E/Prof Bettina Cass

Overview

Professor Bettina Cass BA (Hons), PhD UNSW is Professorial Fellow, SPRC. Previously, she was Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney and Professor of Australian Studies in the Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. She has been Director of several large Government Inquiries and reviews concerned with family policies and family income support, social security, labour market policies, housing needs of women and children, ageing, retirement incomes and disabilities. She has also been a commissioner on NSW and Commonwealth Law Reform Commissions on social policy references (including children' services and aged care services) and a consultant to the OECD on social policies in Eastern Europe. She has also carried out research and consultations in partnership with community-based organisations. She is a member of the South Australian Government’s Social Inclusion Board. Her publications include chapters, articles books and reports covering research and policy analysis across the life-course in Australia and internationally: childhood and young people; family policies through the tax/transfer system; formal and informal care-giving for people with disability and ill health, with special reference to young people who provide care; ageing and retirement incomes; grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren; policies which make a difference for young people in disadvantaged circumstances; policies concerned with the balancing of work and family/care responsibilities; welfare state restructuring and its impacts on families, employment, unemployment and disability policies; housing policies; Indigenous people’s welfare.

Research Summary

Comparative analysis of policies for families with dependent children and carers for people with disability in Australia and internationally, with special reference to young people who are care-givers; historical and comparative analysis of the family tax/benefit system in Australia and internationally; studies of the interconnections of employment and family responsibilities, including care of children and other forms of care for people with disability; policies for young people in disadvantaged circumstances; changes in income support for people with a disability; Indigenous people and social policies; ageing and retirement incomes.

Teaching

HDR Supervision: Professor Bettina Cass is the coordinator of the Higher Research Degree program at the Centre, and has an extensive record of higher degree research student supervision. Professor Cass has recently and is currently supervising PhD students in the fields of family tax/benefit policies in Australia and the UK; grandchildren in kinship care arrangements in Aboriginal families; community care services for older people; retirement incomes policies in Australia and the UK; welfare reform: impacts on parents with children; disability policies in Australia and the USA; voluntary home visiting services for parents with young children; and a range of other topics in Australian and comparative social policy.

Professor Cass currently supervises: Tammy Burnstock, Angelica Hannan, Wendy Hermeston, Helen Hodgson, and Anne Wills.

Publications

Recent Book Chapters

Cass, B. (2007), ‘Taking a child well-being perspective on early childhood education and care’, in E. Hill, B. Pocock and A. Elliott (eds.), Kids Count: Better Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, University of Sydney Press, Sydney, 97-111.

Recent Journal Articles
Smyth, C., Blaxland, M. and Cass, B. (2010). ‘So that’s how I found out I was a young carer and that I actually had been a carer most of my life’ Identifying and supporting hidden young carers'. Journal of Youth Studies. DOI 10.1080/13676261.2010.506524

Smyth, C., Cass, B., and Hill, T., 'Children and young people as active agents in care-giving: agency and constraint', Children and Youth Services Review, available online Jun 2, 2010, DOI:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.05.009.

Cass, B., (2007), ‘Using the social care framework to analyse research on young carers’, Youth Studies Australia, 26 (2), 44-9.

Cass, B. (2007), ‘The intersections of paid and unpaid care in Australia: case-studies of young carers and grandparent carers’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42 (2), 241-54.

Cass, B., (2005), 'From meeting needs and establishing entitlements to enforcing obligations: 1967-2004, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 40 (1), 33-54.

Recent Consultancy Reports
Cass, B., Smyth, C., Hill, T., Blaxland, M., Hamilton, M., (2009) 'Young carers in Australia:understanding the advantages and disadvantages of their care giving', Social Policy Research Paper No. 38, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra.

Invited Plenary Addresses
Cass, B. (2007), ‘Caring Lives: Employment, health and wellbeing issues for young carers, mid-age carers and grandparent carers: implications for good policy and practice’, keynote address to Carers NSW Conference, Partnerships for Better Health Outcomes: Carers and professionals working together, 8 March 2007

Cass, B. (2007), ‘Social Inclusion: a broader perspective’, keynote address presented to The Benevolent Society Conference ‘Growing our Caring and Inclusive community, Sydney, 2 August 2007

Conference papers
Cass, B. and Whiteford, P. (2009), 'Social inclusion and the struggle against child poverty: lessons from Australian experience (PDF)', paper presented at the Expert Group Meeting on Policies to Advance Social Integration United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Social Policy and Development Social Perspective on Development Branch, convened in Preparation for the 48th Session of the Commission for Social Development United Nations Headquarters, New York, 2 November.

Cass, B. and Hill, T. (2009), ‘Active ageing in Australia: social, civic and community participation of older people’, paper presented at, An Inclusive Society? Practicalities and Possibilities, the 11th Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 10 July.

Cass, B. and Hill, T. (2009), ‘Indigenous carers: characteristics, contributions and policy implications’, Department of Families Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Social Policy Research Workshop, 30 November.

Cass, B., Blaxland, M. and Smyth, C.(2008), ‘So that’s how I found out I was a young carer and that I actually had been a carer most of my life. Identifying and supporting hidden young carers’, paper presented at the 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference - Families Through Life, Melbourne 9-11 July.

Cass, B. (2007), ‘Understanding grandparent care: policy implications of grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren in the Australian context’, invited paper presented at ARACY Access Grid Seminar Grandparents in Parenting Roles’, 16 August.

Cass, B. (2007), ‘Families, care-giving and social inclusion policies through the life-course’ invited paper presented at Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Workshop ‘Combating social exclusion through joined up policy: addressing social inclusion through whole-of-government approaches’, Adelaide University, 29-30 November.

Cass, B., Brennan D.and Hampshire A., (2007), ‘Grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren’, invited paper presented at Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 11 July.

Cass, B., Smyth, C. and Hill P. (2007), ‘Young carers: cost and impact on welfare’, paper presented at the Social Policy Research Workshop, Australian Government Department of Families, Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 20 November.

Cass, B. and Smyth C. (2007), ‘The costs of care/the benefits of care: a precarious balance? Considering the case of young carers’, paper presented at Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 11 July.

Cass, B., and Smyth, C. (2007), ‘Children and young people as active agents: Considering the case of young carers’, paper presented at the Seen and heard: Children as active agents: Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Workshop, UNSW, 12 October.