Brotherhood of St Laurence

Library Blog - October 2026

Selected readings

A curated selection of recent articles and papers relevant to our work.

AI, Equity and Inclusion

  • Artificial Intelligence-Driven Inequality: Gendered and Intersectional Experiences of Workplace Discrimination in Europe: Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir, Angel S. Marrero and Carlotta Rigotti et al., Gender, Work & Organization
    Rafnsdóttir et al. argue that artificial intelligence systems used in hiring and workplace management can reproduce and amplify existing inequalities, with survey data from 28 European countries showing that women, older people, non-White people, gender-diverse individuals and workers in insecure employment are more likely to experience or perceive AI-driven discrimination, highlighting the need for feminist and intersectional approaches to AI design and governance.
  • Artificial intelligence as accommodation? Reframing AI, disability, and the future of work: Dominique Brand, Karina Fischer Mogensen and Madri Engelbrecht, Disability & Society
    The authors argue that generative AI can function as a reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities by supporting participation in knowledge-based work without reducing intellectual contribution, and contend that people with disabilities should be recognised not only as users of AI tools but as active contributors to the design and governance of more equitable workplaces.
  • Communicating the Social Implications of AI: A Framing Toolkit: FrameWorks Institute
    This toolkit is designed for advocates, organizers, communicators, and policy leaders who are working to shape public understanding of the social implications of artificial intelligence (AI). It translates research-based framing insights into practical guidance you can use in messaging, campaigns, media, policy advocacy, and movement communications.
  • Beyond the Frontier: Who Gets Left Behind in Australia’s AI Rush?: Jason Tabarias and Suhit Anantula, Centre for Public Impact
    Tabarias and Anantula argue that Australia’s focus on AI-driven productivity and economic growth risks deepening existing social inequalities unless policymakers prioritise broad community capability, ensuring that regional communities, First Nations peoples, older Australians and other marginalised groups can participate in and benefit from the emerging age of AI.

Disability, Inclusion and Participation

First Nations Perspectives

  • Honouring place during research topic yarning: Lessons from a cross-cultural research experience: Antonia J. Clarke, John Towney, Cammi Murrup-Stewart et al., First Nations Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal
    Clarke et al. describe how centring Place, Country and Indigenous ways of Knowing, Being and Doing in health research, particularly through the leadership of community Navigators, can strengthen cultural integrity, trust and the relevance of research for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
  • Taking the long view: Indigenous employment 1981–2021: Christian Eva, Matthew Gray, Sharlene Leroy-Dyer et al., Journal of Industrial Relations
    The authors analyse four decades of Australian Census data and argue that growth in Indigenous employment has been driven overwhelmingly by increased employment among Indigenous women, while Indigenous men continue to face persistent structural barriers and geographic and educational inequalities, highlighting the need for more culturally responsive approaches to understanding and improving Indigenous labour market outcomes.
Misinformation and Disinformation
  • Australian students can read, but they can't spot misinformation: Jennifer Frean, Pursuit (University of Melbourne)
    Australia's NAPLAN results show that while most students achieve basic reading and writing proficiency, Jennifer Frean argues that declining critical literacy skills, including the ability to evaluate sources, detect misinformation and understand civic processes, leave many young people poorly equipped to navigate an increasingly complex information environment and participate effectively in democracy.
  • Deepfakes are distorting this year’s Victorian election. We found out who’s most susceptible to them: Rory Mulcahy, Aimee Riedel, Asha Worsteling et al. The Conversation
    Drawing on a review of research and new Australian survey findings, the authors argue that increasingly sophisticated political deepfakes can erode trust in democratic institutions by making it harder for voters to distinguish both false and genuine content, highlighting the need for people to verify sources and evidence rather than rely on their confidence in spotting misinformation.

Poverty, Housing and Economic Security

  • Poverty should not be a rite of passage’: Anglicare warns young Australians are being left behind: Tegan George, The Point
    George reports on Anglicare Australia research showing that younger Australians are increasingly experiencing lower incomes, higher debt, reduced home ownership and significant housing insecurity compared with previous generations, with Anglicare calling for reform of Youth Allowance and a more equitable income support system to prevent poverty becoming a normal part of young adulthood.
  • Housing stress is on the rise: 7 essential charts from this year's HILDA survey: Roger Wilkins, Ferdi Botha and Inga Lass et al., The Conversation
    Wilkins et al. use findings from the 2026 HILDA Survey to show that housing affordability pressures are worsening across Australia, with rising housing stress among renters and mortgage holders, increasing numbers of young adults living with their parents, and broader shifts in economic and social wellbeing highlighting growing challenges for younger and lower-income Australians.
  • Counting the cost-of-living, angrily: Mark Kenny, The Klaxon
    Kenny argues that rising economic inequality, housing unaffordability, stagnant wages and declining economic security are fuelling public anger and distrust in Australia, with cultural and political conflicts often obscuring the deeper role that worsening cost-of-living pressures and exclusion from economic opportunity play in driving social and political discontent.

Public Policy and Systems Change

  • The Funder's Palette: A Spectrum of Approaches for Systems Change: Abigail Ridgway and Miya Cain, FSG
    Ridgway and Cain argue that foundations can achieve greater systems change by moving beyond traditional grantmaking and using a broader range of strategies, including strengthening organisations, developing leaders, shifting narratives, building community power, influencing policy and markets, and fostering collaboration to address complex social challenges.
  • Climate policy under economic uncertainty: confidence in the welfare state and support for carbon taxation: Jaewook Lee and Marcello Natili, Journal of Public Policy
    Lee and Natili argue that public support for carbon taxes is shaped not only by economic concerns but also by confidence in welfare institutions, finding that people who trust social policies and protections are more likely to support climate measures, highlighting the importance of strong social safety nets in building public backing for a just green transition.
  • How Grattan became our most influential public policy factory: Luke Kinsella, Australian Financial Review
    Luke Kinsella describes how the Grattan Institute evolved from a small group of policy and public service leaders into one of Australia’s most influential independent think tanks by combining evidence-based research, practical reform proposals and effective public communication, while also examining debates about its political influence and role in shaping government policy.
  • Policy instability and asymmetric decoupling: A multiple streams analysis of Australia’s JobSeeker Payment reform: Yutong Chen, Australian Journal of Public Administration
    Yutong Chen argues that although the COVID-19 pandemic created a policy window that enabled significant increases to Australia’s JobSeeker Payment, the reform was not sustained because political support dissipated before the underlying problem of inadequate income support was resolved, demonstrating how temporary policy gains can unravel when political commitment and institutional backing are withdrawn.

Journals

Academic journals present peer‑reviewed research by subject experts. Recent issues from selected publishers are listed below.

Listen and watch

A selection of podcasts, webinars and recorded talks relevant to our work.

  • Introducing All That We Touch – investigating the relationship between technology and society : All that we touch, Impact Studios (podcast)
    Matt Ryan and Tamson Pietsch introduce a podcast exploring how technologies shape society and how people, tools, institutions and ideas are interconnected.
  • Tame Your Feed with Agata Stepnik: Burning Platforms (Podcast)
    Agata Stepnik discusses how people can actively shape their online information environments and the implications for digital literacy, platform accountability and trust.
  • Hostile Complexity: Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny (Podcast)
    Alex Fein examines political disengagement, populism and voter dissatisfaction, exploring why simple narratives often resonate more strongly than complex policy explanations.
  • Is a Degree a Good Investment? : Institute for Fiscal Studies (Podcast and YouTube)
    Helen Miller, Christine Farquharson and Kate Ogden discuss the financial returns of higher education, highlighting how outcomes vary across degrees, institutions and student backgrounds.
  • Reimagining Government : Centre for Public Impact (Podcast)
    This podcast explores innovative approaches to public policy and governance, highlighting how governments can respond more effectively to complex social and environmental challenges.
  • How I Electrified – The Apartment Owner Who Refused to Accept ‘No’ for an Answer : SwitchedOn, Renew Economy (Podcast)
    Rowan Hearne explains how persistence, creative problem-solving and supportive governance arrangements enabled the successful electrification of an apartment property.
  • We're Reading Less. And It's Making Us Stupid : Science Weekly, The Guardian (Podcast)
    Madeleine Finlay explores evidence that declining reading habits may affect memory, literacy and broader cognitive capabilities.
  • The DEA Papers 1: On the Importance of Architecture : Digital Education Australia
    Peter Bacon argues that many challenges within Australia's disability employment ecosystem stem not from individual program failures but from the underlying design and architecture of the system, highlighting the need for structural reform to create more effective and sustainable outcomes..
  • The Knowing, Being & Doing Series: Panel Discussion: The Lowitja Journal (YouTube)
    This discussion critically explores the increasingly used concepts of Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing within health research and publishing. Drawing on diverse perspectives and experiences, panellists will examine the meanings and complexities of Indigenous epistemologies, ontologies and axiologies, including how knowledge is generated, embodied, valued and communicated within both Indigenous and Western systems.
  • Chris Bowen speaks about Australia's energy future at National Press Club: ABC News (YouTube)
    The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, will Address the National Press Club on 'Energy Security in an Uncertain World.'

Learning Opportunities

Upcoming events, including talks, short courses and webinars.

  • Lunch & Learn: Setting People Up for the Next Job
    7 October 2026, Disability Employment Australia, Online, Free
    David Carney discusses how career development approaches can help disability employment practitioners support not only job placement but also longer-term career progression and employment sustainability.
  • The Russell Taylor Oration 2026
    8 October 2026, AIATSIS, Canberra and Online, Free
    Julie-Ann Guivarra, CEO of the National Indigenous Australians Agency, will reflect on leadership, public service and the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
  • The Places that Made Social Work in Melbourne 1887–1940: A Historical Walking Tour
    12 October 2026, Australian Association of Social Workers (Victorian Branch), Melbourne, $10–$15
    Historian Jane Miller leads a walking tour exploring the people, places and events that contributed to the development of social work education in Victoria.
  • OpenAI: Governance for Public Good or Private Gain?
    13 October 2026, Centre for Social Impact UWA, Online, Free
    As part of the CSI UWA Research Webinar Series, this presentation will examine the structural changes at OpenAI with a view to examining the tensions it exposes for the governance and regulation of corporations that seek to pursue a purpose while also engaging in commercial activities and raising investment. 
  • VTMH October Webinar 2026: Whose Care? Our Care!
    21 October 2026, Victorian Transcultural Mental Health, Online, Free
    Professor Victoria Palmer and Dr Matthew Lewis discuss research examining how structural inequalities affect mental health and wellbeing and how culturally responsive models of care can address these challenges.
  • Community Attitudes Webinar: LGBTQIA+ People with Disability – Inclusion and Safety in Our Communities
    22 October 2026, People with Disability Australia, Online, Free
    This webinar explores practical strategies for creating more inclusive and accessible workplaces and communities for LGBTQIA+ people with disability.
  • What's Emerging? Conversations on systems transformation with Jess Dart and Emily Gates
    4 November, 9 December, 27 January, Clear Horizons, Online, Free
    A national event focused on the wellbeing, rights and futures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
  • Disability Research Symposium
    24 November, Science Gallery Melbourne, Free 
    This symposium shines a spotlight on four projects from the Melbourne Disability Institute.

Current Display

This month the book display in the library is about poverty, highlighting just some of our collection of resources relating to poverty. Our items on display can be found in the Books on Display list. Additional resources can be found in the curated lists, BSL Research reports (Poverty & social inclusion) and Poverty Measurement.

Acknowledgement of Country

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our organisation operates. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present.

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