Strategies of Social Inclusion with Muslim Communities


The RISIW research agenda concentrates on effective interventions that promote social inclusion for Muslim communities. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) funded research examines the employment barriers faced by various Muslim jobseeker groups. It will examine labour market outcomes and interaction with Employment Support Services in order to determine which services are effective for particular groups as well as to address improvements in services that would enhance employment outcomes.

The specific aims of this research are:

  • to assess the level of ‘job readiness’ of representative samples of Australian Muslim jobseekers and identify the potential employment factors/barriers that contribute to the high unemployment rates for Australian Muslims. This analysis will include the range of individual, cultural, social, economic, and organisational issues, including prevailing labour market conditions at the macro and local levels;
  • to identify strategies, employment and other services that are effective in assisting Muslims to successfully obtain and retain employment, as well as those aspects of employment services that are ineffective in terms of labour market intermediation;
  • to use the findings from the literature review, qualitative research and econometric modelling to provide a general framework for examining the efficacy of Australian Employment Services through developing a ‘Best-Practice Model’ and identifying actual examples of good practice. It will particularly focus on a sample of four Intensive Employment Support projects under the NAP and three other Intensive Employment Support projects. The development of model will also include comparisons between Mainstream and Non-Mainstream Service Providers, as well as short-term and long-term End-Services in terms of their methods for addressing jobseekers’ needs;
  • to identify the most relevant and culturally sensitive physical resources and in-person supports which can improve the quality and effectiveness of services and consultations provided by Employment Facilitators and program organisers. These could include training manuals, fact-sheets and multi-media resources. In addition specific training needs for staff working with Australian Muslims may be identified by the research;

The project will be using a mixed-method approach (a synthesis of both qualitative and quantitative methods) to analyse primary and secondary data. The primary data will be gathered through conducting fieldwork concerning: (1) the job readiness of Muslim job seekers through selecting representative samples in suburbs in Sydney with high Muslim populations; (2) the actual competence of Australian Support Services through selecting samples of service providers in addressing the specific needs of Muslim clients. The project will develop practical recommendations on how to deal with the identified gaps in programs and enhance existing methods of Employment Supports.

 

The Ian Potter Foundation Grant Success
Research Investigators: Professor Stephen Webb and Kim Edmunds
"Learning for Inclusion: A Partnership with the Newcastle Muslim Community to Promote Cultural Awareness and Social Inclusion"

The social inclusion of Muslims in Australia is a particularly complex and challenging issue. Many Muslims, regardless of their origins, are socially and economically marginalised in Australian society. While Newcastle has a less culturally diverse population than other large centres across Australia, it has a growing Muslim population derived largely from the recent influx of students from Middle Eastern countries enrolled at the University of Newcastle. Newcastle has a unique environment with its own set of challenges; Muslims tend to be more noticeable in a less culturally diverse environment, contributing further to perception of them as outsiders.  This collaborative research will engage members of the Newcastle Muslim community in the development and delivery of activities in local primary schools designed to address social exclusion and contribute to the social wellbeing of the Muslim population.

Dr. Hamed Hosseini

Areas of Interest
Global Studies, Social Movement Studies, Global Public Health, Globalization and Public Welfare, Religion and Politics including (Post-) Islamism and Democracy in the context of Muslim societies

Research Skills
Social Research Analyst-Consultant, Survey research Design, advanced data analysis with SPSS 13+, data management (basic with Microsoft Excel, Access and SPSS 13+), Designing Attitude Measurement Scales, causal modeling, statistical tests of reliability and validity (specified for social research), Critical Content and Cognitive Discourse Analysis (Qualitative), Designing weblogs and online forums.