Tony Vinson
Encyclopedia
Tony Vinson AM
(born 11 November 1935) is "one of Australia
's leading social scientists and outspoken public intellectual
s", an honorary Doctor of Letters
in Social Work
(honoris causa) from the University of Sydney
, as well as being an Honorary Professor in the School of Social Work and Policy Studies at the University of Sydney from which he graduated in 1956. He also received an order of Australia for his dedication to Social Welfare. His career spans the disciplines of social work, social policy, psychology, education, public administration and social research. He is also an Emeritus Professor of the University of New South Wales
.
, education
, government services, prison reform
, and community development, has included many projects on social disadvantage and young people. Vinson has also studied the impact of cumulative medico-social problems and life opportunities generally. The determinative influence of education (or life prospects) has remained a theme in this strand of his research, culminating in the recent publication of an influential study on the distribution of social disadvantage in Victoria
and New South Wales
.
His work as the Foundation Professor
in Behavioural science within the University of Newcastle
(NSW) in the Seventies followed research into connections between social factors, and pregnancy outcomes, including the health and progress of young children. At Newcastle, an important educational experience was his involvement in the development of the problem-based learning approach adopted for the new medical course. This approach incorporated many of the key elements of the educational approach considered as somewhat radical departures in the field of school education. Professor Vinson also instigated the broadly based admission procedures adopted by the Medical Faculty.
Following three years as Head of the NSW Department of Corrective Services (1979–81) during a period of intense penal reform, Tony Vinson took up an appointment as Professor of Social Work
at the University of New South Wales
. Over subsequent years he has served as Head of School and Dean
. He has twice been a Visiting Professor at the University of Stockholm and has observed the operation of Swedish
social services, including early schooling. There have also been Visiting Professor appointments in Holland and government consultancies in the South Pacific
. In 1980 Professor Vinson chaired a Commonwealth
Government Inquiry into health and social services in the ACT
.
In recent years Tony Vinson has had an extensive involvement in assessing schemes to protect children exposed to the dangers of abuse. Some of these projects have included the evaluation of professional practices, including the co-operation of schools with government and non-government services. Others have dealt with the social contexts and environments in which abusive practices occur. This work has been published internationally in journals such as The British Journal of Social Work and Modern Medicine as well as within Australia
by the Institute of Criminology and other authorities.
On Professor Vinson's initiative, the UNSW School of Social Work, in partnership with the NSW Department of Housing, residents, and local community bodies, formed a community development centre on the Waterloo Housing Estate. Tony Vinson has had the title Professor Emeritus
conferred on him by the University of New South Wales.
into public education. It is a parent/teacher venture into public policy making. The promotion of public education generated by the launch, submissions, public hearings and the findings will be invaluable.
Australia was written by Professor Tony Vinson, from the University of Sydney, providing a picture of areas of entrenched disadvantage nationally. The report found that just 1.7 per cent of postcodes and communities across Australia accounted for more than seven times their share of top rank positions on the major factors that cause intergenerational poverty
. "Our findings demand recognition of a common pattern associated with inadequate education and training–unemployment, low income, poor health and 'making ends meet' by criminal means, resulting in high rates of convictions and imprisonment. Where these characteristics are concentrated there, too,
we find high levels of confirmed child maltreatment," said Professor Tony Vinson, author of the research.
in the Australia Day
honours list 2008 for his services to social welfare.
The citation reads:
"For service to social welfare through academic, government and community roles, as a contributor to state and federal policy formulation, and as a champion of social justice."
and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard
announced the Australian Social Inclusion Board on 21 May 2008, attending the first meeting of the Board which brings together leaders from around the country to tackle disadvantage. Tony Vinson was announced as a founding member.
Vinson once wrote a jazz
single which was aired on ABC radio
.
M.A. Hons. (N.S.W.) 1965; Ph.D. (N.S.W.) 1972: Thesis - Social Factors
Associated with the Occurrence of Low Birth Weight
(University of Newcastle).
March - July, 1988.
April - July, 1985, February, 1988.
Australian Government Publishing Service, 1977.
Medical and Social Problems in an Australian City, British Journal of
Criminology, Vol. 15, No. 1, January, 1975.
Community Services: Four Studies, Poverty Commission, Australian
Government Publishing Service: Canberra, 1976.
Associated with Low Weight Births, Sydney: New South Wales
Government Printer, 1977.
Health and Welfare Services and Policies in the ACT., (Canberra,
Australian Government Printing Service, 1984)
Increased, Modern Medicine, Sept. 1988, 62-73.
Abuse, to be published in Br. J. of Social Work.
fields of gender related violence, to be published in Scandinavian Jr. of
Social Welfare.
Tony Vinson has been published in a range of international, referred
journals including British Journal of Criminology, British Journal of
Social Work, Anglo-American Law Review, Journal of APLET, Scandinavian
Journal ofSocial Welfare, Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Sociology.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 11 November 1935) is "one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's leading social scientists and outspoken public intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s", an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
in Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
(honoris causa) from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, as well as being an Honorary Professor in the School of Social Work and Policy Studies at the University of Sydney from which he graduated in 1956. He also received an order of Australia for his dedication to Social Welfare. His career spans the disciplines of social work, social policy, psychology, education, public administration and social research. He is also an Emeritus Professor of the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Career
Professor Vinson's long and diverse career in social researchSocial research
Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists. Social research methods may be divided into two broad categories:* Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases to create valid and reliable...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, government services, prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
, and community development, has included many projects on social disadvantage and young people. Vinson has also studied the impact of cumulative medico-social problems and life opportunities generally. The determinative influence of education (or life prospects) has remained a theme in this strand of his research, culminating in the recent publication of an influential study on the distribution of social disadvantage in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
His work as the Foundation Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Behavioural science within the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
(NSW) in the Seventies followed research into connections between social factors, and pregnancy outcomes, including the health and progress of young children. At Newcastle, an important educational experience was his involvement in the development of the problem-based learning approach adopted for the new medical course. This approach incorporated many of the key elements of the educational approach considered as somewhat radical departures in the field of school education. Professor Vinson also instigated the broadly based admission procedures adopted by the Medical Faculty.
Following three years as Head of the NSW Department of Corrective Services (1979–81) during a period of intense penal reform, Tony Vinson took up an appointment as Professor of Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Over subsequent years he has served as Head of School and Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
. He has twice been a Visiting Professor at the University of Stockholm and has observed the operation of Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
social services, including early schooling. There have also been Visiting Professor appointments in Holland and government consultancies in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In 1980 Professor Vinson chaired a Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
Government Inquiry into health and social services in the ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
In recent years Tony Vinson has had an extensive involvement in assessing schemes to protect children exposed to the dangers of abuse. Some of these projects have included the evaluation of professional practices, including the co-operation of schools with government and non-government services. Others have dealt with the social contexts and environments in which abusive practices occur. This work has been published internationally in journals such as The British Journal of Social Work and Modern Medicine as well as within Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by the Institute of Criminology and other authorities.
On Professor Vinson's initiative, the UNSW School of Social Work, in partnership with the NSW Department of Housing, residents, and local community bodies, formed a community development centre on the Waterloo Housing Estate. Tony Vinson has had the title Professor Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
conferred on him by the University of New South Wales.
Tony Vinson Centre for Community Development
This purpose-built community centre in Mildura, named after Professor Vinson is designed to co-locate Agency programs Chances for Children, Reading Discovery, Learning for Life, The Portland House Project and the proposed Youth Engagement Program for Early years. It opened in 2008.The Vinson Inquiry
The Vinson Inquiry provided a chance for parents, teachers and community members to challenge governments and the media about public education. The Vinson Inquiry was like a Royal CommissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
into public education. It is a parent/teacher venture into public policy making. The promotion of public education generated by the launch, submissions, public hearings and the findings will be invaluable.
Dropping off the Edge
Dropping off the Edge: the distribution of disadvantage in Australia was the most comprehensive national study of its kind. The report, which is a joint project with Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social ServicesCatholic Social Services
Catholic Social Services is a Roman Catholic social service organisation in Karachi, Pakistan.In 1962 the Archbishop of Karachi Joseph Cordeiro decided to form the Catholic Social Services , becoming its first Chairman and chose Cyril Mendes to be the Honorary Secretary...
Australia was written by Professor Tony Vinson, from the University of Sydney, providing a picture of areas of entrenched disadvantage nationally. The report found that just 1.7 per cent of postcodes and communities across Australia accounted for more than seven times their share of top rank positions on the major factors that cause intergenerational poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. "Our findings demand recognition of a common pattern associated with inadequate education and training–unemployment, low income, poor health and 'making ends meet' by criminal means, resulting in high rates of convictions and imprisonment. Where these characteristics are concentrated there, too,
we find high levels of confirmed child maltreatment," said Professor Tony Vinson, author of the research.
Judicial accountability
In September 1986 Professor Tony Vinson released a report dealing with the sentencing of drug cases in the NSW District Court between 1980 and 1982, which purported to find that a particular judge had exercised leniency in dealing with clients of a particular solicitor. It was revealed later that Justice Foord was the judge in question. He was stood down from the District Court in September 1986 and resigned on medical grounds later that year. One consequence of these and other events was the passing of the Judicial Officers Act 1986, establishing a formalized system of judicial accountability.Order of Australia
Tony Vinson was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
honours list 2008 for his services to social welfare.
The citation reads:
"For service to social welfare through academic, government and community roles, as a contributor to state and federal policy formulation, and as a champion of social justice."
Australian Social Inclusion Board
Prime Minister Kevin RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
announced the Australian Social Inclusion Board on 21 May 2008, attending the first meeting of the Board which brings together leaders from around the country to tackle disadvantage. Tony Vinson was announced as a founding member.
Other work
- 1962-69 Tutor, Lecturer, School of Sociology and Social Work, University of New South Wales.
- 1969-71 Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, University of Sydney.
- 1971-76 Foundation Director, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice - undertaking wide-ranging social as well as criminological research.
- 1976-79 Foundation Professor of Behavioural Science in Medicine, University of Newcastle.
- 1979-81 Chairman, NSW Corrective Services Commission
- Oct 1981- Professor, School of Social Work, University of New South Wales.
Vinson once wrote a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
single which was aired on ABC radio
ABC Radio
Cumulus Media Networks is an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. it controlled many of the assets of the former ABC Radio Networks, which Citadel Broadcasting purchased in June 2007...
.
Academic qualifications
B.A., Dip. Soc. Studies (Sydney) 1956; Dip. Sociology (N.S.W.) 1962;M.A. Hons. (N.S.W.) 1965; Ph.D. (N.S.W.) 1972: Thesis - Social Factors
Associated with the Occurrence of Low Birth Weight
- Australian Social Welfare Commission Fellowship, April/June 1976
(University of Newcastle).
- Visiting Professor, University of Stockholm January - March, 1985;
March - July, 1988.
- Visiting Professor, Research Centre, Ministry of Justice, Netherlands,
April - July, 1985, February, 1988.
- Editor Board, Scandinavian Journal of Social Welfare, 1991 -
Other literature
- Vinson, T., Homel, R., Indicators of Community Wellbeing. Canberra:
Australian Government Publishing Service, 1977.
- Vinson, T., Homel, R., Crime and Disadvantage: The Coincidence of
Medical and Social Problems in an Australian City, British Journal of
Criminology, Vol. 15, No. 1, January, 1975.
- Vinson, T., Homel, R., Bonney, R., A Community Study: Newcastle,
Community Services: Four Studies, Poverty Commission, Australian
Government Publishing Service: Canberra, 1976.
- Vinson, T., Stevens, L.A., Unequal at Birth: A Study of Social Factors
Associated with Low Weight Births, Sydney: New South Wales
Government Printer, 1977.
- Vinson, T., Walmsley, R. and Coul, V., Beyond the Image. Review of
Health and Welfare Services and Policies in the ACT., (Canberra,
Australian Government Printing Service, 1984)
- Vinson, T., and McArthur, M., Why Child Abuse Appears to have
Increased, Modern Medicine, Sept. 1988, 62-73.
- Vinson, T., Baldry, E., Hargreaves, J., The Social Ecology of Child
Abuse, to be published in Br. J. of Social Work.
- Vinson, T., Preparing Human Service Professionals for work in the
fields of gender related violence, to be published in Scandinavian Jr. of
Social Welfare.
Tony Vinson has been published in a range of international, referred
journals including British Journal of Criminology, British Journal of
Social Work, Anglo-American Law Review, Journal of APLET, Scandinavian
Journal ofSocial Welfare, Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Sociology.