Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 2001 The Personal is Political and the Political can be Very Bloody Personal : Family Farming in a Deregulated Dairy Industry Terese Reid Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Agricultural Economics Commons Recommended Citation Reid, T. (2001). The Personal is Political and the Political can be Very Bloody Personal : Family Farming in a Deregulated Dairy Industry. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/887 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/887 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. The personal is political and the political can be very bloody personal: Family farming in a deregulated dairy industry. Honours Dissertation Prepared by Terese Reid School Of Social Work Edith Cowan University 2001 USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. ~~r1~:,,0,~;- .. · '"' · .. ·._ \'. ' ., ··.:, .. , - \', ;).:\'.' ··:· ~~·\l-· •r·· it~ that this thesisdoes not, to'the b~st of my ktiowledge and b~lief: :''.:~:--~~{' " - . ' . ' _, ;;_ .- -_.,. ,";;;_.:,; :ji\oorporaie without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a. .. degree or diplomain lilly institution higher education; ,,_. of •. Contain any II!atcrial previously published or written by another person except ·.where due reference is made in the text; or '- -', -' -~; .- ., . ' . ',:. .- i/~ Cdntain anydeiamatorymaterial. ·- ---· ·- Date: 22 February 2002 - .. ,.-.. 2 Acknowledgments I would like to express my appreciation to the many people who have contributed to this research project, particularly the members ofthe dairy forming community. I especially wish to acknowledge the generosity, courage and support of the dairy> former participants, Beth, Bob, Elizabeth, Ivan, joe, julio, Lucy, Mary, Rex and Todd. I thank them for sharing their stories. I also wish to acknowledge the unstinting support of my honours supervisor, Dr Susan Young. I feel particularly privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Susan and I thank her for her time, rigour, integrity, sensitivity, humour and continuing encouragement. I am thankfid for the support provided by the staffinvolved in the Social Work Honour's program. at Edith Cowan University, Bunbury. I am also appreciative of the encouragement offered by my social work colleagues, particularly my valued friend and colleague, Lynelle. Finally, my love and my appreciation are extended to my loving and supportive husband, fomily and friends . I thank them for always believing in me and for always encouraging me to believe in my self. I love them very dearly. 3 Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... 3 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 011e ..................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction and Background to the Study .............................................................................. 7 Introduction ....... ,................................................................................................................................ 7 A \'(ford About Language ..................................................................................................................... 8 The Researd1 Que.~tion ....................................................................................................................... H The Purpose of the Rc.~carch ................................................................................................................ 9 The Researcher .................................................................................................................................. 10 A Brief History of the Lead· Up 10 Deregulation .............................................................................. 13 Dairy Deregulation (Within the Comext of the Capitalist Market System.) ....................................... J 5 Dairy Deregulation (In the Context ofGlobalisation) ........................................................................ J 6 Relevant and Timely .......................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter TJvo ................................................................................................................... 19 Philosophical, Theoretical and Methodological Considerations ............................................. 19 Philosophical and Theoretical Traditions Informing the Study .......................................................... 19 Critical Theory ............................................................................................................................. 20 Standpoint Feminism .................................................................................................................... 21 The Personal is Political ................................................................................................................ 22 Reflexivity ..................................................................................................................................... 23 MethodOllogical Considerations ......................................................................................................... 25 Method ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Dairy Farmer Participants ............................................................................................................. 27 Storying ........................................................................................................................................ 28 Audio·taping and Transcribing ..................................................................................................... 29 The Transcripts ............................................................................................................................ 31 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 31 A Word about the Literature Review ............................................................................................. 33 Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................................................... 34 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 34 Well.bcing of the Participating Dairy Farmers .............................................................................. 34 Well-being of the Researcher ......................................................................................................... 36 Confidentiality and Non-identifiability ......................................................................................... 3 7 Expectations Arising from the Research ......................................................................................... 38 The Researcher/Researched Relationship ....................................................................................... 38 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 39 Distance ........................................................................................................................................ 40 4 Who is Missing? ............................................................................................................................ 40 Researcher Position ....................................................................................................................... 41 Other Inl11.!ences ........................................................................................................................... 4 I Participation ................................................................................................................................. 41 Alternative Research Methods ....................................................................................................... 42 Time ............................................................................................................................................