The Failure of Citizens’s Initiated Referenda Proposals in Australia: New Directions for Popular Participation?

Australia has been a leading proponent of direct democracy since the turn of the century because of the provision for referenda in the Australian Constitution. However, the experiment has progressed little further. Bills for citizens’s initiated referenda have been introduced across the Australian parliaments. Not one has been passed, despite the concept being supported at different times by all sides of politics. This article examines why these proposals have failed. It also evaluates other means of reinvigorating popular participation. Widespread disillusionment with the political system indicates that there is a genuine need to increase community involvement in the political process.     

Book reviews

Paul Dibb (ed.), Australia's External Relations in the 1980s: The Interaction of Economic, Political and Strategic Factors. Croom Helm Australia, Canberra, 1983, pp. 227. $19.95.

Grant Wardlaw, Political Terrorism. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1982, pp. xiii + 218. $14.95.

B. E. O'Neill, W. R, Heaton and D. J. Alberts (eds), Insurgency in the Modern World. Westview Press, Boulder Co., 1980, pp. xii + 291. $US39.00

Michael Chisholm, Modern World Development. Hutchinson World Library, London, 1982, pp. 216. $17.95.

David E. Kaiser, Economic Diplomacy and the Origins of the Second World War: Germany, Britain, France, and Eastern Europe, 1930–1939. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1980, pp. xvi + 346. $US33.00 (cloth); $US16.50 (paper).

Walter Laqueur, Europe Since Hitter: The Rebirth of Europe. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England, 1982, pp. 607. $9.95.

Michael Newman, Socialism and European Unity: The Dilemma of the Left in Britain and France. Junction Books, London, 1983, pp. 292. $14.95.

Mervyn Matthews, Education in the Soviet Union. Policies and Institutions since Stalin. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1982, pp. xiv + 225. $15.95.

H. F. & W. F. Scott, The Soviet Control Structure: Capabilities for Wartime Survival. Crane Russak, New York, 1983, pp. x + 146. No price given.

David Wilson, The Demand for Energy in the Soviet Union. Croom Helm, London and Canberra, 1983, pp. 130. $37.95.

John L. Esposito (ed.), Voices of Resurgent Islam. Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford, 1983, pp. vii + 294. $20.00

John W.. Longworth, Beef in Japan: Politics, Production, Marketing and Trade. University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1983, pp xxvii + 327. $25.00.

John K. Fairbank, Edwin O. Reischauer and Albert M. Craig, East Asia: Tradition and Transformation. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, new impression 1983, pp. xvi + 982. $45.95

Keith Hancock, Yoko Sano, Bruce Chapman and Pamela Fayle (eds), Japanese and Australian labour markets: A comparative study. Australia‐Japan Research Centre, Canberra and Tokyo, 1983, pp. xx+ 610. No price given.

Lesleyanne Hawthorne (ed.), Refugee: The Vietnamese Experience. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1982, pp. xvi + 330. $29.00 (cloth); $ 14.99 (paper).

Stuart Harris and Brian Bridges, European Interests in ASEAN. Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chathan House Papers No. 19, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1983, pp. 89. £4.95.

H. W. Arndt, The Indonesian Economy: Collected Papers, Chopmen Publishers, Singapore, 1984, pp. viii + 279. $S.56.00 (cloth); $S.36.00 (paper).

Y. Sugimoto and R. E. Mouer, Japanese Society: Stereotypes and Realities (pp. 41, 1982); F. Freiberg, Women in Mizoguchi Films (pp. 39, 1981); D. F. Henderson, Joint Ventures and Investments in Japan (pp. 23, 1981); Y. Sugimoto, H. Shimada & S. B. Levine, Industrial Relations in Japan (pp. 58, 1982); S. Tsurumi, Japanese Conceptions of Asia (pp. 20, 1982); Vera Mackie, Japanese Children and Politeness (pp. 42, 1982); J. A. A. Stockwin, The Rights and Lefts of Japanese Politics (pp. 13, 1984); P. Sheard, Auto Production Systems in Japan (pp. 80, 1983); T. Matsuzawa, Japanese Fascism and the Tenno Imperial State (pp. 17, 1984); R. Hidaka, Democracy and the ‘Control State’ in Japan (pp. 38, 1984); J. V. Neustupny, Communicating with the Japanese (pp. 18, 1984).

All published by the Japanese Studies Centre, Clayton, Victoria. Price $3.00 except that by Sheard which is $8.00.

David Goldsworthy, Tom Mboya: The Man Kenya Wanted to Forget. Heinemann Educational Books, Nairobi, 1982, pp. xii + 308. No price given.

Jock McCulloch, Black Soul White Artifact. Fanon's Clinical Psychology and Social Theory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983, pp. xi + 249. $56.00.

Jay R. Mandle, Patterns of Caribbean Development: An Interpretive Essay on Economic Change. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, 1982, pp. xi + 156. $35.80

A. L. Weeks and W. C. Bodie (eds), War and Peace: Soviet Russia Speaks (with an essay by F. R. Barnett). National Strategy Information Centre, Inc., New York, 1983, pp. 51. $1.95.

J. E. Larson and W. C. Bodie, The Intelligent Layperson's Guide to the Nuclear Freeze and Peace Debate. National Strategy Information Centre, Inc., New York, 1983, pp. 65. $2.95.

Laurio H. Destefani, Malvinas, Georgia y Sandwich del Sur, ante el Conflicto con Gran Bretana. Edipress S.A., Buenos Aires, 1982, pp. 144. No price given.

Myriam Dornoy, Politics in New Caledonia. Sydney University Press, Sydney, 1984, pp. xvi + 302. $42.50.

L. W. Johnson, Colonial Sunset. Australia and Papua New Guinea 1970–74. University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1983, pp. 271. $24.95.

James Sinclair, Uniting a Nation: The Postal and Telecommunication Services of Papua New Guinea. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1984, pp. 287. $20.00.

K. Buckley and K. Klugman, ‘The Australian Presence in the Pacific’. Burns Philp 1914–1946. George Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1983, pp. 392. $19.95.

M. Meleisea et al., Politics in Polynesia. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 262. $F8.00.

R. Teiwaki et al., Politics in Micronesia. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 168. $F8.00.

P. Larmour with S. Tarua (eds), Solomon Islands Politics. Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 305. $F11.00 (cloth); $F8.00 (paper).     

Book reviews

John C. Garnett, Commonsense and the Theory of International Politics. Macmillan, London, 1984, pp. x + 153. $14.95

Moshe M. Czudnowski, Political Elites and Social Change. Northern Illinois University Press, Dekalb, 1983, pp. xi + 255. $US 12.50.

J. Breuilly, Nationalism and the State. Manchester University Press. Manchester, 1982, pp. 421. £25.00.

Dudley Seers, The Political Economy of Nationalism. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1983, pp. xii + 218. $37.50 (cloth), $17.40 (paper).

Otto van den Muijzenberg, Pieter Streefland and Willem Wolters (eds.), Focus on the Region in Asia. Comparative Asian Studies Program, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, 1982, pp. 349. No price given.

Frank Moulaert and Patricia W. Salinas (eds.), Regional Analysis and the New International Division of Labour. Kluwer‐Nijhoff, Boston, 1983, pp. 171. $29.30.

T. Duncan and J. Fogarty, Australia and Argentina: On Parallel Paths. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1984, pp. xiv + 172. $22.50

A. Curthoys and J. Merritt (eds), Australia's First Cold War 1945–1953 vol.1 Society, Communism and Culture. George Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1984, pp. xiv + 243. $24.95 (cloth), $12.95 (paper).

C. O'Faircheallaigh, Mining and Development. Groom Helm, London and Sydney, 1984, pp. 302. $33.95.

C. O'Faircheallaigh, Host Countries and Multinationals. Canberra Studies in World Affairs No.7. Department of International Relations, Australian National University, Canberra, 1982. pp. 106. $6.00

Anthony Verrier, Through the Looking Glass: British Foreign Policy in the Age of Illusions. Jonathan Cape, London, 1983, pp. x +385. £12.50

Ritchie Ovendale (ed.), The Foreign Policy of the British Labour Governments 1945–1951. Leicester University Press, Leichester, 1984, pp. 198. £15.00.

Bernard Porter, Britain, Europe, the World 1850–1982: Delusions of Grandeur. Allen & Unwin, London, 1983, pp. xv + 178. $27.00

Elim Papadakis, The Green Movement in West Germany. Croom Helm, London and Canberra, 1984, pp. 230. $31.95.

Yoo See‐Hee (ed.), Political Leadership and Economic Development: Korea and China. The Institute for Sino‐Soviet Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, 1983, pp. vii + 240. No price given.

Kalyani Bandyopadhyaya, Burma and Indonesia: Comparative Political Economy & Foreign Policy. South Asian Publishers, New Delhi and Madras, 1983, pp. vii + 250. No price given.

Narongchai Akrsanee (ed.), ASEAN‐Japan Relations: Trade and Development. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 1983, pp. viii + 191. $US15.00.

Sueo Sekiguchi (ed.), ASEAN‐Japan Relations: Investment, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 1983, pp. viii + 274. $US 16.00.

K.K. Nair, ASEAN — Indochina Relations Since 1975: the Politics of Accommodation. The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, 1984, pp. 239. $10.00

John Drysdale, Singapore: Struggle For Success. George Allen & Unwin Australia, Sydney, 1984. pp. xxiv + 506. No price given.

David Bourchier, Dynamics of Dissent in Indonesia: Sawito and the Phantom Coup. Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, Ithaca, New York, pp. 128. $US9.00.

Tariq Ali, Can Pakistan Survive? Penguin Books, Harmonds‐worth, 1983, pp. 237. $7.95.

Robert C. Marshall, Collective Decision Making in Rural Japan. Michigan Papers in Japanese Studies No. 11, Centre for Japanese Studies, Ann Arbor, 1984, pp. xiii + 178. $US7.00.

Deon Geldenhuys, The Diplomacy of Isolation: South African Foreign Policy Making. Macmillan, Johannesburg, 1984, pp. 295. R 19.95.     

Squabbling Siblings: Gender and Monastic Life in Late Anglo‐Saxon Winchester

In early medieval Winchester, three monastic communities were enclosed together in the south‐eastern corner of the town. By the later Anglo‐Saxon period, Old Minster was a monastic cathedral and New Minster and Nunnaminster were monastic communities for men and women respectively. This paper addresses ways in which the three foundations collaborated and co‐ordinated with each other and with the city. While gender segregated these communities, both liturgy and the urban context integrated them, as can be seen from the books used and produced by religious men and women in this city in later Anglo‐Saxon England. The importance of prayer to the inhabitants of the city and the wider locale can be seen in the documents that request liturgical services – most often prayers and masses – in return for grants of land and other gifts. Ecclesiastical and lay individuals alike allied themselves to these religious houses, seeking commemoration and often also burial in their cemeteries and hoping to benefit spiritually from their prayers. The ways in which gender affected the religious experiences of Winchester's citizens and their consecrated brothers and sisters are complex, but they are also important in understanding how the saints and their servants on earth related to God, to each other and to the surrounding urban space.     

Girls’ perspectives on the ideal school playground experience: an exploratory study of four Australian primary schools

ABSTRACT

Based on research conducted as part of the Sydney Playground Project, this paper provides an exploratory investigation of the perspectives of girls relating to the ideal school playground experience, and whether their perspectives are influenced by a loose-parts playground intervention. The focus is on the play behaviours of 22 girls aged 8–10 years, from the perspective that school playgrounds are generally designed in ways that are more suited to the play behaviours of boys. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of children’s drawings, interviews and focus groups, exploring meanings associated with desired play experiences. Findings indicate that girls’ views of the ideal school playground are influenced by the geographies of the spaces they play in, and that girls highly valued changes provided by a loose-parts intervention.