems facing the
Fix this textAustralian welfare state.
Fix this textIt notes that with the decline in 'social wage expenditure'
Fix this text(eg, health, education, housing) from 61 per cent of Common-
Fix this textwealth outlays in 1975/6 to 55.1 per cent in 1982/3, and the
Fix this textspread of poverty associated with chronic unemployment, the States
Fix this textwill be under greater pressure to make up the shortfall.
Fix this textBut the central issue, according to the report, is whether the
Fix this textStates have the inclination or ability to cope with the heavy
Fix this textdemands being placed on them, given that the States' taxation
Fix this textmainstays, including payroll tax, stamp duties and motor vehicle
Fix this texttaxes, are no longer reliable growth areas.
Fix this textDr Graycar and Mr Scott make clear the fundamental link
Fix this textbetween the question of federalism and social welfare policy:
Fix this text'Responsibility for community well-being is caught up in the politics
Fix this textof federalism. When translated into social welfare provision, issues
Fix this textof public finance are every bit as important as ideological issues
Fix this textrelating to needs, rights and shares.'
Fix this textIn detailing the recent history of Australian social policy, the
Fix this textreport notes the shift from the Commonwealth's centralizing
Fix this textinitiatives in the early seventies to the 'New Federalism' program
Fix this textintroduced by the Fraser Government.
Fix this textAfter 1976, they say this meant that: 'Commonwealth grants
Fix this textto the States as recommended by the Grants Commission are not
Fix this textprovided so that the States must provide specific services, but rather
Fix this textthat the States would find it within their financial capacity to pro-
Fix this textvide certain services should they choose to do so'.
Fix this textAs a result sharp divisions have developed between the States'
Fix this textrelative social expenditures.
Fix this textIn relief of the aged and infirm, the highest spending State is
Fix this textVictoria ($11.70 per capita per year) while the lowest spending
Fix this textState is Queensland ($3.77 per capita per year). The difference of
Fix this textalmost $8 per capita, according to the report, bears no relation to
Fix this textthe age composition within those States and is notable given that
Fix this textthe mean expenditure is $9.22 per year.
Fix this textAt present, the States spend approximately half their budgets
Fix this texton social services such as health, housing, education, welfare and
Fix this textcommunity services. While welfare services comprise a very small
Fix this textproportion of state social service expenditure, the dollar amounts
Fix this textare not insubstantial. The report also points out that a significant
Fix this textproportion of welfare expenditure is directed towards income
Fix this textsupport — commonly assumed to be a function of the Federal
Fix this textGovernment.
Fix this textThe report shows that in five States at least 20 per cent of
Fix this textwelfare service expenditure is of an income support nature. In NSW
Fix this textalmost half the annual welfare budget is being channelled into
Fix this textincome support.
Fix this textIf the question of social welfare policy pivots on the question
Fix this textof federalism then, the report concludes, an interpretation of social
Fix this textwelfare that goes beyond seeing it as a charity for the needy and
Fix this textinstead views it as an integral part of our economy demands a
Fix this textstrong federal government.
Fix this textThat is to say, that what is required is a central/local axis with
Fix this textlocal bodies distributing federal money and the States merely acting
Fix this textas brokers. This notion was abandoned in 1976 as general revenue
Fix this textgrants took on a larger role and more was left to the States'
Fix this textdiscretion.
Fix this textInside
Fix this textUNSW's Annual Report for 1982 has just
Fix this textbeen released. Highlights inside, pages 2
Fix this textand 3:
Fix this text• VC expresses concern over research
Fix this textfunding
Fix this text• Developments in research
Fix this text• Unisearch income up half a million
Fix this text• The University under review
Fix this text• Research topics
Fix this textFrom judges to whores who’s who on
Fix this textthe ladder of occupational prestige
Fix this textOccupation is the single most important indi-
Fix this textcator of a person's position in society, determining
Fix this textquality of life, level of security, health and social
Fix this textstatus.
Fix this textA new book by a UNSW academic examines and
Fix this textanalyses the relationship between occupations and
Fix this textpower, privilege and status, based on an investigation
Fix this textof people's consciousness of occupational prestige.
Fix this textIt also shows the way some middle echelon jobs have
Fix this textmoved up or down the prestige ladder as a result of
Fix this texttechnological change.
Fix this textPower, Privilege and Prestige: Occupations in Australia,
Fix this textby Dr Ann Daniel of the School of Sociology, is the result
Fix this textof an exhaustive empirical study to rate the prestige of hun-
Fix this textdreds of occupations well-known in Australia. Dr Daniel set
Fix this textout to discover the facts of occupational prestige in Australia
Fix this textand her findings show that power is the common element
Fix this textin those occupations which were accorded the
Fix this texthighest prestige.
Fix this text'Typically, those occupations which are
Fix this textsaid to be the most prestigious all share the
Fix this textcharacteristic of being powerful occupations'.
Fix this textDr Daniel says. 'Similarly, they all command
Fix this textlarge personal educational resources profes-
Fix this textsors, medical and legal professionals or they
Fix this textare occupations which are conceded very
Fix this textmarked authority managing directors or
Fix this textcabinet ministers.'
Fix this textAfter determining how each occupation
Fix this textrated in terms of prestige, Dr Daniel explains
Fix this textin the book why this is so and it was this part
Fix this textof the study which she found the most
Fix this textinteresting.
Fix this text‘Not only are the most prestigious all
Fix this textpowerful occupations, but the power they hold
Fix this textis regarded as legitimate’, she says. 'Surveys
Fix this texthave shown that trade unionists have power
Fix this textsome say too much power but they don’t
Fix this textenjoy very much prestige. Power must be
Fix this textlegitimate or acceptable, and in those cases
Fix this textwhere it is not widely accepted, prestige is not
Fix this texthigh.'
Fix this textResearching occupational status is an area
Fix this textwell-trodden by sociologists and continues to
Fix this textengross readers throughout the world. Dr
Fix this textDaniel notes, however, that studies into occu-
Fix this textpational status result in an extremely wide
Fix this textdiversity of interpretations, cloaking research
Fix this textinto status and class with controversy.
Fix this text'Class and status may be analytically
Fix this textdistinguished', she says, 'but there is much con-
Fix this textfusion about empirically unravelling them, and
Fix this textconfusion may be compounded in relating these
Fix this textto images of class or perceptions of prestige or
Fix this textsocial construction of reality.'
Fix this textIn constructing the methodology for her
Fix this textresearch, Dr Daniel built on and broadened
Fix this textearlier studies in occupational prestige which
Fix this texthad been initiated in the late 1950 s at UNSW
Fix this textby Professor Athol Congalton, an eminent
Fix this textsociologist from New Zealand, whose studies
Fix this textformed the basis of the scale used for the first
Fix this textseries of studies in social stratification and
Fix this textmobility.
Fix this textOther sociologists had discussed the diffi-
Fix this textculties inherent in researching occupational
Fix this textprestige, and Dr Daniel set out to examine
Fix this textprestige so that it could be viewed in the con-
Fix this texttext of social theory that recognizes the
Fix this textrelations of power that structure society.
Fix this textResearch questions were prepared to find
Fix this texthow much people knew about the prestige of
Fix this textoccupations and a large number of people from
Fix this textmany different walks of life were asked to rate
Fix this textthe prestige of 162 occupations. Those surveyed
Fix this textincluded a 'person in the street sample', over
Fix this text100 managing directors and their private
Fix this textsecretaries, staff of the Commonwealth Banking
Fix this textCorporation, public servants, trade unionists,
Fix this textindustrial workers, representatives of middle
Fix this textmanagement and the entire population of a tiny
Fix this textcountry town in western Queensland.
Fix this text'I wanted to see if there was strong contro-
Fix this textversy and conflict in the society between dif-
Fix this textferent views of prestige', Dr Daniel says. 'There-
Fix this textfore I purposely set out to obtain as widely
Fix this textdivergent attitudes and lifestyles as I could. The
Fix this textmost difficult to contact were the working class
Fix this textbecause they don’t work at desks with pens,
Fix this textbut with the co-operation of two unions I was
Fix this textable to secure sufficient responses.'
Fix this textAided with computer technology that was
Fix this textnot available to Professor Congalton at the time
Fix this textof his earlier study, Dr Daniel was able to sub-
Fix this textstantially broaden the study and her findings
Fix this textreveal that, in the intervening years, some occu-
Fix this textpations have undergone a change in prestige.
Fix this text'Medicine and law remain at the top of the
Fix this textprofessions', Dr Daniel says, 'but the status of
Fix this textroutine clerical workers has gone down very
Fix this textmuch since the Congalton study. Some occu-
Fix this textpations have lost their status and others have
Fix this textcome forward. A particularly apt example has
Fix this textbeen the creation of a whole new employment
Fix this textstructure surrounding the computer industry.'
Fix this textIn the final analysis, Dr Daniel's research
Fix this textplaces the occupation of judge as the most
Fix this textprestigious of all. At the other end of the
Fix this textscale, prostitute/street walker is regarded as the
Fix this textleast prestigious.
Fix this text'Prestige', according to Dr Daniel, 'indi-
Fix this textcates the desirableness of a job in terms of
Fix this textincome and as a measure of authority and
Fix this textinfluence. It doesn’t necessarily signify those
Fix this textoccupations regarded as most important, most
Fix this textexciting, or foremost in our imagination, but
Fix this textrather the quality of life and the level of
Fix this textsecurity that stem from the occupation.'
Fix this textPower, Priviledge and Prestige: Occupations
Fix this textin Australia is published by Longman Cheshire
Fix this textand costs $11.95.
Fix this textUnique louvres help save on power
Fix this textAfter two years research and development at UNSW,
Fix this texta unique system of angulated window louvres which block
Fix this textout hot summer sun, but allow sunlight to enter in the
Fix this textwinter months, is being marketed commercially in IMSW
Fix this textand the ACT.
Fix this textInvented by Mr David Hassall of the School of Build-
Fix this texting, the louvres, called SOL-A-KING, offer an ideal system
Fix this textof using the sun to cut ventilation bills without involving
Fix this textany effort by those who have installed the system. The
Fix this textlouvres help to keep rooms cool in summer and warm in
Fix this textwinter, while allowing direct light to enter all year round.
Fix this textMounted externally, the diagonally inclined louvre blades are
Fix this textdesigned to exclude all summer sun from about the end of Septem-
Fix this textber until the end of March. As the arc of the winter sun is lower,
Fix this textmuch of the warmth is allowed to penetrate, providing greater
Fix this textthermal efficiency than any louvre or blind system currently
Fix this textavailable.
Fix this textMr Hassall spent two years developing the system using com-
Fix this textputers to analyse the complicated three-dimensional geometry
Fix this textinvolved, but says the idea had been with him for some time before
Fix this textthat.
Fix this text'Literally thousands of calculations were involved, and the
Fix this textcomputer programming was necessary due to the number of vari-
Fix this textables’, he says, 'The first set of variables are aspect, latitude and
Fix this textthe movement of the sun in the sky. It was necessary to devise
Fix this textspecifications based on these variables to decide the best tilt angle
Fix this textof the blades and the upper and lower cut-off angles which govern
Fix this textthe performance of the louvres,'
Fix this textThe louvres themselves require minimum maintenance and are
Fix this textconstructed from colourbonded zincalume steel, although any
Fix this textsuitable material can be used for their construction including
Fix this textstainless steel, aluminium, plastic or timber.
Fix this textMr Hassall says the system also offers an effective security
Fix this textscreen, allowing windows to be left open at night and when a
Fix this textbuilding is unattended.
Fix this text'Perhaps its greatest benefit, however, is the potential to reduce the levels of
Fix this textenergy consumption in winter heating and summer airconditioning', Mr Hassall
Fix this textsays.
Fix this textThe system has been patented by Unisearch Ltd, the University's research
Fix this textand development company, SOL-A-KING is distributed throughout NSW and
Fix this textACT by Energy Economics Pty Ltd and inquiries about the system can be made
Fix this textto Mr Bob Smith on 689 1055.
Fix this textPublic Affairs Unit
Fix this textNorman Wong
Fix this textThe SOL-A-KING louvre system in place at St George College of TAPE, Kogarah.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257326024
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved July 29, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257326024
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 29 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257326024>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 29 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257326024
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1983, no. 14 (16-29 Sept., 1983)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257326024
| id=nla.obj-257326024
| access-date=29 July 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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