Jeremy Moss | The University of New South Wales (original) (raw)

Papers by Jeremy Moss

Behavioral science & policy, 2021

She is a psychiatric epidemiologist investigating social capital and mental health and their asso... more She is a psychiatric epidemiologist investigating social capital and mental health and their associations with general health and wellbeing, including in the context of climate change.

Climate Justice Beyond the State, 2020

Work, Employment and Society, 2016

This article presents the results of a qualitative study of 72 workers in regional Victoria, Aust... more This article presents the results of a qualitative study of 72 workers in regional Victoria, Australia. Against the background of the growing casualization of the workforce it demonstrates the impact on the health and well-being of these workers, focusing on the intersection between psychosocial working conditions and health. In particular it focuses on the detrimental impact on workers’ sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem. It emphasizes how the job insecurity characteristic of non-standard work extends beyond the fear of job loss to involve uncertainty over the scheduling of work, with debilitating consequences for workers’ autonomy, self-efficacy and control over their lives. Additionally, it is argued that the exclusion of these workers from paid leave and other entitlements in the workplace confers a lower social status on these workers that is corrosive of their self-esteem. It is these key socio-psychological mechanisms that provide the link between insecure work and worker...

University of Melbourne eBooks, 2011

People's health is profoundly influenced by the social circumstances in which they grow up, live,... more People's health is profoundly influenced by the social circumstances in which they grow up, live, and age (WHO, 2008, p.1). One of the key areas of social organisation that influences health is work. Good employment and working conditions, for example, 'can provide financial security, social status, personal development, social relations, and self-esteem', all of which contribute to health (WHO, 2008, p. 72). By contrast, work environments that elicit stress or which expose workers to dangerous chemicals and toxins undermine health via material and psychosocial pathways. The material pathways through which working conditions affect health are the immediate physical, chemical, and biological hazards that workers are directly exposed to in their jobs, such as poisonous chemical products, toxins, smoke fumes, mineral dust, infectious diseases and viruses (e.g. doctors and laboratory technicians), and physically demanding work tasks (e.g. heavy lifting and muscle strain from repetitive tasks). But working conditions also affect people's health via less immediate, psychosocial pathways. These include the quality of social support that is available within the work role, the opportunities that work affords for people to exercise decision-making, and the experience of job insecurity, which recent studies suggest, may be even more damaging to health than job loss itself (Clougherty et al., 2010, p. 115). v casual employees and independent contractors in the workforce, many full-time employees (as many as 274,000) are employed on a fixed-term, rather than ongoing, basis (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010a, p. 30). These workers' jobs may be far from secure if, for example, the duration of their employment tenure is very short (e.g. less than a year). About the Study This study documents these developments in the social organisation of work as they have been experienced by workers in rural and regional Victoria and explores the implications for workers' autonomy and social participation and, through this, their health. A total of 72 people took part in this study, including 46 (64%) casual employees, 12 (17%) independent contractors, 6 (8.3%) fixed-term contract employees, and 8 (11%) permanent "irregular" workers. This last group self-identified as casuals during the recruitment stage, although they do not fall strictly under the Australian Bureau of Statistics measure of casual employment since they are formally entitled to holiday and sick pay, albeit on a pro rata basis. However, these workers had highly uncertain work schedules and their income and shifts varied substantially from week to week. Workers who participated in this study took part in a series of three interviews between September 2009 and September 2011. These interviews lasted for an average of 40 minutes and interviewees were asked about the relationship between their employment contract and their ability to exercise autonomy in the workplace and control over their life, as well as their social participation and status within the workplace. This study focuses on the lived experiences of workers in rural and regional areas for a number of reasons. Firstly, one significant aspect of non-standard work in Australia is that these employment arrangements are more common in rural and regional areas than in urban locations (Louie, 2006, p. 478; Productivity Commission Research Paper, 2006, p. 49). This suggests that workers in these areas stand to be particularly affected by the rise in non-standard work in Australia. Moreover, workers in regional and rural areas are potentially more vulnerable to the effects of non-standard work not only because of the higher incidence of non-standard work arrangements in non-metropolitan areas but also because living in a rural or regional location rather than a major urban centre is likely to affect people's experience of non-standard work. One issue is the greater scarcity of employment opportunities in rural and regional areas. 1 This greater scarcity of employment opportunities in rural and regional areas may exacerbate the job insecurity associated with certain forms of non-standard work. A further reason why this study is particularly concerned with recent growth in non-standard work arrangements in regional and rural areas stems from the ongoing crisis in rural health. The 2007-08 National Health Survey shows that incidences of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and poor mental health are higher in rural and regional areas than in major cities. 2 While the National Health Survey does not speculate on the reasons why this is the case, these illnesses are all associated with working in a hazardous psychosocial work environment. Although the disparity in incidences of these diseases between metropolitan and rural/regional areas is unlikely to be explained solely by the higher 1 For example, unemployment in the Loddon-Mallee (Mildura; Swan Hill) and Goulburn-Ovens-Murray (Shepparton) regions is 6 percent-20 percent higher than in the Melbourne metropolitan region, which has an unemployment rate of 5 percent (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011) 2 In relation to the disparity in health outcomes between rural/regional and metropolitan Victoria, see http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ruralhealth/promotion/index.htm Psychosocial Pathways I: Effects on Workers' Autonomy and Control Non-standard employment arrangements not only have the potential to expose workers to a range of additional material health risks, such as increased risk of incurring a work-related injury or motivating health damaging behaviours within the workplace (presenteeism/work intensification), the employment uncertainty experiences and employment status differences associated with non-standard work arrangements can also give rise to a number of additional sources of psychosocial stress. The Debilitating Effects of Intermittent and Uncertain Work Schedules Job insecurity is one obvious source of psychosocial stress that non-standard workers are particularly vulnerable to, while the intermittency of temporary and contingent work 'also presumes periods of underemployment and unemployment' which are damaging to health (Facey & Eakin, 2010, p. 339).

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the impact of casualised and independe... more This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the impact of casualised and independent contractor work place arrangements on the psycho-social health of 72 workers in regional Victoria. It contributes to our understanding of the crisis in rural Australia in its use of qualitative methods focusing on the impact of work on health and well-being. There is some evidence in the literature that casualised work arrangement enhance the health and well-being of workers by giving them a sense of autonomy and freedom to negotiate their conditions of work. On the other hand, these arrangements may make an already vulnerable group even more vulnerable to uncertain work conditions, poor pay and uncertainty for their future with a significantly negative impact on their health and wellbeing. The results of these interviews support this latter perspective and show that these workers do not experience freedom and autonomy, but rather lowered social status, insecurity and serious limitati...

Health Sociology Review, 2012

This paper presents the fi ndings of a qualitative study of the impact of casualised and independ... more This paper presents the fi ndings of a qualitative study of the impact of casualised and independent contractor work place arrangements on the psycho-social health of 72 workers in regional Victoria. It contributes to our understanding of the crisis in rural Australia in its use of qualitative methods focusing on the impact of work on health and well-being. There is some evidence in the literature that casualised work arrangement enhance the health and well-being of workers by giving them a sense of autonomy and freedom to negotiate their conditions of work. On the other hand, these arrangements may make an already vulnerable group even more vulnerable to uncertain work conditions, poor pay and uncertainty for their future with a signifi cantly negative impact on their health and wellbeing. The results of these interviews support this latter perspective and show that these workers do not experience freedom and autonomy, but rather lowered social status, insecurity and serious limitations to their ability to manage their health, psychological wellbeing and social relations.

Australia is currently the World's second largest exporter of gas. The GHG emissions produced... more Australia is currently the World's second largest exporter of gas. The GHG emissions produced from exported gas add significantly to the risk of climate change. Yet according to current international conventions, fossil fuel-exporting States such as Australia are not liable for any of the harms to which their exported fossil fuels contribute. This article argues that the current "territorial" model for allocating responsibility for climate harms is inadequate and that fossil fuel-exporting States ought to be responsible for at least some of the harms to which their exported fossil fuel emissions contribute. Part II outlines the extent of Australia's gas export industry. Part III describes an account of complicity drawn from legal and moral philosophy and applies it to the case of Australia's gas export industry. Part IV discusses two ways in which gas use constitutes significant harm. The article closes by considering the policy implications of these moral argu...

https://climatejustice.co/articles/carbon-majors-overview/

Transformative Climates and Accountable Governance, 2018

Given the crucial role that exports play in driving fossil fuel development and consumption, the ... more Given the crucial role that exports play in driving fossil fuel development and consumption, the question of whether to limit exports is an important dimension of the debate concerning supply-side constraints. One crucial dimension of this debate is the moral case for limiting exports. This chapter discusses the moral arguments for limiting exports and argues that it is unjust for most countries that currently export fossil fuels to continue to do so based on the harm that they knowingly risk causing to people in other countries. In the second part, I discuss what follows from this argument for exporters. For example, if this kind of argument is true, then exporting countries face a range of responses that they could be obligated to perform including: phasing out exports, limiting new developments and exploration, compensating for harm, including a portion of the emissions of their exports in their domestic carbon budget or adopting faster domestic transitions. The chapter evaluates which of these responses exporters have an obligation to perform. The chapter also discusses some of the other consequences of this approach, such as whether and to what degree there are different constraints on developing countries that export fossil fuels, the likelihood of ‘negative’ carbon budgets for big fossil fuel exporters and the consequences for their climate transitions.

Law & Policy, 2017

Divestment from companies that produce or heavily utilize fossil fuels has become one of the bigg... more Divestment from companies that produce or heavily utilize fossil fuels has become one of the biggest issues in the contemporary moral debate surrounding climate change. Universities and other institutions are being asked to divest themselves of their fossil fuel related investments. In this paper I argue that, while the case for divestment is morally strong, not all of the arguments used to support divestment are equally strong. Moreover, it matters a great deal for the strength of the conclusions regarding divestment which of these arguments are employed. There are two major groups of arguments: what I call positive arguments for divestment, which stem from the claim that divestment is a response to general duties to take action to prevent dangerous climate change, and what I call negative arguments, which stem from a duty not to cause harm. In this paper I will briefly characterize what divestment means and to whom it applies. I will then look at negative and positive duty accounts of the duty to divest before looking at the standard objections to both. Objections have tended to cohere around the claims that divesting is inconsistent, useless and/or harmful, or should be abandoned for better options to avoid dangerous climate change. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Australian Journal of Social Issues, 2001

Welfare schemes which require recipients of benefits to 'give something hack: are often justified... more Welfare schemes which require recipients of benefits to 'give something hack: are often justified in terms of 'fairness' or fulfilling the 'social contract', The Australian Governments recent and proposed changes to unemployment benefits through the Mutual Obligation Scheme appeal to both justifications. However, insufficient attention has been paid the underlying ethical and political assumptions _Q serious deficiency, given their role in legitimating harsh new penalties. There are two broad reasons the current trend to tie benefits to obligations is inappropriate. First, the unemployed have little choice about their ~ontract. And second, there is insufficient mutuality shown towards the unemployed/or the Scheme to be obligation-generating. Rather than being a means a/encouraging panicipation or mutuality, the Scheme is essentially punitive.

Australian Journal of Political Science, 2016

In this article I argue that countries exporting fossil fuels, such as Australia, have an obligat... more In this article I argue that countries exporting fossil fuels, such as Australia, have an obligation to bear some of the costs of the harms caused by the use of those fuels. I argue that there is an analogy between other harmful exportsmedical waste, tobacco, unsafe jobs, uraniumand fossil fuels. If this is the case, then current methods for allocating emissions and responsibilities for their harms are inadequate and more complex than they appear. I consider several counter-arguments to this claim, such as that it does not recognise the benefits of coal and that exporters are not really responsible. Finally, I consider some of the consequences of this argument and claim that Australia and other fossil fuel exporters ought to have a higher 'carbon budget' if this argument is true and that exporters ought to bear a higher share of the costs of climate harms.

Reassessing Egalitarianism, 2014

The “equality of what?” debate is concerned with articulating a “metric” or “currency” of equalit... more The “equality of what?” debate is concerned with articulating a “metric” or “currency” of equality that is part of a theory of justice. As we have seen, whereas we might have equality in terms of all kinds of things – equality before the law, basic moral equality, for instance – typically egalitarians are concerned with a substantive understanding of equality that relates broadly to how well people’s lives go, not just the formal equal freedoms that people may have, important though these are. A focus on equality of condition has traditionally been a defining feature of egalitarianism. More recently debate about which is the best metric has also occupied an important place in defining what egalitarianism stands for. The assessment of the “equality of what?” debate must contain at least two dimensions: (1) which metric is best able to achieve a valuable type of equality as part of a theory of justice; and (2) whether it does so in a substantial enough way. The latter question is particularly important.

Climate Change and Justice

Australian Economic Review, 2013

This article considers the philosophical foundations of preference‐based and capability approache... more This article considers the philosophical foundations of preference‐based and capability approaches to well‐being. I argue that standard preference‐based approaches face difficulties in providing a satisfactory account of well‐being and that the capability approach, developed by Amartya Sen, offers a superior account. In particular, I argue that subjective preference accounts of well‐being are philosophically difficult to sustain and utilise in a public policy context.

Abstract. The ethical and political dilemmas raised by Information and Communication Technology (... more Abstract. The ethical and political dilemmas raised by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have only just begun to be understood. The impact of centralised data collection, mass communication technologies or the centrality of computer technology as a means of ...

University of New South Wales, May 21, 2020

Behavioral science & policy, 2021

Climate Justice Beyond the State, 2020

Work, Employment and Society, 2016

University of Melbourne eBooks, 2011

Health Sociology Review, 2012

https://climatejustice.co/articles/carbon-majors-overview/

Transformative Climates and Accountable Governance, 2018

Law & Policy, 2017

Australian Journal of Social Issues, 2001

Australian Journal of Political Science, 2016

Reassessing Egalitarianism, 2014

Climate Change and Justice

Australian Economic Review, 2013

University of New South Wales, May 21, 2020

journal of Applied Philosophy, 2018

How should the world's remaining carbon budget be divided among countries? We assess the role of ... more How should the world's remaining carbon budget be divided among countries? We assess the role of a fault-based principle in answering this question. Discussion of the role of historical emissions in dividing the global carbon budget has tended to focus on emissions before 1990. We think that this is in part because 1990 seems so recent, and thus post-1990 emissions seem to constitute a lesser portion of historical emissions. This point of view was undoubtedly warranted in the early 1990s, when discussion of fault-based principles in this context began. While this view still has some intuitive force, we find that it and the associated focus on pre-1990 emissions are now out of date. Emissions since 1990 in fact constitute a large and rapidly increasing proportion of emissions since 1750-approximately half of the carbon emissions due to fossil fuel use and cement production, at the time of writing. We show that a restricted fault-based principle, according to which emissions should be divided among countries on the basis of their emissions since 1990, is both viable and powerful. We consider standard objections to a fault-based principle in this context, how such a principle might more concretely be applied, and its likely implications.

Book, 2021

Virtually every figure in the climate justice literature agrees that states are presently failing... more Virtually every figure in the climate justice literature agrees that states are presently failing to discharge their duties to take action on climate change. Few, however, have attempted to think through what follows from that fact from a moral point of view. In Climate Justice Beyond the State, Lachlan Umbers and Jeremy Moss argue that states’ failures to take action on climate change have important implications for the duties of the most important actors states contain within them – sub-national political communities, corporations, and individuals – actors that have been largely neglected in the climate justice literature, to date. Sub-national political communities and corporations, they argue, have duties to immediately, aggressively, and unilaterally reduce their emissions. Individuals, on the other hand, have duties to help promote collective action on climate change. Along the way, they contribute to a range of important contemporary debates, including those over the nature of collective duties, what agents are required to do under conditions of partial compliance, and the requirements of fairness.

Book, 2021

In Carbon Justice, Moss argues that Australia’s continued contribution to climate change through ... more In Carbon Justice, Moss argues that Australia’s continued contribution to climate change through the export of fossil fuels is Australia’s great climate scandal.

The book explores how concepts ideas such as complicity, attributing responsibility, greenwashing, transferring risk and much more can help us get to the heart of the question – what is Australia’s real contribution to climate change?