Seriously Social Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia

In our final episode of Seriously Social, we bring you a special interview with 2023 Senior Australian of the Year, Professor Tom Calma AO. A Kungarakan and Iwaidja Elder, educator, human rights campaigner and academic, Professor Calma has spent decades effecting positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this interview, Professor Calma reflects on the things that drive him and the hopes he has for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and all Australians, in the wake of the Voice Referendum. Don’t miss this important message of truth and hope from one of Australia’s most significant changemakers, in conversation with host Ginger Gorman.
 
Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6gJKSNTn8g
USEFUL LINKS 
Australian of the Year Awards 
The Voice referendum results The Squiz 
2005 Social Justice Report Australian Human Rights Commission 
Close the Gap Campaign 
Racism. It stops with me. Australian Human Rights Commission 
Tackling Indigenous Smoking  
Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation 
Living First Language Platform 

As the housing crisis worsens, do we have the courage to reimagine a home among the gumtrees or are we too set in our ways to branch out? In this episode, we investigate why density is a dirty word and offer a comprehensive view of the possibilities ahead. Join host Ginger Gorman as she speaks to housing policy expert Professor Bill Randolph (UNSW City Futures Research Centre), innovative architect Lisa Garner from LIAN Architects, and Associate Professor in Urban Planning (The University of Queensland), Dr Dorina Pojani, to break ground on the problem and reimagine our cities.

Useful Links

Nightingale Housing

Victorian Government Future Homes Initiative

Outrage and Optimism Podcast

Incarceration rates are on the rise in Australia. Is there a crime wave or is it media hype? Join host Ginger Gorman as she cuts through the clickbait to uncover the truth about crime in Australia and who we lock up. Professor Eileen Baldry AO, a leading criminologist from UNSW, separates fact from fiction, while Justen Thomas, an advocate for vulnerable youth offers a unique perspective from firsthand experience. Get ready for a confronting discussion on the real story behind the headlines and whether incarceration is truly the answer.
Useful Links
Lifeline 11 13 14
1800 Respect 1800 737 732
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Outrage + Optimism Podcast
National Children’s Commissioner slams “shocking” new Queensland youth justice laws Australian Human Rights Commission
New South Wales Government to double penalties for knife crimes NSW Government
The sad story of Marlon Noble ABC Ramp Up
NSW police use force against Indigenous Australians at drastically disproportionate levels, data shows The Guardian

Which professions and brands do you trust? In this episode, Professor Nicole Gillespie from the Trust, Ethics and Governance Alliance at the University of Queensland talks us through trust—how to build it, maintain it, and what to do if we lose it. Going beyond the personal perspective, Professor Gillespie examines the factors that make an organisation trustworthy and the psychology behind building consumer confidence.
Useful Links
2023 Productivity Commission Report
What Australia Thinks ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods
Mattel recalls nearly 100 000 toys after lead paint alert The Guardian
AMP scandal shows the coverup is often worse than the crime ABC News

If you were feeling low and needed to talk, would you turn to a robot? With the rise of AI Chatbot technology, many Australians are doing just that—and seeing the benefits. In this episode, Associate Professor Gemma Sharp, head of the Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group at Monash University, explains why chatbots can successfully bridge the gap between people living with an eating disorder and access to in-person treatments, while host of the Butterfly: Let’s Talk podcast, Sam Ikin shares how having an eating disorder that doesn’t fit the stereotype can be a barrier to seeking help.
 
Useful Links
 
Butterfly: Let’s Talk Podcast The Butterfly Foundation
Lifeline 13 11 14
Sharp Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group Monash University
Specialist Women’s Mental Health Service Opens in Shepparton Alfred Health
 

Many people switch to a meat-free diet on the basis that it’s a healthy lifestyle choice with a low carbon footprint. But can we really believe the hype when it comes to vegan meat products?
In this episode, Professor Christine Parker from the University of Melbourne Law School serves up the truth on the rise of imitation meat products and dives into who is responsible for ensuring the claims made on their labels are accurate. Get ready to sink your teeth into this captivating episode on ethics and the implications of the vegan meat industry. 
Useful Links
The Impossible Burger
Food standards code: a quick guide Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Impossible task? Australian food law and the challenge of novel meat analogues Hope Johnson and Christine Parker